California Lawyer Faces Ethics Complaints Over Lack of Client Representation
Published May 13, 2025, 1:03 PM CDT
A California lawyer known for her substantial social media following stands accused of failing to provide adequate legal services.
Claire Jacqueline White, an attorney with the Dope Law Group in California, has attracted attention for her more than 60,000 followers on Instagram. However, she is now under scrutiny as two ethics complaints have been filed against her, alleging serious violations in her legal practice.
Allegations of Inadequate Legal Work
According to reports by the Mercury News, the most recent complaint, filed on May 1, cites that White accepted over $50,000 from several clients but provided “no legal work of value” in return. This complaint lists concerns regarding her handling of criminal cases for eight different clients.
Previous Complaints and Instances of Negligence
A previous complaint dated January 22 accused her of multiple instances of negligence, including missing court dates on at least nine occasions and failing to act diligently for a client who paid $10,000.
Specific Allegations
The ethics complaints outline alarming specifics:
- One client was misled into believing he could skip a court date due to a funeral; White allegedly promised to handle any resulting warrants, but the client was subsequently taken into custody and lost his job.
- White is accused of filing a false declaration regarding the hiring of an investigator for a client’s case, despite no such action being taken.
- She reportedly mismanaged client funds by failing to place advance fees into a trust account and used some fees for personal expenses.
- Furthermore, allegations include accepting fees from third parties without obtaining the necessary written consent from the clients involved.
Response from Claire Jacqueline White
In her response to the first complaint, White maintained that she believed her actions were compliant with legal standards and claimed to have taken steps to protect client funds. Her lawyer, Mark Reichel, defended her character, stating, “Claire is an exceptionally effective and tremendously talented attorney. If the world had more Claire Whites, it would be a supremely better place.”
Next Steps in the Legal Process
The state bar’s prosecutors are now looking to consolidate the two pending ethics cases against White, which could further complicate her legal situation as investigations into her practice continue.
