Part of effective license advocacy is realizing that licensed professional work is often done, and done very well, by imperfect people who make mistakes. In this case, our client had been punished severely by the criminal justice system for two occasions where he resorted to corporal punishment with one of his children. However, as a licensed contractor, he used his experience and training as an industrial electrician to provide for his family and serve the public. By presenting a strong case of rehabilitation and honestly discussing the mistakes that led to the convictions, our client was able to save his electrician’s license and continue working.

This was only possible after an administrative hearing, which serves as another reminder that not all cases can be effectively resolved by settlement. In this case, the Contractors State License Board refused to deal with our client at all, but an Administrative Law Judge was convinced that he deserved an opportunity to continue his path of rehabilitation and remain employed.