Carolyn Sue Janzen was admitted to the California Bar 16th June 1982, but has since been disbarred. Carolyn graduated from University of San Diego SOL.

Lawyer Information

NameCarolyn Sue Janzen
First Admitted16 June 1982 (41 years, 10 months ago)
StatusDisbarred
Bar Number102998

Contact

Phone Number760-352-0464

Schools

Law SchoolUniversity of San Diego SOL (San Diego CA)
Undergraduate SchoolSan Diego State University (San Diego CA)

Address

Current AddressLaw Ofc Carolyn S Janzen, PO Box 225
El Centro, CA 92244
Map

History

25 February 2009Disbarred (15 years, 2 months ago)
Disbarment 03-O-04514
1 September 2008Not eligible to practice law in CA (15 years, 8 months ago)
Ordered inactive 03-O-04514
30 August 2008Discipline w/actual suspension 03-O-03236 (15 years, 8 months ago)
1 July 2008Not eligible to practice law in CA (15 years, 10 months ago)
Suspended, failed to pay fees
31 May 2008Not eligible to practice law in CA (15 years, 11 months ago)
Ordered inactive 03-O-04514
9 October 2007Active (16 years, 6 months ago)
16 August 2007Not eligible to practice law in CA (16 years, 8 months ago)
Suspended, failed to pay fees
23 March 2007Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 03-O-04514 (17 years, 1 month ago)
3 August 2005Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 03-O-03236 (18 years, 9 months ago)
11 April 2004Discipline, probation; no actual susp. 02-O-14783 (20 years ago)
1 July 1996Active (27 years, 10 months ago)
1 January 1996Inactive (28 years, 4 months ago)
3 July 1989Active (34 years, 10 months ago)
1 January 1989Inactive (35 years, 4 months ago)
16 June 1982Admitted to the State Bar of California (41 years, 10 months ago)

Discipline Summaries

February 25, 2009

CAROLYN S. JANZEN [#102998], 60, of El Centro was disbarred Feb. 25, 2009, and was ordered to comply with rule 9.20 of the California Rules of Court.

In a default proceeding, the State Bar Court found that Janzen failed to deposit and maintain client funds in a trust account and misappropriated client funds, committing an act of moral turpitude.

Janzen represented an elderly client, nearly 94 years old, in several matters involving the sale of property. Over a period of about a year, the client paid Janzen six times for her services, including a $2,500 retainer and a check for $8,000. In addition, Janzen received numerous payments on her client’s behalf. During a seven-month period, she received at least $267,842 and paid nearly $189,000 in expenses for the client. When the client died, her estate successfully sued Janzen for misappropriating $78,898.24.

Janzen was disciplined twice previously. In 2004, she stipulated that she commingled personal and business funds and in 2008, the bar court found she failed to perform legal services competently, refund unearned fees or provide an accounting to her clients and she made misrepresentations to her client and improperly withdrew from employment.

“In view of (Janzen’s) misappropriation of a large amount of her client’s funds, her failure to place client funds in trust, her lack of participation in this case, and her prior discipline,” wrote Judge Richard Honn, “the court determines that disbarment is warranted here to protect the public, to preserve public confidence in the profession, and to maintain the highest possible professional standards for attorneys.”

August 30, 2008

CAROLYN SUE JANZEN [#102998], 60, of El Centro was suspended for two years, stayed, placed on five years of probation with a nine-month actual suspension and was ordered to prove her rehabilitation, make restitution, take the MPRE and comply with rule 9.20. The order took effect Aug. 30, 2008.

Janzen was referred to the State Bar’s alternative discipline program and its Lawyer Assistance Program in 2006 after demonstrating a nexus between her mental health and substance abuse issues and her misconduct. She stipulated to five counts of misconduct in one client matter with the understanding that failure to complete the ADP would result in a heavier discipline.

She was terminated from the program for non-compliance.

Janzen had substituted in to a wrongful termination case in which she represented the plaintiff but took no action to bring the matter to trial. Nearly two years after taking over the case, after the statute of limitations had expired, she notified the client that the case was in the discovery phase and proposed two retainer arrangements.

She also misrepresented to the client that she was awaiting interrogatory answers from the opposing party, had conducted discovery and was preparing for trial.

The client agreed to one option and sent Janzen a $7,500 check as a retainer fee. He asked for updates on the case several times without success. At one point, Janzen’s assistant told the client the case was still in the discovery phase. He finally fired her and hired a new lawyer.

Janzen did no work on the case and did not return the client’s fee.

She stipulated that she failed to perform legal services competently, refund an unearned fee or account for client funds and she improperly withdrew from employment and committed acts of moral turpitude by making misrepresentations to her client.

Janzen was disciplined in 2004 for commingling personal and client funds.

In mitigation, she cooperated with the bar’s investigation.

April 11, 2004

CAROLYN S. JANZEN [#102998], 55, of El Centro was suspended for one year, stayed, placed on two years of probation and was ordered to take the MPRE within a year. The order took effect April 11, 2004.

Janzen stipulated that she wrote checks against her client trust account for personal or business expenses, maintained personal funds in the account and commingled personal and client funds.

In mitigation, she has no prior record of discipline and no clients were harmed by her misconduct.