Annual Meeting set for September in Monterey

The State Bar will return to Monterey for its 81st Annual Meeting, scheduled for Sept. 25-28. The meeting will offer a wide range of educational programs, including MCLE credit in all of the subfields, as well as legal specialization credit. Members of compliance group 2 (last names begin with H-M), who must complete 25 hours of continuing education by Feb. 1, can fulfill their entire requirement at the meeting. Courses focus on four areas: practice skills, substantive law, solo practice and technology. In addition, the meeting will have a particular focus on green initiatives.

A new State Bar president and six new members of the board of governors will take office, the Conference of Delegates of California Bar Associations will hold its yearly meeting, artists can exhibit their work and luncheons will feature a variety of prominent speakers. Among those slated to speak are former Senate majority leader Tom Daschle, marine scientist Dr. Sylvia Earle and former U.S. Solicitor General and current law professor Drew S. Days III. Chief Justice Ronald George will keynote the California Women Lawyers 34th annual dinner and also will present his State of the Judiciary address. 

A bar president’s reception will be held at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and “A Night With Judy Garland” is the theme of the annual dinner and cabaret. Vendors will exhibit their wares in the conference center and a 5-K fun run/power walk starts the day on Sunday.

Internet kiosks will be located throughout the meeting, enabling participants to check e-mail and keep up with the demands of their practices. The bar’s Lawyer Assistance Program will offer a complimentary self-study audio CD that will allow listeners to earn one hour of MCLE credit in prevention and detection of substance abuse. The CDs will be available at the LAP booth in the exhibit hall.

Registrants are eligible to receive a free State Bar section membership for the last half of 2008 by enrolling via the pre-registration form in the meeting preview, which can be found online at calbar.ca.gov/annualmeeting. Participants can save $100 by registering by Aug. 27. Hotel reservations must be made online, also by Aug. 27.

Member benefits offered at CalBar Connect

The State Bar recently introduced a members-only Web site, CalBar Connect, for attorneys to link to affinity partners who offer discounts and programs to help them save money in their practices. The program is part of the bar’s member services and benefits initiative that is expected to produce non-dues revenue to support member services and the Lawyer Assistance Program.

CalBar Connect (calbar.ca.gov/cal barconnect/), links directly to the partners, the products offered and to other State Bar member services and benefits. The bar has contracted with major providers of financial services, insurance programs, office supplies, package delivery and apparel.

• The financial partner, Bank of America, will offer a full range of products, including consumer and business credit cards, debit cards, lines of credit, mortgage loans, small business banking and other merchant services.
• Insurance partners include Marsh Affinity, Liberty Mutual and AI&PS, which offer products including professional liability, life, AD&D, business, auto, home, disability and long term care insurance.
• UPS, Office Max and Brooks Brothers will offer discounts to members.

Ethical rules for trusts and estates practitioners

The State Bar Trusts and Estates Section has published a revised Guide to the California Rules of Professional Conduct for Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Counsel.

Because neither the California Rules of Professional Responsibility nor the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct provide adequate guidance to California attorneys who practice trusts and estates law, the section published the guide in 1997. The new edition reflects the many developments in the field since then.

To order online, go to calbar.ca.gov/trusts and follow the prompts.

Pro bono resources

The Standing Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services has compiled an online list of resources for lawyers, law firms, bar associations, legal services providers, judges and law students interested in pro bono work.

Attorneys, including new admittees, can find a list of volunteer opportunities as well as answers to frequently asked questions about pro bono work. In addition, the page offers sample pro bono policies of several law firms, a guidebook for bar associations describing models from throughout the country, and a variety of resources for legal aid providers in California. Judges may access the page to learn how they can encourage pro bono efforts.

The site is calbar.ca.gov>Attorney Resources>Committees and Commissions>Standing Committees>Delivery of Legal Services>Pro Bono Resources. Questions may be addressed to sharon.ngim@calbar.ca.gov.

When You Become 18

The State Bar has updated and reprinted When You Become 18: A Survival Guide for Teenagers, in English and Spanish. Free of charge to the public, the guide is part of an ongoing three-part series published by the bar and funded, in part, by the California Bar Foundation.

Some of the topics in 18 include: the “age of majority,” rental agreements, alcohol and drugs, online socializing, contracts, working and taxes, driving laws, voting, registering for military service, serving on a jury, consumer protection laws, lawsuits and crimes and consequences.

Orders for When You Become 18 should be sent to 18@calbar.ca.gov. Specify the number of guides (there are no restrictions on amounts) and language versions desired and include a complete mailing address (P.O. boxes are not acceptable).

Although shipping is free, contributions are always accepted, especially for larger orders. If you do not have access to the Internet, call toll-free 1-888-875-Laws for a regular U.S. Postal Service mailing address to send your request.

Calling all artists

All members of the bench and bar who draw, sculpt, work in ceramics or photography are invited to participate in the Fifty-sixth Annual Meeting Bench and Bar Art Exhibit. The artwork will be showcased at the bar’s annual meeting in September.

Awards will be given in the following categories — oils and acrylics, portraits and figures, watercolors, prints, drawings, mixed media, ceramics, sculpture and photography. Art show rules and entry blanks can be downloaded at calbar.ca.gov/archive/calbar/annualmeeting, or obtained by calling 415-538-2210. All entries must be submitted by Aug. 27.

Opt out of list sales

Attorneys who wish to remove their names from lists the State Bar provides to qualified outside entities may do so by logging on to Member Login at calbar.ca.gov. After registering with My State Bar Profile, go to “Account Information” and select “Update my mailing preferences (opt out).”

Members also may e-mail their opt out request to memrec@calbar.ca.gov. Include your bar number.

Justice Gap contributions

If 100 percent of the lawyers in your firm contributed to the Justice Gap Fund this year, the State Bar would like to know about it. Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosati contributed $100 for each of its 510 California lawyers, and there are many other firms that did so as well.

However, since contributions are listed by individual donor, it is impossible for the bar to determine the names of all the firms that met this goal. The bar would like to recognize those firms.

Please notify the bar at justicegapfund@calbar.ca.gov of your firm’s contribution.

Donations can be made at any time at http://calbar.org/justicegapfund.

Penrod to Judicial Council

San Francisco attorney James Penrod, a vice president of the State Bar Board of Governors, is one of seven new members appointed to the Judicial Council last month by Chief Justice Ronald George. Former board member Joel S. Miliband, an Irvine attorney who is co-chair of the Bench-Bar Coalition, also was appointed to a three-year term.