St. Louis attorney James R. Hanlin, licensed in Missouri for almost 55 years, has been reciprocally suspended following a Nov. 21 Missouri Supreme Court order after he was disciplined by the Illinois Supreme Court earlier this year for allegedly practicing law in that state without a license.
Hanlin was suspended from practicing of law in Missouri with leave to apply for reinstatement after one year from the date of the court's order, which also directed Hanlin to pay costs in the matter. The Missouri high court handed down the suspension after sustaining the Missouri State Bar's chief disciplinary counsel's motion for reciprocal discipline against Hanlin over alleged violations of professional conduct rules in both states, according to the order.
In early August, the Missouri Supreme Court issued a show cause order, to which Hanlin failed to respond, despite a time extension granted for Hanlin to file a response, according to the order.
Hanlin was admitted to the bar in Missouri in 1963 but he has never been licensed to practice law in Illinois, according to an Illinois State Bar announcement of his discipline in that state this past January.
In its Jan. 17 order, the Illinois Supreme Court suspended Hanlin for one year after finding he practiced law in that state between 2007 and 2014, according to the Illinois State Bar's announcement. In that time Hanlin is alleged to have represented 16 clients in traffic and misdemeanor cases that were filed in Madison and St. Clair counties in Illinois, according to the Illinois State Bar announcement.
Also during that time and while representing those client, Hanlin allegedly used an existing Illinois attorney's name and registration number, without that attorney's knowledge or consent, to file pleadings in that state.,
Hanlin's suspension in Illinois was Feb. 3, according to the Illinois State Bar's announcement.