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Information about The State Bar of California - California State Bar Association The State Bar of California - California State Bar Association 180 Howard Street San Francisco, California 94105 Phone: 415-538-2000     Fax: http://www.calbar.ca.gov Rank: No ranking. Summary: California lawyers are required to belong to the California State Bar Association, a non-profit corporation. It is a unique - it is the only trade group which self polices itself. All other trade groups e.g. contractors etc. are regulated by the government under the Department of Consumer Affairs. Created by the state legislature in 1927 it operates within the judicial branch of government, serving as an arm of the California Supreme Court. All State Bar members are termed "officers of the court." This relf regulating private , organization is supported by the membership fees and fund raising done by the Bar Foundation. Many lawyers and homeowners say that this self regulating group is a political group that protects its members lawyers and that complaints about lawyers sent to them are not addressed. Other Information: Description and contact information for the California State Bar: See Business & Professions Code Section 6000-6238 for the statutes governing he State Bar For the rules lawyers are supposed to abide by attached Rules of Professional Conduct on the Bar website. (2003 pdf versions is attached. Bar Complaints 1149 South Hill Street Los Angeles, 90015-2299 Telephone: (213)765-1293 Fax (213)765-1168 Attention: Intake - Chief Trial Counsel: Scott Drexel - Jan 2005

Page # 1 2 11. Following is a description from the California State Bar:     Following is a description from the California State Bar: Founded in 1927 by the state legislature, The State Bar of California is an administrative arm of the California Supreme Court, serving the public and seeking to improve the justice system for more than 75 years. All lawyers practicing law in California must be members of the State Bar. In February 2004, membership reached more than 195,000, making it the largest state bar in the nation. Other Information: MEDIA CONTACT: E.J. Bernacki --- Membership in the State Bar of California affords attorneys the right and privilege of practicing law in this state. The bar's integrated network of functions and services -- many of them mandated by law -- protects the public and assists attorneys in meeting their professional obligations. STATE BAR OF CALIFORNIA LOCATIONS: San Francisco (Main Office) 180 Howard Street San Francisco, CA 94105 415-538-2000 Los Angeles 1149 South Hill Street Los Angeles, CA 90015 213-765-1000 Sacramento 1201 K Street, Ste 720 Sacramento, CA 95814 916-442-8018 (Legislative Office) Posted Oct 5 2006 4:57PM CEST     Username withheld , California   10. The State Bar of California - Archives     October 2004 - 2005 President of California State Bar Association - John Van de Kamp - Former Attorney General of Caifornia Chief Trial Counsel - until January 2005 - Mike Nispros Curent Chief Trial Counsel - Scott Drexel. In 2004 John Van de Kamp told a homeowner to send the complaint on Peters & Freedman to him. He then forwarded the complaint to Mike Nispros in 2004 Posted Sep 13 2006 7:10AM CEST     Username withheld , California   9. Two discipline and admissions hearings set     Two discipline and admissions hearings set The State Bar will hold two annual hearings on the attorney discipline and admissions process and attorney competence Nov. 21 in San Francisco and Nov. 30 in Los Angeles. The hearings provide an opportunity for members of the public and attorneys to make proposals or offer comments regarding the discipline and admissions processes or the maintenance and improvement of attorney competence. The San Francisco hearing will be held at the State Bar offices at 180 Howard St., 4th floor; and the Los Angeles hearing will be at the bar's offices at 1149 South Hill St., 7th floor. Both hearings begin at 10 a.m. Individuals who wish to speak or present written materials should contact Doug Hull at 415-538-2015 or doug.hull@calbar.ca.gov by Nov. 16. Posted Nov 29 2005 7:01PM CET     Username withheld , California   8. Renewing the image of the lawyer as a problem solver rather than problem causer.     