If someone had been monitoring (or even auditing) things like client waiver signatures, or acquisition of pro bono clients, that would be one way to catch (or deter) some bad actors.

But the main thing is, why was this guy allowed to get away with it for so long? What let him get this bad? How far back does his dishonesty go? Who let him get out of high school, or college, or law school, and into a law firm with this kind of cancer on his soul?

This sounds like a personal attack. It’s not. He did this stuff, it’s his fault, he committed fraud, and is disbarred (or resigned, same idea) and rightfully so. But where did this come from? Would morality training have helped? Confession to a priest? More hugs? Corporal punishment the first time his transgressions were discovered – because this wasn’t the first time, I bet.

Compulsive liars may tell themselves that they’re doing nothing wrong. But there’s something malignant deep inside, so that an otherwise successful and productive being turns into a monstrous parody of a lawyer.

You know those helplines that offer, not ethical advice on close calls, but help for lawyers with pathologies? This guy should have gotten help. “Liars Anonymous” maybe. Get into treatment, start confiding in people, then repent of your bad behavior.

As it is, he made it to partner in a BigLaw firm, before the roof fell in. Sad. Not as sad for him as for the clients he screwed and partners he defrauded, of course, but still sad.