An Oregon woman is facing felony charges in Lewis County Superior Court for allegedly working as an attorney for a woman in Lewis County— taking over $5,000 from her in payment — without disclosing that she had been disbarred in 1992.
Kimberlee Ann McDonald, 69, of Bend, Oregon, was charged April 2 in Lewis County Superior Court with one count of first-degree theft and three counts of unlawful practice of law.
The first unlawful practice of law charge is a gross misdemeanor, while all subsequent offenses are class C felonies punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
McDonald is accused of falsely representing herself as a licensed attorney when she was hired by a woman seeking legal aid in affairs related to four separate estates, including the estate of her mother, who died in 2014.
The victim lived in King County at the time she hired McDonald as her attorney in 2014. The victim moved to Lewis County after she retired in 2021, with McDonald continuing to represent her as her attorney through 2024.
“Up until December 2024, Kimberlee Ann McDonald represented herself to (the victim) as an attorney, duly licensed to practice law in the state of Washington,” the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office states in charging documents.
However, McDonald was actually disbarred by the Washington State Bar Association on April 3, 1992, according to court documents, which state that her disbarment findings include 10 counts of “conversion of client funds involving moral turpitude and corruption.”
McDonald also has felony theft convictions on her record from 1990 and 1991, according to court documents.
“McDonald has never been reinstated as an attorney to the Washington State Bar Association,” the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office stated in charging documents, adding that McDonald has also never been licensed to practice in North Dakota or Montana, where she allegedly filed motions related to the estates the victim hired her to assist with.
According to the victim, McDonald billed her for at least $4,350 worth of false legal services between 2021 and 2023, at which time the victim was living in Lewis County. The money for McDonald’s legal services was taken out of the four estates she had been hired to assist with.
The victim reported that “McDonald’s deception unraveled” in December 2024 when McDonald allegedly told the victim “a bunch of stories” regarding her legal escapades “that didn’t make sense,” according to court documents.
After that incident, the victim reportedly terminated her relationship with McDonald and contacted law enforcement.
A detective from the Bend, Oregon, police department contacted McDonald at her residence on March 26. When questioned, McDonald allegedly “admitted she was the Kimberlee McDonald who was disbarred on April 3, 1992,” and that “notwithstanding her disbarment, she performed legal services for (the victim),” according to court documents.
McDonald allegedly “tried to downplay her work for (the victim) by saying she was merely a consultant,” but allegedly “admitted she wrote letters and pleadings on behalf of (the victim) which referenced McDonald as being an ‘attorney,’” according to court documents.
McDonald was issued a summons notice for a April 23 preliminary hearing in Lewis County Superior Court, which she was present for, represented by a retained criminal defense attorney.
McDonald pleaded not guilty to all charges on Wednesday. Trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 13.
All parties agreed Wednesday to allow McDonald to remain out of custody on her own personal recognizance for the duration of her case.
