California Lawyer was a monthly legal magazine based in San Francisco, California.[1][2] The magazine was sent to every member of the State Bar.[3]
 January 2015, J.F. Podevin illustration for "Uncommon Carriers," by Michael Bobelian | |
| Categories | law |
|---|---|
| Frequency | Monthly |
| Publisher | State Bar of California, 1981-1987 Daily Journal Corporation, 1988-2015 |
| Founded | 1981 |
| First issue | September 1981 |
| Final issue | October 2015 |
| Country | USA |
| Based in | San Francisco |
| Language | English |
| Website | www |
| ISSN | 0279-4063 |
History and profile
California Lawyer was launched in September 1981[4] by the State Bar of California as an updated version of the California State Bar Journal, published by the bar since 1926.[5]
Prior to its launch, a prospectus for the magazine compared it to Business Week or Fortune for the California legal community.[6] Edited by a staff of journalists and supported by advertising, California Lawyer offered legal news, as well as professional and general-interest articles.[7]
But critics asserted the new magazine "virtually extinguished" attorney participation in bar publications,[8] and despite its financial goals relied on mandatory annual membership dues for operating expenses.
In July 1987, the State Bar's board of governors, pressured by legislators to eliminate a budget deficit, voted to eliminate all funds for California Lawyer—effectively killing the magazine.[9]
In October 1987 the State Bar reached agreement with Charles T. Munger, chairman of the Daily Journal Corp. and publisher of the Los Angeles Daily Journal.[10] The no-money sale committed Munger to include 12 pages of the State Bar's news and notices, to be written and edited by the bar, in each issue of California Lawyer.[11] In April 1993 the bar's board of governors terminated the Daily Journal contract and voted to publish a tabloid newspaper for its members.[12]
Once wholly independent, California Lawyer sought a wider audience for legal journalism, selling copies in bookstores and newsstands statewide.[13] During this period, California Lawyer also produced two quarterly publications: House Counsel (1996-2002) and 8-K (2004-2006). In addition, beginning in 1996,[14] the magazine staff recognized outstanding work by lawyers in a broad range of practice areas with annual California Lawyer Attorney of the Year (CLAY) awards.[15]
Faced with declining revenue from display and classified advertising, the Daily Journal Corp. ceased publishing California Lawyer in September 2015.[16] The callawyer.com website continues to publish articles online.