To practice law in California, you must have good moral character. While there are many facets to having good moral character, your professional reputation may be easier to lose than you think. If you have a gambling problem, bar discipline may soon follow. Provided...
How to get into the MJP program
If you would like to practice law in California but your license is out of state, the Multijurisdictional Practice (MJP) Program might help you. After proving yourself to the State Bar, you can expand your practice and break new ground. Looking at the three primary...
Is it ever smart to represent yourself before the State Bar?
Regardless of where you are in your career, you have invested a substantial amount of money, time and effort into your legal practice. If an ethical misstep has put your license in jeopardy, you may be vulnerable to a variety of consequences. These include the loss of...
What happens to attorneys with multiple DUIs in California?
Attornies who violate the law are often subject to discipline by the State Bar of California. While a single driving under the influence conviction may lead to just a warning, multiple DUI convictions may result in more serious penalties. What happens when a...
Can a referral arrangement get you in trouble with the State Bar?
Many attorneys with a solo practice depend upon word-of-mouth referrals from their clients to gain new clients. In fact, referrals are often much more effective than advertising. As such, you may decide to partner with another solo practitioner that has a different...
Can a dismissed case still affect licensure?
The possibility of having a criminal record expunged or dismissed may exist for you if a single, simple mistake resulted in the record existing in the first place. After all, having a criminal record can, unfortunately, impact your housing, careers and daily needs on...
Factors that impact a positive moral character determination
To practice law in the state of California, in addition to graduating from law school and passing the bar examination, you must also prove that you have the moral character required to practice the law. Apply for a moral character determination as soon as possible...
Should you worry about charges of incompetence?
Like many law students, you put a lot of time and effort into educating yourself so you can receive your law degree, so you may feel you can handle anything. But what if you take a case only to find that you lack the skills or knowledge to handle it properly? You may...
CA attorneys and ethics violations: What is the process?
It is not uncommon for a client to get upset about the outcome of their case. But what happens if they decide to take that frustration and target your profession? What if they make accusations that the reason their case failed was because of your misconduct? What if...
Why does the State Bar revoke licenses?
As an attorney, you work tirelessly to gain your license to practice. It takes years of schooling and can cost a pretty penny even with financial support, but the reward for many is worth this difficult journey. However, allegations of misconduct as an attorney has...