The legal profession places trust and fiduciary responsibility at its core. Attorneys who manage client funds must handle them with the utmost care, as even minor lapses can erode public confidence in the justice system. The recent disciplinary case of Pamela Therese Calderon, a Florida attorney admitted to practice in 1991, illustrates the devastating consequences that can result when these duties are breached. In May 2025, the Florida Supreme Court approved her petition for disciplinary revocation, the functional equivalent of permanent disbarment, after finding she misappropriated nearly $50,000 in client funds.
The Florida Bar v. Calderon, SC2024-1416 (Fla. Nov. 12, 2024).
Florida Supreme Court Disciplinary Order (May 8, 2025).
The Florida Supreme Court has permanently disbarred attorney Pamela Therese Calderon, effective May 8, 2025, after finding she misappropriated nearly $50,000 in client funds.
Calderon, admitted to practice in 1991, mishandled a $75,000 wire transfer she received in a marital dissolution case. Instead of following client instructions to disburse the funds to designated parties, she made unauthorized payments and by July 2024, her trust account balance had dropped to just $397.43, leaving her client owed more than $47,000.
The Florida Bar filed for an emergency suspension, which the Court granted on November 12, 2024 (The Florida Bar v. Calderon, SC2024-1416). Calderon then petitioned for disciplinary revocation without leave to reapply, effectively making the sanction permanent disbarment.
Under the Court’s order, she must repay Bar costs, cooperate with a trust account audit, and reimburse any payouts from the Client Security Fund.
Pamela Therese Calderon is now permanently barred from practicing law in Florida. She may not provide legal services, hold herself out as an attorney, or seek reinstatement in the future.
The Calderon case underscores the Florida Supreme Court’s firm stance: misappropriation of client funds is one of the gravest ethical violations and warrants permanent removal from the profession.
Conclusion
The disbarment of Pamela Therese Calderon serves as a stark warning: attorneys must guard client funds with absolute integrity. Calderon’s misuse of nearly $50,000 in entrusted money not only ended her decades-long career but also reinforced the Florida Supreme Court’s consistent stance that misappropriation of client funds warrants the harshest sanction permanent removal from the legal profession.
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