Stephen Glass
Former journalist Stephen Glass, who fabricated magazine articles for the New Republic and others in the 1990s, lost his bid to become a lawyer in California. [Washington Post]
Less than a month after admitting an illegal immigrant to the California bar, the state Supreme Court refused to issue Glass a law license. The Supreme Court ruled against Glass Monday, citing character issues and demonstrated lack of rehabilitation as cause for denial.
“Glass’s journalistic dishonesty was not a single lapse of judgment, which we have sometimes excused, but involved significant deceit sustained unremittingly for a period of years,” the ruling stated. “Glass’s deceit also was motivated by professional ambition, betrayed a vicious, mean spirit and a complete lack of compassion for others, along arrogance and prejudice against various ethnic groups.”
After New Republic editor Charles Lane fired Glass for fabricating material in dozens of articles between 1996 and 1998, the disgraced journalist earned a law degree from Georgetown University. He attempted to gain admission to the New York bar, but was rejected after a character review in 2004.
He applied for admission to the California bar in 2007.
