Westlaw Misconduct Draws Reciprocal Reprimand

The Oregon Supreme Court imposed the identical reciprocal discipline of a public reprimand based on a sanction imposed by the Hawai'i Supreme Court.

The misconduct involved an attorney who served as a Special Prosecutor for the Republic of Palau.

The attorney entered into a contract on behalf of his office with Thomson Reuters for Westlaw services and received two passwords to access the account. He attempted to cancel the contract when he moved to a position with the Legal Aid Society of Hawai'i.

He admitted that he had improperly used the Westlaw service for 14 months in the course of representing indigent clients.

The Oregon State Bar sought a six-month suspension as reciprocal discipline.

The court rejected the proposed sanction, concluding that the conduct at issue was dishonest but not criminal. (Mike Frisch)