California Lawyers In The News
L.A.'s "dopest" lawyer - Allison Margolin
Posted by: David Ring
April 19, 2010
There is a great article in the April 2010 issue of California Lawyer magazine about lawyer Allison Margolin, who is known (perhaps self-proclaimed) as "L.A.'s dopest lawyer" because of her criminal defense of pot smokers and her expertise in California's medical marijuana laws. (See the link below.) Allison is the real-deal: she's a graduate of Harvard Law and the daughter of a well-known criminal defense lawyer, Bruce Margolin, who also had great success representing those who enjoyed getting high.
Let's face it: in L.A., marijuana has essentially become legal. Just go to a medical marijuana office and you'll likely be able to obtain a doctor's prescription and some pot within minutes. But, the laws are still fuzzy and inconsistently enforced. Allison represents those who the police believe to be suppliers (which may or may not be illegal - that's why they hire Allison!) or those just unlucky enough to get arrested for having a small amount of pot on them.
The article demonstrates Allison's advocacy for her clients and also discusses the confusing laws that L.A. County and all of California face in deciding whether or not to aggressively pursue criminal cases against medical marijuana facilities and those who run them.
California Lawyer link:
Tough Times for Sex Harassment Lawyer Philip Kay
Posted by: David Ring
March 31, 2010
Philip Kay became a well-known lawyer throughout California in the mid-1990s when he represented a legal secretary at the mammoth law firm Baker & McKenzie who claimed she was sexually harassed by partners at the firm. Kay won the trial and a multi-million dollar judgment against the law firm. If memory serves me right, I believe one allegation included a partner dropping M&M's down the secretary's blouse.
Kay then became a powerhouse in the field of sexual harassment and discrimination. He continued his success over the years, but apparently overstepped some boundaries in recent years with allegations of outrageous conduct in the courtroom that irked some trial judges and got him in serious trouble with the State Bar. The State Bar brought charges against Kay and Kay ended up losing the case because he refused to answer certain questions on the witness stand which allowed the State Bar to enter a default against him.
Kay is facing a 3-year suspension from practicing law. That would be the death knell of most small plaintiff firms. It's not easy to disappear for 3 years, then come back and attract clients and new cases. And Kay is not going down without a fight. He just filed a massive lawsuit against the State Bar alleging all sorts of irregularities and constitutional violations in the proceedings.
But Kay's lawsuit against the State Bar is a legal longshot. He might stir the pot in the short term, but ultimately the discipline charges are not going away, and his lawsuit probably won't change that fact.
