Disclosure Rules OK’d for Confidential California Lawyer Probes

Confidential attorney investigations may be revealed sooner with California State Bar rules adopted Friday under the so-called “snitch rule.”

The rule, approved last year by the state supreme court and lawmakers, requires lawyers to report other attorneys for misconduct.

The fallout from cases involving Tom Girardi and other alleged bad actors led the California Legislature to pass and Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) to sign SB 40, which proscribes waiving confidentiality of attorney investigations, and the California Supreme Court to adopt the new Rule of Professional Conduct 8.3, which likewise requires disclosing attorney misconduct.

The Board of Trustees without ...