Larry Forman, the lawyer/YouTuber, continued his ethical assault when he recently appeared with Samantha Benigno, on her YouTube channel.
Forman has dipped his toes in the YouTube water defending Jeremy Hales, but more recently, he has provided much coverage to the Karen Read trial.
The two discussed that case when Samantha gave him a minute to plug his law firm. That’s when his legal assault happened.
“Oh, we cover the entirety of the United States. I'm licensed in Kentucky, but I can pro hac vice anywhere.” Forman said.
Pro hac vice, Latin for one time, allows lawyers to handle a case in a state they aren’t licensed in, but there needs to be a special circumstance.
Bruce Matzkin was approved pro hac vice to represent Michelle Preston and John Cook, when Hales first sued them federally.
Matzkin, licensed in Connecticut and Massachusetts, argued that Preston and Cook couldn’t afford counsel and he’d do it pro bono.
F. Lee Bailey was approved pro hac vice for OJ Simpson’s defense in California, however, not only was he legendary, but as Richard Luthmann noted on the broadcast, the case was led to by two licenses California attorneys- Johnny Cochran and Robert Shapiro.
Forman made a sweeping claim, that he could practice all over the US using pro hac vice.
Forman continued, “I mean, look at the Karen Reed case. {Alan} Jackson is in a Massachusetts case.”
Karen Read was represented in her murder trial by Alan Jackson, a famous attorney licensed in California.
Jackson may represent Nick Reiner in the murder of his parents, Rob and Michelle Reiner, if Nick secures his trust.
Jackson is one of the best litigators in the country, and Read was fighting for her life.
There’s no comparison to the basic criminal and civil cases that Forman handles to those Jackson handles, despite the implication of his statement.
Forman also stated, “Oh, it's easy. It's easy. You can and a lot of cases get resolved without a lawsuit.”
First, being approved pro hac vice is not easy, but Forman also suggested that he would try and settle.
If he took on a case outside his home state, he’d have motivation to settle, and the other party would likely know it.
If there’s a settlement, he could charge a percentage. If the case hit court, he’d likely not be approved, and the client would hire a lawyer in state.
His website has other claims that are false and misleading. He claims to be admitted “pro hac vice” in several states.
Only, a lawyer is not admitted into a state pro hac vice. Google AI explained why this claim is misleading.
Even more troubling, Google AI found no evidence he was approved pro hac vice in these states.
All of this violates Kentuck bar association (KBA) rules against false advertising.
Forman and Samantha did not respond to emails for comment.
This latest episode adds to a growing list of ethical lapses for Forman.
Forman has also made numerous statements on his YouTube channel about Florida Judge Criaig DeThonassis, calling him “unhinged”, “the worst judge in Florida”, “defends perverts”, and more.
These statements may violate legal ethics barring lawyers from impugning the integrity of a judge.
A former employee, Tyler Hitch, accused Forman of forging Hitch’s name on a document when Forman sued Hitch.
He participated in a fundraiser to raise money for a frivolous petition to challenge Michelle Preston’s adoption of her daughter, when Hales made Preston the subject of his terror campaign.
He’s also being sued by Matzkin for defamation.
“Then he tried to scam a bunch of people there, probably.” Forman said in a video of Matzkin, “I don’t know. I have no evidence of that.”
Post-script
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