News

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.

The State Bar announced today that it is taking urgent action to address a breach of confidential attorney discipline case data that it discovered on February 24.

At its meeting on February 25, the State Bar Board of Trustees approved changes to the makeup and charter of the Closing the Justice Gap Working Group, responding to concerns raised by Legislative partners and other stakeholders.

The State Bar has seized the practice of Anthony David Urbano, a Sacramento man recently released from parole who engaged in the unauthorized practice of law under the business name “Jailhouse Lawyer 360,” announced George Cardona, the State Bar Chief Trial Counsel, today. 

Vanessa Holton, the General Counsel for the State Bar of California, has announced her retirement after nearly seven years with the State Bar and a stellar legal career that has spanned almost four decades.

The State Bar of California's Board of Trustees announced today that it has been conducting an additional investigation into whether the State Bar's handling of past discipline complaints against former licensee Thomas V. Girardi was affected by Girardi’s connections to or influence at the State Bar.The investigation is intended to identify actions by anyone with ties to the State Bar that may constitute malfeasance in how discipline complaints against Girardi were handled.  

At its meeting January 20 and 21, the State Bar Board of Trustees began work on the State Bar’s next five-year strategic plan, which is expected to continue at a February meeting and be finalized at the Board’s March meeting.

The State Bar of California has seized an unauthorized law practice that operated as National Family Solutions, announced George Cardona, Chief Trial Counsel. The firm, owned by Eric Campbell and Anita Youabian, had offices in Goleta, Los Angeles, and Santa Barbara.

At its meeting November 18, the State Bar Board of Trustees approved creation of a new, comprehensive Client Trust Account (CTA) protection program and other corrective actions to strengthen the State Bar’s oversight and regulation of client trust accounts.

The State Bar has seized the practice of an individual who repeatedly and illegally misrepresented himself as an attorney to obtain thousands of dollars from unsuspecting Los Angeles clients, Chief Trial Counsel George Cardona announced Friday. Efferin Deans of Lake Balboa has no fewer than 22 aliases and is not authorized to practice law in California