The privilege of practicing law is conditional upon maintaining honesty, integrity, and adherence to the law—standards that California attorney Oshin Baghram violated, leading to a severe one-year suspension. Baghram (State Bar Number 322019), who was admitted in 2018, received the maximum penalty short of disbarment for misconduct involving a criminal conviction.
The Supreme Court of California ordered an actual suspension of one year, effective October 3, 2025, after the State Bar Court formally found that the underlying conduct involved moral turpitude.
The Core Violation: Moral Turpitude Finding
The disciplinary action (Case No. 24-C-30967) against Baghram was triggered when the record of his criminal conviction was transmitted to the State Bar.
-
Criminal Conviction: The sanction was based on a criminal conviction, the specifics of which are contained in the confidential court record.
-
Finding of Moral Turpitude: The key determination made by the State Bar Court was that the facts surrounding the conviction constituted moral turpitude. This is a severe legal finding meaning the conduct violated the fundamental standards of honesty, justice, or morality required of an attorney, demonstrating a lack of fitness to practice law.
-
Interim Suspension: Due to the seriousness of the conviction, Baghram was placed on an interim suspension (involuntary inactive status) on February 10, 2025, pending the final ruling from the Supreme Court.
The Sanction: Suspension and Probation
The final sanction accepted by the Supreme Court was determined through a stipulation with the State Bar:
-
Actual Suspension: Baghram must serve an actual suspension of one year from the practice of law. This is a punitive measure that forcibly removes him from his professional livelihood.
-
Probation: He was placed on two years of probation, during which his ability to practice will be closely supervised.
-
Effective Date: The discipline took final effect on October 3, 2025.
The one-year actual suspension is a significant penalty, typically imposed when an attorney’s criminal conduct warrants punishment but may not meet the extremely high bar for permanent disbarment. The primary goal is to ensure the attorney takes time away from practice to address the issues that led to the criminal conviction and subsequent ethical finding.
Conclusion: Integrity is Mandatory
The case of Oshin Baghram serves as an absolute reminder that attorneys, as officers of the court, are held to a higher standard of personal conduct. A criminal conviction, particularly one involving moral turpitude, directly conflicts with the foundational ethical duties of the profession.
Baghram’s one-year actual suspension and two years of probation ensure that he is barred from practice until he can demonstrate, under the State Bar’s supervision, that he has overcome the issues that led to his criminal conviction and regained the fitness required to protect the public trust.
