No. 19-115

Frank J. Lawrence, Jr. v. United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan

Lower Court: Sixth Circuit
Docketed: 2019-07-24
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Response Waived
Tags: Abuse-of-discretion Admission-to-practice bar-admission constitutional-rights Criticism-of-officials due-process expressive-activities First-Amendment free-speech judicial-discretion judicial-review law-practice-admission sixth-circuit standing uniformity-of-decisions
Key Terms:
AdministrativeLaw FirstAmendment JusticiabilityDoctri
Latest Conference: 2019-10-01
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether the Sixth Circuit's decision conflicts with its own recent declaration that the petitioner is 'duly qualified' to practice law, and whether the district court impermissibly assessed the petitioner's First Amendment activities in denying his bar admission application

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

QUESTIONS PRESENTED Within a four month span, Petitioner filed applications for admission to the bars of eight federal courts, including the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. All of those applications were granted, with the exception of the one submitted to the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan. 1. Notwithstanding the Sixth Circuit’s use of the “abuse of discretion” standard to review the District Court’s adverse admission decision, does the decision of the Court of Appeals impermissibly conflict with its own, recent declaration that Petitioner is “duly qualified” to practice law in its own Court? Should Certiorari be granted in order to secure and maintain uniformity of admission decisions? 2. Did the District Court use its unbridled discretion to impermissibly assess First Amendment activities of Petitioner, in particular, his criticism of public officials? Should Certiorari be granted in order to declare that constitutionally protected, expressive activities cannot be used as a basis to deny an application for admission to practice law? 1

Docket Entries

2019-10-07
Petition DENIED.
2019-08-21
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 10/1/2019.
2019-08-15
Waiver of right of respondent United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan to respond filed.
2019-07-19
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due August 23, 2019)
2019-05-14
Application (18A1173) granted by Justice Sotomayor extending the time to file until July 19, 2019.
2019-05-06
Application (18A1173) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from May 20, 2019 to July 19, 2019, submitted to Justice Sotomayor.

Attorneys

Frank Lawrence, Jr.
Dennis B. DubucEssex Park Law Office, PC, Petitioner
Dennis B. DubucEssex Park Law Office, PC, Petitioner
United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan
Noel J. FranciscoSolicitor General, Respondent
Noel J. FranciscoSolicitor General, Respondent