Law Council condemns attacks on Turkish lawyers
The recent attacks on lawyers and judges in Turkey have been condemned by the
Law Council of Australia. Nine lawyers were arrested in their homes on 16 March, they were all known to represent minority groups and those accused of crimes against the state. Colleagues of the lawyers were attacked by riot police at a press conference the following day.
Law Council of Australia president
Stuart Clark AM said the attacks were extremely worrying and wants the Australian government to make its position clear to the Turkish authorities.
“The Law Council of Australia has arranged a meeting with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and we will be urging engagement with senior representatives of the Turkish Government in a private and public capacity,” he said.
Mr Clark called for the protection of rights of lawyers to carry out their work unhindered.
Former bar association president was a fake lawyer
A court in the US has convicted a woman who posed as a licensed lawyer but never qualified or even attended a law school. Kimberly Kitchen was found guilty of fraud, unauthorized practice of law and felony records tampering, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Kitchen’s deception was discovered only after she had made partner at BMZ Law and spent a short time as president at the local bar association. She had spent a decade posing as a lawyer.
Law firm sues Michael Jackson estate for U$200k unpaid fees
London law firm Atkins Thomson is suing Michael Jackson’s estate for an alleged U$200,000 of unpaid fees. The Hollywood Reporter says that the firm claims it has not been paid for representing Jackson in the two years before his death and has filed a lawsuit against lawyers John Branca and John McClain, the estate’s executors.
The complaint claims that “defendants have failed to honor Jackson’s obligations under, and has materially breached, the agreement with Atkins, and any implied covenants therein, by failing to make the payments as required.”
