Committee on Professional Ethics & Conduct of the Iowa State Bar Ass'n v. Harris

HARRIS, Justice.

In this lawyer disciplinary proceeding the grievance commission recommended a one-month suspension. On review we are convinced the violations demand a far more severe sanction. We suspend respondent’s license indefinitely, with no possibility of reinstatement for three years.

The factual pattern is not uncommon. Frequently the facts in these proceedings begin with a professional oversight or failure. The ensuing embarrassment leads to an unprofessional lack of candor in the form of a “cover-up.” Then, as the lawyer feels increasingly entrapped, the matter snowballs. In…