The lawyers filed a federal lawsuit against the California Supreme Court, the 9th Circuit Judicial Counsel, the US District for the Northen Distirct of California Court and more than two dozen judges, according to a report on the Opposing Views web site.

Improve efficiency

Lawyers Jose Garcia, Marinna Callaway and Suzy Lee, as well an unnamed lawyer whose husband is in the military joined two unnamed  citizens, one of whom is facing the death penalty, is arguing that an lawyer licensed in a sister state ‘is better than no lawyer’ at all.     

‘Plaintiffs apologise to the courts for suing them,’ they wrote, but added that it was necessary to ‘improve the courts' efficiency and standing in the community.’   

Massive backlog

In a 47-page lawsuit, the group say that the problem of California’s massive backlog of pending cases – which reportedly includes four million pro se civil cases and 700 capital cases – could be solved by the relaxation of state bar admission rules.

Named defendants include Chief Justice of California Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye, 9th Circuit Chief Justice Alex Kozinski, and Chief Judge James Ware of the US District Court for the Northern District of California.