U.S. Department of Justice
Executive Office for Immigration Review

Office of the Director
5107 Leesburg Pike, Suite 2600
Falls Church, Virginia 22041

Contact: Public Affairs Office

(703)305-0289, Fax: (703)605-0365

Internet: www.usdoj.gov/eoir

EOIR Announces Latest Disciplinary Actions Under Rules of Professional Conduct

One Receives Final Orders; Six Others, Immediate Suspensions

The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) has taken disciplinary action against seven attorneys after charging them with violations of the rules of professional conduct for immigration practitioners provided in Title 8 of the Code of Federal Regulations (8 CFR Parts 3 and 292). The attorneys' rule violations arose out of sanctions imposed by other jurisdictions.

Disciplinary proceedings began in each case with a Petition for Immediate Suspension and Notice of Intent to Discipline filed with the Board of Immigration Appeals (the Board) by EOIR's Office of the General Counsel. The Board then ordered each attorney's immediate suspension from practice before the Immigration Courts, the Board, and the Immigration and Naturalization Service (the Service) and required the attorney to respond to the alleged violations.

Final Orders of Discipline

The Board issued Final Orders of Discipline against the following attorney after she failed to respond as required to the Notice of Intent to Discipline.

• Rosalynn D. Guillen, disbarred from practice by the Supreme Court of Washington, was immediately suspended by the Board on October 29, 2001. The Final Order of March 25, 2002, suspends her from practice before the immigration tribunals for 5 years.

Immediate Suspensions

The Board ordered immediate suspensions of the following attorneys for the reasons stated:

• Wendy B. Golenbock, disbarred from the practice of law in Massachusetts, was suspended by the Board on April 17, 2002, pending final disposition of her case.

• Joseph Lopez-Wilson, suspended from the practice of law for two years by the Nebraska Supreme Court, was suspended by the Board on April 17, 2002, pending final disposition of his case.

• Thomas James O'Grady, disbarred from the practice of law in Florida by the Supreme Court of Florida, was suspended by the Board on April 17, 2002, pending final disposition of his case.



• Joseph Francis Muto, disbarred from the practice of law by order of the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Judicial Department, was suspended by the Board on May 3, 2002, pending final disposition of his case.



• Robert Edwin Porges - who pled guilty to (1) conspiracy to engage in racketeering activity; (2) engaging in a pattern of racketeering activity; and (3) conspiracy to commit tax fraud - was suspended by the Board on May 6, 2002, pending final disposition of his case.



• Harnam S. Arneja, who was suspended from the practice of law for one year by the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, was suspended by the Board on May 6, 2002, pending final disposition of his case.

Summary

In each of the disciplinary matters cited above, the suspended attorney was directed "to promptly notify, in writing, any clients with cases currently pending before the Board, the Immigration Courts, or the Service" that he or she may no longer represent clients before these tribunals.

The rules of professional conduct include provisions specifying grounds for disciplinary action, requirements for receiving and investigating complaints, and procedures for conducting hearings. The rules also authorize the Board to immediately suspend a practitioner who has been subject to disbarment, suspension, or resignation with an admission of misconduct as imposed by a State or Federal court, pending a summary proceeding and final sanction.

EOIR announces these disciplinary actions to inform the public about practitioners who are not authorized to represent any matter before an immigration tribunal. EOIR also posts a list of suspended and expelled practitioners on its Web site at www.usdoj.gov/eoir.

Additional information about the Attorney Discipline Program can be found at www.usdoj.gov/eoir/press/00/profcond.htm and www.usdoj.gov/eoir/press/00/profcondfaks.htm on the EOIR Web site.

- EOIR -