Judge Denies Asbestos Lawyer’s Bid to Practice When Dishonesty Comes to Light

An Iowa judge won’t let an out-of-state asbestos lawyer into his courtroom after the defendants pointed out inconsistencies in her application to practice in the court’s jurisdiction, according to a report in Legal Newsline. The ruling comes after the defense in the case shone a spotlight on the lawyer’s record of dishonesty and past sanctions.

The defendants pointed out that Jessica Dean – partner at Dean Omar Branham Shirley in Dallas – has been denied admission in another jurisdiction as well as having been sanctioned by a Minnesota court, despite representations on her application that neither happened. The motion also points out that the instances allegedly concealed aren’t ancient history but less than a year old.