Iowa Supreme Court Board of Professional Ethics & Conduct v. Gilliam

McGIVERIN, Chief Justice.

We must determine whether respondent William H. Gilliam’s handling of his client trust account violated the Iowa Code of Professional Responsibility for Lawyers (Code), and, if so, whether the discipline recommended by our Grievance Commission (Commission) is appropriate. A division of the Commission found that Gilliam’s conduct violated several disciplinary rules and recommended that he be publicly reprimanded. We agree with the Commission’s findings but conclude that Gilliam’s violations warrant a thirty-day suspension of his license to practice law.

I. Background…