City attorney lacks a license

Acting Annapolis official lost state certification two years ago

Lawyers who do not file the report with the Administrative Office of the Courts can be decertified - or have their right to practice in Maryland revoked. About 200 lawyers a year are notified of this action every year, said Darrell Pressley, a spokesman for the Maryland Judiciary. He said he could not comment on whether Kling had been notified of his decertification. Lawyers can get recertified once they submit the appropriate paperwork.

Cordle said it was necessary to call an emergency meeting. "I'm talking about transparency here," he said.

He and other city council members were quick to say that they respected Kling and did not object to him being the city attorney in the future. They just want to make sure that the city is not liable.

"There is no suggestion of incompetence being made about Mr. Kling," said alderman Richard Israel, a Democrat who represents Ward 1.

Paul Foer, the blogger who posted the information on his Web site, said Kling's fitness for the job should be called into question.

"What gets me is that this is an easy thing to do," Foer said. "You have to wonder if he's not aware of the laws that govern being a lawyer, what else doesn't he know?"

Kling apologized to the city council for what he described as an oversight. "I'm more embarrassed about the impact on the city," he said.