SAN FRANCISCO – Monterey Park attorney Kevin Gang Long has been suspended following a California Supreme Court order over the alleged mishandling of an asylum case in 2012, according to a recent report issued by The State Bar of California and court documents.
The Supreme Court handed down a one-year suspension, with a minimum of 90 days stayed, and placed Long on two years of conditional probation. Long was required to make restitution to his former clients before his suspension would be lifted.
"If [Long] remains suspended for two years or longer as a result of not satisfying the preceding requirement, [Long] must also provide proof to the State Bar Court of rehabilitation, fitness to practice and present learning and ability in the general law before the suspension will be terminated," the high court said in its order.
Long also was ordered to pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam and to pay costs.
Long's discipline was effective March 3, according to a report provided to the Northern California Record Friday by the state bar.
Long was admitted to the bar in California on June 4, 1998, according to his profile at the state bar website. Long had no prior discipline before the state bar, according to his profile.
Long was retained by his former clients in April 2010 to represent them in their applications for voluntary departure, asylum and for withholding of removal before the U.S. Department of Justice, according to Long's stipulation filed with the State Bar Court of California in October.
In March 2012, in before an immigration merits hearing scheduled the following May, the clients obtained their file from Long with intend to retain another attorney but Long did not formally withdraw his representation at the time.
The other attorney filed motions asking to substitute in the clients' cases, pending a change of venue, but the court denied the motions.
Long did not appear at the scheduled hearing, which meant his clients appeared without counsel.
"The court denied the clients' applications for voluntary departure, asylum and withholding of removal and reserved appeal on their behalf," the stipulation said.
The clients later retained another attorney who appealed the decision.