Pennsylvania Attorney’s License to Practice under Investigation

Summary: A Pennsylvania attorney is being investigated by the Attorney General’s Office to determine if she has a license to practice law in the state.

According to WJACtv.com, a Huntingdon, Pennsylvania law firm received an unpleasant surprise: that one of its partners may not be licensed to practice law.

Kimberly Kitchen has been an attorney at the BMZ Law Firm for close to ten years. During that time, no one ever suspected that she may not have had a license to practice law. However, Kitchen has been suspended while the Attorney General’s Office investigates whether she has a valid license to practice law in Pennsylvania.

In Utah, a woman was arrested for practicing law without a license.

A criminal investigation has been launched against Kitchen. BMZ Law has covered up Kitchen’s name on the firm’s sign outside of the law firm. Kitchen had recently been promoted to a partner position at the firm.

An attorney couple framed a woman at their child’s school for drug use and faced conspiracy charges.

BMZ Law issued a statement about the investigation:

“Our office was notified, for the first time, late Friday afternoon, December 19, 2014 by the court, regarding serious concerns relative to the legitimacy of Kimberly Kitchen’s license to practice law.  Our firm took immediate steps to suspend her active practice and to initiate a thorough investigation.  Sadly, it would appear that our firm was the last, in a long line of professionals, to have been deceived by Ms. Kitchen into believing she was licensed to practice law.  While we have yet to learn all we must, we endeavor to continue our investigative efforts, remain fully cooperative with all the appropriate authorities and legal entities, while remaining vigilantly protective of client interests. We are undertaking a thorough review of each and every file she may have handled.  We anticipate contacting each client in the very near future to address any and all concerns clients may have in an open and effective manner.”

A Kansas attorney showed up to a hearing on his competency to practice law dressed like Thomas Jefferson.

Apparently, there’s no record of Kimberly Kitchen with the Attorney Registration Office. Kitchen had stated she received her juris doctor degree from Duquesne University. According to the ABA Journal, the attorney identification Kitchen used was registered to an attorney named Brian Funk.

The ABA Journal adds that Kitchen had practiced estate-planning law at BMZ Law.

Photo credit: abc23.com