Columbus Bar Ass'n v. Sterner

The respondent misappropriated funds and neglected to safeguard the interests of his clients over a five-year period. The rules of our Code of Professional Responsibility are mandatory; they state the minimum level of conduct below which no lawyer can fall without being subject to disciplinary action. As the board found, respondent’s conduct clearly violated a number of these rules. We have said many times that the appropriate sanction for misappropriation of client funds and continued neglect of duty is disbarment. See, e.g., Mahoning Cty. Bar Assn. v. Michaels (1996), 75 Ohio St.3d 645,…