Members of State Bar Character and Fitness Committee are Immune from Liability

Our firm represented the executive director of the State Bar of Michigan and the attorney-members of the Character and Fitness Committee. A law school graduate who received an unfavorable recommendation on his application for admission to practice law in Michigan filed an action in federal court, alleging that the State Bar and its committee violated his constitutional rights. The federal district court granted summary judgment and dismissed the complaint. The Sixth Circuit affirmed, holding that members of the Character and Fitness Committee are entitled to absolute quasi-judicial immunity when reviewing an applicant's fitness to practice law.