In the Matter of Emily C. Williams

Emily C. Williams, a Georgia lawyer who was also disciplined in Florida, faced eight separate disciplinary cases there involving failing to communicate with clients, not competently handling their cases, not earning fees she was paid, and not reporting two arrests. She and the Florida Bar reached a deal in which the Supreme Court of Florida suspended her for 91 days and ordered her to pay costs, with reinstatement requiring proof of rehabilitation and a mental health evaluation. Because of that Florida discipline, the State Bar of Georgia brought a reciprocal case against her, and Williams asked the Supreme Court of Georgia to impose the same 91-day suspension here, backdated to when the Florida suspension began. The State Bar agreed this was fair, noting she had stopped practicing in Georgia and had cooperated and shown remorse. The court accepted her request and imposed the matching suspension.

When a Georgia attorney has already been disciplined in another state, the Supreme Court of Georgia's rules require imposing substantially similar reciprocal discipline, so the court accepted Williams's request for a 91-day suspension matching her Florida suspension, backdated to its effective date.

The decision shows Georgia lawyers disciplined in another state generally face matching discipline here, protecting Georgia clients from attorneys already found to have neglected their duties elsewhere and reinforcing consistent professional standards across state lines.

Petition for voluntary discipline accepted; 91-day suspension with conditions

1. The court applied Georgia's reciprocal discipline rule (GRPC 9.4 (b)), which generally requires imposing discipline 'substantially similar' to what another state already imposed on the same attorney.
2. Williams had already been suspended for 91 days in Florida through a consent judgment covering eight disciplinary matters, including failing to communicate with and competently represent clients and failing to report two arrests.
3. The court weighed mitigating factors Williams raised, such as her lack of prior discipline, personal and emotional struggles, refunds she made to clients, and expressions of remorse, alongside aggravating factors like a pattern of misconduct and multiple offenses.
4. Because the State Bar of Georgia confirmed Williams had voluntarily stopped practicing law in Georgia since September 2023 and agreed the requested discipline matched the Florida suspension, the court found it appropriate to backdate the suspension to the date the Florida suspension took effect.
5. The court concluded that imposing the same 91-day suspension with conditions on reinstatement served as a fair penalty, a deterrent to other attorneys, and a signal that Georgia courts maintain professional ethics standards.

• attorney suspension
• reciprocal discipline
• State Bar of Georgia
• Florida Bar discipline
• client neglect