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Special election set to fill
District 3 vacancy
Ballots will be mailed next month in a special
election to fill a vacancy on the State Bar Board of Governors left by
the resignation of San Jose attorney Erica Yew, who was appointed to
the bench. Yew, a member of the board since 2000, represented
attorneys in District 3, which includes Alameda, Contra Costa, San
Mateo and Santa Clara counties.
In October, the board of governors appointed
Santa Clara County Counsel Ann Ravel to fill Yew's position until a
new member is sworn in early next year. Ravel was a member of the
board from 1995-98.
The last day to file nominating petitions is Dec.
10 and ballots are expected to be mailed Jan. 4. Feb. 22 is the last
day to vote. Any active member of the State Bar in good standing whose
business address is in District 3 is eligible to vote.
Election information is available on the State
Bar's web site, www.calbar.org.
For additional information, call Biljanna Sivanov, at 415/538-2274.
Fee statements mailed; dues are
due Feb. 1
Fee statements were mailed to active and inactive
California lawyers last month and bar dues must be paid by Feb. 1.
Dues for most active attorneys for 2002 are $390
and for inactive attorneys are $50. Fee scaling also is available for
those who earn less than $40,000 a year from the practice of law.
Those earning under $25,000 may receive a 50 percent reduction in
their dues and those earning less than $40,000 may have the amount
reduced by 25 percent.
The fee statement also includes check-off boxes
for donations to the Foundation of the State Bar and the Conference of
Delegates. The foundation, which collected more than $650,000 from
members who donated through the fee bill last year, is once again
seeking donations of $50. The conference, which is now self-funded, is
asking for a $10 donation from members. It collected nearly $150,000
last year from members contributing through the fee statement.
The fee statement also is available online this
year. Members needing a duplicate bill may print out their
personalized statement at www.calbar.org.
Members who do not pay their dues before March 15
are subject to a 10 percent penalty; after May 15, an additional 15
percent penalty is assessed.
Questions about the bill may be directed to
membership services at 415/538-2360.
Gov. Davis names new public
board member
Gov. Gray Davis appointed Joseph Rouzan Jr., city
administrator of the city of Ingle-wood, to the State Bar Board of
Governors.
Rouzan, 69, of Los Angeles, was executive
director for the Los Angeles Police Commission in 1993. He also served
as deputy city manager for Long Beach, assistant city manager for
Inglewood and city manager of Compton.
In addition, Rouzan was police chief of Inglewood
and Compton, was a Los Angeles police captain and handled law
enforcement and security for Los Angeles airport for five years.
His appointment leaves one vacancy for a public
member on the 23-member board.
Fee arb training will be
offered Dec. 10 in Chico
Recent developments in fee arbitration will be
discussed at a training program in Chico sponsored by the State
Bar's Committee on Mandatory Fee Arbitration. The free training
offers 2.75 hours of MCLE credit, including one hour of legal ethics.
The training is scheduled for Dec. 12 from 5:30 -
8:30 p.m. at Cal Northern School of Law, 1395 Ridgewood Drive, Chico.
It is for arbitrators for the Butte County Bar Association, as well as
interested attorneys from the area. State Bar fee arbitrators also are
welcome to attend.
Among the topics for discussion are how to write
an enforceable award, conflicts of interest, disclosure requirements
and how to control the proceeding.
To register, call the Butte County bar's fee
arbitration committee at 530/345-1940 or e-mail buttecobar@sunset.net,
indicating whether you are a current fee arbitrator. For more
information, contact Jill Sperber, director of the State Bar's fee
arbitration program, at 415/538-2023.
MCLE deadline for Group 3 (last
names N-Z) is Feb. 1
Attorneys who are members of MCLE Compliance
Group 3 (last names beginning N-Z) must complete 25 hours of
continuing education by the compliance deadline of Feb. 1, 2002. Those
who did not complete the previously required 36 hours by Feb. 1, 1999,
have until Feb. 1, 2002, to complete a total of 61 hours.
A late fee of $75 will be assessed March 15 for
those who have not complied.
Compliance cards will be mailed Dec. 28 to
members of Group 3.
Questions about MCLE compliance may be directed
to 415/538-2100.
E-briefs offer bar updates
The State Bar recently launched "e-briefs," a
short summary of recent news developments or announcements of interest
to lawyers. The mailings are provided on a timely basis. If you wish
to be put on our internet mailing list, please provide your e-mail
address to barcomm@calsb.org.
State Bar seeks applicants for
two lawyer groups
The State Bar is seeking applicants for two
positions on the Judicial Council and for six appointments to the ABA
House of Delegates.
The Judicial Council appointments begin Sept. 15,
2002, and expire Sept. 14, 2005. Meetings are held six to seven times
a year; the annual time commitment is about 300 hours for meetings and
assignments. Members are reimbursed for travel. In making the
appointments, the bar board of governors will consider the
applicants' demonstrated leadership skills and ability to
effectively represent the lawyer perspective on the council.
The ABA delegates each serve a two-year term,
from Aug. 14, 2002, to Aug. 11, 2004. They are expected to attend two
meetings a year as well as participate in conference calls. They are
required to pay their own travel expenses. The board will consider
each applicant's participation in ABA activities, working knowledge
of the House of Delegates and understanding of current issues.
Deadline for applications for both groups is Feb.
22.
