Procedural Posture

Plaintiff law school graduate appealed from the Superior Court of Los Angeles County (California) which dismissed plaintiff’s complaint for injunctive and declaratory relief and that sought to compel plaintiff’s admission to the Order of the Coif, a national honorary legal society. Plaintiff argued that his compliant set forth a justiciable issue and that it sufficiently alleged a breach of contract and promissory estoppel.

California Business Lawyer & Corporate Lawyer, Inc. is an Employer Defense Attorney

Plaintiff law school graduate challenged a trial court decision that dismissed plaintiff’s complaint that sought injunctive and declaratory relief and to compel plaintiff’s admission to the Order of the Coif (Order), a national honorary legal society. Plaintiff contended that his compliant set forth a justiciable issue and that it sufficiently alleged a breach of contract and promissory estoppel. The court affirmed the trial court decision. Plaintiff was not entitled to judicial review of the Order’s membership selection policies. Membership in the Order did not give a member the right to practice, did not signify qualifications for any specialized field of practice, and did not affect plaintiff’s basic right to earn a living. Plaintiff did not establish that the Order engaged in arbitrary or discriminatory actions. Although plaintiff met the Order’s admission requirements, there was no proof that such promises or representations induced action on plaintiff’s part. There was no allegation that plaintiff was promised that he would in fact be admitted to the Order if he graduated in the top 10 percent of his class.

 Outcome

The court affirmed a trial court decision that dismissed plaintiff law school graduate’s complaint that sought injunctive relief and to compel plaintiff’s admission to the Order of the Coif, a national honorary legal society. Plaintiff did not set forth a justiciable issue. Plaintiff’s complaint did not sufficiently allege a breach of contract or promissory estoppel.