In re Walker

Claudia Louise Walker has filed an “Accusation for Disbarment” charging alleged unprofessional conduct against four attorneys-at-law. She seeks to have this court exercise, without prior recommendation from the Board of Governors of The State Bar, the disciplinary powers set forth in sections 6100 to 6118 of the Business and Professions Code. We have concluded that this proceeding should be dismissed without prejudice and, as this appears to be the first proceeding of this nature which has been filed in this court or any other court since the adoption of the State Bar Act (Stats. 1927, ch. 34; now Bus. & Prof. Code, § 6000 et seq.), we deem it appropriate to state the reasons for such dismissal.

Prior to the adoption of the State Bar Act, proceedings seeking disciplinary action against members of the bar could be instituted only in the courts. With the adoption of that act, an entirely new procedure for instituting such disciplinary proceedings was adopted, which procedure is now set forth in sections 6075 to 6087 of the Business and Professions Code. While it is specified that the new procedure shall “provide a complete alternative and cumulative method of hearing and…