76th Annual Meeting set for Anaheim

The State Bar will hold its 76th Annual Meeting in Anaheim Sept. 4-7 with a program that includes Ted Kennedy Jr. and California Corporations Commissioner Demetrios A. Boutris among its speakers and dozens of continuing education programs. Participants can earn up to 21 hours of MCLE credit for the early bird registration fee of $295.

The convention will divide its events between the Anaheim Convention Center and the Anaheim Hilton.

A new State Bar president and five new members of the board of governors will take their oaths of office Sept. 6 from Chief Justice Ronald George, who will give his annual State of the Judiciary address.

In addition to Kennedy and Boutris, radio talk show host and best-selling author Larry Elder will speak at a luncheon and Linda Wertheimer, NPR’s senior national correspondent, will speak at California Women Lawyers’ annual dinner. Other events include a dinner dance and Monte Carlo night, a 5K fun run/power walk, and numerous receptions and networking opportunities. A bar leaders conference, rescheduled from March, will take place Sept. 4 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the newly constituted Conference of Delegates of California Bar Associations will hold its first meeting from Sept. 5-7 at the Anaheim Convention Center.

The Annual Meeting Preview, containing a complete listing of continuing education programs, registration and housing information and descriptions of other events, such as the dinner dance and luncheons, was mailed last month to all section members and attorneys who have attended the convention during the past five years.

Information about the annual meeting is available at http://www.calbar.ca.gov/archive/calbar/annualmeeting. Pre-register by Aug. 6 and save $100; after that date the fee increases to $395.

Fee arb training scheduled

Recent developments in fee arbitration will be discussed at a July 17 training program in San Diego sponsored by the State Bar’s Committee on Mandatory Fee Arbitration. The free training offers 2.75 hours of MCLE credit, including 1.75 hours of legal ethics. Among the topics for discussion are how to write an enforceable award, conflicts of interest, disclosure requirements and how to control the proceeding.

The sessions are open to fee arbitrators from San Diego and neighboring counties and all State Bar fee arbitrators. People interested in joining the program also are welcome.

The training will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the county bar association’s office at 1333 7th Avenue. To register, call 619-231-0781.

For additional information, call Jill Sperber, director of the State Bar Office of Mandatory Fee Arbitration, at 415-538-2023.

Survey underway for lawyers with disabilities

The State Bar Committee on Legal Professionals with Disabilities has begun an online three-month survey of attorneys with disabilities and chronic medical conditions.

Interested participants can access the survey at http://www.talkingpolls.com/calbar. The survey uses a program called Talkingpolls, developed by Hertz Research of Petaluma, that provides an interactive format for participants to respond to questions online at their convenience.

The survey results will be used to identify and remove obstacles to access and advancement in the legal profession for attorneys with disabilities and to make recommendations for increased participation.

Preliminary results will be announced at the bar’s Annual Meeting in September. The survey is funded through a grant from the Foundation of the State Bar.

Display your artistic talent

Members of the State Bar who draw, sculpt or work in photography are invited to participate in the 51st Annual Meeting Art Exhibit. Artwork will be displayed in the California Promenade at the Anaheim Hilton, Sept. 4-7.

Awards will be given in the following categories: oils, portraits and figures, watercolors, prints, drawings, mixed media, sculpture and photography.

Art show rules and entry forms can be downloaded from http://www.calbar.ca.gov/archive/calbar/annualmeeting, or obtained by calling Cheryl Morgan at 415-538-2210. All entries must be submitted by July 28.

Ordering Seniors & The Law

To order Seniors & The Law: A Guide for Maturing Californians, send an e-mail to barcomm@calbar.ca.gov and state your name, complete mailing address (P.O. Boxes are not acceptable), the number of copies ordered and choice of “English” or “Spanish” version for each number, and a daytime phone number.

If you do not have access to e-mail, please include the required information above and send to The State Bar of California, Attn: Seniors & the Law, 180 Howard St., San Francisco, CA 94105-1639.

Minority Attorneys’ Conference rescheduled

The California Minority Attorneys’ Conference, “Barring None: Positioning Ourselves for Power and Leader-ship,” has been rescheduled for Saturday, July 12, at the University of San Diego School of Law.

Sponsored by the State Bar’s Ethnic Minority Relations Committee, the conference begins with a plenary session entitled, “Color Balance: Achieving Diversity in the Legal Profession.” USD law professor Roy Brooks, Detroit attorney Godfrey Dillard and attorney and author Andrea Guerrero will explore the impact on the legal profession of the University of Michigan case now before the U.S. Supreme Court.

The keynote luncheon speaker is Carlos Singh, assistant U.S. Attorney in San Jose and president-elect of the Hispanic National Bar Association.

Breakout sessions led by prominent minority judges and attorneys include topics of trial skills, employment law, strategies for success, diversifying the judiciary, cultivating clients, public interest careers, legal ethics and maximizing skills in legal and non-legal careers.

The registration fee is $100 for attorneys, $75 for public interest and government attorneys and $25 for law students. Further information about the conference is available on the State Bar's Web site or from Sharon Ngim, 415-538-2267, sharon.ngim@calbar.ca.gov or Rodney Low, 415-538-2219, rodney.low@calbar.ca.gov. The event is funded entirely by voluntary contributions.

Specialist exam scheduled

The State Bar will administer the examination for legal specialists in eight areas of practice on August 17 in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Attorneys may be certified as specialists in appellate; bankruptcy; criminal; estate planning, trust and probate; family; immigration and nationality; taxation and workers’ compensation law.

Applications will continue to be accepted after the July 3 deadline on a space available basis. The registration fee is $200 or $250 for applicants wishing to use a laptop, word processor or typewriter.

A late fee of $50 will be assessed after July 26; after Aug. 8, the late fee increases to $150.

Complete information is available at http://www.californiaspecialist.org, by calling 415-538-2120, or by e-mailing legalspec@calbar.ca.gov.

Free MCLE for new members

In the interest of educating new admittees about ways to avoid malpractice claims, the State Bar’s Committee on Professional Liability Insurance will provide two free MCLE seminars this month.

" Strategies for Establishing and Maintaining Effective and Appropriate Client Relationships” will be conducted by Anthony Davis, a nationally known speaker on risk management. Participants will receive six hours of MCLE credit.

The course will be held at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco on July 28 and at the Hilton Irvine/Orange County Airport on July 29. Pre-registration is required to guarantee seating.

Attorneys admitted within the last 12 months have first priority. After July 21, registration opens to all bar members on a first come, first served basis. Those wishing to attend should register at http://www.kvi-calbar.com or call 415-538-2201 for information.