handled commercial litigation, defense work for
financial and corporate institutions, as well as some plaintiffs work and environmental
litigation.
Madden said the legal profession faces very serious challenges,
ranging from a lack of diversity in California, one of the most diverse states in the
country, to making changes to keep pace with a rapidly changing marketplace. “We don’t
change!” he said, referring to lawyers. “Wake up, folks, it’s an Internet
economy.”
In making a pitch for his candidacy, Madden cited several instances
where he guided groups holding disparate viewpoints to consensus. Among those was the
recent search for a new executive director for the bar, an effort he led.
Perhaps responding to recent efforts to keep the board out of the bar’s
day-to-day life, Madden said, “I think you want to pick a president who will help you
focus on policy issues and work in a collegial manner.”
Madden is married to Susan Paulus, an attorney who recently retired
as in-house counsel for McKesson Corp. |
