DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas (KXAN) — A woman in Dripping Springs was recently arrested and charged with pretending to be an attorney licensed to practice law in Texas.
Nichole Humes, who worked for the Dorothy Butler Law Firm, was formally charged with “falsely presenting oneself as a lawyer,” based on alleged misrepresentations in November 2022.
The law firm’s owner, Dorothy Lawrence, denies being aware of any wrongdoing.
“I was aware that Nichole was not a licensed attorney in the state of Texas,” Lawrence said. “This isn’t the notorious situation that people see down on the border where somebody just decided one day, I’m going to open up shop and call myself an attorney. This woman holds a JD, she is an attorney, she practiced law for over a decade.”
Humes was arrested on July 4 after an investigation, according to Hays County court records.
Lawrence said Humes worked as a paralegal for her firm.
“Nichole actually graduated from law school. She practiced law in both Pennsylvania and Illinois prior to working with my firm,” Lawrence said. “She had applied for reciprocity within the state of Texas and was waiting on that.”
Pennsylvania state records show Humes’ current license status is on “administrative suspension.” A search of her name on the Illinois State Bar Association website yields no results.
According to Lawrence, Humes never lied about not having a license to practice law in Texas.
“She was not doing any work that she was unauthorized to do, to my knowledge,” Lawrence said.
Still, Lawrence’s firm fired Humes at the end of last year after the allegations came to light.
“I could not have someone in the firm that I did not feel was 100% trustworthy and honest,” Lawrence said.
According to an arrest affidavit, on the Dorothy Butler Law Firm website, the firm listed Humes as a senior associate attorney. Investigators also said Humes presented herself as co-lead attorney on a case.
Court documents stated Humes told police Lawrence told her to do that.
“That statement is absolutely false – at no time was she ever asked or encouraged to file in as a ‘co-counsel’ on a case because legally she cannot be one,” Lawrence said. “There is a lot of information contained in that affidavit that is not factually correct. I have a sworn declaration from Nichole where she states any wrongdoing, I had zero knowledge of it at any time.”
KXAN has not been able to get in touch with Humes or confirm the circumstances surrounding the signing of this document.
One of the firm’s former clients who filed a complaint with the state’s bar association against the firm last year for dragging out a separate legal matter said he doesn’t agree with how they do business.
“Def initely my biggest goal out of this would just for everyone to be aware,” Kolten Bures, a former client of Dorothy Butler Law Firm, said.
Lawrence said the firm’s reputation speaks for itself.
“We’ve been voted the top law firm here in Dripping Springs. I’ve been voted the top attorney or top tax preparer for multiple years in Dripping Springs,” Lawrence said. “I’ve been a top attorney in Austin Monthly for four years, so I don’t think that this reflects on my reputation.”
Humes did pass the bar in July 2022 according to the Texas Board of Law Examiners website. However, she’s not listed as a licensed attorney on the state’s bar website.
There are some other prerequisites to licensing before lawyers are allowed to take the final step of an oath at an induction ceremony.