The ceremonial and the day-to-day
By John Van de Kamp
President, State Bar of California
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John Van de Kamp 2004-05
President |
What do you do as president of the State Bar? That’s a question I’m
frequently asked by lawyers and non-lawyers.
The short answer: It’s a combination of being chairman of the board of
governors and the principal public spokesperson for the bar. After watching
my predecessors, I made a decision to devote close to full time to the job to
try to strike a balance between its policy-making and ceremonial aspects.
The presidency means more than chairing meetings. There are emergency conference
calls to resolve issues of the moment. There are section and committee meetings
so numerous one can only hope to make spot appearances. There is the Foundation
of the State Bar, finding renewed energy under a new executive director, Leslie
Hatamiya.
It means going to Sacramento. I met in the capitol last month for three days
with our lawyer-legislators, committee chairs and key representatives of the
governor’s office. While it’s still early in the year, the
response to the 2005 State Bar was positive from both sides of the aisle. That’s
important because the legislature and the governor are the key to our financial
health. They have to approve our fee bill.
For four years, dues have remained at $390, $88 less than the fee before the
1997 shutdown. Although inflation has increased day-to-day costs, the bar has
held the line in a fiscally responsible manner through good management and under
strong pressure from the board of governors. The bar’s staff has been
reduced from more than 800 positions before the shutdown to around 550 today.
There are other financial challenges beyond normal inflation. The Client Security
Fund (funded by $35 of active dues) reports dwindling reserves in the face of
mounting claims. Last year, it took in around $5 million and paid out $7 million.
The Lawyer Assistance Program also faces greater funding demands as success
brings more calls for service.
Nonetheless, as we approach the legislature, we’re committed to try to
keep active dues at the $390-$400 level and to find other sources of revenue
to provide adequate funding in 2006 and 2007.
Being president also means hitting the road to visit members. I am already
scheduled to meet and talk to the bar associations of Alameda, Santa Clara,
Orange, San Diego, Kern, San Luis Obispo and Sonoma counties and have scheduled
visits to the Bay Area Law Student Association, the Chancery Club in Los Angeles,
the Association of Deputy AGs, the Greenlining Institute, the Eastern Bar of
Los Angeles County and even the Dartmouth Lawyers Association (who will be skiing
in Heavenly Valley!).
And what do I talk about? Public protection, current bar news and what we hope
will soon be an expanded member benefits program, utilizing a service center
hotline and expanded insurance offerings. I talk about issues dear to me —
access to justice, recognizing those who have made major pro bono contributions,
serving as a cheerleader for such programs as the new L.A. Pro Bono Council,
and encouraging lawyers to go into schools to talk about the opportunities in
the profession, with emphasis on improving diversity, particularly from the
African-American and Latino communities.
I do my best to promote local bar associations. They’re the heart and
soul of the State Bar. Because of their voluntary nature, they can tackle the
big issues in their jurisdictions, while we at the State Bar walk on eggshells
as a result of Keller and Brostherhous.
I’m also on the lookout for new ideas. A visit to the ABA meeting in
2004 stimulated an idea that can hardly be classified as revolutionary: the
development of a State Bar law student division. Under study now, it could be
offered for 2005-06.
Being president — at least for me — has resulted in a renewal of
some interests from my time as attorney general. Last month, at the request
of Barry Krisberg of the National Council of Crime and Delinquency, I agreed
to chair a conference at Stanford on rehabilitation through the corrections
system, a high priority with the governor since only 21 percent of our parolees
successfully complete parole.
There is as much on the plate of the president as he or she wants. No matter
how great the appetite may be, you can’t do it alone. It didn’t
take long to learn that to make the most of a short year, I needed the support
of the board of governors and the bar’s executive staff. That’s
one reason I’ve tried to balance my time between local visits of a ceremonial
nature and time in San Francisco with the central staff, where I’m in
the middle of things and provide a push where needed.
Hoping to see you as I move around the state.
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