Disbarred Ohio Attorney Fined $30,000 for Repeatedly Practicing Law Illegally

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Pippa Lynn Henderson Carter, a disbarred attorney from Cleveland Heights, Ohio, has been ordered to pay a $30,000 penalty by the Supreme Court of Ohio for continuing to practice law despite a 2006 disbarment. Her repeated violations have been characterized as a “deliberate disregard” for court orders.

History of Disciplinary Actions

Henderson Carter was initially disbarred in 2006 after being found to have practiced law although under suspension for prior disciplinary violations, including failing to comply with hearings and subpoenas . However, her misconduct didn’t complete there.

In 2009, she appeared at a Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court hearing identifying herself as legal counsel, resulting in a $1,000 fine and a 10-day jail warrant. Notably, the warrant was never served, and the fine remained unpaid .

Recent Violations and Supreme Court Ruling

In 2023, another attorney reported Henderson Carter for illegally practicing law while representing a party in an estate case. She was as well found to have used a notary stamp identifying her as an attorney .

The Supreme Court issued an order in 2024 requiring Henderson Carter to explain her actions, but she failed to appear. The Office of Disciplinary Counsel recommended a $6,000 fine for each of the five offenses, totaling $30,000 .

The Court’s per curiam opinion stated that Henderson Carter’s “repeated and deliberate disregard of the orders of this court since May 1997 make it impossible to characterize her misconduct as a series of simple mistakes” .

Previous Sanctions

Henderson Carter’s initial sanctions date back to 1997 for failing to cooperate with a disciplinary investigation. She was indefinitely suspended in 1999 for neglecting legal matters and failing to cooperate with further investigations .

The Court also noted there is no record of the 2009 warrant being served, of her serving jail time, or of her paying the $1,000 fine .