Somewhere near the top of the list of bad ideas for attorneys is posting a Craigslist ad seeking a dual legal secretary/sexual partner.

Doing just that, plus allegedly mishandling two immigration matters, has earned an Illinois attorney an appearance before the state's disciplinary board.

The Legal Profession Blog gets the credit for pointing out the complaint, included below.

Samir Chowhan posted an ad in the "Adult Gigs" section of Craigslist in May seeking a legal secretary. It said the job would require secretarial and paralegal work and "additional duties for two lawyers in the firm." In addition to a resume, applicants were to send in a few pictures and their measurements.

A woman responded, and Chowhan sent her an email with a little more information about the job:

...You would be required to have sexual interaction with me and my partner, sometimes together, sometimes separate...You have to be comfortable doing this with us.

Chowhan repeatedly stressed the need for the applicant to be "comfortable" with the job requirements, as, perhaps not surprisingly, he'd had people in the past who could not "handle the sexual aspect of the job." He therefore came up with a plan to make sure the applicant would be untroubled with her tasks.

...[W]e've decided that as a part of the interview process you'll be required to perform sexually...I think it's necessary to see if you can do that, because it'll predict future behavior of you being able to handle it when you have the job.

The recipient of the email did not respond, but instead sent it to the disciplinary commission. According to the complaint, Chowhan at first denied posting the ad and sending the follow-up email, but has since admitted he did it.

The disciplinary commission has requested a hearing on the matter.

The WSJ Law Blog tracked down Chohan:

WSJ Law Blog: “I did do that,” he said. Chowhan explained that he was winding up his immigration practice, and “curiosity” got the better of him. “I wasn’t intending to hire anyone,” he added. “I was just screwing around, just curious to know if anyone would respond. Unfortunately, someone did.”

Chowhan says he’s now living in Indiana, is unemployed, and has no intention of practicing law ever again. “I came to that decision months before this happened, though.” At this point, he told us, he’s looking forward to putting it behind him. “I’ll take the punishment.”

Let's see...what's the lesson from this one? Gentlemen: Don't let curiosity get the best of you. It's a law office, not fantasy land.

Attorney Complaint