LOS ANGELES (Southern California Record) – The State Bar of California's San Francisco and Los Angeles buildings have been closed to the public in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The closures follow a state bar hearing department general order issued March 17, announcing the closures effective until April 6.
"The State Bar has taken this measure out of an abundance of caution and in an effort to protect staff and the community due to the COVID-19 pandemic," the general order said. "Consequently, the State Bar Court filing window and the courtrooms are closed to the public."
Only "limited exceptions" will be made for access to the building, and staff are now required to telecommute, the state bar said in an announcement the same day.
"We are committed to maintaining essential public services while also safeguarding staff, those closest to them, and members of the public with whom we interact," interim executive director Donna Hershkowitz was quoted in the announcement. "After consultation with our board leadership and the Supreme Court, we are taking these measures out of an abundance of caution and in an effort to protect State Bar staff and the community at large."
The closures are "in keeping with recently announced shelter-in-place guidelines of Bay Area counties and other closure guidelines," the announcement said.
The state bar's hearing department vacated its court events between March 17 and April 13, and is abating cases within that time "unless otherwise ordered," the statement said.
The State Bar Court is continuing to conduct "essential business," with parties or their counsel encouraged to communicate with State Bar Court via email. The state bar's centralized Telephone Resource Center also is switching to email.
The closures are the latest state bar response to the spreading coronavirus.
As the COVID-19 pandemic began to take hold in the U.S., the state bar started to provide regular updates on its website about the coronavirus to the California's legal community.
Last month the state bar provided hand sanitizer dispensers at bar exam testing sites and allowed test takers to wear masks.
Courts throughout California, in an attempt to prevent spread of COVID-19, have been delaying trials and, in some cases, closing. This has sparked concerns that the already overburdened courts will further delay cases that often take years to litigate.
On March 19, Orange County criminal defense attorneys, public defenders and court workers were angered when superior court in that county reopened to take care of three days' worth of cases, despite heightened concern about the continuing pandemic.
Recently, California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye issued a statement and recommendation about guidelines California courts should follow if they choose to close. Cantil-Sakauye said the authority to adjust or suspend court operations rests with the local courts, who she said should "take into account local health authority guidelines."