Attorney Steven Strauss of Portland, OR; deadbeat loser

The state of California provided Steven David Strauss with a law license in 1992 after he graduated from San Joaquin Law College in Stockton, California.

The California State Bar Court found Stevie guilty of the following misconduct.

In one matter, Stevie received more than $35,000 on behalf of a client as part of a marital property settlement in a divorce case. He asked the client to lend him $20,000 of the settlement proceeds for a period of three years, at 15 percent interest, and told the client he would not have to pay income tax on the interest payments. Stevie did not offer any security for the loan. The client agreed and Stevie executed a promissory note.

Several months later, Stevie asked the client for another $10,000 and the client agreed. No promissory note was provided by Stevie.

Stevie did some legal work for the client that was valued at $1,520, an amount that was to be deducted from the loan balance. However, when the client asked for payment on the note, Stevie said he could not pay him at that time but would pay off the loan in the near future.

Subsequently, Stevie paid $8,750 towards the $45,000 he owed the client before declaring bankruptcy and naming the client as an unsecured creditor. He then obtained a discharge of his legal obligation to repay the client for the loan balance of over $40,000.

As a consequence of his misconduct, the supporters for Attorney Misfits sitting on the Bar Court punished Stevie by gifting him with a complimentary 90-day suspension of his law license.

As we speak (ca. October 2015) Stevie practices at 821 NW Flanders in Portland, Oregon.