State Bar President Jim Heiting writes about the challenges of renewing the image of the lawyer as a problem solver rather than problem causer. Driven by responsibilities By James O. Heiting - November 2005 President, State Bar of California I was always trained to act and behave as an officer of the court. I have been educated, have taken examinations and have been mentored as an officer of the court. I have taken an oath to uphold and defend the constitutions under which we thrive as Americans and Californians. I am told that, as a lawyer, an attorney, a citizen with special privileges and responsibilities that the license carries, I am an officer of the court. I have always believed that lawyers and judges, being part of and having roles in the judicial branch of the government, have an obligation to respect each other and to honor each other. It is an honor to be able to represent clients before the court, to argue cases and law, and to effect change where change is needed, to advocate for those propositions that serve to bring us closer to "justice," to stand before the court as one seeking the court's resolution of a dispute that could otherwise result in far more dramatic forms of "resolution," the removal of a criminal from doing further harm, the exoneration of the innocent from threatened criminal sanction. As lawyers and judges, we are the glue that holds our society together. Yet many of us have a mentality that falls far short of the lofty ideals that encompass the practice of law and judgment of the facts with application and interpretation of the law. Lawyers develop the mentality of "winning" at all costs, and judges the mentality of "management" ("administration" of justice.) I am not saying that these trends are not driven by society, by economics, sometimes by necessity. Winning is great. The management of the courts that we experience now has been required by, among other things, the lack of sufficient court resources (numbers of judges being one such resource). I am saying that these are not the ideals of the law, and we must strive mightily to overcome these trends that serve as stumbling blocks to justice. But what can we do about it? We are just pawns in a bigger picture. We have no ability to effect change of this magnitude. Do we? Of course we do. So where do we start? We start with the recollection of who we are and the responsibilities we carry. We remember those who came before and made extreme sacrifices in the furtherance of the goals and ideals that would lead to upholding the rights of our citizens, redressing wrongs and putting things right. When we say the Pledge of Allegiance, we recognize that "liberty and justice for all" is a work in progress and that we are each integral players in its progression, either forward or back. We must have "the courage to change the things we can." We must accept responsibility each time we have opportunity. With opportunity comes responsibility. "The longest journey starts with the first step," even if the step is small. I have learned, much credit to the Leo A. Deegin Inn of Court, that practicing with ethics and civility is a first step toward a better court system. I can still advocate effectively (probably more effectively) for my clients. A practice filled with mutual respect and civility not only is much more enjoyable, I find it more effective to my advocacy for my clients and to the ultimate resolution of the case. I still am able to win, even though I don't practice in the hard-nosed, win-at-all-costs style I used to employ. And one of the spinoffs of this type of practice is that the courts have more time to devote to deciding real issues and real disputes, not ones made up by bad attitudes and immaturity of lawyers embroiled in an epic struggle of egos. One small step toward a more effective court. Ours is a noble profession, and we must differentiate between what we can do and what we should do. It is a profession that carries principles of honesty, integrity, public service, dispute resolution, problem solving, counseling, negotiating, peace making. Renewing the image of a lawyer as a problem solver (rather than a problem causer) would be one of the hoped-for results. Let us strive for liberty and justice for all in all that we do. Every effort makes a difference. Let's go out and do some good. Posted Nov 29 2005 6:57PM CET     HOA Voices , California   7. Five attorneys elected to the State Bar Board of California - an administrative arm of the California Supreme Court     FIVE ATTORNEYS ELECTED TO STATE BAR BOARD OF GOVERNORS MEDIA CONTACT: Diane Curtis 415-538-2283 San Francisco, July 14, 2005 - Five attorneys were elected by their peers on Thursday to serve three-year terms on the State Bar's Board of Governors. In district elections throughout