THE FLORIDA BAR. IN RE EFRONSON, SIDNEY
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Sidney Efronson, an attorney suspended from practice after federal felony conviction, petitioned for reinstatement to The Florida Bar. The Florida Supreme Court granted his reinstatement, finding he met all statutory requirements and presented overwhelming evidence of his integrity, competence, and rehabilitation.
Efronson met the burden of proof for all elements applicable to reinstatement and was therefore reinstated to The Florida Bar without the requirement of retaking any examination.
[1] A petition for reinstatement to The Florida Bar may be granted when the petitioner demonstrates they have met all applicable elements for reinstatement.
[2] A petitioner seeking reinstatement to The Florida Bar bears the burden of proof to establish all elements required for reinstatement.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“The record includes well over two hundred letters of recommendation from attorneys, former clients, community leaders, and friends. The attorneys, including former judges and attorneys with highly respected reputations, attested to petitioner's reputation as a capable and competent attorney and as to his high standard of integrity and morality.”
Demonstrates the extraordinary level of community and professional support for Efronson's reinstatement
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceEfronson was convicted of a federal felony, sentenced to six months incarceration followed by five years probation, and automatically suspended from p…
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PER CURIAM.
Sidney Efronson filed a petition for reinstatement in good standing in The Florida Bar pursuant to article XI, Rule 11.11 of the Florida Bar Integration Rule.
Petitioner was convicted of a felony under the laws of the United States and was sentenced to incarceration for a period of six months followed by probation for a period of five years. He was, of course, automatically suspended from the practice of law. The United States District Court, Southern District of Florida, terminated petitioner’s probation on February 16, 1979. Petitioner’s civil rights were restored on December 12, 1979.
At the hearing before the referee three attorneys, in addition to petitioner, testified in his behalf. They expressed the highest opinion of his honesty, integrity, and reputation as an attorney and in the community. They were “shocked at his conviction,” and recommended that petitioner be reinstated. Petitioner testified that he maintained a large law library and read the advance sheets as well as the session laws. An attorney testified that, from his personal observation, petitioner has kept up on developments in the law and that he would make a most worthy and credible member of the Bar should he be permitted to practice once again.
The record includes well over two hundred letters of recommendation from attorneys, former clients, community leaders, and friends. The attorneys, including former judges and attorneys with highly respected reputations, attested to petitioner’s reputation as a capable and competent attorney and as to his high standard of integrity and morality. Approximately fifty letters were from community leaders, former clients, businessmen, professionals, clergy and a United States Congressman.
The Florida Bar counsel pointed out the seriousness of the crime of which petitioner was convicted, but offered no adverse evidence, nor did The Florida Bar oppose reinstatement.
The referee concluded that petitioner has clearly met the burden of proof in establishing all of the elements applicable for reinstatement. We adopt the recommendations of the referee and grant the petition for reinstatement. Petitioner is hereby reinstated to The Florida Bar and is not required to take any examination.
Cost of these Proceedings in the amount of $324.14 is hereby taxed against petitioner. It is so ordered.
SUNDBERG, C. J., and ADKINS, BOYD, OVERTON and ALDERMAN, JJ., concur.
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THE Fla. BAR. In re Samuel Essie Barket, Jr., 424 So. 2d 751 (Fla. 1982)…use each petitioner is different, whether it is proper to require a successful passing of a bar examination as a condition for reinstatement must be considered on a case by case basis. No such requirement was found in The Florida Bar In re Efronson, 403 So. 2d 1305 (1980), where Efronson had maintained a large law library, read advance sheets and session laws, and had positive third party testimony that he had kept up with developments in the law. In that case The Florida Bar did not urge examination. Nor did…