News

The State Bar of California today informed the California Supreme Court that it is changing its interpretation of a statute to allow for greater transparency with respect to closed disciplinary complaints. Pursuant to this revised interpretation, the State Bar of California further informed the Court that it intends to disclose statutorily authorized information about closed complaints against disbarred attorney Thomas Girardi.  

The State Bar of California’s Board of Trustees Chair Ruben Duran announced today that the State Bar is investigating attorneys Mark John Geragos (State Bar No. 108325) and Brian Stephen Kabateck (State Bar No. 152054) in connection with the Armenian Genocide insurance settlement funds from which dispersals were made in the U.S. and France.

At its September meeting Thursday and Friday, the State Bar of California Board of Trustees approved rules for implementing the Client Trust Account Protection Program (CTAPP) designed to strengthen proactive oversight and regulation of client trust accounts.

California is the only state with an independent professional court dedicated to ruling on attorney discipline cases. Following several recent appointments by California’s Supreme Court and the Senate Rules Committee, this 33-year-old institution, known as the State Bar Court, is well situated to continue to carry out its mission: “To hear and decide cases fairly, correctly, and efficiently for the protection of the public, the courts, and the legal profession.”

The State Bar of California released today its 2022 Report Card on the Diversity of California’s Legal Profession. The report—based on survey responses from a majority of active California attorneys—highlights trends in the diversity, workplace settings, leadership roles, and workplace satisfaction of California’s attorney population across multiple demographic groups and employment sectors. It points out that while the legal profession is growing increasingly diverse, it still does not reflect the demographic diversity of the Golden State’s population. 

At its meeting on July 21–22, 2022, the State Bar Board of Trustees adopted a streamlined set of parliamentary rules and discussed changes to expand and standardize public comment procedures as ways to improve both public access to meetings and overall accountability.

The State Bar seized the practice of Chad Padilla, a West Hollywood resident who repeatedly engaged in the unauthorized practice of law, announced George Cardona, the State Bar Chief Trial Counsel, today.

The State Bar of California announced today that this year’s $308 billion State Budget will furnish more than $105 million in funding for access to justice efforts through the State Bar, supporting legal aid organizations that serve low-income Californians facing evictions and other forms of housing insecurity, mounting debt, and other legal problems. This supplements the more than $50.5 million in funds the State Bar plans to distribute for similar assistance from Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) earnings in 2023.

The Board of Trustees of the State Bar of California has named Ellin Davtyan as its new General Counsel.

The California Senate confirmed Monday the appointment of George Cardona as the Chief Trial Counsel for the State Bar of California. The vote was 35-0, with five abstentions. This is the first Senate confirmation of a Chief Trial Counsel in 10 years.

At its meeting May 19–20, the State Bar Board of Trustees accepted final amendments to the recommendations of the California Paraprofessional Program Working Group (CPPWG).

The State Bar has published its digital annual report for 2021 spotlighting the agency’s accomplishments in a year that brought new leadership and progress on numerous initiatives furthering the agency’s public protection mission.

The State Bar of California and the Bankruptcy Trustee for the estate of Girardi Keese today filed a proposed stipulation agreement in federal court, which, if approved, will enable the State Bar to access critical records from the Trustee related to the State Bar’s ongoing investigation of its past handling of complaints against former licensee Thomas V. Girardi.

Today the State Bar announced that 1,056 people (33.9 percent of applicants) passed the February 2022 California General Bar Exam—the first in-person exam since February 2020.

The State Bar of California issued the following statement in response to the California State Auditor’s report today: “Strengthening the discipline system is our number one priority, and we are committed to incorporating the audit findings into our ongoing efforts,” said Ruben Duran, Board Chair. “As noted in our formal response, the Board found some of the audit findings profoundly troubling. At the same time as we work to oversee the implementation of the specific audit recommendations, we will begin a comprehensive review of oversight and governance policies related to the Office of Chief Trial Counsel (OCTC).”

Fake legal firm websites, stolen attorney identities, phony clients with debt cases that resolve miraculously fast: these are all tactics used by scammers to steal money from the public and attorneys alike.

The State Bar of California has shut down the unauthorized law practice of Robert Juarez and his Pomona business, Recourse Legal Document Assistants, Chief Trial Counsel George Cardona announced today. Juarez is not, nor has he ever been, a licensed attorney, yet he repeatedly charged people for dispensing legal advice and advertised and presented himself as someone entitled to practice law to the dissatisfaction of unsuspecting clients.

At its March 24-25 meeting, the State Bar Board of Trustees set the organization’s direction for the next five years by adopting a strategic plan for 2022-2027.

When the Commission on Judicial Appointments meets on March 22 to consider the appointment of Justice Patricia Guerrero to the California Supreme Court, they will rely on the quiet and thorough work behind the scenes of an important body supported by the State Bar: the Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation (JNE). The JNE Commission confidentially evaluates all candidates under consideration or nominated for a judicial appointment by the Governor. In 2021, the JNE Commission completed evaluations of 138 judicial candidates.

The State Bar of California’s Chief Trial Counsel George Cardona announced today that since September 2021, his office has been conducting an investigation of John Charles Eastman (State Bar No. 193726), a California licensed attorney.