Attorney disbarred for 'severe misconduct'

A St. Paul attorney was disbarred on Wednesday for financial misconduct, client neglect and failure to cooperate with a disciplinary investigation, according to a Minnesota Supreme Court ruling. Joseph A. Rymanowski Jr. mishandled seven client matters, the ruling stated. In one instance, he accepted $10,000 but provided no services and failed to refund the money. In another case, he filed a counterclaim without consulting the client and then didn't show up for a hearing. Judgment was entered against the client and included $7,031 in fees for the other party's lawyers. He neglected another case and withdrew as counsel one day before a hearing. Rymanowski was privately disciplined in 2003 for similar conduct. Read the full ruling, including details of misconduct, here.