| ► Attorney Stephen Lagana of Lawrence, MA; ethical goblin |
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Attorney Stephen Lagana of Lawrence, MA; ethical goblin
The state of Massachusetts presented Stephen A. Lagana with a law license in 1994.
The Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers found Stephen guilty of the following misconduct.
Stephen primarily practices in the area of immigration law. In one matter, Stephen represented an El Salvadoran national to legalize her immigration status. Stephen filed an application for withholding of removal and for asylum, and on that basis obtained a work permit for his client.
Subsequently, the client became eligible for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which would also allow her to work in the United States legally. Stephen then succeeded in closing the removal proceedings that were intended to review her claims for asylum and withholding of removal.
A foreign national designated with TPS is required to file periodic applications to renew that designation. Stephen filed the required application for the client; however it was returned because he failed to have the client sign it. After the client signed the application, immigration authorities requested additional evidence of the client’s TPS eligibility. Stephen failed to respond to said request, and the client’s application was then denied and treated as abandoned.
Stephen did not advise his client (victim) of the reason why she had lost her TPS status, and did not advise her to retain another attorney to reopen the matter based on ineffective assistance of counsel. As a result of Stephen’s gross incompetence, his client’s work permit expired, and she was unable to obtain a new one.
As one would suspect this wasn’t Stephen’s 1st bite at the Attorney Misfit Apple Tree. Stephen previously received a complimentary admonition for engaging in similar misconduct.
As a consequence of his misconduct, the enablers for Attorney Misfits sitting on the Board of Bar Overseers punished Stephen by gifting him with a complimentary reprimand.
As we speak (ca. January 2013) Stephen practices at 145 Essex Street in Lawrence, Massachusetts.
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