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This week, the State Bar of California announced the initial class of Leadership Banks.To join the ranks of Leadership Banks, a bank must agree to pay comparable interest rates on its attorney client trust accounts under California’s Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) program, thereby helping to support access to justice for low-income Californians.
At its January meeting that concluded Friday, the State Bar Board of Trustees set direction on strategic priorities intended to expand access to justice and ensure that the attorney discipline system is fair and effective.
Leah T. Wilson has announced her decision to leave the role of Executive Director effective January 17, 2020, to pursue other career interests. Chief of Programs Donna Hershkowitz has been named Interim Executive Director. At the request of Board of Trustees leadership, Wilson has agreed to support the transition in a consulting capacity.
The State Bar of California this week launched its Leadership Bank program, recognizing financial institutions that help maximize funds to support meaningful access to justice for low-income Californians.
Today the State Bar of California released the results of the July 2019 California Bar Exam, and announced that 3,886 people (50.1 percent of applicants) passed the General Bar Exam, a rebound to the 2017 pass rate.
At its meeting today, the State Bar Board of Trustees heard a report on the first-ever study of racial disparities in California attorney discipline and what the State Bar is doing to continue monitoring and improving equity in its discipline system.
With this year’s wildfire season affecting a growing number of Californians statewide, the State Bar is directing disaster victims to a new website where they can seek legal services and is issuing an alert to warn the public about potential legal fraud in the wake of a disaster.
The State Bar of California has seized the unauthorized law practice of a Fontana woman who scammed hundreds of immigrants by claiming she could help them obtain legal residency. Samaris Estrada, who did business as Immigrants Legal Options in Fontana, led her clients to believe that she was qualified to perform legal services in immigration matters, a deception with dire consequences for several of her clients. Estrada has never been admitted to the State Bar of California.
On October 9, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 176, the licensing fee increase.
Today Associate Justice Joshua P. Groban of the California Supreme Court swore in Alan Steinbrecher as Chair of the State Bar Board of Trustees and Sean SeLegue as Vice-Chair at the Board’s annual transition meeting.