Councilman H. Lamar Willis Has Been Disbarred Due to Ethical Breaches

District 3's councilperson, H. Lamar Willis, has been ordered by the Georgia Suprem Court to stop practicing law due to ethical breaches.

According to an AJC report, "the court said Willis violated a number of professional conduct rules that govern the legal profession. The most serious was Willis’ representation of a client in a personal injury case who was to be paid $30,000 as part of a settlement. Rather than distributing the funds to his client, Willis deposited the check into his personal or business account, the court said."

The court only took up this case after a State Bar Review Panel recommended that Willis be disbarred.

The Supreme Court opinion said, "having reviewed the record, we agree with the review panel that the facts in this case demonstrate Willis’s extreme disregard of his duty to safeguard the property of a client, which undermines the public trust."

According to the AJC, "Willis has been a member of the State Bar since 2006 and a member of the Atlanta City Council since 2001. He faces a reelection challenge in November."

Statement from Willis' campaign manager:
Two years ago, during a time when I was facing tremendous personal challenges, I made a grievous professional error,” he said. “I acknowledge it, apologize for it and I accept the repercussions of it. Although the Supreme Court’s ruling comes down today, that time has passed. The defendants have been repaid contrary to the language in the Court’s opinion. … I am moving on with my life and my re-election to the AtlantaCity Council.

Statement from Willis' District 3 Challenger, Andre Dickens:
It is abundantly clear that Mr. Willis operates without any ethical boundaries or even the bare minimum of care or concern for others,” read the statement from the Dickens campaign. “…We believe that people who have been barred from practicing law in the State of Georgia for unethical and immoral behavior should not be allowed to serve in a lawmaking capacity.

Statement from Mayor Kasim Reed:
Lamar Willis has been a strong and capable member of the Atlanta City Council for more than a decade. It is unfortunate that he has made significant mistakes in his private law practice during a very difficult time in his personal life. While I have not reviewed the decision, I respect the ruling of the Georgia Supreme Court on this matter.