New Lawyers In California To Swear Oath Of Civility

New lawyers in California will have to pledge to behave with “dignity, courtesy and integrity” as part of a new oath approved by the state’s supreme court. It will become an official requirement on May 23. Former California State Bar president Patrick Kelly fought for the new language to stave off what he believed was a lack of civility in the profession. “I have all too often witnessed attorneys who claim to be zealously representing their clients but who in fact cross the civility line,” Kelly wrote. “Such activities include needless and ineffective histrionics during depositions, refusal to grant the other side an extension of time for no good reason, confirming in writing positions that were never taken and even trying to bully the judge in his or her own courtroom. And the list goes on.”