Finding
Professional misconduct under the Legal Profession Uniform Law (Vic)
Penalty
1. Jessica Arora (lawyer) is reprimanded. 2. The Australian practising certificate (PC) of the lawyer is suspended for a period of 18 months which is wholly suspended for a period of 2 years from the date of this order (Suspended Order Period). 3. During the Suspended Order Period: (a) A PC may be granted to the lawyer provided that any PC limits her to legal practice that falls within paragraph (a) of the definition of supervised legal practice in section 6 of the Uniform Law. (b) the lawyer must not engage in or commit any act of professional misconduct or unsatisfactory professional conduct. 4. The Victorian Legal Services Commissioner (VLSC) may apply to the Tribunal to revoke the Suspended Order Period if the lawyer fails to comply with order 4(b) during the Suspended Order Period. On such application if the Tribunal is satisfied that a material breach of this order has occurred during the Suspended Order Period and that it is appropriate in all the circumstances order 3 will be vacated and the lawyer will be suspended for the longer of: (a) 18 months from the date of revocation; or (b) such period that the Tribunal may determine having regard to the circumstances of the breach of the order. 5. By 31 March 2022 the lawyer is to undertake and complete 4 hours of professional development in the area of ethics and professional responsibility which is in addition to the requirements under the Legal Profession Uniform Continuing Professional Development (Solicitors) Rules 2015. 6 .Within 14 days of the end of each quarter commencing from 30 June 2021 and ending on 31 March 2022 the lawyer must send or cause to be sent to the Victorian Legal Services Board (Board) a report from the supervisor of her legal practice for the preceding quarter identifying the nature of the matters she has been working on and how her workload has been managed. 7. By 31 March 2022 and 31 March 2023 the lawyer must send the Board evidence that during the preceding 12 month period she has attended not less than 2 counselling sessions of at least 1 hours duration with a registered psychologist or psychiatrist. 8. The lawyer must pay the VLSCs costs of the proceeding agreed in the amount of $16000 to be paid in monthly instalments of $1000 commencing from 1 April 2021.