News Release

Supreme Court Appoints Members to Committee of Bar Examiners

The Supreme Court of California on Friday announced three appointments to the State Bar of California’s Committee of Bar Examiners. 
Sep 6, 2019

The Supreme Court of California on Friday announced three appointments to the State Bar of California’s Committee of Bar Examiners.

The committee’s roles include development and administration of the California Bar Exam and oversight of the moral character determination and admissions processes for attorneys. The committee also accredits state law schools and registers unaccredited state law schools.

In 2018, California Rule of Court Rule 9.4 shifted the power to appoint committee members from the State Bar Board of Trustees to the California Supreme Court.

The appointees are:

  • Attorney David Torres, to a four-year term starting Sept. 16. Torres has operated a criminal law practice in Bakersfield for nearly 30 years. He is a former State Bar Trustee, past president of the Kern County Bar Association and Kern County Criminal Defense Section, former State Bar Liaison to the Criminal Law Committee and chairman of the Central California Appellate Advocacy Program.
  • Administrative Law Judge Robert Brody, a current committee member, will be elevated to committee chair effective Sept. 16. Judge Brody is an Administrative Law Judge with the State of California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board Pasadena Office of Appeals. He is the former deputy director of litigation for Bet Tzedek Legal Services, serving the low-income residents of Los Angeles County with a staff of 50 and 400 volunteers.
  • Attorney Esther Lin will be reappointed as committee vice chair effective Sept. 16. Lin is of counsel with the Irvine law firm Best, Best & Krieger, where she represents public agencies throughout California on a wide variety of public acquisitions projects for cities, counties and transportation agencies in eminent domain-related matters. Lin previously served as a deputy district attorney in Los Angeles County.