Lerach: Teaching Is A Charitable Donation Of Time

[Cynthia Foster]

Bill Lerach thinks teaching law students is such a drag he should get community service credits for it.

The convicted felon, who obstructed justice and made false statements in connection with kickbacks in his high profile class action lawsuits, is in talks to teach a class at UCI's law school on Wall Street's failings. In 2007, he was sentenced to prison time and 1,000 hours of community service. Somehow, he thinks one has something to do with the other.

When probation offers rejected his request to have his teaching time count toward his community service requirements, Lerach hauled them into federal court. U.S. District Judge John Walter is now charged with parsing out whether or not Lerach's classroom time counts as service, with the U.S. attorney's office weighing in that Lerach should get no credit for time spent discussing the misdeeds of others. 

According to Lerach's court filing, the class will have a "strong ethical component," with time spent examining his mistakes.

For more on this story, check out Politico.

Comments

[Larry Wilson]

It is amazing that a school would have this fraudster teach its students. Lerach has never shown any remorse for the schemes he used to shake down corporations. As this article illustrates, he still doesn't feel any need to follow the rules.

[Observer]

Lerach does seem to have come out of prison with his brazen streak intact. But he is far from alone in being an ex-fraudster who has gone on to teach or give CLE seminars on how it is done. And, more importantly, how to spot the signs of when it is being done.

It's an extreme example of the adage that having worked both plaintiff and defense sides of an issue gives you better insight into how an opponent is likely to litigate the case.