Nancy Lee Kelso

Nancy Lee Kelso is an active member of the California Bar and was admitted 14th December 1972. Nancy graduated from UCLA SOL.

Lawyer Information

Name	Nancy Lee Kelso
First Admitted	14 December 1972 (52 years, 6 months ago)
Status	Active
Bar Number	53880

Contact

Current Email	kelsoyoung74@gmail.com
Phone Number	661-675-7143
Fax Number	661-215-5184

Schools

Law School	UCLA SOL (Los Angeles CA)
Undergraduate School	University of California at Los Angeles (CA)

Address

Current Address	PO Box 70 Acton, CA 93510-0070
Map

History

15 October 2000	Discipline, probation; no actual susp. 97-O-13039 (24 years, 8 months ago)
7 March 2000	Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 98-O-01894 (25 years, 3 months ago)
6 October 1999	Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 97-O-13039 (25 years, 8 months ago)
4 February 1996	Discipline, probation; no actual susp. 93-O-14487 (29 years, 4 months ago)
2 March 1995	Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 94-O-11555 (30 years, 3 months ago)
16 September 1994	Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 93-O-14487 (30 years, 9 months ago)
14 December 1972	Admitted to the State Bar of California (52 years, 6 months ago)

Discipline Summaries

October 15, 2000

NANCY LEE KELSO [#53880], 56, of Palmdale was suspended for two years, stayed, placed on two years of probation and was ordered to take the MPRE within one year. The order took effect Oct. 15, 2000.

Kelso stipulated to misconduct in two matters.

She was hired to represent a client in a wrongful termination matter on a contingency fee basis. She filed a complaint and claims she completed substitute service by leaving a copy of the complaint at the defendantsâ€™ business. When she received a notice that the defendants had filed bankruptcy and named her client a creditor, she assumed they had been served. Kelso did not file proofs of service with the court.

Because the defendants obtained a discharge in bankruptcy, Kelsoâ€™s client was precluded from pursuing her action and Kelso contends that further activity was unnecessary. She also says the client no longer wanted to pursue her claims, but the client denies this. The court dismissed the action without any opposition from Kelso. Over the course of the representation, Kelso did not return most of her clientâ€™s phone calls.

In a second case, Kelso represented a property owner in an eviction proceeding and a breach of contract action to obtain past due rent. One of the tenants was never served with the summons and complaint, the other did not respond to the lawsuit but Kelso did not request entry of default. When she did not respond to a letter from her client demanding an explanation, she was fired. She then filed a request for entry of default against one tenant and default was entered the same day. Kelso did not sign a substitution of attorney or deliver the file to the new attorney until the date of the hearing.

She stipulated in both matters that she failed to perform legal services competently or respond to client inquiries.

In mitigation, Kelso was overwhelmed by many small low-paying matters, she does a great deal of pro bono work for indigent clients, and her secretary was ill for several months, contributing to delays in processing paperwork and responding to telephone calls. She submitted evidence attesting to her good character.

February 4, 1996

NANCY LEE KELSO [#53880], 52, of Acton was suspended for one year, stayed, and placed on probation for two years, effective Feb. 4, 1996. She was ordered to pass the CPRE.

Kelso's misconduct involved multiple acts of wrongdoing, three clients and a repeated lack of communication.

In one instance, Kelso was employed by a couple to handle a bankruptcy matter. She deposited the clients' checks into her general account rather than her client trust account. She did some legal work on the case, but failed to file the bankruptcy petition. The couple had problems communicating with Kelso and unsuccessfully attempted to have Kelso confirm that she was working on their case.

Kelso neglected to tell her clients that she did not follow through with the bankruptcy matter because of the press of other matters, and she did not respond to the reasonable status inquiries of the clients.

Kelso eventually returned the legal fees and the completed bankruptcy petition to the clients after a complaint was filed with the State Bar.

In mitigation, Kelso was admitted to the bar in 1972 and has no prior record of misconduct. She suffered from depression in 1993 and has been in continuous treatment from a psychotherapist since December 1994.

She also provided a range of witnesses who attested to her good character.

During the period of her misconduct, Kelso was very involved in community activities, serving as a school district trustee during a particularly contentious time and devoting numerous pro bono hours to the community.

Nancy Kelso