State Supreme Court disbars LV attorney

Friday, June 22, 2001 | 11:21 a.m.

Las Vegas attorney Michael Schaefer said today he has "no apology" for alleged actions that brought his disbarment Thursday by the Nevada Supreme Court.

Further more, Schaefer said, he plans to attend the Nevada State Bar convention Friday in Squaw Valley, Calif., noting he prepaid for it.

Nevada Supreme Court Justices in Carson City Thursday disbarred John Michael Schaefer, saying he demonstrated "a blatant disregard" for others' rights, stemming in part from numerous legal disputes with neighbors in a condominium development where Schaefer owned several units.

"I still think I was right -- I have no apology for what I did," said Schaefer who also is an attorney in California and says he currently is residing in Los Angeles.

Justices said Schaefer, among other things, tried to influence the testimony of a witness in a pending case; got a "self-serving award of costs" in a case without a court order; and submitted a false affidavit to a judge.

Schaefer today said the state bar "went bananas" after he approached an opposing party outside the presence of that person's attorney to discuss legal matters stemming from his disagreements with neighbors in the condos.

Schaefer said he was not representing a client, but rather himself, and he argues that California law provides for such an exception.

"The Nevada law is unclear, and we have an excellent shot at a petition for (review) before the U.S. Supreme Court," Schaefer's attorney Cal Potter said today. "The key to this case is the right of an attorney to represent himself. We believe the Nevada law should be similar to the one in California."

Potter said he has not yet seen the state Supreme Court ruling and could not comment on it specifically. He said an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court is likely, but that decision has not yet been finalized.

Nevada Justices said the disputes involving Schaefer became so pervasive that real estate agents trying to sell other condo units "were compelled to disclose to potential buyers that a litigious lawyer lived there."

"Schaefer's persistent refusal to recognize that any of his actions were improper indicates that his behavior is not likely to improve in the future," justices wrote.

"Under these circumstances, disbarment is the only sanction that will adequately serve the purposes of attorney discipline: to protect the public and the integrity of the bar."

Potter said in the wake of the high court decision Schaefer must "wind up" his Nevada practice. Schaefer said he currently represents about 15 clients, a number of them pro bono.

The Associated Press

contributed to this report.