California ‘Snitch’ Rule to Report Lawyers’ Misconduct Advances

California would be the last state to require attorneys to report other lawyers for misconduct under a proposed rule adopted Thursday covering more than 250,000 lawyers in the state.

The bar Board of Trustees considered two alternatives to mandate reporting, and ended up after hours of debate sending both to the California Supreme Court for approval. The staff-recommended proposal requiring reporting of a criminal act that reflects adversely on that lawyer’s honesty, trustworthiness, or fitness as a lawyer in other respects or conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or reckless or intentional misrepresentation or misappropriation of funds or property.

The second, ...