A woman used forged documents to pretend to be a lawyer for a decade and was in line to be named partner of a firm when her fraud was discovered late last year , according to charges filed by the state attorney general 's office . Kimberly Kitchen , 45 , of James Creek , Pennsylvania , was charged on Thursday with forgery and unauthorized practice of law . State prosecutors contend Kitchen fooled BMZ Law in Huntingdon by forging a law license , bar exam results , an email showing she attended Duquesne University law school and a check for a state attorney registration fee . Kimberly Kitchen , 45 , allegedly fooled BMZ Law ( pictured ) in Huntingdon , Pennsylvania , by forging a law license , bar exam results , an email showing she attended Duquesne University law school and a check for a state attorney registration fee . Kitchen handled estate planning for more than 30 clients 'despite never having attended law school , nor being admitted to the bar of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , ' the attorney general said in a statement . Kitchen was , however , the past president of the Huntingdon County Bar Association , said her attorney , Caroline Roberto . 'She 's an incredibly competent person and she worked very diligently and was devoted to the people she served in the community , ' Roberto said . 'There are things about the charges we do n't agree with so we 're going to be fighting some of the charges , ' Roberto said , though she would n't be specific . But Christopher Wencker , the current president of the county bar association , said he does n't think the charges are severe enough . 'For a decade of that kind of behavior , those kind of charges are insufficient and do n't represent the depth or level of betrayal that was shown , ' Wencker said . The forgery charge is a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to five years in prison ; the unauthorized practice charge is a third-degree misdemeanor , carrying up to a year in jail . Kitchen was charged on Thursday with forgery and unauthorized practice of law after pretending to be a lawyer for a decade ( file photo ) Wencker said the county bar plans to meet Tuesday to formulate a statement on behalf of the group . A representative of the law firm did n't immediately return a call seeing comment Friday . But in December , when the Huntingdon Daily News first reported on the case , the firm issued a statement saying they would be going through all her cases . 'Sadly , it would appear that our firm was the last , in a long line of professionals , to have been deceived by Ms . Kitchen into believing she was licensed to practice law , ' the statement said . 'We are undertaking a thorough review of each and every file she may have handled . ' It was n't immediately clear where else Kitchen might have worked . Roberto would n't comment on whether any clients were harmed or complained about the services Kitchen rendered , except to repeat that Kitchen was 'incredibly competent ' . She said Kitchen , who is married with no children , is no longer working anywhere . 'Since December , when she was asked not to practice again , she 's just been waiting for this to be resolved , ' Roberto said .
Kimberly Kitchen , 45 , of James Creek , Pennsylvania , was charged on Thursday with forgery and unauthorized practice of law . She allegedly forged a law license , bar exam results and an email showing she attended Duquesne University law school . Kitchen also served as president of the Huntingdon County Bar Association . She could face up to six years in prison if she 's convicted .