Courts have tended to rule that forced medication should only be used to restore competency in the rarest of cases. A 2003 U.S. Supreme Court case set limits in which a court could order medication. But instead of becoming rare, forced medication has become routine and can prolong cases for years.

The separation of the State Bar of California, created in 1927, did not come without fierce internal and legislative battles, though bar leaders and outside groups said the first year of de-unification produced the positive changes they envisioned. The U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2018 Janus v. AFSCME decision has played a key role in sparking more urgent nationwide discussions about the long-term future of mandatory state bars.