Lake Elmo lawyer reinstated after suspension

A Lake Elmo attorney who was disciplined for knowingly making misleading statements during a court hearing is back in office.

In a June 4 order, Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Margaret Chutich wrote that Paul E. Overson “is conditionally reinstated to practice law in the State of Minnesota, subject to his successful completion of the Minnesota State Board of Law Examiners’ written examination on professional responsibility required for admission to the bar.” Overson must provide proof by Feb. 24, 2025, Chutich wrote.

In February, the Supreme Court suspended Overson from practicing law for at least 30 days after the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility said he had “committed professional misconduct that warrants public discipline – namely, knowingly making a misleading statement to a court during a hearing and then failing to correct that misleading statement.”

The underlying case was a custody dispute filed in Washington County District Court in June 2022. Overson represented the defendant in the proceedings, which have since been concluded, court records show.

According to the petition, Overson failed to inform the court during a September 2022 hearing that the parties had already agreed to dismiss a matter related to a protective order. Overson failed during and after the hearing “to correct his misleading statement and failed during the hearing to inform the court that the parties had agreed to dismiss the OFP matter,” the petition states.

Overson did not immediately return a call seeking comment.