Kilpatrick hopes to salvage law license

DETROIT, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- Attorneys for jailed former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick say they're hoping to salvage his license to practice law.

As part of plea bargain in which he pleaded guilty to felony obstruction of justice charges, Kilpatrick agreed to disbarment, but noted that he was doing so "under protest." Now, his attorneys are appealing the decision to the state's lawyer regulatory board, the Detroit News reported Tuesday.

"What happened was totally unprecedented," Kilpatrick attorney Phillip Thomas told the newspaper. Thomas, a former administrator for the Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission, added, "There are lawyers out there convicted of manslaughter and very, very serious felonies that this doesn't happen to."

The News said the state's Attorney Discipline Board has given Kilpatrick until the end of November to file an argument as to why the disbarment order shouldn't be finalized.