13 October 2013

Self-awarded degrees and self-belief

An example of CV buffing from the UK, where barrister Dennis O'Riordan has been suspended for three years - alas not suspended from a rope while savage carnivores nip at his toes while he's forced to listen to Elvis - for awarding himself a degree or two.

O'Riordan's entry in the Bar Directory reads 'Dr Dennis Thomas Delcaron O’Riordan LLB, Hons, BCL D Phil, Oxon, MA'. He had not been sprung while gaining a succession of glittering legal positions, an indication of inefficiencies in vetting.

He is described [PDF] by the Bar Tribunals and Disciplinary Service (BTDS) as having
engaged in conduct which was dishonest or otherwise discreditable to a barrister, in that from about March 2007 to about December 2012 he entered or caused to be entered on his Chambers’ website the following false educational or other qualifications or attainments:-
(i) Bachelor of Arts (First Class) Oxford University, and/or 
(ii) Bachelor of Civil Law (First Class) Oxford University, and/or 
(iii) Doctor of Philosophy, Oxford University, and/or
(iv) Eldon Scholar, and/or 
(v) Member of the New York Bar, and/or
(vi) Member of the Irish Bar
... he did not attend Oxford University as an undergraduate, and was not awarded a BA or BCL or a D Phil or an Eldon Scholarship by that university. Further he is not, and has never been, a member of either the New York or Irish Bars.
Dennis O’Riordan engaged in conduct which was dishonest or otherwise discreditable to a barrister, contrary to paragraph 301(a)(i) of the Code of Conduct in that, on about November 2008 he entered or caused to be entered on his them employer’s website the following false educational or other qualifications or attainments:-
(i) Bachelor of Arts (First Class), Balliol College, Oxford University, and/or
(ii) Bachelor of Civil Laws, Balliol College, Oxford University, and/or
(iii) Doctor of Philosophy, Balliol College, Oxford University, and/or
(iv) Member of the New York Bar, and/or 
(v) Member of the Irish Bar
... he did not attend Oxford University as an undergraduate, was not awarded a BA or a BCL or a D Phil or by that university and was not a member of Balliol College. Further, he is not, and has never been, a member of either the New York or Irish Bars. 
Dennis Thomas O’Riordan engaged in conduct which was dishonest or otherwise discreditable to a barrister, contrary to paragraph 301(a)(i) of the Code of Conduct in that, on about November 2012 into his curriculum vitae when applying to join a set of barristers’ Chambers the following false educational or other qualifications or attainments:-
(i) Attendance at Radley College, and/or 
(ii) LLB (Hons) (First Class) University of East Anglia, and/or
(iii) Bachelor of Arts (First Class) Oxford University, and/or
(iv) Bachelor of Civil Laws (First Class) Oxford University, and/or
(v) Doctor of Philosophy, Oxford University, and/or
(vi) Eldon Scholar, and/or 
(vii) Master’s degree, Faculty of Law, Harvard University 
(viii) Member of the New York Bar, and/or 
(ix) Member of the Irish Bar
... he :-
(a) did not attend Radley College, and/or
(b) did not attend Oxford University as an undergraduate, and was not awarded a BA or a BCL or a D Phil or an Eldon Scholarship by that university, and/or 
(c) was not awarded a first class degree by the University of East Anglia, and/or 
(d) was not awarded a Master’s degree by the Faculty of Law of Harvard University, and or 
(e) is not and has never been, a member of either the New York or Irish Bars.
O'Riordan wisely resisted any temptation to award himself the Victoria Cross (unlike a CSU academic).

The statement by the BTDS is reminiscent of the UK Register's comment on creativeness by CV embellishment by then senior IBM executive Jeff Papows -
So he's not an orphan, his parents are alive and well. 
He wasn't a Marine Corps captain, he was a lieutenant. 
He didn't save a buddy by throwing a live grenade out of a trench. 
He didn't burst an eardrum when ejecting from a Phantom F4, which didn't crash, not killing his co-pilot. 
He's not a tae kwon do black belt, and he doesn't have a PhD from Pepperdine University.