LEO: Hearing Officer - Conflict of Interest  LE Op. 981

 

Hearing Officer - Conflict of Interest.

 

October 12, 1987

 

You advise that you are an attorney in private practice and that 60% of

your practice is the representation of parents and children in special

education administrative hearings against local school divisions in

Virginia. You have asked to be added to the list of hearing officers that

the Supreme Court maintains. Your inquiry is whether or not you may be on

the Supreme Court's list of hearing officers for special education cases

and also serve as a hearing officer while still continuing to represent

parents and children in special education cases before other hearing

officers.

 

 LE Op. 847 is dispositive of your inquiry. That opinion states in

pertinent part, "it would be improper for an attorney to represent a

client against a state agency in a lawsuit or administrative hearing where

the attorney is currently serving as part-time hearing officer."

 

 LE Op. 847 also affirmed LE Op. 632, which states, "it is improper

for an attorney on the list of state agency hearing officers maintained by

the executive secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia to represent a

client before a state agency in a proceeding which involves the same

subject matter as that which the attorney considers when serving as a

hearing officer for the said state agency."

 

Committee Opinion October 12, 1987