Applications must be submitted to the State
Bar's Appointments Office, 180 Howard St., San Francisco 94105-1639,
or by fax, 415/538-2255. Further information is available by calling
415/538-2299.
Calling all retired lawyers
Retired California attorneys are invited to join
the State Bar's emeritus attorney pro bono program, through which
they may donate all their legal work to an approved legal services
program. Approved by the board of governors
in 1987, the emeritus program is designed to take
advantage of the skills, training and experience of retired lawyers.
In order to encourage participation, the bar waives the fee to be an
active attorney. Interested attorneys can obtain an application from
Rodney Low at 415/538-2219 or rodney.low@calsb.org.
Those currently enrolled in the program also must
renew their applications.
"A Week in Legal London"
scheduled for June 23-28
The State Bar's Litigation Section is
sponsoring "A Week in Legal London" from June 23-28, 2002. The
London program offers an extraordinary opportunity to experience the
inner workings of the English legal system, expand litigation skills
and engage in thought-provoking discussion with members of the London
legal community.
Participants will attend sessions at the Royal
Courts of Justice, the Old Bailey, the High Court of Justice and the
Courts of Appeal. MCLE credit will be offered.
For additional information contact the Litigation
Section at 415/538-2546.
LSNC board members sought
The State Bar of California is seeking
applications from attorneys interested in serving a three-year term on
the 36-member board of directors for Legal Services of Northern
California (LSNC).
Positions are open in four areas: Mother Lode
Region (Placer, Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Nevada and Sierra
counties); Redwood Region (Humboldt, Del Norte, Lake and Mendocino
counties); Butte Region (Butte, Plumas, Glenn, Tehama and Colusa
counties); and Yolo County. Applications are due Jan. 4.
LSNC is a non-profit Legal Services
Corporation-funded program created to provide legal assistance to
low-income residents of 23 northern California counties. The board
meets five times a year.
Interested attorneys should include a resume
outlining work experience, community activity and educational
background with their application. Materials should be sent to Chris
Zupanovich, State Bar of California, 180 Howard Street, San Francisco,
CA 94105.
Questions may be directed to 415/538-2534 or chris.zupanovich@calsb.org.
Insurance committees seek
volunteers
Lawyers with insurance experience are invited to
submit an application for appointment to one of the State Bar's two
group insurance committees - the standing Committee on Professional
Liability Insurance (COPLI) and the Commit-tee on Group Insurance
Programs (COGIP).
The committees act as counsel to the State Bar
Board of Governors on insurance matters and oversee the member group
insurance programs of the State Bar, including life, AD&D,
disability, long term care, workers' compensation, business office
package and professional liability.
A long term care insurance program should be
available to members of the State Bar by March 2002. A broker has been
selected and two plans have been approved by the Committee on Group
Insurance Programs.
The committee also is researching automobile
insurance and health insurance, which were cited in a recent survey as
two products members would like to see provided.
The Committee on Professional Liability Insurance
monitors claims, underwriting and MCLE programs for State Bar members
who participate in the program. Attorneys with expertise in these
areas are encouraged to apply. Special features such as malpractice
insurance for new admittees and part-time attorneys were added to the
program at the request of the committee.
Committee members serve three-year terms and meet
four times per year. Application forms and information about the
committees, qualifications necessary for service and time commitments
are available at www.calbar.org.
Deadline for applications is Feb. 1.
For information concerning COGIP or COPLI,
contact Cathie Hastings, 415/538-2276 or cathie.hastings@calsb.org.
Volunteers sought for access
committees
Lawyers, former judges and members of the public
are invited to submit an application for appointment to one or more of
the State Bar's five access and fairness committees. They include
the standing committees on Ethnic Minority Relations (EMRC), Legal
Professionals with Disabilities (CLPD), Senior Lawyers (CSL), Sexual
Orientation and Gender Identity Discrimination (CSOGID), and Women in
the Law (CWIL).
The committees were created by the bar's board
of governors to increase participation in administering bar programs
and activities by attorneys who have been under-represented.
The committees identify and encourage members of
their constituencies to become active participants in the bar. They
also produce MCLE programs and materials, advise the board on policy
affecting their specific areas, collaborate on projects and provide
input on legislation or court rules relating to access issues or
discrimination within the legal profession or judicial system.
Committee members serve three-year terms and meet
approximately four to six times per year. Applica-tion forms and
information about each committee, qualifications necessary for service
and time commitments are available at www.calbar.org.
The deadline to apply is Feb. 1.
For information concerning CWIL or EMRC, contact
Rhonda Lunsford, 415/538-2173 or Rhonda.Lunsford@calsb.org.;
about CLPD or CSOGID, contact Martin Morales, 415/538-2316 or Martin.Morales@calsb.org.;
or about senior lawyers, contact Rodney Low, 415/538-2219 or Rodney.Low@calsb.org.
Chief Justice names arbitrator
ethics panel
Chief Justice Ronald M. George appointed a
17-member Blue Ribbon Panel of Experts on Arbitrator Ethics last
month. The new group is charged with reviewing ethics standards for
contractual arbitrators in California.
The panel will review and provide input into
proposed ethics standards that will be developed by the Administrative
Office of the Courts. Recent-ly enacted legislation requires the
Judicial Council to adopt standards for contractual arbitrators by
July 1, 2002.
Jay Folberg, a professor at the University of San
Francisco School of Law, will chair the new group. |
