| VIP volunteers needed Volunteers in Parole (VIP), a
non-profit program in which attorneys serve as mentors for young parolees, is seeking
volunteers. Through one-on-one matches similar to the Big Brother/Big Sister programs, VIP
offers a parolee the friendship of a knowledgeable person who has experience in dealing
effectively with the community.
Attorneys who volunteer serve as a combination role model, mentor, adviser and friend
to parolees between the ages of 16 and 35. In a crisis, the parolee will have someone to
turn to for help.
For more information about the program, contact one of the following offices: Los
Angeles, 213/250-9707; southern California, 619/220-5356; Central Valley, 209/444-2400,
ext. 266; and northern California, 415/561-8217.
Need membership info? Look on the net
Because of the State Bar's restricted finances, the membership records inquiry line
(415/561-8877), which provided assistance to more than 250,000 callers last year, is no
longer staffed by a live operator.
Callers seeking information about California attorneys now are directed to member
records online (MRO) at http://www.calsb.org. Those who
require information or services, such as how to change a name or address or how to receive
a certificate of standing, may select options from a voice menu.
The bar is being operated by a skeletal crew as a result of Gov. Pete Wilson's veto of
the 1998 fee bill and the subsequent inability of the governor and legislature to
negotiate a compromise.
A reduced staff in the membership office is maintaining the database in as timely a
manner as possible; the Internet site is updated continuously.
The bar's MRO service had more than 700,000 record reads last year. Information now
includes a statement that a member does or does not have a record of discipline.
If additional information is sought, instructions are provided for sending a written
request for a certificate of standing or requesting a copy of the filing from State Bar
Court. There is a fee for these services.
Some ethics information available online
Publication 250, a compilation of professional rules governing attorneys, is available
online at the bar's web site: www.calbar.org.
It includes the Rules of Professional Conduct, the State Bar Act, related statutes
regarding the duties of attorneys and related rules of court.
Although the California Compen-dium on Professional Responsibility, an ethics research
guide, is not available on-line, formal opinions of the bar's Committee on Professional
Responsibility and Conduct (COP-RAC) published since 1988 are available.
The cost of the Compendium is $157.33 per copy (includes shipping and handling), and
annual updates cost $40. Limited numbers of the 1997 Publication 250 are available for $10
and the 1998 update is available for $4 by mail.
Checks made payable to the State Bar of California may be sent to: State Bar, 180
Howard St., San Francisco 94105.
The client trust account handbook, a guide to the regulations governing such trust
accounts, also is available for $10. A request and check should be sent to the State Bar,
Attn: Handbook on Client Trust Accounting for California Lawyers, 555 Franklin St., San
Francisco 94102.
Fellowship program for public service lawyers
The National Association for Public Interest Law (NAPIL) has announced that the Open
Society Institute is providing a multimillion-dollar matching grant to encourage law firms
and corporations to provide under-served communities with greater access to legal
representation.
More than 75 law firms and corporations nationwide already have agreed to co-fund
public service fellowships.
With the new initiative, NAPIL's Equal Justice fellowship program will fund 70 fellows
across the U.S. in 1998-99.
Each two-year fellowship provides salary, loan repayment assistance, training and
assistance from NAPIL. For more information, call NAPIL at 202/466-3686.
Five openings on Legal Services board
Attorneys interested in serving on the board of directors of Legal Services of Northern
California (LSNC) are invited to submit an application to the State Bar. Three three-year
positions and two incomplete three-year term positions are open.
Applicants must be residents of Amador, Placer, Calaveras, El Dorado, Nevada, Sierra,
Lassen, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Trinity, Butte, Plumas, Glenn, Tehama, Colusa or
Sacramento counties.
LSNC is a non-profit Legal Services Corp.-funded program created to provide free
quality legal services in civil matters to low-income people in 18 counties. The 31-member
board meets six times annually in Sacramento.
Applicants should submit a letter describing the reasons they should be appointed and
indicating their county of residence, along with a resume outlining work experience,
community activity and educational background.
Applications must be submitted by Nov. 30 to Denise Teraoka, Office of Legal Services,
State Bar of Califor-nia, 555 Franklin St., San Francisco 94102; 415/561-8845.
Complaints about attorney misconduct
Because the State Bar's consumer hotline is shut down, consumers wishing to complain
about an attorney must now submit a written complaint.
Complaints will be date-stamped but not acted upon.
People who are having a problem with an attorney may still call 1-800/843-9053 and will
hear a taped message providing various options.
Document imaging service introduced in LA court
Beginning Sept. 1, the U.S. District Court, Central District, began providing a
document imaging service that allows attorneys to quickly receive service of civil and
criminal judgments, orders and other documents by facsimile or e-mail instead of regular
mail.
Interested attorneys must enroll with the court for the free service. Information is
available from the clerk's office, 213/894-2085. |
