Joel Andrew Drum was admitted to the California Bar 30th May 1980, but has since been disbarred. Joel graduated from Southwestern University SOL.

Lawyer Information

NameJoel Andrew Drum
First Admitted30 May 1980 (45 years ago)
StatusDisbarred
Bar Number92607

Contact

Phone Number818-461-0200
Fax Number818-461-8169

Schools

Law SchoolSouthwestern University SOL (Los Angeles CA)
Undergraduate SchoolUniversity of Southern Calif (Los Angeles CA)

Address

Current Address12925 Riverside Dr 3FL
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423-2209
Map

History

26 September 2008Disbarred (16 years, 8 months ago)
Disbarment 05-N-05322
2 December 2007Ordered inactive 05-N-05322 (17 years, 6 months ago)
18 September 2006Not eligible to practice law in CA (18 years, 9 months ago)
Ordered inactive 05-N-05322
25 January 2006Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 05-N-05322 (19 years, 4 months ago)
28 October 2005Not eligible to practice law in CA (19 years, 7 months ago)
Discipline w/actual suspension 98-O-03791
5 May 2005Active (20 years, 1 month ago)
11 July 2003Not eligible to practice law in CA (21 years, 11 months ago)
Ordered inactive 98-O-03791
8 September 2000Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 99-O-10448 (24 years, 9 months ago)
11 August 2000Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 98-O-03791 (24 years, 10 months ago)
30 May 1980Admitted to the State Bar of California (45 years ago)

Discipline Summaries

October 27, 2005

JOEL DRUM [#92607], 51, of Sherman Oaks was suspended for five years, stayed, placed on five years of probation with an actual three-year suspension and was ordered to make restitution, take the MPRE and comply with rule 955. He will receive credit for the time he was enrolled as an inactive bar member. The order took effect Oct. 27, 2005.

A State Bar Court hearing judge found that Drum refused to return his clients’ files, until they paid his legal bills, after they fired him. Although Drum said he acted on the advice of two lawyers, Judge Alban Niles recommended his disbarment and found that in addition to committing misconduct by withholding files, he engaged in frivolous litigation to avoid returning the files and failed to pay sanctions on time or report the sanctions to the bar.

Drum’s clients were two insurance companies, Farmers Insurance Exchange and Midland Risk Insurance Co. According to court papers, Drum refused to return 175 files when fired by Farmers, who then sued him and won an order that he return the files.

Drum appealed the order, lost and was sanctioned $3,320 for filing a frivolous appeal. The Court of Appeal characterized his actions as “nothing less than a greedy, illegal and egocentric attempt to force Farmers into a compensation settlement by holding Farmers’ files hostage. [His] objective was unmistakably delay aimed solely to protect his own pocket.”

Court papers revealed that Farmers spent $81,000 attempting to recover the files.

Midland also sued Drum for its files, spending almost $10,000 in attorney’s fees and costs.

Although Niles recommended that Drum be disbarred, the review department reduced the recommendation to a three-year actual suspension.

In mitigation, Drum practiced for 18 years without any discipline.