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STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

WAKE COUNTY

IN RE: ROBERT J. HOWELL,

Attorney at Law

'il 0 0 Z8 34

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE

SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION
BEFORE THE SENIOR RESIDENT
SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE OF THE
10TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT

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THIS CAUSE coming before the Senior Resident Superior Court J dge.>ofthi!>
10th Judicial District upon information received by the Comt concerning J~of6'ey RoBeIt
J. Howell. Pmsuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. 84-28(j) and this Court's inherent aclhoritYQver
attorneys, the Court makes the following:

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FINDINGS OF FACT
1. . Business records. of the North Carolina State Bar reflecrthat Robert J. Howell
was licensed to practice law on 22 March 2003.
2. Howell's last business address of record contained in the'business records of
---flleNOf!llCarolina SmteBar1s1istecl as 3011"ayerrevi1teStreer,Suttet900;:Ra:lei:gil,Nc,-~--~-'-~
27602-1801, the address of a Raleigh lawfmn. The law fmn that employed Howell
notified the State Bar that its employment of Howell ended in April 2015.
3. Business records of the Isle of Palms Police Department in Charleston
County, South Carolina reflect that Howell was arrested on 12 June 2015 on charges
including kidoapping, attempted murder, first-degree burglary and possession of cocaine.
Howell is incarcerated in the Charleston County, South Carolina Jail and has not been
granted bond. He is therefore unavailable to provide legal services to his clients.
4. Howell has not practiced law at 301 Fayetteville Street, Suite 1900, Raleigh
since April 2015 and has not provided the State Bar a current office address.
5. The State Bar's records do not reflect whether Howell is ctmently engaged in
the practice oflaw.
6. When his employment with the Raleigh law finn ended in April 2015, two
clients of the firm asked the finn to send them their files. It is unlmown whether Howell
cmrently represents those clients or whether Howell has clients in addition to those two
clients.

7. Prompt action is required to ensure that the interests of Howell's clients, if

any, are not prejudiced by his unavailability. The State Bar should take steps to identifY
and notifY persons or entities who are or may be clients of Howell that Howell is
unavailable to address their legal needs and that they should consider whether their
interests would best be served by obtaining new legal counsel.
8. The reasons for Howell's arrest and the charges pending against him in South
Carolina raise substantial concem about Howell's mental health, stability and fitness to
practice law and, if proven, would establish that Howell's continued practice of law poses
a threat of significant harm to his clients, to the public, to the profession, and to the
administration of justice.
BASED UPON THE FOREGOING FINDINGS OF FACT, the undersigned
makes the following:
CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

1. The Court has jurisdiction ofthis cause pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. 84-280)
and pursuant to its inherent authority over attomeys.
2. Robert J. Howell is unavailable to clients.
3. To protecttheinterests of Howell's clients, if any, the North Carolina State
Bar should take steps to identify and notifY persons or entities who are or may be clients .
of Howell that Howell is unavailable to address their legal needs and that they should
consider whether theIr interests would best be served by obtaining new legal counsel.
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4. In light of the reasons for his arrest and the chm'ges pending against him in
South Carolina, Howell's continued practice oflaw poses a threat of significant potential
harm to his clients, to the public, to the profession, and to the administration of justice.
Accordingly, in the interest of protecting clients and the public and pursuant to this
Court's inherent authority over attomeys, Howell should be prohibited from practicing
law in North Carolina until further order of the Court.
THE COURT THEREFORE ORDERS THAT:
1. Robeli J. Howell is hereby suspended from the practice oflaw in North
Carolina until ftniher order of the Court. This order of suspension shall not prejudice
Howell's ability to petition the Court for a hearing to determine whether he should be
reinstated to the practice oflaw in this State.
2. The North Carolina State Bar shall attempt to identifY and contact all persons
and entities who were clients of Rob eli J. Howell at the time of his arrest. The State Bar
shall infOlm all identified clients that Howell is not available to address their legal needs
and of the reason therefor and that they should consider whether it is in their best interests
to obtain new legal counsel. The State Bar may take such reasonable steps as are

necessary to accomplish this task and facilitate any identified clients' transition to new
counsel. The State Bar may petition this Court for the appointIDent of a tmstee to wind
down Howell's law practice if it concludes a trustee is needed to protect the interests of
the Howell's clients.
3. North Carolina State Bar Deputy Counsel Brian P.D. Oten shall be notified of
any filings or hearings relating to this matter.
4. This cause is retained for further orders of this Comt.

This the

fi Of_--'~Lday

_ _ _ _' 2015.

DW!Jlity;1Senior Resident Superior Comt Judge

10th Judicial District

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