California Supreme Court Rules on State Bar Proposals, Appoints New State Bar Court Judge

The California Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled on State Bar proposals affecting disciplinary rules for attorneys and the licensing of members of the military, while also appointing a new judge to the State Bar Court.

Rejection of Monetary Sanctions Reduction, Automatic Expungement Proposals

The court rejected a State Bar proposal that would have significantly reduced the monetary sanctions imposed on disciplined attorneys. The proposal aimed to lower fines for disbarment from $5,000 to $1,000, and to reduce to zero the existing $2,500 sanction for an actual suspension and the $1,000 sanction for a resignation with charges pending. The court did approve some of the proposal’s rule amendments to clarify how attorneys may pay the monetary sanctions in installments.

The court also rejected a State Bar proposal to implement an automatic, one-time expungement of an attorney’s public disciplinary record after a period of eight years with no further discipline imposed.

Approval of Modified Military Licensure Rule

The court approved, with modifications, the State Bar’s proposed amendments to rule 9.41.1 of the California Rules of Court concerning the practice of law by military servicemembers and their spouses, if licensed in other states. These changes bring the rule into compliance with recent federal amendments under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, which now requires the professional licenses of military personnel and their spouses to be honored across state lines with limited restrictions. The court added safeguards by prohibiting licensure under this rule for applicants with prior disciplinary records or pending investigations in other states and requiring background checks to verify eligibility.

New State Bar Court Judge

The court also appointed attorney Alison Worthington, assistant city attorney for Pasadena, to the State Bar Court’s Los Angeles Hearing Department. She fills the vacancy created by the departure of Judge Cynthia Valenzuela, who was appointed last December to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Worthington’s term will begin on Nov. 1.