T he State Bar of California, which handles the discipline of members who break professional rules of conduct, was all but disbarred by a furious attorney who happens to be the governor. After Jan. 1, no more dues. It is now part magazine publisher, part real estate investor, part travel agent and part social critic, commingling its responsibilities and revenues in a manner which creates an almost constant appearance of impropriety. Dissident members earlier this year sued the State Bar for lobbying on issues with no direct relation to regulation of the legal profession, but a federal judge disagreed.
Lawyers have an interest in laws.
You d think lawyers, of all people, would realize that ventures into legislative politics come with hellish risks, depending on which faction is offended. Unless legislators agree by early next year to override Wilson, which seems unlikely, the bar again will be forced to rely on voluntary donations. That s how the organization survived when the dues bill was vetoed for similar reasons during the tenure of Gov. George Deukmejian. But so was his response, which was timed in such a way as to block for at least three months any attempt at compromise. The governor s punitive action could have a devastating effect on the orderly conduct of the State Bar s most important functions bar examinations, lawyer referral services, disciplinary proceedings and suspensions, pro bono programs, group insurance, California Young Lawyers Association, seminars, the ethics hot line and the California Bar Journal.