State bar court reprimands union leader 

The general manager of the county’s largest union, the San Luis Obispo County Employees Association (SLOCEA), has settled allegations of professional misconduct with the California State Bar and will have to pay the court $3,654, submit to a year of probationary conditions, and attend an ethics class.

In September 2010, New Times reported that SLOCEA General Manager Kimm Daniels was accused of legal malpractice for continuing to advise a client after she let her license to practice lapse in preparation for her new career with the union.

Daniels faced six charges of misconduct and malpractice, but in a recently filed stipulation, she asked that four of those charges be dropped, pleading that some of her actions should be excused by mitigating circumstances. She claimed that significant family problems had interfered with her ability to perform properly and that her actions had caused no harm and were done in good faith.

The state bar court accepted her request and convicted her of just two counts: unauthorized practice of law and failure to cooperate with a state bar investigation.

As of press time, Daniels did not return a request for comment.