Ryan Manilla was a terrible neighbor, but does that mean he can’t be a good lawyer?

The 29-year-old did exceptionally well in high school. He was at the top of his class at Osgoode Hall Law School. He won summer jobs at Canada’s top legal firms.

But in September, Manilla’s application to become a lawyer was rejected by the Law Society of Upper Canada when he failed to meet its “good character” requirement because of his aggressive and bizarre conduct as a member of his condo’s board.

Manilla’s appeal of the decision was dismissed by a Law Society panel in late March.

Canada’s Law Society Act requires that licences to practise law only be granted to people with “good character.” It doesn’t define what that is.

In September 2008, Manilla was condo board president and became embattled with its members over proposed fee increases at the Vaughan building.

According to the law society ruling, Manilla sent threatening emails to the other board members and condo management stating they “run the risk of being shot by the residents in the building.”

He was booted out as president, but continued to fight against the fee hikes, once boasting that he enjoyed making the other members “squirm.”

Manilla didn’t stop there. He reportedly used unprintable language in reference to another board member’s wife and daughter during a confrontation, and made insulting remarks about Russian people who lived in the building.

Manilla then forged a letter from a woman claiming to be a private investigator and a non-resident owner of one the units in the building. (He used the name of an actual owner, but flipped her first and last name.) In the letter, which he circulated through the building, Manilla claimed other board members were receiving kickbacks from the company that built the condo.

Under weighty speculation, the board members were subsequently voted out by the other owners. Manilla was crowned president of the new board.

In March, 2009, Manilla was charged with criminal harassment. Those charges were dropped after he agreed to sell his condo, among other stipulations.

He apologized to the four board members, and gave Sick Kids Hospital a $250 donation in each of their names. He went to anger management classes and received psychotherapy.

But it was too little, too late.

In its ruling at Manilla’s “good character hearing,” a Law Society committee said he “pulled the wool” over the eyes of the anger management agency that wrote him a reference letter.

The committee cited Manilla’s forged letter as the most serious offence, calling it “clear character assassination” and noted he didn’t come clean about writing it until five days before the hearing. He was rejected on the basis of his “serious misconduct” that betrayed his character flaws.

The Law Society, which regulates Ontario lawyers, requires applicants to complete 14 questions and offer two references from the legal profession to determine they are of “good character.”

They include questions on everything from being fired from a job to being subject of a criminal trial. The Law Society notes it may investigate or verify any information supplied. Its last question is rather open-ended:

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“Are there events, circumstances or conditions, other than those mentioned above, that are potentially relevant to your ability to practise law?”

The Law Society was unable to comment Monday on whether Manilla is out of the profession forever, or if he can eventually reapply.

The Star could not reach Manilla for comment.