Case of the Week 2/23/09

Engaging in any kind of intimidating, abusive, or turbulent behavior towards others is a red flag for the bar examiners.

In one case, an applicant was denied admission to the Nebraska Bar after he was charged with brandishing a deadly weapon, burglary, assault, making threats, and stalking as a college student; and with aggravated harassment stemming from an altercation with a fellow student as a law student. In re Antonini, 272 Neb. 985 (2007). The court found the applicant to be untruthful on his bar application about the charges against him. “We have held that ‘abusive, disruptive, hostile, intemperate, intimidating, irresponsible, threatening, or turbulent behavior is a proper basis for the denial of admission to the bar.’” Id., at 993. “[The applicant] has been involved in three serious incidents involving abusive, disruptive, hostile, intemperate, intimidating, irresponsible, threatening, and turbulent behavior. In each of these incidents, [the applicant] showed complete disregard for others as well as a lack of self-control.” Id., at 994.