San Francisco, CA 94104-1306
11 July 2019 | Active (4 years, 9 months ago) |
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11 January 2019 | Not eligible to practice law in CA (5 years, 3 months ago) Discipline w/actual suspension 15-O-12314 |
15 November 2016 | Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 15-O-12314 (7 years, 5 months ago) |
1 August 2011 | Active (12 years, 9 months ago) |
29 April 2011 | Not eligible to practice law in CA (13 years ago) Discipline w/actual suspension 06-J-15200 |
16 September 2008 | Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 06-J-15200 (15 years, 7 months ago) |
24 November 1993 | Admitted to the State Bar of California (30 years, 5 months ago) |
April 29, 2011 FRANK PATRICK SPROULS [#166019], 55, of San Francisco was suspended for one year, stayed, placed on two years of probation with a 90-day actual suspension, and he was ordered to take the MPRE within one year and comply with rule 9.20 of the California Rules of Court. The order took effect April 29, 2011. The State Bar sought review of a hearing judge’s recommendation that Sprouls be given only a stayed suspension as the result of misconduct in two matters. The State Bar Court review department increased the recommended discipline after finding he committed extensive misconduct in immigration cases.The hearing judge found, and the review department agreed, that Sprouls committed 51 acts of misconduct before the Ninth Circuit, which disciplined him for professional misconduct. The review panel did not agree with the bar’s argument that Sprouls committed acts of moral turpitude as the result of gross negligence. His misconduct was divided into four general categories: petitions for review that were dismissed for lack of jurisdiction or summarily denied; petitions for review that were dismissed for failure to prosecute; opening briefs that were filed late; and performance that was lacking for other reasons.In the second matter, in which a client hired Sprouls to rescind a removal order, both the hearing judge and the review panel found that he Sprouls failed to perform legal services competently by filing a motion that didn’t comply with immigration court requirements. He also delegated preparation of legal documents to non-lawyers in his office and failed to supervise them adequately. In mitigation, Sprouls had no discipline record in 10 years of practice, acknowledged his wrongdoing, submitted evidence of his good character and did extensive pro bono work |