| Apply for vacancies on State Bar committees The
following vacancies are available on State Bar entities. Each has its own specific
application process as listed below:
 IOLTA COMMISSION. Applications
are being accepted for six seats on the Legal Services Trust Fund Commission, appointed by
the board of governors to administer the Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts (IOLTA)
program.
Desirable qualifications include, but are not limited to, a commitment to the delivery
of legal services to the poor and sensitivity to the needs of low-income communities.
In addition, the commission seeks individuals with knowledge of the structure and
practices of banking and financial institutions. Terms of the appointment are three years.
Persons interested in serving on the commission may submit a resume and a brief
statement of interest to the Legal Services Trust Fund Program, 555 Franklin St., San
Francisco 94102. For more information, call 415/561-8252.
The application deadline is March 15.
ETHICS COMMITTEE. The bar's
Committee on Professional Responsibility and Conduct (COPRAC), a 15-member group which
develops ethics opinions and studies proposed rule amendments, is accepting applications
for the 1999-2000 committee year.
Applications must be submitted by March 31.
Call 415/538-2107 to obtain an application form.
CLIENT SECURITY FUND COMMISSION.
The Client Security Fund Commission, a group of seven volunteers appointed by the board of
governors to administer the fund and make determinations on applications, will have one
attorney vacancy and two public member vacancies next fall.
Applications must be submitted by April 1.
For an application and information, contact Betty Yung at 213/765-1150.
COMMISSION ON JUDICIAL NOMINEES EVALUATION
(JNE). At least seven vacancies will open on the JNE commission, including six
attorney positions and one seat for a public member. Terms last for one year, but members
may sit on the commission for up to three terms.
The commission assists the governor in the judicial selection process by providing
independent, comprehensive evaluations of candidates for appointment to the bench.
Applications are available by calling Billie Sivanov at 415/561-8274. Deadline for
applications is March 31.
Midyear meeting set
The State Bar will hold a mid-year meeting in March for bar leaders from throughout the
state. Attorney General Bill Lockyer and John McKay, president of the Legal Services
Corp., will be featured speakers.
Topics are expected to include the state of the State Bar, developing MCLE programs,
appointments to the bench and readiness for Y2K.
The meeting will be held March 26-27 at the Westin South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa.
Sponsored by the board of governors' committee on communications, legislation and public
policy, it is open to executive directors of local and specialty bar associations, elected
officials of bars, and other bar leaders. Registration fee is $150.
For further information, contact Theresa Raglen at 415/561-8299.
Senior lawyers section
A new volunteer program sponsored by the State Bar's Senior Lawyers Section is training
lawyers who wish to undertake some of the work of the bar's discipline office which has
been on hold due to financial reasons.
The section created a Senior Attorney Volunteers for Discipline (SAVD) program to
coordinate the discipline efforts. Anyone, regardless of age, may volunteer. For further
information, contact Mary Pat Toups, 949/707-5861, or e-mail toupsmp@fea.net.
Dues are due
If you are an active attorney, your State Bar annual dues and a special assessment for
discipline were due Feb. 1. Active lawyers must make two payments: $77 to the bar and
another $173 to the "Special Master's Attorney Discipline Fund." Inactive
attorneys must pay $50.
Failure to pay bar dues by March 15 will result in a 50 percent penalty. Attorneys who
do not pay their bar dues also are subject to suspension from practice.
Member information
The State Bar's membership records inquiry line (415/561-8877), which provided
assistance to more than 250,000 callers in 1997, 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.
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.
The changes were made because of the 1997 fee bill veto.
Board meets March 12-13
The next meeting of the State Bar board of governors will be held March 12-13 in San
Francisco.
Committee meetings will be held Friday, and the full board will meet Saturday at 9 a.m.
at bar headquarters, 555 Franklin St.
An agenda will be available on the bar's website: www.calbar.org.
Supreme Court back home
The California Supreme Court has returned to its historic headquarters at the San
Francisco Civic Center. The clerk's office, justices' chambers and other courts reopened
for business at the newly refurbished and renovated Earl Warren Building at 350 McAllister
St. The main telephone number is 415/865-7000. |
