Please, if you move, notify the State Bar

Nearly a quarter of the State Bar's membership — some 45,000 lawyers — changes their address every year. And although the Business & Professions Code requires attorneys to notify the bar about that address change, it often doesn't happen. As a result, lawyers don't receive important mailings, such as the annual fee statement, MCLE notifications, bar cards, sections publications and the California Bar Journal. While they don't receive those mailings, often their former law firms or businesses at an old address do.

Under B&P section 6002.1, active and inactive members have 30 days to notify the State Bar about a change of address. Some law firms now ask departing employees to fill out the State Bar's change of address form.

Complete information about changing an address can be found on the bar's Web site, calbar.ca.gov; click on Attorney Address Change in the right-hand menu. The change can be made online, by mail or by fax, and if done by mail or fax, must include a photocopy of one piece of identification, such as a driver's license, State Bar membership card, passport, California identification card, military identification card or birth certificate.

A particularly difficult problem is keeping track of members who have died. In the last few months, the bar received several hundred return mailings, after its fee statement was mailed, due to members' deaths. There is no requirement that a family or business notify the State Bar of an attorney's death, but the Member Services Center asks that the bar be notified if you are aware that a lawyer has died.

The Member Services Center can be contacted a 1-888-800-3400.

JNE looking for volunteers

The State Bar is seeking active members of the bar, former members of the judiciary and members of the public who wish to volunteer to serve on the 2007 Judicial Nominees Evaluation Commission (JNE). The application deadline is June 1.

The JNE Commission, representing a broad cross-section of Califor-nia's legal profession and general population, evaluates all candidates under consideration for appointment to the bench by the governor. Its members are appointed by the board of governors and are charged with thoroughly investigating candidates for judicial appointment while maintaining strict confidentiality. Com-missioners serve terms of approximately one year and may serve up to three consecutive terms.

Information and application forms are available at calbar.ca.gov (select links to Attorney Resources/Committees and Commissions/Other Entity Appointments) or from the Appointments Office, 180 Howard St., San Francisco, CA 94105-1639, 415-538-2299; fax 415-538-2255.

The appointments will be made in August and terms begin Feb. 1, 2007.

Five seats open on State Bar, CYLA boards

Ballots were mailed May 1 to attorneys who practice in one of the five State Bar districts with an opening on the bar board of governors. Voting must be completed by June 30. Any active member of the bar who maintains his or her principal office for the practice of law in one of the districts with an open seat is eligible to run for a three-year term. (See top headlines.)

The districts with an opening are: District 1, Butte, Colusa, Del Norte, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity and Yuba counties; District 3, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties; District 5, Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Mono, Monterey, San Benito, San Joaquin, Santa Cruz, Stanislaus and Tulare counties; District 7, Los Angeles County; and District 9, Imperial and San Diego counties.

Five seats in the same districts also are open for the California Young Lawyers Association Board of Directors.

New board members will take their seats in October.

Questions about the State Bar election may be addressed to Billie Sivanov at billie.sivanov@calbar.ca.gov or by calling 415-538-2274. Questions about the CYLA election may be addressed to Leanna Dickstein at CYLA@calbar.ca.gov or by calling 213-765-1337.

Bar publishes three new consumer pamphlets

The State Bar has published three new pamphlets that address elder abuse, alternative dispute resolution and becoming a lawyer. They are part of the bar's "Get the Legal Facts of Life" consumer education program and join a list of 20 other pamphlets, some in Spanish, English or Vietnamese.

The new pamphlets are: How Can I Resolve My Dispute Without a Trial?; What Should I Know About Elder Abuse?; and How Do I Become a Lawyer? The elder abuse pamphlet will be translated into Spanish.

All bar pamphlets are available online at calbar.ca.gov by clicking on Consumer Pamphlets in the right-hand menu. There is an online order form or ordering information is available by calling 888-875-LAWS.

Fee arb training scheduled June 8 in San Luis Obispo

Recent developments in fee arbitration will be discussed at a June 8 training program in San Luis Obispo, sponsored by the State Bar Committee on Mandatory Fee Arbitration. The training is open to prospective and current volunteers, both lawyers and lay persons, who arbitrate attorney-client fee disputes through the San Luis Obispo Bar Association and the State Bar. The free training offers 2.75 hours of MCLE credit, including one hour of legal ethics and 1.75 hours of general credit.

Among the topics for discussion are how to write an enforceable award, conflicts of interest, disclosure requirements and how to control the proceeding.

The training will be held from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. at the San Luis Obispo City & County Library, 995 Palm St. To reserve a space, call 805-546-8098 or e-mail Officeczar@aol.com. For additional information, call Jill Sperber, 415-538-2023.

Attorneys sought for Indian legal services board

The State Bar is seeking applications from lawyers interested in serving on the board of directors of California Indian Legal Services (CILS). Two three-year positions are open.

CILS is a non-profit Legal Services Corp.-funded program whose board meets four times a year.

Interested attorneys should apply by letter, listing the reasons they should be appointed and including a resume of their work experience, community activity and educational background. A bar number also should be included. The deadline is June 9.

The materials should be sent to Chris Zupanovich, State Bar of California, 180 Howard St., San Francisco, CA 94105-1639. Questions may be directed to her at 415-538-2534 or chris.zupanovich@calbar.ca.gov.

Nominations sought for Aranda Award

Nominations are open for the Benjamin Aranda III Access to Justice Award. The award is given annually to a California judge or appellate court justice who has demonstrated a long-term commitment to equal access to the courts and who has done significant work in improving court access for low- and moderate-income Californians.

Sponsored by the California Commission on Access to Justice, the award will be made jointly by the Judicial Council, the State Bar and the California Judges Association. It will be presented in the fall.

Nominating forms are available at calbar.ca.gov under access to justice. Hard copies of the form are available from Chris Zupanovich at 415-538-2534 or at chris.zupanovich@calbar.ca.gov.

Visit legal London and earn MCLE credits

The State Bar Litigation Section will sponsor "A Week in Legal London" July 9-14, offering an opportunity to experience the inner workings of the English legal system, expand litigation skills and meet with members of the London legal community.

The registration fee is $2,295 per person, and includes daily luncheons, two receptions, a formal closing dinner at historic Trinity House, and the education programs and materials. Accommodations are available for an additional fee.

The Litigation Section also will offer an "Oxford University Summer Program" from July 16-20. The registration fee of $1,295 per person includes four nights lodging at Magdalen College in Oxford, all meals, education programs and materials.

Attendance at both programs will fulfill all 25 required MCLE hours. Participants may attend either or both programs.

More information is available at calbar.ca.gov/litigation or by calling 415-538-2546.

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.

Bar members' names are provided at cost to a restricted list of outside entities that meet certain criteria.

The names are provided for a one-time use to, among others, MCLE providers, the Foundation of the State Bar, local bars and bar-approved insurance providers.

Got questions? Call the Member Services Center

The State Bar has opened a Member Services Center with a toll-free number, 1-888-800-3400, for active and inactive lawyers seeking information about member benefits, services and regulatory compliance.