Background
Leonard Richard Medley, III, had been a member of the State Bar of Georgia since 2000. In December 2025, he pled guilty pursuant to a negotiated agreement to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, a felony, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. Following his felony conviction, Medley filed a petition for voluntary surrender of his law license with the Special Master. In his amended petition, Medley conceded that his felony conviction violated Rule 8.4(a)(2) of the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct, which prohibits lawyers from being convicted of a felony.
The Special Master recommended acceptance of Medley’s petition for voluntary surrender. Medley filed no exceptions to the Special Master’s report, and the Supreme Court of Georgia took the matter under review.
The Court’s Holding
The Georgia Supreme Court accepted Medley’s petition for voluntary surrender of his license to practice law. The Court noted that acceptance of such a petition is tantamount to disbarment and that this remedy is consistent with prior disciplinary cases involving felony convictions for financial crimes. The Court cited precedent holding that disbarment or acceptance of voluntary surrender is the routine discipline imposed in cases involving felony convictions for financial crimes.
The Court found that accepting the petition for voluntary surrender was best for the protection of the public. Medley’s name was removed from the rolls of persons entitled to practice law in the State of Georgia. The decision was unanimous.
Key Takeaways
- A felony conviction automatically violates Rule 8.4(a)(2), which prohibits lawyers from being convicted of felonies, with disbarment as the maximum penalty.
- Voluntary surrender of a law license is treated as equivalent to disbarment in disciplinary proceedings.
- Felony convictions for financial crimes, including wire fraud conspiracy, trigger removal from practice as the standard disciplinary response.
Why It Matters
This decision reinforces the Georgia Supreme Court’s strict application of professional conduct rules to lawyers convicted of serious crimes, particularly financial offenses. The acceptance of voluntary surrender—rather than requiring contested disbarment proceedings—streamlines the disciplinary process while achieving the same protective outcome for the public.
For Georgia attorneys, this case illustrates that a felony conviction creates an automatic and effectively insurmountable bar disciplinary violation, and that voluntary surrender is the practical equivalent of disbarment. The decision reflects the court’s consistent approach across multiple financial crime scenarios, signaling that lawyers convicted of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, and conspiracy to commit bank fraud will face removal from practice.