A New Jersey solo practitioner faces a possible sanction for failing to safeguard client funds because his secretary stole money from his trust account.

The New Jersey Supreme Court’s Disciplinary Review Board recommended admonishment for lawyer Nathan Snyder of Vorhees, N.J., the New Jersey Law Journal reports.

The secretary had worked for Snyder for three years. "You think people are trustworthy," Snyder told the publication.

Snyder learned his trust was misplaced after his bank notified ethics investigators of a shortfall totaling nearly $2,500 in his trust account. Snyder checked out the problem and learned the secretary had stolen $50,000 in all. Later he deposited enough money to make up the difference, the story says.

The March 16 opinion by the Disciplinary Review Board faulted Snyder for failing to reconcile his bank trust account each month and being inattentive to record-keeping, according to the story.

Snyder told the New Jersey Law Journal he had learned an important lesson. "Do all your own banking. Don't let anyone make a deposit for you. Don't get lax."