When it comes to crooked colleagues, California lawyers can remain silent all they want, but the state agency they founded is doing everything it can to make sure the worst kind of public corruption never happens at the offices of law firms that handle clients with the worst possible motives.
California attorneys have long been known as the good guys in corruption investigations. That is because unlike in most other states, the state Attorney General’s Office is part of the attorney disciplinary process. California attorneys are required to report any instance of criminal conduct — regardless of the law — to the AG’s Office, which then investigates to determine whether the attorney has violated the rules or laws of the state.
In fact, some of the state’s oldest and most respected attorneys work for AG’s Office officials who have been investigated and disciplined due to misconduct and ethics transgressions, including Attorney General Kamala Harris, who was fined $75,000 for failing to report a sexual harassment complaint.
In addition to requiring reporting of all misconduct, AG’s Office also conducts investigations of attorneys who engage in corrupt conduct themselves, including conduct that involves fraud, embezzlement or other crimes with an intent to benefit personally or financially from the commission of the crime.
AG’s Office can also impose additional sanctions, including a public censure, on attorneys who break other rules or laws, including rules about the “use or misuse of official powers or authority.”
But while AG’s Office officials remain committed to “an aggressive investigative and prosecutorial strategy” on behalf of clients, including those who have committed federal crimes, they are also making it clear that they are dedicated to rooting out and punishing unethical attorneys who engage in corruption.
What Is The AG’s Office Doing To Combat Corruption?
The AG’s Office is charged with investigating and charging attorneys who break the law or unethical conduct with misconduct, including in the areas of health and safety, consumer protection, immigration, securities and employment.
In California, the AG’s Office is the lead agency for criminal prosecution under state and federal
