Alleged abuses prompt review of consumer law
A California law enacted years ago as the cornerstone of consumer protection is being abused by a handful of lawyers who are targeting small business owners in a kind of legal shakedown, several state legislators charged last month.

But although the lawmakers agreed the Unfair Competition Act (§17200 of the Business & Professions Code) is ripe for reform,...

A year as 'the only one' at Boalt
A few weeks before Eric Brooks was to begin his studies at Boalt Hall School of Law in 1997, he received a telephone call from then-Dean Herma Hill Kay. He would, she said, be the only African-American in his class and should prepare himself for plenty of attention.

Conflict of interest rule okayed by Supreme Court
The California Supreme Court has approved a State Bar amendment to the Rules of Professional Conduct (Rule 3-310) which will offer guidance to attorneys evaluating possible conflicts of interest in insurance matters.

State Bar observes 75th anniversary
The achievements of pioneers in the practice of law in the state, as well as a look at how the legal profession has changed over the years, are chronicled in a special section commemorating the 75th anniversary of the State Bar of California.

Bar committee members sought
There are many reasons why attorneys volunteer to serve on a State Bar committee, commission or board, but one reason that stands out is an opportunity to help better the profession. For attorneys looking for a chance to make a difference, the State Bar currently is seeking applicants for some 200 positions on more than three dozen State Bar committees, commissions and boards for the 2003-2004 committee year.