California Immigration Attorney Reforms.
As reported by Chapman Law School graduate and columnist Frank Mickadeit in the August 23, 2013 edition of The Orange County Register, AB 1159 (a bill winding through the California Legislature) seems to be getting closer to enactment. Although subject to change, this bill would require--under its 16th version--California immigration attorneys to do or not do these things: (1) not charge fees until the new federal immigration bill becomes law; (2) once the federal bill becomes law, lawyers must provide immigration clients a written contract in both English and the client’s native language (a requirement already for nonlawyer consultants); (3) consultants must post a $100,000 bond with the state, up from $50,000; (4) consultants may not use the Spanish term notario in any ad or document; and (5) the retainer agreement must have a statement of where to send complaints and must state the web listings/toll-free numbers for the State Bar/DOJ.
Law Schools Applications/Applicants Down.
According to Debra Cassens Weiss in an August 20, 2013 ABA Journal on-line post, law school applications for Fall 2013 have dropped 17.9% and applicants numbers have dropped 12.3%.
ABA Issues Formal Ethics Opinion on Lawyer/Nonlawyer Fee Sharing.
ABA Formal Opinion 464 concludes that lawyers working in a jurisdiction that bars fee splitting with nonlawyers can divide a fee with a lawyer in another jurisdiction not subject to such restrictions even though the second lawyer might fee share with nonlawyers. Jurisdictions permitting fee sharing include Washington, D.C. and the United Kingdom.
Career Education Corp. Settlement Includes $1 Million in Fees Reimbursement.
Career Education Corp., accused by the New York Attorney General of inflating job-placement rates, agreed to a $10 million settlement, with around $9.25 million going to former students and $1 million in reimbursement for attorney’s fees.
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