F. Lee Bailey Denied Bid To Practice Law In Maine

F. Lee Bailey will not be allowed to practice law in Maine. The famous attorney who once represented O.J. Simpson and Patty Hearst had his bid to practice law in the state denied by the Maine Board of Bar Examiners.

According to ABC, Bailey passed his bar exam in Maine last winter, but the Board of Bar Examiners voted this week to deny Bailey’s bid to practice law in the state. The board ruled 5-4 against Bailey.

The Star Tribune reports that Bailey, now 79, had previously practice law in Massachusetts and Florida. He was disbarred in those states, however, after mishandling $6 million in stock for a client.

The Maine Board of Examiners wrote:

“Mr. Bailey has not met his burden of demonstrating by clear and convincing evidence that he possesses the requisite good character and fitness necessary for admission to the Maine Bar.”

According to the Sun Journal, Bailey met with the Board of Bar Examiners in Maine on October 31 to “resolve doubt regarding Bailey’s good character and fitness to practice law in light of the past disbarments.”

The majority were not convinced by his testimony, however, and ruled that Bailey still had not accepted responsibility for being disbarred. The board requires that “the petitioner recognizes the wrongfulness and seriousness of the misconduct” in order to be reinstated.

The board wrote, “Rather than accepting that he was disbarred because of his own misconduct, Bailey continues to place blame elsewhere.”