Hippard v. State Bar

I respectfully dissent. The majority relies upon petitioner’s failure to have made restitution for debts discharged in bankruptcy in finding him insufficiently rehabilitated to warrant reinstatement. I believe that our refusal to reinstate petitioner because he has not made restitution of those debts unconstitutionally contravenes federal bankruptcy law.

While giving weight both to disciplinary recommendations of the Review Department of the State Bar (review department) and factual findings of the *1099hearing panel in this case, when reviewing a petition for reinstatement, as in all State Bar…