State Bar Court recommends 2-year suspension for former LA chief deputy city attorney

The State Bar Court has recommended a two-year actual suspension for Jim Clark, the former chief deputy city attorney in Los Angeles, finding he played a central role in a collusive scheme stemming from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power billing scandal.

In a decision issued Tuesday, the Hearing Department concluded that Clark engaged in multiple acts of moral turpitude and concealment tied to litigation over a failed LADWP billing system that caused widespread overcharges and public backlash. The court found that Clark authorized outside counsel to recruit "friendly" plaintiffs' lawyers to file a class action lawsuit against the city--Jones v. City--designed to secure a swift settlement on terms favorable to municipal officials.

According to the ruling, the complaint was secretly drafted by the city's own special counsel, creating the false appearance of an adversarial proceeding. Clark concealed the arrangement from the mediator, the court, opposing counsel and the public, and later submitted a declaration under penalty of perjury denying involvement, statements the court determined were false.

The court recommended that Clark be placed on three years' probation with a minimum two-year suspension from the practice of law. Reinstatement would require proof of rehabilitation and fitness. Additional conditions include compliance with California Rules of Court, completion of Ethics School, passage of the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination and payment of $2,500 to the State Bar Client Security Fund. The California Supreme Court has final authority over attorney discipline.

State Bar Chief Trial Counsel George Cardona said Clark's "prolonged deceit" significantly eroded public trust in the City Attorney's Office, adding that the agency remains committed to pursuing misconduct regardless of position.