Background
Shaquandra A. Woods, a member of the Georgia State Bar since 2019, was found guilty on December 8, 2023, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia of conspiracy to commit wire fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1349, a felony charge. Following her conviction, Woods filed a petition for voluntary suspension of her license pending appeal, which the Georgia Supreme Court accepted in 2024.
On May 14, 2025, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed Woods’s conviction. Her subsequent request for en banc review was denied on July 21, 2025. Following the exhaustion of her appellate remedies, Woods filed a petition for voluntary surrender of her law license on October 21, 2025.
The Court’s Holding
The Georgia Supreme Court accepted Woods’s petition for voluntary surrender of her license, which is tantamount to disbarment. The Court determined that this sanction was appropriate for Woods’s admitted violation of Rule 8.4(a)(2) of the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct, which prohibits lawyers from being convicted of a felony. The maximum sanction for this violation is disbarment.
The Court’s decision aligns with established Georgia precedent in cases involving felony convictions by members of the bar. Accordingly, Woods’s name was removed from the rolls of persons authorized to practice law in the State of Georgia, and she was reminded of her duties under Bar Rule 4-219(b).
Key Takeaways
- An attorney’s felony conviction automatically violates Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct Rule 8.4(a)(2) and triggers disbarment proceedings.
- Voluntary surrender of a law license is an accepted sanction equivalent to disbarment in Georgia attorney disciplinary matters.
- An attorney convicted of a felony must notify the State Bar and faces removal from the practice of law regardless of appellate outcomes.
Why It Matters
This case reinforces that Georgia maintains a bright-line rule regarding felony convictions: attorneys convicted of felonies are subject to disbarment under GRPC Rule 8.4(a)(2). The Court’s acceptance of Woods’s voluntary surrender petition demonstrates that whether an attorney initiates the process or the bar does, the outcome for felony convictions is removal from practice. This rule protects the public and the integrity of the legal profession by ensuring that individuals convicted of crimes lose their ability to practice law.
For attorneys practicing in Georgia, this decision underscores the severe and automatic consequences of felony conviction. Even during appellate proceedings, convicted attorneys may be suspended from practice, and final affirmation of a conviction leads inexorably to disbarment or voluntary surrender, which the Supreme Court treats as equivalent sanctions.