Respected judge’s loss retriggers retention debate
An anomaly in judicial elections has rekindled a statewide debate about the way judges are elected in California. In the June 6 election, veteran jurist Dzintra Janavs, who was rated “exceptionally well qualified” by the Los Angeles Bar Association, lost her seat on the Superior Court bench to Lynn Olson, an on-again, off-again active attorney who most recently stopped practicing to help her husband open and run a Manhattan Beach bagel shop.

Judge shortage strains state courts
Riverside County has twice suspended trials in civil cases in the last 18 months. In neighboring San Bernardino County, the family law judge may have as many as 40 cases on his calendar each day, and the traffic commissioner might have up to 80 cases in a single morning.

Malpractice insurance disclosure circulated for public comment
If a proposed new Rule of Professional Conduct is endorsed by the State Bar Board of Governors, attorneys will be required to notify their clients if they do not carry malpractice insurance.

LA’s Sloan to lead State Bar
Sheldon H. Sloan, a Los Angeles attorney and former municipal court judge, has been elected the 82nd president of the State Bar of California. Known as a skilled parliamentarian and for keeping people on point during meetings, Sloan will succeed Riverside attorney James O. Heiting. His term will run for a year and begin in October at the State Bar’s Annual Meeting in Monterey.

Bar launches pipeline to diversity
More than 400 lawyers and judges attended the State Bar’s 2006 Spring Summit in San Jose, which set the wheels in motion for promoting proven programs that will bring more people of color into the legal profession.

Annual Meeting set Oct. 5-8
Martin Luther King III, author Isabel Allende and National Public Radio correspondent Susan Stamberg will headline the State Bar Annual Meeting this year, scheduled for Oct. 5-8 in Monterey. A new State Bar president and new members of the board of governors will be sworn in at the convention, which offers a low-cost opportunity for California attorneys to earn up to 20 MCLE credits in one weekend.

Guilford confirmed
On a 93-0 vote, former State Bar President Andrew J. Guilford won Senate confirmation as a U.S. district judge for the Central District.

2005 Exhibitor Directory
The businesses and services listed here support the State Bar through various means, most notably as exhibitors at the State Bar's Annual Meeting. Visit them online or via phone to serve your individual needs.