Former Calabasas City Attorney New President of Calif. State Bar

CALABASAS, CA — Michael Colantuono, former Calabasas City Attorney from 2003-2012, was elected the president of the State Bar of California on Friday. He was appointed to the board in 2012 by former Assembly Speaker John Perez, according to a City of Calabasas press release. Colantuono's platform focused on maintaining an "improved" relationship with state legislature and generating "positive press for the bar and its good work," the statement said.

"I look forward to working with the Board of Trustees and all our hard-working Bar staff members to protect Californians, promote access to justice, and pursue a diverse profession to serve our diverse state," Colantuono said in the press release.

Colantuono graduated from Harvard University and earned his law degree from University of California at Berkley School of Law. He will also be the first openly gay president of the organization.

The State Bar of California's mission is to protect the public including: licensing, regulation, and discipline of attorneys, the advancement of the ethical practice of law, and efforts towards greater access to, and inclusion in, the legal system, according to the statement.

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