Annual Meeting beckons participants
to Anaheim
No longer known as just the home of Disneyland, the city of Anaheim has grown to become the 10th largest in California. The world champion California Angels play at Edison Field, the Anaheim Convention Center hosts groups as diverse as school employees and a pet supply association and the California Adventure theme park now shares Disneyland's audience.

O'Connor vote was pivotal in Supreme Court's just-ended term
The October 2002 Supreme Court term ended dramatically. In the last week of June, the Supreme Court upheld affirmative action programs by colleges and universities; invalidated a state law prohibiting private consensual homosexual activity; overturned a death sentence because of ineffective assistance of counsel; upheld a federal law requiring libraries receiving federal funds to install internet filters; and declared unconstitutional a California law that retroactively extended the statute of limitations for sex offenders.

Five win seats on bar board
Five attorneys will take their seats on the State Bar Board of Governors next month after winning election to the 23-member board.

Judicial Council approves new civil jury instructions for use in California courts
The California Judicial Council last month approved new "plain English" civil jury instructions designed to simplify the often convoluted and confusing instructions used in state courts for the last 70 years.

Three bar leaders receive honors
State Bar Executive Director Judy Johnson and two members of the board of governors have received honors in recent months.

State Bar fee bill moves through the legislature
At press time, the State Bar's 2004 fee bill had been approved unanimously by the Senate Judiciary Committee and was awaiting approval by the full Senate.

Trevor lawyers quit bar
Three Beverly Hills attorneys who faced possible disbarment as a result of using allegedly extortionate tactics in suing thousands of small business owners under the Unfair Competition Law resigned from the State Bar last month.

Ethics update
This section highlights recent developments in attorney professional responsibility, including new cases, advisory ethics opinions, pending legislation and proposed rule amendments.

State Bar president welcomes ABA Annual Meeting
to San Francisco
Welcome to one of the world's most beautiful cities. The State Bar of California recognizes the American Bar Association's long commitment to the importance of the third branch of government, the rule of law, access to justice and diversity within our profession.

Panel urges relaxing practice limits for out-of-state lawyers
Faced with the expanding geographic boundaries of modern-day lawyering, a state Supreme Court committee has proposed new rules to ease and clarify the restrictions on out-of-state attorneys seeking to practice law in California

Joanne Garvey honored for breaking the glass ceiling
San Francisco tax attorney Joanne M. Garvey still clearly recalls the reaction of the law firm employers in her first job interviews as a top law student more than four decades ago: "But you're a woman!"

A law school grad at 46, Mary Pat Toups is honored for a career devoted to helping others
When Mary Pat Toups graduated from law school at the age of 46, she didn't plan to spend her entire legal career helping others for little or no pay.

Municipal law expert wins Fordham award
Daniel J. Curtin Jr. first became interested in land use as an undergrad at the University of San Francisco, when his political science professor addressed it as an issue of importance and sent Curtin to several seminars for study.

For Los Angeles child advocate Amy Pellman, kids come first
When Los Angeles attorney Amy M. Pellman discovered there wasn't any manual to help guide her in a new job representing children and parents in dependency court a decade ago, she came up with a solution: She simply wrote one herself.

'Extraordinarily successful' Silicon Valley fundraising campaign wins Tweed award
Those who provide free legal help to the poor may be struggling through some tough economic times. But in Silicon Valley, a campaign launched by two local bar leaders has led to a 13-fold increase in private funding for legal services providers and a doubling in the number of attorneys offering their assistance free of charge.

From a passing grade to head of the pro bono class
Just six years ago, the international law firm of Latham & Watkins was receiving little more than a passing grade when it came to providing free legal services to those most in need.

Lawyer makes family support her top priority
San Francisco attorney Shannan Wilber has toured juvenile detention facilities nationwide and talked to children in custody. She has seen some youngsters, clad only in underwear, locked up in small, packed cells for 24 hours a day. She has seen broken windows, faulty plumbing and extreme temperatures.