Stuart

This is a proceedihg to review a recommendation of the State Bar that petitioner be suspended from the practice of law for one year, and that execution be stayed on certain conditions including a one-year probation period and passage of the Professional Responsibility Examination.

Petitioner was admitted to the practice of law in 1973. In 1977, he was privately reproved for encouraging a third party to cash two checks that petitioner drew but later failed to honor.

The present disciplinary proceedings arise out of petitioner’s representation of Angel Guzman in a personal injury suit. The hearing panel of the State Bar Court found that petitioner willfully failed to (1) communicate with the client to secure answers to defense interrogatories; (2) inform the client of the consequences of not filing timely responses to such interrogatories; (3) communicate with defense counsel or the court to obtain an extension of time to respond to the interrogatories; (4) inform the client that the defendants had filed a motion to compel answers to the interrogatories; (5) file any response to the defendants’ motion to compel or appear at the hearing on the motion; (6) inform the client…