Legal Question in Real Estate Law in California

Not without being admitted to the California State Bar or being admitted Pro Hac Vice, which requires court permission. Why would anyone would want to pay an attorney to travel to California from Massachusetts to litigate a civil matter when there are attorneys on practically every street corner in California?

Mr. Roach is correct in his answer, with a few exceptions. For example there is an exception for an out of state attorney appearing for depositions in California in a case that is in the lawyer's home state. Otherwise they would have to find a California lawyer to sponsor them for Pro Hac Vice admission, which is a fancy way of saying temporary admission to practice in California for the purposes of that one case only. His commentary, however, suggests a lack of understanding of how a lot of clients feel about their lawyers. It can be a very personal relationship and the client may not be interested in bringing a stranger in from 3000 miles away to do their legal work. Often times the out of state attorney or his or her firm may have a relationship to the case that pre-dates the dispute, making them better qualified to handle the case efficiently and effectively. In short, there are a great many reasons why an out of state attorney might be the best person for a particular case - not most of the time, but certainly in some cases.