Albany, Georgia, attorney Joseph “Joe” Durham Jr. requested a temporary suspension of his law license in September 2025 amidst a devastating State Bar investigation involving the alleged misuse of over $2 million in client settlement funds, falsifying documents, and threatening former clients.
The Charges: A Pattern of Financial and Ethical Misconduct
Joseph “Joe” Durham Jr., an Albany-based attorney who has practiced law since 2003, is facing the highest possible sanction—permanent disbarment—from the State Bar of Georgia. The disciplinary proceedings were initiated after the Bar filed a petition for his emergency suspension, arguing that his actions posed a “substantial threat of harm to his clients or the public.”
The formal complaints against Durham span multiple client matters and outline a serious pattern of deceit and financial malfeasance:
1. Misappropriation of Client Trust Funds (Over $2 Million)
The most damning allegations center on the handling of client settlements. In three separate cases, Durham is accused of:
- Failing to Notify Clients: Allegedly withholding information from clients about their settlement awards.
- Unauthorized Use of Funds: Depositing large settlement checks into his IOLTA (Interest on Lawyers Trust Account) and systematically withdrawing funds—primarily for personal use—without the knowledge or consent of his clients. The cumulative amount in question exceeds $2 million.
- Bank Irregularities: The Bank of Dawson, which held his trust account, reportedly failed to notify the State Bar of multiple account overdrafts due to its relationship with Durham. This led the Bar to revoke the bank’s authorization to maintain lawyer trust accounts.
2. Document Falsification and Deception
To conceal the theft, Durham allegedly engaged in deception, including:
- Blank Signature Pages: At least one client couple reported being asked to sign blank signature pages at his office, which were later presumably used to validate documents without their knowledge.
- Falsifying Signatures: He is formally accused of falsifying documents and signatures to obscure the misappropriation of funds.
He Turned Into a Monster’: Allegations of Post-Grievance Threats
The misconduct did not end when clients terminated his services. The State Bar’s filings include accounts of hostile and retaliatory behavior toward former clients:
- Aggressive Intimidation: One client’s relative, an elderly woman living alone, reported that Durham showed up at her house, banging aggressively on doors and windows to demand the client come out.
- Threatening Communication: A family stated that after they filed a grievance, Durham “turned into a monster,” sending threatening emails and attempting to intimidate them.
- Extortionary Threat: One specific complaint alleges Durham sent a letter to a family threatening to “publicize scandalous allegations”—irrelevant to their case—if they did not pay him $250,000.
- Retaliatory Lawsuits: He reportedly filed a lawsuit against at least one family for “defamation of character” after they formally reported his misconduct.
The Conclusion: A Voluntary Suspension Precedes Disbarment
Faced with the mounting evidence and the State Bar’s petition for an emergency suspension, Joseph Durham Jr. filed a petition for Voluntary Discipline in September 2025.
- Admission: In this filing, Durham essentially conceded that the State Bar had established a factual basis for finding that he “poses a substantial threat of harm to his clients or the public.”
- Current Status: His request for a temporary, emergency suspension was granted. This means his law license is suspended pending the resolution of the disbarment petitions. He must immediately cease taking new clients and cooperate with a full forensic audit of his financial accounts.
Given the overwhelming nature of the allegations—including theft, fraud, and client intimidation, which are among the most serious violations of professional conduct—legal precedent suggests that the Georgia Supreme Court is highly likely to order his permanent disbarment.
Final Thought
The case of Joe Durham Jr. serves as a stark reminder of the profound trust inherent in the attorney-client relationship. When lawyers betray their fiduciary duty—especially by stealing from vulnerable clients—it not only ruins careers but fundamentally damages public confidence in the legal system. The swift and severe action by the State Bar of Georgia demonstrates the system’s commitment to rooting out such egregious misconduct.