There has been a 'breakdown in civility' in the legal profession that needs to be reversed, the incoming president of the State Bar of California has claimed. Sheldon Sloan, who takes office this week, said one of his top priorities is to restore civility and professionalism to the legal profession, pointing to problems such as a lawyer scheduling depositions when he knows opposing counsel is going on holiday and 'papering to death' sole practitioners simply to overwhelm them. 'You can practise law and do a good job for a client without being aggressive and rude and causing a lot of trouble for everybody,' he said. Mr Sloan is crafting a 'professionalism pledge' that lawyers can sign up to.