Laura Luciana Santos was admitted to the California Bar 4th December 1990, but has since been disbarred. Laura graduated from UC Davis SOL King Hall.

Lawyer Information

NameLaura Luciana Santos
First Admitted4 December 1990 (34 years, 6 months ago)
StatusDisbarred
Bar Number150378

Contact

Phone Number213-383-8386
Fax Number213-383-2639

Schools

Law SchoolUC Davis SOL King Hall (Davis CA)
Undergraduate SchoolUniversity of California at Los Angeles (CA)

Address

Current AddressSantos & Associates, 3540 Wilshire Blvd #838
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Map

History

13 April 2001Disbarred (24 years, 2 months ago)
Disbarment 00-N-12301
2 November 2000Not eligible to practice law in CA (24 years, 7 months ago)
Ordered inactive 00-N-12301
17 September 2000Not eligible to practice law in CA (24 years, 9 months ago)
Ordered inactive 00-N-12301
26 July 2000Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 00-N-12301 (24 years, 11 months ago)
24 March 2000Not eligible to practice law in CA (25 years, 3 months ago)
Discipline w/actual suspension 96-O-02606
9 January 1998Active (27 years, 5 months ago)
18 November 1997Not eligible to practice law in CA (27 years, 7 months ago)
Suspended, failed to pass Prof.Resp.Exam 95-O-12249
16 October 1997Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 96-O-02606 (27 years, 8 months ago)
13 June 1997Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 97-O-13766 (28 years ago)
27 October 1996Discipline, probation; no actual susp. 95-O-12249 (28 years, 8 months ago)
15 December 1995Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 95-O-12249 (29 years, 6 months ago)
4 December 1990Admitted to the State Bar of California (34 years, 6 months ago)

Discipline Summaries

April 13, 2001

LAURA LUCIANA SANTOS [#150378], 57, of Los Angeles was disbarred April 13, 2001, and ordered to comply with rule 955.

Disbarment was recommended after Santos failed to comply with rule 955 following a 2000 disciplinary matter.

At that time, she received probation and a two-year suspension for misconduct in seven consolidated cases including: failure to pay and misappropriation of client funds, failure to perform legal services competently, communicate with clients, cooperate with the bar’s investigation, pay or report sanctions or comply with probation conditions from an earlier discipline. She also committed an act of moral turpitude.

Santos was disciplined in 1996 for failure to properly maintain client funds, refund an unearned fee, perform legal services competently or respond to client inquiries.

March 24, 2000

LAURA LUCIANA SANTOS [#150378], 46, of Los Angeles was suspended for four years, stayed, placed on four years of probation with an actual two-year suspension, and was ordered to make restitution, prove her rehabilitation, take the MPRE and comply with rule 955. The order took effect March 24, 2000.

Santos stipulated to misconduct in seven consolidated cases.

In the first matter, she represented a client in a marital dissolution. Her client agreed to pay $10,100 to satisfy outstanding child support payments and other obligations and stipulated that $2,000 of that amount was to be deposited in trust for his daughter. Santos was to be the trustee, the funds were to be used solely for tuition and books, and all remaining trust funds were to be distributed to the daughter when she turned 23.

Santos allowed the balance in her client trust account to fall below the required $2,000, she did not reimburse the young woman for tuition or books as requested, and she did not forward the balance of the trust when the woman turned 23. Santos stipulated that she misappropriated client funds, failed to promptly pay out client funds, failed to perform legal services competently, and committed acts of moral turpitude.

In another matter, she was employed to handle an issue of past due child support and received a $500 advance fee. Santos did not contact the district attorney’s office on her clients’ behalf, failed to provide them with any documentation, did not respond to their multiple phone calls and did not return unearned fees when the clients sought a refund.

Although she filed a divorce petition for another client, Santos did not respond to that client’s requests for status reports. When another client failed to pay an opposing party’s legal fees, Santos was sanctioned $1,000. She neither paid the sanction nor reported it to the bar. She also failed to perform legal services in two other cases, and she did not cooperate with three separate bar investigations of her misconduct.

Santos was disciplined in 1996 for failure to properly maintain client funds, refund an unearned fee, perform legal services competently or respond to client inquiries. However, she failed to comply with probation conditions: she did not submit quarterly reports, attend ethics school or client trust account record keeping school, complete MCLE courses on law office management or participate in a mediation program.

October 27, 1996

LAURA SANTOS [#150378], 42, of Los Angeles was suspended for 30 days, stayed, placed on six months probation, and was ordered to take the MPRE within one year. The order took effect Oct. 27, 1996.

Santos was hired to handle a divorce for a client who paid $1,500 as attorney's fees and a $182 filing fee. Six months later, the client terminated her employment and asked for an accounting and a return of any unearned fees. Santos did not respond to two requests, but finally sent an accounting which reflected a $663 credit to both her client and the State Bar. Although she sent her client a check, it was not cashed, so she reissued a check.

Santos did not promptly give an accounting or repay unearned fees.

In another divorce case, she did not perform the work for which she was hired or communicate with her client. When the client sought mediation through the State Bar, Santos did not respond or participate.

In mitigation, Santos has practiced since 1990 without any discipline.