In re Berk

In In re Berk, 157 Vt. 524, 602 A.2d 946 (1991), the Court upheld the Board's conclusion that a lawyer violated DR 1-102(A)(7) when he purchased cocaine for his own use and to distribute to friends and an associate in his firm. In reaching the latter decision we noted that attorneys have "a duty to the profession and the administration of justice, especially to uphold the laws of the state in which he practices." Id. at 531, 602 A.2d at 949. The Court found that the lawyer's actions "reflect negatively on his professional judgment and detract from public confidence in the legal profession" and were "even more reprehensible because he encouraged and facilitated his associate's participation in a criminal act." Id.