Wisconsin lawyer license suspended is the outcome for attorney Stephanie Rapkin, whose law license was ordered suspended for one year following her conviction stemming from a 2020 protest incident and additional misconduct findings.
Wisconsin lawyer license suspended following court ruling
The Wisconsin Supreme Court issued its decision on Thursday, concluding that a period of suspension was warranted. The court described the underlying conduct as an embarrassment to the bar.
According to filings by the Wisconsin Office of Lawyer Regulation, Rapkin spat in the face of a Black teenager participating in a Black Lives Matter protest in Shorewood, Wisconsin, about a month after the death of George Floyd. The incident was recorded on video.
Court records show Rapkin was convicted of misdemeanor disorderly conduct in April 2023. In addition to the protest-related conduct, the Office of Lawyer Regulation alleged that Rapkin mishandled an estate matter, billed nearly $19,000 in improper fees, and failed to respond to inquiries from a court-appointed referee during the investigation, aside from an email stating she had retired from practicing law.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court concluded that the cumulative conduct supported a one-year suspension of her law license, similar in nature to an Illinois attorney disciplinary complaint covered in a separate case.