The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has indefinitely suspended Pittsfield immigration attorney Scott Paul Clark from practicing law, closing out a disciplinary case built on abandoned clients and specific failures to appear. Justice Dewar entered the suspension order on October 21, a day after Clark failed to appear at his own hearing, and it took effect immediately.
According to ALABnews, Clark abandoned at least 18 immigration clients, doing little or no work on their matters and refunding none of the money he had collected from them. The outlet reports that the Board of Bar Overseers recommended his indefinite suspension on September 14, after Clark never responded to the four-count petition for discipline brought against him — allegations the board treated as admitted by default. The case is cataloged under docket BD-2025-012, and a board summary cited by ALABnews found no mitigating factors in Clark's favor, while aggravating factors included his years of experience, the number of violations, his failure to cooperate, and the harm his conduct caused clients.
An Asylum Case That Fell Apart
Among the specific failures outlined in the board's findings, Clark failed to adequately prepare an asylum client for her hearing and did not arrange an interpreter for her, per the same ALABnews account. Her asylum application was denied, and a removal order was issued against her.
In a separate instance, a male client and Clark both failed to attend the client's initial removal hearing, and the client was ultimately ordered removed from the country, the report states. Clark failed to promptly notify him about the removal order, was ineffective in trying to get it rescinded, and did not provide his file to successor counsel. Clark did refund that client's money. Clark also ignored a subpoena to appear for a sworn meeting during the disciplinary investigation, the article notes, and according to ALABnews his violations spanned rules covering competence, diligence, client communication, safekeeping of funds, refunding unearned fees, and cooperating with disciplinary authorities.
Federal and State Licenses Already in Limbo
Clark's practice had been unraveling for nearly a year before the October suspension became final. The Board of Immigration Appeals barred him from representing clients in federal immigration proceedings on December 18, 2025, while the state disciplinary case was still pending, according to the Berkshire Eagle, which reported the federal order stated, “This suspension remains in effect while his disciplinary case is still being decided.” The Eagle also reported that the Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers had already administratively suspended Clark's Massachusetts and Rhode Island law licenses. A separate order from the Rhode Island Supreme Court confirms that Clark was suspended from practicing law in that state for an indefinite period, effective immediately and until further order.
Clark did not comply with the terms of that earlier administrative suspension, according to the ALABnews account of the board's findings — a failure that became part of the record supporting his eventual indefinite suspension. Clark, who is listed as an immigration attorney based in Pittsfield according to Avvo.com, had held his Massachusetts law license since 2011.
Former Clients Scramble for Help
The fallout reached dozens of people who had hired Clark to handle their immigration cases. Local legal clinics assisted more than 40 of his former clients in December 2025, the Berkshire Eagle reported, and by January 5, 2026, about 50 former clients had connected with community organizer Fernando A. León, according to the same newspaper. Those figures were reported at different points in time and are not confirmed to represent a single, non-overlapping total.
Some of those former clients discovered that Clark had apparently missed filing deadlines, and a few learned they had final orders of removal they had not known about after missed hearings, the Berkshire Eagle reported. The newspaper's reporting on client abandonment echoes the pattern described in the disciplinary findings — people left with stalled cases, no refunds, and in some instances no idea their immigration status had already been decided against them.
Pending Criminal Charges
Clark also faces separate felony charges unrelated to the bar proceedings. He pleaded not guilty in Berkshire Superior Court to three felony counts of larceny over $1,200, the Berkshire Eagle reported. He was released on his own recognizance following his arraignment and ordered to have no contact with the alleged victims.
What Clark Must Do Now
The suspension order carries a strict compliance timeline. Per the ALABnews account of the ruling, Clark must notify his clients, courts, and opposing counsel of his suspension within 14 days, return client papers within the same window, and refund any unearned fees within 14 days as well. He is also required to close all client and trust accounts within 14 days and file an affidavit confirming his compliance with the court within 21 days.
Clark's Disciplinary Findings
The board's findings in Clark's case included client abandonment and noncooperation.
