The State - News from May 22, 1985

State Bar dues for nearly 100,000 California attorneys would be increased from the currrent $180 annually to $210 in 1986 and to $220 in 1987 under a bill approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee. A key provision would earmark at least half the extra funds to hire more backlog of more than 5,000 public complaints of wrongdoing against California attorneys. As lawmakers from both parties sharply criticized the State Bar of California’s handling of complaints against attorneys, the committee added amendments to the bill demanding that the Bar reduce its backlog of complaints by 80% over the next two years and report in detail how it will accomplish that.