Hillary Clinton’s Law License Reinstated

2019-03-11

Upon receiving payment for a reinstatement fee, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton once again has her Arkansas law license – after a 17-year suspension. (Arkansas Times)

Clinton’s license was suspended in March 2002 for failure to complete continuing education requirements. Having been admitted to the bar more than 40 years ago (she was admitted to the Arkansas bar in October 1973) and also being older than 70, she’s no longer required under Arkansas rules to meet CLE requirements.

Clinton was a partner in the Rose Law Firm when Bill Clinton ran for president. She’s stayed busy since, but not as a practicing lawyer. Her last appearance of record in an Arkansas court was in May 1992, a civil case before the Arkansas Court of Appeals.

Bill Clinton’s law license was suspended for five years in 2001 as an agreed settlement of disciplinary action over his misleading testimony about Monica Lewinsky in depositions taken in a lawsuit against him by Paula Jones. He has not sought reinstatement.

Neither Clinton nor her staff have replied to requests for comment.

In her courtroom debut, a 27-year-old Clinton (then known as Hillary Rodham) was chosen as a court-appointed attorney for 41-year-old Thomas Alfred Taylor, who was found guilty of raping 12-year-old Kathy Shelton.

Despite her adamant belief in Taylor’s guilt, leaked audio tapes revealed Clinton laughed after her client figured out how to pass a polygraph test and when the state lost critical pieces of evidence.

Clinton won a plea deal for Taylor: ten months in prison. The internal damage to Shelton made it impossible for her to have children.