| Traditional bar should go the way of the dodo bird As
a retired solo practitioner of 18 years, I was quite heartened by Ray Marshall's December
1998 article. He expressed a refreshing breath of candor and flexibility, terms that have
been sadly missing over the last few years. Hopefully, the word is out that business as
usual is no longer acceptable.
The so-called traditional bar should go the way of the dodo bird. The political portion
of the bar must be made a separate entity from the official part. The official bar should
be limited to expressing a political opinion when it pertains to improving the legal
system but not to improving society in general.
The official bar should not be able to take a position before the legislature or the
general public that the California Supreme Court could not also assert. It should be
administered by a professional administrator, who would be appointed and supervised by the
Supreme Court.
The political bar should be voluntary and be administered by the bar president and his
staff.
Bruce W. Busch
Rocklin
Cheaper quarters would mean lower dues
My question is: Why can't the bar relocate to a less expensive locality and save us all
substantial sums of money? I mean really huge sums annually, maybe $10 million or so.
With affordable housing and lower cost of living, the bar would have no trouble
attracting qualified attorneys and staff to run the bar in a new, thrifty location.
Really, just why does the bar need some of the most expensive office space in the world to
conduct business?
Does the New York bar run its offices out of Fifth Ave. in Manhat-tan? I don't think
so. Try Albany.
Anybody for Ventura, Oceanside, Escondido or Palm Springs?
Robert Malcolm Forbes Jr.
Cathedral City
 The editor votes for Palm Springs.
Taking a page from the judo federation
The bar might take an idea that the United States Judo Federation (USJF) uses: it
issues rank registration and member renewal stickers which the member attaches to the
plastic card they carry.
Each year after paying membership dues, one gets a sticker to attach to a plastic card
the member keeps.
It would seem there could be the issuance of a one-time plastic card with a magnetic
strip. From then on a new sticker each year. Perhaps this would save the bar both time and
money.
Doris C. Armour
Santa Ana
Time to stop stream of students entering law
In light of developments with the State Bar, perhaps this is a good time for our
profession to examine the plight of new lawyers. The profession can no longer tolerate an
endless stream of students entering law school. Prospective law students need to be made
aware of these desperate employment conditions
Tracy Barrett
San Francisco |
