Five seats open on State Bar, young lawyer boards

Eligible voters in the four districts with openings on the State Bar Board of Governors and the California Young Lawyers Association board of directors must cast their ballots by July 2. Each board has five upcoming vacancies. Seats are open in the following districts:

• DISTRICT 2: Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Napa, Sacramento, Solano, Sonoma, Tuolumne and Yolo counties;
• DISTRICT 3: Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties;
• DISTRICT 4: Marin and San Francisco counties; and
• DISTRICT 7: Los Angeles County (two seats).

Lawyer members of the board of governors are elected for three-year terms and will assume their offices at the conclusion of the 2007 Annual Meeting. Ballots were mailed May 1 and the election results will be announced mid-July.

2007 Board of Governors elections

2007 CYLA elections

California Bar Foundation seeks board members

The California Bar Foundation is seeking applications for several positions on its board of directors for terms beginning Jan. 1. Applicants may be attorneys, judges or members of the public who have a demonstrated interest in and commitment to the foundation's charitable mission; who have previous board, public or community service; or who are knowledgeable about charitable fundraising.

Board members serve two-year terms and are expected to attend approximately five board meetings per year in San Francisco or Los Angeles and participate on at least two committees, whose meetings usually are conducted by conference call. Membership may also require attendance at the State Bar Annual Meeting, meetings of the bar board of governors and other foundation events.

Board members are expected to participate in fundraising and to make a personally significant financial contribution to the foundation annually.

Applicants must submit a resume and a statement of qualifications to: Leslie Hatamiya, Executive Director, California Bar Foundation, 180 Howard St., San Francisco CA 94105; 415-856-0788 (fax); lhatamiya@calbarfoundation.org.

The application deadline is Aug. 17. The bar board of governors will make the appointments in November.

Information about the foundation and its programs can be found at calbarfoundation.org.

Openings on Judicial Council committees

The Administrative Office of the Courts is soliciting nominations for 12 upcoming vacancies on Judicial Council advisory committees. The committees regularly monitor certain areas of law and segments of the judicial branch, and review and make recommendations to the council on legislation, rules, standards, forms and other policy matters.

The deadline for submitting nominations is June 30. Online forms are available at http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/jc/apply.htm. They should be mailed or faxed to Administrative Office of the Courts, Office of the Secretariat, attention Roma K. Cheadle, 455 Golden Gate Ave., San Francisco, CA 94102-3688; 415-865-4332 (fax).

Thriving in a sometimes challenging profession

Are you an attorney who has found ways to enjoy your career despite the stress and challenges of balancing work and family obligations? If so, the Lawyer Assistance Program would like to hear from you.

LAP invites you to share personal strategies and suggestions for coping successfully with a legal practice. Please send an e-mail to lap@calbarca.gov or fax to 415-538-2356.

The names of members who respond to this request will be kept confidential.

Create an online profile

California attorneys have the opportunity to handle membership matters with the State Bar electronically by creating My State Bar Profile on the bar's home page.

Doing so will allow lawyers to pay their bar dues and submit MCLE compliance online, as well as access important forms such as change of address or change of status, obtain a duplicate bar card and keep abreast of the latest developments in professional responsibility.

To create a profile, you will need the eight-digit access code printed on the front of the 2007 annual fee statement. Just go to the bar's home page, calbar.ca.gov, and click on the link in the left-hand menu to register as a first-time user.

If you have lost your access code, call the Member Services Center at 888/800-3400.

Revised form approved for client's right to arbitration

The State Bar Board of Governors has approved a revised notice of Client's Right to Arbitration form that took effect April 1. Lawyers are required by statute to forward this version of the notice form to the client before or at the time of filing a lawsuit against a client to collect unpaid attorney's fees and/or costs.

The form advises clients of their right to request mandatory fee arbitration to resolve a pending attorney fee dispute.

Client's Right to Arbitration Form

Display your artistic talent

All members of the bench or bar who draw, sculpt, work in ceramics or photography are invited to participate in the 55th Annual Meeting Bench and Bar Art Exhibit. The artwork will be showcased at the bar's Annual Meeting in September in Anaheim.

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 www.calbar.ca.gov/archive/calbar/annualmeeting, or obtained by calling 415-538-2210. All entries must be submitted by Aug. 27.