Why Pay for Law School?

I don't know what it says about my profession that a multiple felon with no law degree could practice law in 10 federal courts in about four years without anybody getting suspicious. I'm not sure his clients got their money's worth, but he certainly walked the walk:

In Missouri, attorney Bruce C. Houdek agreed to sponsor Kieffer on the pro hac vice application to represent a defendant who was challenging a child-porn sentence.

Houdek said he had no idea that Kieffer wasn't a lawyer.

'It was my responsibility,' Houdek said when asked who should have checked Kieffer's credentials. 'I just did not have any inkling.'

Houdek met Kieffer about three years ago while Kieffer was a panelist at a federal defense conference sponsored by the U.S. Administrative Office of the Courts.

'I was significantly impressed while at this seminar,' Houdek said. 'He appeared to be knowledgeable.'

In Georgia, where he represented a con artist posing as a pastor, Kieffer was admitted to the federal court by listing Lynn Fant as local counsel.

Fant said she too had no idea Kieffer wasn't a lawyer because she had attended one of his panels at a National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers conference.

'That saddens me,' she said in an interview. 'He acted very lawyerly, so to speak. He was extremely professional and an aggressive criminal defense attorney.'

So, there you go. Act lawyerly and the court world is your oyster. At least until you get caught.

FWIW, I can't imagine anybody faking being a lawyer for the privilege of working on a kiddy porn case.