A US lawyer, who spent time in jail and was suspended from practising law, has been a guest lecturer at King's Inns, DIT and Portobello College in Dublin over the last few months.
Mr Joe Morrissey was suspended from practising in federal courts by a disciplinary panel of three US District Court Judges in a ruling filed on December 21st, 2001.
In his 18-year legal career, Mr Morrissey has been jailed on three occasions because of his behaviour in court.
He was suspended from practising law three times and cited for contempt of court on several occasions.
On December 19th, 1991, Mr Morrissey was jailed after engaging in a fist fight with opposing counsel during a criminal trial in Richmond Circuit Court, Virginia, in an incident known as the "brawl in the hall". On October 7th, 1999, Mr Morrissey was convicted of assault and battery of a tradesman.
Speaking to The Irish Times, Mr Morrissey said he had been upfront with DIT and Portobello about his past.
"I told them everything. I was entirely candid and forthright. I misled nobody".
Asked about his criminal record, Mr Morrissey said: "I am not proud of that. I have taken steps to control my temper."
He said he had attended an anger management course since the incidents described.
He received no fee for his lectures, except a small payment from DIT.
The Morrissey case will renew concerns about the vetting procedures used by Irish colleges.
Last year, a lecturer at UCD's prestigious Smurfit Business School, Dr Gary Santry, resigned when it was revealed he had faked his qualifications.
Since then, UCD has agreed new vetting procedures.
Mr Morrissey, who is of Irish descent, lives in Enniskerry, Co Wicklow.
During what he called a "hiatus" in his career, he volunteered his services to the institutes concerned. He says he has fallen in love with Ireland and plans to stay here until at least next year.
He has won more than 310 jury trials in the US, and his lectures were described as "well structured and interesting" by staff and students who attended them.
Mr Morrissey said he had used his lectures to familiarise Irish students with trial advocacy and how to use evidence from crime scenes.
He is listed on the DIT website as a guest lecturer, but the college declined to comment on the details of his case.
It said, however, it was an equal opportunities employer.
King's Inns said because he was not employed by them, "the protocol applicable to the appointment of lecturers was not applied in relation to Mr Morrissey".
It is understood King's Inns staff were not told of Mr Morrisey's background.
Mr Raymond Kearns, head of Portobello College, said: "I knew he had some problems in the US, but I thought they were just legal matters."
According to the US District Court Judges' opinion given two months ago, Mr Morrissey's record "demonstrates a consistent problem with management of his temper, an inability to comply with court orders and a chronic disregard for truthfulness".
The opinion which resulted in Mr Morrissey being suspended from practising law across the US said: "Morrissey utterly failed to produce any evidence at the hearing about his efforts to manage his temper, even though that problem has consistently landed him in trouble with the bench."