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The Indiana Supreme Court has removed a nonattorney from the Office of Admissions and Continuing Education’s mediator registry and has permanently barred him from providing or offering to provide legal services unless he obtains an Indiana law license.
The court issued the order Monday against Walter Michael Wildman in response to a petition filed Feb. 6 by the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission.
Wildman is not precluded from “seeking employment from, or being employed by, a lawyer or law firm as a non-lawyer assistant, so long as, while doing so, he abides by the terms of this permanent injunction and does not contravene the Indiana Rules of Professional Conduct or Guideline 9 for the Use of Non-Lawyer Assistants,” according to the court order.
The commission’s petition alleged Wildman, who was registered as a domestic relations mediator but is not a licensed attorney, engaged in the unauthorized practice of law in Indiana by holding himself out as an attorney and by offering and/or providing legal assistance.
“Specifically, respondent’s business websites and social media profiles alternately identify himself as an attorney or judge or include photos and comments implying he is an attorney or judge; include what purport to be client testimonials that refer to having received help from an attorney, with two specifically identifying Respondent as an attorney; and offer to provide ‘law help’ (or similarly-worded solicitations) in expungement, criminal, family, personal injury, estate planning, commercial contract drafting, and other legal matters,” the order reads.
Further, during a mock trial program in 2022, Wildman represented in his registration and to other volunteers that he was an “arbitration lawyer/judge” and that he had a private practice in family law.
The petition also alleged Wildman falsely represented on his mediator registration application that he had never been charged with or convicted of a crime, when he had been convicted of felony identity deception one year prior to his application.
Online court records indicate Wildman pleaded guilty to a Level 6 felony in July 2021, when he was sentenced to 546 days, all suspended to probation. A hearing on a probation violation is scheduled in that case out of Parke County for May 10.
The Supreme Court’s order notes Wildman’s return was not verified and did not “specifically deny or admit each allegation of fact” in the verified petition, as required by Indiana Admission and Discipline Rule 24.
“In particular, although Respondent admits he was convicted of identity deception and generally denies that he has practiced law, he does not respond to the allegation he falsely represented his criminal history on his mediator registration application, nor does he respond to any of the numerous allegations that in multiple forums he has held himself out as an attorney and offered legal services,” the order reads.
The court added that Wildman’s failure to do so prompted it to accept those verified allegations as true, citing State ex rel. Rokita v. Smith, 185 N.E.3d 862 (Ind. 2022).
The court also denied as moot the commission’s “Motion for a More Definite Statement.”
All justices concurred in State of Indiana ex rel. Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission v. Walter Michael Wildman, 23S-MS-34.
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