Background
Krista Ann Willike, admitted to the Kentucky Bar Association in 2013, was suspended on January 18, 2019, for failing to pay bar dues for the 2018–2019 fiscal year and failing to satisfy minimum continuing legal education requirements for the 2017–2018 educational year.
Willike applied for restoration in November 2025. The record showed no pending disciplinary matters or Clients’ Security Fund claims, paid dues, and CLE compliance. The Character and Fitness Committee found by clear and convincing evidence that she met the required character, fitness, and moral-qualification standards. After no appeal from the Committee’s recommendation, Willike took and passed the restoration examination in May 2026.
The Court’s Holding
The Kentucky Supreme Court granted Willike’s application for restoration and restored her to the practice of law. It adopted the recommendations of the Character and Fitness Committee and the Board of Bar Examiners under SCR 3.370(10).
The Court concluded that Willike satisfied the restoration requirements for a lawyer suspended for more than five years for nonpayment of dues, including the application, dues, disciplinary-clearance, CLE, character-and-fitness, and examination requirements under SCR 3.504. Neither the Committee nor Bar Counsel sought conditions on her restoration.
Key Takeaways
- A lawyer suspended for dues and CLE noncompliance may be restored after satisfying SCR 3.504’s procedural and substantive requirements.
- Willike established her present fitness to practice by clear and convincing evidence and passed the required restoration examination.
- The Court ordered Willike to pay $42.17 in reinstatement costs from her deposit, with any excess costs payable by her and any remaining balance refundable.
Why It Matters
The decision illustrates Kentucky’s restoration process for long-suspended lawyers: disciplinary and CLE clearance, character-and-fitness review, and—at the time of Willike’s application—a passing restoration examination. The Court noted that Administrative Order 2026-29 suspended that examination requirement effective August 18, 2026.