Geraldine D Green was first admitted to the California Bar 5th January 1972, but is now no longer eligible to practice. Geraldine graduated from St John's University SOL.

Lawyer Information

NameGeraldine D Green
First Admitted5 January 1972 (52 years, 4 months ago)
StatusNot Eligible to Practice
Bar Number50282

Contact

Phone Number323-643-0559
Fax Number818-786-4127

School

Law SchoolSt John's University SOL (NY)

Address

Current Address1818 S Western Ave Ste 503
Los Angeles, CA 90006
Map

History

1 September 2010Not eligible to practice law in CA (13 years, 8 months ago)
Admin Inactive/MCLE noncompliance
17 March 2000Discipline w/actual suspension 95-O-16891 (24 years, 1 month ago)
17 March 2000Not eligible to practice law in CA (24 years, 1 month ago)
Discipline w/actual suspension 95-O-14089
6 August 1999Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 95-O-16891 (24 years, 9 months ago)
4 December 1996Active (27 years, 5 months ago)
16 September 1996Not eligible to practice law in CA (27 years, 7 months ago)
Suspended, failed to pass Prof.Resp.Exam 93-O-19231
6 September 1996Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 95-O-18456 (27 years, 8 months ago)
11 February 1996Active (28 years, 2 months ago)
12 January 1996Not eligible to practice law in CA (28 years, 3 months ago)
Discipline w/actual suspension 93-O-19231
13 December 1995Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 95-O-14089 (28 years, 4 months ago)
28 February 1995Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 94-O-16041 (29 years, 2 months ago)
5 October 1994Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 94-H-16998 (29 years, 7 months ago)
27 September 1994Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 93-O-19231 (29 years, 7 months ago)
27 September 1993Private reproval, public disclosure 89-O-11321 (30 years, 7 months ago)
30 July 1992Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 89-O-11321 (31 years, 9 months ago)
5 January 1972Admitted to the State Bar of California (52 years, 4 months ago)

Discipline Summaries

September 29, 2000

GERALDINE D. GREEN [#50282], 67, of Los Angeles was suspended for three months and until she pays sanctions and proves her rehabilitation. The order took effect Sept. 29, 2000.

In February 1991, Green filed a wrongful death suit against Los Angeles County; it was dismissed in July.

In September, she filed suit in state court and subsequently filed four amended complaints.

In February 1994, the court denied her motion to file a fifth amended complaint and sanctioned her more than $1,000, ruling that she had acted in bad faith and used frivolous tactics. She did not report the sanction to the State Bar for more than two years.

In 1995, Green returned to federal court and filed an action similar to the original federal complaint. The court dismissed the case, said it was frivolous and sanctioned Green $2,312.

Green stipulated that she continued her employment knowing that her objective was to pursue litigation that was not warranted under law.

Green has a record of three disciplines. In 1993, she was privately reproved for failing to properly maintain her client trust account or pay out client funds, and in 1995, she was suspended for failing to act competently, return client papers, comply with probation conditions, respond to client inquiries or cooperate with the bar’s investigation and disobeying a court order.

Last year, she was suspended again for failing to respond to client inquiries or perform competently and for committing acts of moral turpitude.

In mitigation, she suffered from severe financial stress at the time of the misconduct.

March 17, 2000

GERALDINE D. GREEN [#50282], 67, of Los Angeles was suspended for five years, stayed, placed on five years of probation with an actual two-year suspension and was ordered to comply with rule 955. The order took effect March 17, 2000.

Green petitioned for review of a hearing judge’s findings of misconduct and sought a reduction of the recommended discipline, arguing that the State Bar failed to prove she committed any violations. The review department upheld the hearing judge’s findings on most charges, and reduced the actual suspension from 30 months to 24 after finding “serious aggravation, which compels significant actual suspension.”

Green, who is a former California Commissioner of Corporations, represented a client in the wrongful death of his wife and unborn child in a car accident. The case was dismissed, following mediation, by attorneys for the plaintiff, who signed a release as to the drivers and owners of two automobiles involved in the accident and their insurance carriers.

Green then filed a products liability action in superior court against Nissan. When Nissan demurred, she filed no opposition and the demurrer was sustained without leave to amend. Several months later, Green tried to vacate the court’s order, blaming her staff for not scheduling a response or an appearance.

The review department agreed with the hearing judge that Green did not respond to the demurrer because she concluded she could not overcome it. It did not find, however, that her conduct was reckless.

Although not charged, the review department found that Green misrepresented to the superior court her reasons for neither opposing the demurrer or appearing in court for the hearing. It also agreed that Green did not keep her client notified about developments in the case.

In a second matter, Green represented a psychologist in litigation involving breaches of a lease. The review judges found she failed to attend two status conferences and tried to obscure that failure by billing the client for attending one conference and for mileage. She had her client sign blank forms, and did not show the client proposed responses to interrogatories before filing them.

She did not inform her client about developments in her case.

Green was privately reproved in 1993 for writing two bad checks on her trust account. When she failed to comply with the conditions of the reproval, she was disciplined in 1995. That discipline also included her acknowledgment of failing to perform legal services competently or to keep clients advised of developments in their cases.

In mitigation, Green has a history of involvement in social and civic affairs, including serving as president of the Beverly Hills NAACP and accepting pro bono referrals from two Los Angeles congresswomen.

January 12, 1996

GERALDINE D. GREEN [#50282], 62, of Los Angeles was suspended for 90 days, stayed, and placed on probation for two years, with an actual suspension of 30 days, effective Jan 12, 1996. She also was ordered to pass the CPRE.

Green's misconduct involved failure to communicate, perform legal services, return client files and cooperate with the bar's investigation. She also failed to comply with a State Bar Court disciplinary order directing her to pass the CPRE, attend the State Bar's ethics school and complete the bar's client trust accounting school within one year of a private reproval she received in 1993.

In one instance, Green was hired by a client to represent him in a police brutality suit, but the suit was dismissed by the court for lack of prosecution. Green filed an appeal of the dismissal, but it was upheld partially due to the fact Green failed to explain a seven-month period of inactivity and to advise the court when the case would be ready for trial if the dismissal was vacated.

Green's private reproval in 1993 was considered an aggravating factor.

In mitigation, she was cooperative with the State Bar during the disciplinary proceedings, except in one matter, when she failed to respond in writing to the bar's inquiries.

In an attempt to rectify her actions, Green filed motions to vacate dismissals in two of her cases.

In addition, files and money were stolen from Green's office during the period of her misconduct, causing a period of inactivity which contributed to the dismissal of one case for failure to prosecute.

Green eventually completed ethics school and the client trust account record-keeping course.