Six new members elected to State Bar Board of Governors

by NANCY McCARTHY
Staff Writer

Six new members of the State Bar Board of Governors take their seats this month after running campaigns based for the most part on increased communication between the bar and its members, particularly those who voted to abolish the organization in the spring plebiscite.

Long Beach plaintiffs attorney Thomas Stolpman will be sworn in as the bar's 71st president at the Annual Meeting. New board members of the California Young Lawyers Association and the executive committee of the Conference of Delegates also will be sworn in Oct. 12.

The new board members, each serving a three-year term, are:

James Seff of San Francisco (District 4). Seff, 55, is a partner with Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro, where he specializes in wine and alcoholic beverage law.

He is a former president of the Bar Association of San Francisco and its foundation, current vice chair and legislation committee co-chair of the Conference of Delegates, and a former president of the San Francisco Barristers Club.

Seff replaces John H. McGuckin Jr. of San Francisco.

George W. Porter of Ontario (District 6). Porter, 65, ran unopposed for the board seat. A partner with Covington & Crowe, Porter is a criminal defense attorney and handles business jury trials as well.

He is a former president of California Attorneys for Criminal Justice and both the San Bernardino and West San Bernardino County bar associations.

Porter replaces Michael W. Case of Ventura.

John Joseph Collins of Pasadena (District 7, Office 1). Collins is a partner in Collins, Collins, Muir & Traver.

Long involved in State Bar activities, Collins, 59, has been a trustee of the Los Angeles County and Pasadena bar associations, a member of the Judicial Nominees Evaluation (JNE) Commission and is former president of California Defense Counsel.

He replaces Eileen Kurahashi of Los Angeles.

Judith A. Gilbert (District 7, Office 2). Gilbert also has been involved for many years with the bar. Her activities include serving as chair of the Conference of Delegates, president of the Beverly Hills Bar Association and on the board of the Los Angeles County Bar Association.

Gilbert, 50, is of counsel with Arter & Hadden. She replaces Stolpman.

Andrew J. Guilford of Newport Beach (District 8). Guilford, a partner in Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton, was instrumental in creating a separate seat for Orange County on the board six years ago.

A longtime member of the Conference of Delegates, Guilford, 45, also was a member of the Commission on the Future of the Legal Profession and the State Bar for two years, and is the former president of the Orange County Bar Association. He is a business litigator.

Guilford replaces Maurice L. Evans of Santa Ana.

Jennifer Feres, representing the California Young Lawyers Association. Feres, 36, of Irvine, will serve a one-year term.

She succeeds Constantine D. Buzunis.

The terms of public board members John G. Morris of Los Angeles and Jo Ellen Allen of Santa Ana will expire this month. Both were appointed by Gov. Wilson, who has not yet indicated who will fill either seat.

Morris was appointed in October 1995 and Allen took her seat on the board in June 1994.

The Board of Governors, the bar's policy-making body, has 23 seats.