News

At its February 20-21 meeting, the Board of Trustees heard a presentation on a new State Bar study showing that racial disparities in attorney discipline outcomes are narrowing, particularly for Black attorneys, following reforms implemented by the State Bar in response to the groundbreaking 2019 Farkas study.

The Board of Trustees, at its February 21 meeting, approved a plan to offer a free July 2025 Bar Exam to test takers who withdraw from the February 2025 exam or fail next week’s test.

The State Bar of California is warning the public to beware of and report potential fraud in response to the fires in Southern California. For vulnerable fire victims who may need a wide range of legal advice, legal services fraud can be committed by nonattorneys, such as “notarios,” or by licensed lawyers.  

The State Bar of California seized the offices of Salve Esperanza of Los Angeles for engaging in the unauthorized practice of law (UPL). Esperanza, doing business as Prestige Network Resource Consulting, Inc. (PNRC, Inc.), falsely represented herself as an attorney and charged individuals—many of them Filipino immigrants—significant sums.

At its November 14 meeting, the State Bar of California’s Board of Trustees approved a proposed rule change that would automatically expunge nondisbarment attorney discipline records after eight years, assuming no further discipline has since occurred. The rule change now goes to the California Supreme Court for review and approval.

The State Bar of California reported today that 53.8 percent of applicants passed the July 2024 General Bar Examination (GBX).

On Tuesday, the State Bar of California seized the unlawful practice of Maria Leanos, an El Cajon woman operating a law office without a valid license and misrepresenting herself as an attorney to clients on immigration and family law matters, the Office of Chief Trial Counsel (OCTC) announced today.

At its September 19, 2024, meeting, the State Bar of California Board of Trustees approved establishing a 2025 offer and compromise program, which conservatively could generate $9 million–$11 million by providing current and former attorneys the option to settle their State Bar debt at a discounted rate.

Seventeen state agencies, including the Department of Social Services, the Civil Rights Department, and the Department of Aging, gathered in San Francisco Thursday for a convening to ideate on how government agencies can collaborate with legal aid nonprofits to provide highly effective, equitable, and enhanced services to the public.

On September 12, 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 3279, the State Bar licensing fee bill. 

The State Bar of California seized the unauthorized El Monte-based immigration practice of Elena Orizabal, who has a history of offering immigration and other legal services that she has no license to provide, the Office of Chief Trial Counsel announced today.  

The State Bar of California announced today that 16 new organizations received its DEI Leadership Seal.

The State Bar of California and Kaplan Exam Services, LLC (Kaplan), a subsidiary of Kaplan North America, LLC, signed an $8.25 million, five-year exam development agreement on August 9, authorizing Kaplan to create multiple-choice, essays, and performance test questions for the California Bar Exam.

At its July 18 meeting, the State Bar of California’s Board of Trustees voted to authorize the Board Chair and Executive Director to negotiate terms of and, if appropriate, execute a five-year bar exam agreement not to exceed $8.25 million with Kaplan North America, LLC.

Strategies and Stories, a free online program designed to support law students with stress-reduction strategies before taking the California Bar Exam, has helped over 1,000 applicants to achieve a passing score over the last six years.

The State Bar seized the Livermore practice of Robin Groth-Hill, aka Robin Hill, doing business as California Legal Services, announced Chief Trial Counsel George Cardona today.

The State Bar published its 2023 digital annual report today, which focuses on its accomplishments and challenges in a year when budgetary and staffing constraints impacted operations and when transparency and accountability took center stage.  

At its meeting on May 16, the State Bar of California’s Board of Trustees approved a plan to automatically expunge nondisbarment attorney discipline records after eight years, assuming no further discipline has since occurred.

The State Bar announced today that 1,337 applicants (33.9 percent) passed the February 2024 General Bar Exam, and 197 applicants (52.7 percent) passed the Attorneys’ Exam. If those who passed satisfy all other requirements for admission, they will be eligible to be licensed by the State Bar to practice law in California.

The State Bar of California today released a report from an external investigation into former Deputy Executive Director Robert (Bob) Hawley’s “ghostwriting” of reports in connection with the Rule 2201 Program during the 2010 to 2015 period. Part of the State Bar Rules of Procedure, the Rule 2201 Program refers attorney discipline cases to outside Special Deputy Trial Counsel (SDTC) when the Office of Chief Trial Counsel (OCTC) has conflicts.