A Dunmore attorney already serving a six-month suspension for neglecting clients in two divorce matters is losing her right to practice law for two more years for similar misconduct in yet another case.
The state Supreme Court suspended Melanie D. Naro from the bar for two years in an order Thursday. The suspension is effective Jan. 5.
In recommending the two-year suspension, the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania said the methods by which Ms. Naro has been practicing law "render her unfit" and necessitated a harsh penalty.
"A two-year suspension will provide (Ms. Naro) with the opportunity to reflect on her law practice and the changes she must incorporate to avoid disciplinary problems in the future," the board said in its report to the court.
Ms. Naro, a former Dunmore Borough Council president, said Monday the suspension stemmed from something that happened two years ago.
"Now I'm being disciplined for it, and there is nothing I can do about it," she said. "My family and friends are supporting me. They know who I am."
In the summer, the Supreme Court suspended Ms. Naro for six months and placed her on probation for a year for failing to adequately represent two men who had hired her in 2008 to handle their divorce cases. That suspension remains in effect until Feb. 11.
In the most recent case, Ms. Naro was retained by Mary Stephenson in 2010 to finalize the equitable distribution process in her divorce action.
The disciplinary board found Ms. Naro exhibited a "complete lack of attention" to the matter, failing to forward answers to interrogatories and requests for production of documents to opposing counsel and repeatedly ignoring telephone calls and emails from Ms. Stephenson.
In one instance, opposing counsel sent Ms. Naro a copy of a motion to discontinue Ms. Stephenson's alimony, and a hearing was scheduled. However, Ms. Naro never advised her client of the motion or the hearing, which Ms. Stephenson learned about only after contacting the court to check on the status of her case, the board said.
The report said Ms. Naro's latest encounter with the disciplinary system shows she did not heed the seriousness of her prior discipline, which also includes a private reprimand in 2006 and an informal admonition in 2007.
"Her recidivism necessitates that the instant matter be resolved with a lengthy suspension," the board said.
Contact the writer: dsingleton@timesshamrock.com