Indy attorney ordered to pay $500 for practicing while suspended

An Indianapolis attorney who has been suspended from the practice of law since 2009 has been ordered to pay a $500 fine for continuing to offer legal services despite her suspension.  

Dorothy Thomsen’s $500 sanction stems from her 2009 suspension from the practice of law in Indiana without automatic reinstatement. The attorney has not sought reinstatement since then.

However, in July 2018, the Marion County Department of Child Services received a notice of intent to file suit from Thomsen in a letter bearing a “Thomsen Law Office” header. The letter indicated Thomsen intended to assist an individual in filing a federal lawsuit against a family case manager based on an event that allegedly occurred at Riley Hospital.

Thus, the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission filed show cause order in August 2018 requiring Thomsen to explain within 15 days why she should not be held in contempt for continuing to practice despite her suspension. Thomsen did not respond to the show cause order, so the justices held her in contempt in a Thursday order.

As a sanction, Thomsen was ordered to pay $500 within 60 days to the clerk of the Indiana Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and Tax Court. The costs of the proceeding were also assessed against her.

Justice Steven David dissented from the court’s imposed discipline, believing instead that more significant sanctions are warranted.

All told, Thomsen has been through the disciplinary process four times, including in 2005, when she received a public remand for referring to a black man involved in a family law case as “the black guy” and “the black man.”