Judge Fakes Reviews, Plus More Reasons Not to Lie on Resumes
Everybody knows you shouldn't fake your resume, so why do lawyers do it?
Is it because it's too late to give them a bad name? (Take it easy, I'm just a messenger.)
Seriously, what are these people thinking? And what about this judge!
Fake Reviews
According to disciplinary records, New Hampshire Judge Paul Moore faked dozens of positive, anonymous evaluations of himself. The state supreme court suspended Moore for tampering with a judicial performance evaluation and the state Attorney General launched an investigation into possible criminal charges.
The state reviews about 20 judges each year on a rolling basis. It includes an online survey and a self-evaluation.
The state conduct committee became suspicious when Moore received 16 evaluations with perfect scores. He later admitted that he had submitted anonymous evaluations for weeks.
Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, it did. In a separate case, Moore pleaded guilty to lying to get retirement benefits.
Real Criminal Charges
If you didn't know, there are criminal statutes against lying on your resume. And sometimes the higher you climb, the farther you fall.
For example, three government lawyers recently lost their jobs in Rhode Island. They didn't lie to get the jobs, but they didn't keep their licenses active while working for the state.
One attorney, senior lead counsel for the office of health and human services, apparently blew a deadline that cost the state $24 million. The governor wants his head, or at least a criminal prosecution.
The attorneys probably won't be prosecuted for practicing law without a license, but whatever it is, they won't put it on their resumes.
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- Should Rural Lawyers Rethink Their Billing Strategies? (FindLaw's Strategist)