Vincent Amberly

DCCA Opinion (June 25, 2009)

Summary: In a reciprocal matter from Virginia, the D.C. Court of Appeals imposed substantially different discipline and suspended Amberly 30 days. The Virginia State Bar Disciplinary Board admonished Amberly and ordered that he complete six hours of continuing legal education within a year. The Virginia board found that by failing to serve a counterclaim on the opposing party, but then misrepresenting that he had served the counterclaim in court pleadings in open court and to Virginia Bar Counsel, Amberly (1) knowingly made a false statement of fact or law to a tribunal, (2) knowingly made a false statement of fact or law in the course of representing a client, (3) knowingly made a false statement of material fact in connection with a disciplinary matter, and (4) engaged in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation which reflects adversely on his fitness to practice law.

Board Report and Orders (June 13, 2008)

Summary: In a reciprocal matter from Virginia, the Board on Professional Responsibility recommends that the D.C. Court of Appeals impose substantially different reciprocal discipline and suspend Amberly for 30 days because the discipline imposed in Virginia was both outside the range of, and substantially different from, the discipline that would be imposed in an original disciplinary proceeding in the District of Columbia. The disciplinary board of the Virginia State Bar issued Amberly an admonition with terms. The Virginia board found Amberly had violated Virginia rules pertaining to making a false statement to a tribunal, making a false statement while representing a client, making a false statement in a disciplinary matter, and engaging in acts of dishonesty reflecting adversely on a lawyer’s fitness to practice law.