#professional licensing

Reducing Barriers to Professional Licensing

The Collateral Consequences Resource Center recently reported on a  new Indiana law regulating consideration of conviction in occupational and professional licensure in that state.  This is part of a trend, with eight additional states recently enacting or about to  enact similarly progressive occupational licensing schemes.  New general laws regulating licensure are in place in Arizona, Illinois

Over a hundred occupations or professions in North Carolina require some kind of license, permit, certification or registration. Without that license or permit, you cannot practice that profession.  With the complex law and administrative rules that govern these professions, it is easy for an individual to become the subject of an investigation or disciplinary action by one of the State's occupational and professional licensing boards or some State agency. An allegation of professional or ethical misconduct is a traumatic experience. After you dedicated your career to your profession, your competence and integrity may now be called into question and your very livelihood may be threatened. Doctors, dentists, veterinarians, lawyers and several other licensed professionals go through years of education, hard work and time away from family and friends leading lives focused on and dedicated to their profession.

Receiving a complaint or an alleged violation from your regulatory board can be a harrowing and traumatic experience. Inquiries from licensing boards generally originate from allegations of substance abuse, a complaint from a client or patient, fee disputes, or illegal advertising. Being licensed professionals ourselves, we understand the stress associated with an alleged violation from your licensing board and the impact that sanctions can have on your business and your reputation. So what happens next after receiving a notification of a grievance or complaint from a professional licensing board? What steps should be taken?  Can a lawyer help with an investigation and possible resulting administrative hearing is an adversarial situation?

The common types of licensed professionals that are faced with these issues are:

Healthcare professionals

Health and appearance professionals

Attorneys

Design, land use and natural resource professionals

Construction trades

CPA's

Inspectors and examiners

Insurance agents

Law enforcement and correctional officers

Real estate and real property appraisal professionals

While every matter is unique, and each agency has its own variations, most professional licensing boards share a common process after notifying you of a pending issue.

Response to the Complaint

Informal Conference and Interview

Probable Cause Review

Formal Disciplinary Proceedings

Appeal

These main elements then have underlying requirements from your licensing board, and some boards are not required to adhere to a structure at all. When your professional or occupational license is in jeopardy, you need a lawyer who can put years of experience defending professionals to work for you.  We strongly urge you to seek competent legal counsel prior to responding to or appearing before your licensing board. When your professional or occupational license is in danger of suspension or revocation, you need a lawyer who can utilize their experience in defending licensed professionals to work for you.

Parry Tyndall White Attorneys At Law have unparalleled expertise in representing clients who face professional or occupational licensure or disciplinary issues before a large number of professional and occupational licensing bodies in North Carolina, including, but not limited to:

Appraisal Board

Board of Examiners for Engineers & Surveyors

Board of Law Examiners

Board of Nursing

Certified Public Accountants Board

Department of Motor Vehicles

Licensing Board for General Contractors

Locksmiths Licensing Board

Pharmacy Board

Real Estate Commission

State Bar

State Board of Education

Call today to set up a free strategy session in North Carolina to resolve all professional licensing and disciplinary issues.

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