The Indiana Supreme Court approved placing a Crown Point lawyer’s law license on probation status after he admitted he took some clients’ money and stopped responding to them for months.
The decision was to suspend Samuel Berkman’s license for four months – with two months already served. He could have the other two months wiped off if he successfully finishes at least two years of Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program (JLAP) monitoring, documents show.
Berkman could not be immediately reached for comment.
He formally admitted to five counts of misconduct – which included accepting legal retainers, i.e. money, from prospective clients, then not responding, working on their cases or showing up to court enough for judges in Lake and Porter County to issue contempt citations.
The lawyer “had health conditions that impaired his ability to practice law,” documents show. Berkman told the JLAP factors “contributing to his misconduct,” documents stated.
Berkman has to complete all conditions, which include no alcohol or drugs. If he violates any terms, his license will be suspended for the remaining two months “without automatic reinstatement.”
Berkman missed court in over 60 cases from January 2024 to January 2025 for misdemeanors or low-level felonies, according to the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission complaint filed May 21. A handful of clients filed grievances after they were repeatedly not able to reach him.
He got another lawyer to take over his cases in February.
A woman who answered the phone at his law firm in May said he was not currently practicing law and lawyer Nick Barnes took over Berkman’s clients.
Documents note he wrote in response to grievances that he was in a car crash in May 2024 and wasn’t able to work.
By late 2024, a Porter County judge issued a contempt of court citation. Another followed in Lake County – both as a bid to get him to show up.
When the citation was dismissed in Lake County in January, he told the Post-Tribune that his father had recently died.
mcolias@post-trib.com
