ASSIGNMENT: Please readthis decision by the Iowa Supreme Court in an attorney discipline case.
Questions for you to answer:
[a] Why should judges care if attorneys submit plagiarized legal briefs or motions? Please explain your answer.
[b] Attorney Peter Cannon was punished by the court and by the attorney disciplinary board. Do you think these punishments (taken as a whole) were too lenient, too severe, or about right? Please explain your answer.
[c] The Iowa Supreme Court referred to another case involving attorney plagiarism (Iowa Supreme Court Board of Professional Ethics & Conduct v. Lane).In that case, the punishment for attorney Lane (suspension of his license to practice) was more severe than the punishment imposed on attorney Cannon. What distinction did the court make between these two cases? Do you agree with the court's reasoning?
[d] The state of Florida requires "personal appearances before the [disciplinary] board for public reprimands for disciplined lawyers" [italics added]. Do you think this kind of public shaming is too harsh? Explain.