Law enforcement and government agencies are taking steps to overcome a myriad of obstacles faced by Native American women victimized by domestic violence and physical assaults. Jurisdiction is often unclear, distrust of law enforcement is widespread, and many Native American women, who are sexually assaulted at a rate 2.5 times higher than other ethnic groups, are reluctant to come forward.
Stephen Glass, who won national infamy for making up parts of or whole magazine stories, is trying to win admission to the California bar. Although the State Bar Court said yes, the Committee of Bar Examiners denied his application. The state Supreme Court will have the final word.
The State Bar is surveying randomly selected lawyers to update its demographic information and to determine what services attorneys use or want.
Active lawyers owe $410 in annual bar dues and inactive lawyers will owe $115, by Feb. 1. Attorneys whose last names start with H-to-M (Group 2) have the same deadline to report completion of their 25 hours of MCLE.
A southern California lawyer who claimed the State Bar isn’t authorized to take over his loan modification practice was rebuffed by the Supreme Court.
The State Bar is seeking applicants for about 200 volunteer positions on more than three dozen committees, boards and commissions. Openings range from regulatory committees to groups that consider changes to the law.
Almost 55 percent of would-be lawyers ― 4,635 applicants ― who took the July bar exam passed. If they satisfy other requirements for admission, they will become members of the State Bar, bringing the number of California attorneys to more than 237,000.
Sophisticated Internet counterfeit check scams, often targeting collection lawyers, continue to proliferate. In addition to being victimized, lawyers can face ethical problems if they fall for the scam.