Legal Question in Criminal Law in California

Re: List of financial crimes committed by attorneys.

You need to direct your question to the California State Bar. I'd start with their (415) 538-2000 telephone number and get an address to write your inquiry to.

Most financial crimes committed by attorneys in my limited experience involve taking money from the attorney's trust account (client's money), and using it to cover their own expenses. There is a State Bar Journal (magazine) that lists monthly those attorneys who have been sanctioned or disbarred. That might be a good place to start. When I started practicing law there was an attorney who had robbed a bank of $700.00, as I recall, and he was convicted of the crime. There have been a couple of attorneys in South Orange County who have dipped into their trust accounts. One died of cancer waiting to be tried on the charge. There was another attorney who was convicted in Federal Court (or maybe just charged) of laundering drug money. And he committed suicide. So the definition of financial crime is a little vague. However, the single biggest problem appears to be (in my opinion) the attorney's trust account, and the drug and alcohol use that leads to financial problems. The constant money problems, stress of meeting deadlines and the other normal stresses that everyone has takes its toll.