A client retained a law firm to represent her in a property dispute. As part of the representation, the attorney was supposed to file a lawsuit before the end of the month to ensure that the applicable statute of limitations did not run. Due to a mistake by one of the attorney’s paralegals, the statute expired before a lawsuit was filed. The attorney realized the mistake and filed the lawsuit one month after the deadline. Thereafter, the attorney successfully argued to the court that the statute of limitations for the client’s lawsuit should have been tolled, and the court ordered that the lawsuit could proceed. Is the attorney subject to discipline? A client retained a law firm to represent her in a property dispute. As part of the representation, the attorney was supposed to file a lawsuit before the end of the month to ensure that the applicable statute of limitations did not run. Due to a mistake by one of the attorney’s paralegals, the statute expired before a lawsuit was filed. The attorney realized the mistake and filed the lawsuit one month after the deadline. Thereafter, the attorney successfully argued to the court that the statute of limitations for the client’s lawsuit should have been tolled, and the court ordered that the lawsuit could proceed. Is the attorney subject to discipline? Yes, because the attorney should not rely on a paralegal to meet filing deadlines. Yes, because the attorney failed to act with reasonable diligence in filing the lawsuit. No, because the attorney was able to successfully argue that the statute of limitations should be tolled. No, because the attorney’s failure to meet the deadline was not due to his own mistake.