California State Bar Discipline Report for 2020

California State Bar Discipline Report for 2020

COVID-19 affected all of us during 2020, including lawyers. The California State Bar continued its mission of protecting the public from misconduct that occurs by lawyers. The Annual Discipline Report for 2020 highlights that while the pandemic certainly presented...
Attorney Ethical Violations: Will the Bar Think You’re Guilty If You Hire an Attorney?

Attorney Ethical Violations: Will the Bar Think You’re Guilty If You Hire an Attorney?

You received a letter informing you that a California attorney complaint was filed against you by a previous or current client, judge, or even another attorney. You recognize that the matter is serious. Since you want to do everything you can to protect your ability...
Trust Accounting Basics

Trust Accounting Basics

This post was written by Megan Zavieh and originally published on Lawyerist.com on April 4, 2014. Managing trust accounts – handling other people’s money – is one of the most sensitive things lawyers do, and one of the most common sources of ethical violations. You...
Responding to an Ethics Complaint: A How-To Guide

Responding to an Ethics Complaint: A How-To Guide

This post was written by Megan Zavieh and originally published on Lawyerist.com on March 4, 2013. Bar complaint statistics have been updated to reflect the summary report provided by the California State Bar for 2018.   Every year, ethics boards receive thousands...