Year: 2025

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Understand Your Audience: Highlights of the California Code of Judicial Ethics

On By krobinson

By Charles V. Berwanger

Much has been written about the California Rules of Professional Conduct in this column. There is another set of rules of professional conduct regarding the ethical requirements of judges. A competent lawyer who complies with California Rule of Professional Conduct 1.1 will necessarily understand that the judge before whom appearances are made will also have ethical imperatives and constraints which the judge must follow and which affect the practice of law. Read More

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Avoiding Malpractice: Dangers in representing more than one client in the same matter

On By krobinson

Avoiding Malpractice: Dangers in representing more than one client in the same matter

By Deborah Wolfe

Lawyers new to the practice of law often are approached by potential clients, including friends and family members, about forming a business entity for more than one client or to represent two individuals in the same automobile accident. The reason usually given is that the clients want to save money by having one lawyer. Sometimes the referral comes from a close friend or family member, where the friend or family member knows and trusts the lawyer. Read More

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Tips from the Bench: Hon. Judy S. Bae — “Life is Not About the Destination but the Journey”

On By krobinson

Tips from the Bench: Hon. Judy S. Bae — “Life is Not About the Destination but the Journey”

By Robert K. Shawhan
Associate Attorney at Klinedinst PC

From Certain to Uncertain Career Path

Life is not so much about the pre-planned destination but is about the journey that leads us to where we were meant to be all along. The Honorable Judy S. Bae’s legal career path to becoming a lawyer and a judge is a testament to this maxim. Judge Bae grew up in Redlands, California and was raised by two physicians who worked at local teaching hospitals.  As a young Asian American student, talented in the sciences, and with educated and supportive parents, it was almost pre-destined that Judge Bae would follow in her parent’s footsteps and become a physician. Read More

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Bags N’ Brunch 2025: A Community Service Event with Lasting Impact

On By krobinson

Bags N’ Brunch 2025: A Community Service Event with Lasting Impact

By Claudia Salinas
NLD Chair and Staff Attorney at The Innocence Center

On Saturday, February 8, 2025, the San Diego County Bar Association’s New Lawyer Division (“NLD”) partnered with the San Diego Urban League Young Professionals (“SDULYP) for the second annual Bags N’ Brunch—an inspiring day of community service, connection, and empowerment. This year’s event not only continued a meaningful tradition but also expanded its impact, bringing together volunteers dedicated to making a difference in the lives of individuals experiencing hardship. Read More

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For the Record Monthly Column Legal Life: The Trials, Tribulations, and Triumphs of the Everyday Attorney

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For the Record Monthly Column Legal Life:
The Trials, Tribulations, and Triumphs of the Everyday Attorney

By Stephanie S. Germani, Esq.
Germani Law

Welcome to “Legal Life: The Trials, Tribulations, and Triumphs of the Everyday Attorney,” a new monthly “For The Record” column. This collaborative effort brings together the voices of our New Lawyer Division members to share the real, unfiltered experiences of life in the legal profession. Read More

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Are You a Lawyer? Want to Help and Support Youth Involved in the Child Welfare System? Guess What, You Can!

On By krobinson

By Beth Ploesch

Who We Are and What We Do

Children’s Legal Services of San Diego, Inc. (CLS) provides legal representation for youth involved in juvenile dependency cases. CLS is appointed to represent the child by the juvenile court when a social worker files a petition alleging child abuse or neglect. As appointed counsel, the CLS attorneys serve as the attorney and guardian ad litem for the child throughout the dependency case. Typical litigation in the dependency case involves where the child lives, whether the family is getting adequate services, and also the child’s permanent plan, including reunification with family, adoption, or guardianship. In addition to representing children, CLS also represents former foster youth ages 18 to 21 who are participating in Extended Foster Care, a voluntary program to support the youth’s transition to adulthood. CLS currently represents approximately 1,700 youth throughout San Diego County. Read More

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Ethics in Brief: Enforcing Civility

On By krobinson

By Stacy Plotkin-Wolff

“Lawyers who know how to think but have not learned how to behave are a menace and a liability to the administration of justice.” Excerpts From the Chief Justice’s Speech on the Need for Civility, New York Times, May 19, 1971, Page 28. More than fifty years later, the California State Bar proposed amendments to the California Rules of Professional Conduct, including Rules 1.2 and 8.4, and the introduction of new Rule 8.4.2 to specifically address civility. The California Supreme Court is poised to adopt these long-debated civility rules, which would make California the fifth state to adopt such rules. What are the proposed rules, how will they be enforced, and who will enforce them? Read More

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Ethics in Brief: Get Ready! Random Trust Account Audits Are Coming

On By krobinson

By David C. Carr

Two years ago, the State Bar implemented the Client Trust Account Protection Program (CTAPP). The aim of CTAPP is to deter client trust account misconduct through the imposition of a layer of regulation on top of the discipline system. The advent of CTAPP is part of the fallout from the Girardi scandal. Girardi was able to move money between trust and business accounts, that helped to conceal his theft. Of course, this problem did not begin with Girardi. One legal review article referred to misappropriation from the client trust account as “the perfect crime.” Client trust account misconduct can be difficult to detect. Requiring the reporting of client trust account overdrafts has been helpful in detecting misconduct. It is ineffective for detecting the practice flush with money that has been paying the last client settlement with a current client’s settlement money. “Robbing Peter to Pay Paul” can go on for a very long time as long the cash flows in, just as in a Ponzi scheme. But when something stops the cash flow, the whole thing falls apart quickly. This is what happened to Girardi. Read More