| An out-of-town friend recently visited L.A. and made an observation about braving our freeway system that had nothing to do with gridlock. |
| Why are there so many billboard ads for lawyers? |
| I got curious too, counting at least a dozen while driving up the 710 Freeway recently from Long Beach to Los Angeles. My colleague Caroline Petrow-Cohen explained the business reasons, including growing market demand, for the bonanza, quoting one expert as saying "there's probably more ads for lawyers now than ever." |
| But do all these billboards say something larger about L.A. and our civil courts? |
| Over the last few years, The Times has devoted quite a bit of investigative reporting muscle to the dark side of the civil bar and those who exploit it for personal gain. |
| Everybody hates lawyers until they need them. Lawyers can meaningfully bring about justice especially in a socially and economically stratified place like Los Angeles. But a string of bad headlines does little to advance fairness for the little guy. |
Recruiting fake 'sex abuse' victims |
| Times reporter Rebecca Ellis spent two weeks outside a county social services office and found people who said they were paid to join a massive sex abuse settlement. Four now say they were told to make up their claims. The stories are wild. Just consider this one: |
- Austin Beagle, 31, and Nevada Barker, 30, said they were trying to sign up for food stamps when a man approached them to see if they would be extras in a movie being filmed at a downtown law firm. The pair, who had recently arrived in Southern California from Texas, agreed. But when they got to the firm offices in downtown, there was no film crew. Instead, they said they were recruited to sue the county over sex abuse.
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| Ellis' expose has prompted an investigation into the county's sexual abuse litigation, which is set to pay out a record $4 billion. The Times found seven people who said they were paid by recruiters to sue. County officials are now trying to find out how much higher that number goes. The firm involved, Downtown LA Law Group, filed roughly 2,700 cases and has strongly denied any wrongdoing. The Times could not reach the recruiters. |
This lawyer siphoned millions from clients |
| Does this sound a little familiar? Times readers have heard a lot about another huge L.A. law scandal, this one involving super-lawyer Tom Girardi. |
| Times reporters Matt Hamilton and Harriet Ryan exposed shocking details about how Girardi — a pillar of the L.A. bar and "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" cast member — siphoned what prosecutors later said was up to $100 million from clients. But even more shocking is what they discovered about a system that repeatedly failed to stop the fraud: |
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Oversight of lawyers hasn't always been strong, but can make a difference |
| Trial lawyers have long been one of the most powerful groups in California politics. But these scandals underscore that meaningful oversight is essential. |
- In the wake of Hamilton and Ryan's Girardi reporting, California regulators imposed new rules requiring attorneys to report misconduct by their peers or face fines and discipline.
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- L.A. County officials earlier this month vowed a larger investigation into the legitimacy of the sex abuse settlements and set up a hotline where the public can leave tips. Elllis' reporting has also put new scrutiny on "high volume" law firms.
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- The sex abuse scandal has also forced a reassessment by some officials of a California law that when it was passed seemed like a meaningful way for victims to finally find some closure. The law allowed survivors of childhood sexual abuse to sue the perpetrator even though the statute of limitations had passed on their cases. This brought a flood of lawsuits, with some incidents dating back to the 1950s, leaving government agencies with few avenues to evaluate most claims. As Ellis noted: "The vetting had been done almost entirely by attorneys who stand to walk away with more than a billion dollars in fees."
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The week's biggest stories |
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| Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Addison Barger hits a grand slam off Dodgers reliever Anthony Banda in the sixth inning of the Dodgers' 11-4 loss in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday night. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times) |
Dodgers at the World Series |
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Crime, courts and policing |
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State and national politics |
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Fire and environmental news |
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More big stories |
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Must reads |
| | | A trend that originated from rapper Skrilla's song "Doot Doot (6 7)" has become the latest social media trend used in classrooms. | | | |
Other meaty reads |
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| Keep up with California | Your support helps us deliver the news that matters most. Subscribe to the Los Angeles Times. | | | | | |
For your downtime |
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| Jambon beurre sandwiches from Caractère de Cochon in Paris. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times ) |
Going out |
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Staying in |
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L.A. Timeless |
| A selection of the very best reads from The Times' 143-year archive. |
| | | Rog Hanson isn't a scientist, but he's likely spent more time with Pacific seahorses than anyone else. He built them a secret underwater city. | | | |
Have a great day, from the Essential California team |
| Jim Rainey, staff reporter
Hugo MartÃn, assistant editor, fast break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, Sunday writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters |
| How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com. Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com. |