the state, James N. Penrod of San Francisco, Maria Carmen Ramirez of Oxnard, Holly J. Fujie of Los Angeles, John P. McNicholas III of Los Angeles and Danni R. Murphy of Santa Ana were chosen to serve on the board, the governing and policymaking body of the 201,000-member organization. Penrod, 63, a partner with Morgan Lewis & Bockius, is former chairman of the litigation section of the Bar Association of San Francisco, has been listed in Best Lawyers in America in three categories and has lectured and taught on issues of litigation and trials in the United States. Ramirez, 56, a coordinator of a self-help legal access center for the Ventura Superior Court, has spent her entire career as a legal aid attorney for the poor in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Fujie, 49, a litigation shareholder of Buchalter, Nemer, Fields & Younger, worked on the Judicial Advisory Committees for the Central District of California under Presidents Clinton and Bush. Her community activities include service on the boards of the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles and Bet Tzedek. McNicholas, 68, a partner in McNicholas & McNicholas, has served on the Los Angeles County Bar Association Judicial Elections Evaluation Committee, the JNE Commission, American Board of Trial Advocates, American College of Trial Lawyers and as a lawyer representative on the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference. Murphy, 57, supervisor and "head of court" of the Orange County Public Defender's South Justice Center branch office, is a former president of the Orange County Bar Association, has served on many local bar association committees and has served on the boards of a number of legal charities. The new members will be sworn in at the bar's annual meeting September 8-11 in San Diego. Members of the California Young Lawyers Association (CYLA) elected Eric Lifschitz of San Francisco and Rachael Cianfrani of Riverside to the CYLA board. Earlier, two candidates in Los Angeles, Katherine Hren and Sean Paisan, were deemed elected because they ran unopposed. Founded in 1927 by the State Legislature, the State Bar of California is an administrative arm of the California Supreme Court, serving the public and seeking to improve the justice system for more than 75 years. All lawyers practicing law in California must be members of the State Bar. In July 2005, membership reached more than 201,000. ---------- CANDIDATE STATEMENTS James N. Penrod City: San Francisco CANDIDATE FOR DISTRICT 4 2005 Board of Governors election Admitted to practice law in California: January 9, 1969 Public disciplinary history: None Disclaimer: Candidate's statements on this page were supplied by the candidates and have not been checked for accuracy by any official or employee of the State Bar. CANDIDATE'S STATEMENT EDUCATION: * UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY B.S. 1963 * GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOL J.D. 1967 BARS: * MEMBER, STATE BAR OF CALIFORNIA 1969 * MEMBER, STATE BAR OF NEW YORK 1967 EMPLOYMENT: * PARTNER, MORGAN, LEWIS & BOCKIUS SAN FRANCISCO, CA BAR ACTIVITIES: * FOUNDING MEMBER, BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE LITIGATION SECTION * BAR ASSOCIATION OF SAN FRANCISCO -- PAST CHAIR PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS: * MEMBER, AMERICAN COLLEGE OF TRIAL LAWYERS * FORMER MEMBER OF THE ACTL STATE COMMITTEE * MEMBER, AMERICAN BOARD OF TRIAL ADVOCATES * MEMBER, AMERICAN TRIAL LAWYERS ASSOCIATION * MEMBER, CONSUMER ATTORNEYS OF CALIFORNIA * MEMBER, ASSOCIATION OF BUSINESS TRIAL LAWYERS * CURRENTLY MEMBER OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF ABTL AND VICE CHAIR OF PROGRAMS COMMITTEE * MEMBER, AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION * MEMBER, BAR OF THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES AND NUMEROUS FEDERAL COURTS OTHER: * TRIED NUMEROUS AND DIVERSE CASES IN STATE AND FEDERAL COURTS IN CALIFORNIA AND OTHER STATES * NAMED CALIFORNIA LAWYER OF THE YEAR 2004 IN LITIGATION * LISTED IN BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA IN THREE CATEGORIES * LECTURED AND TAUGHT EXTENSIVELY ON ISSUES OF LITIGATION AND TRIAL IN THE UNITED STATES INCLUDING MANY CALIFORNIA CONTINUING EDUCATION OF THE BAR COURSES. * LECTURED AND TAUGHT IN BOLIVIA, EL SALVADOR, TUNISIA, GREECE AND JORDAN ON ISSUES OF TRIAL AND CASE RESOLUTION AND IN SUPPORT OF THE RULE OF LAW. I'M RUNNING ON THE BASIS OF MY BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE AND WILL NOT CONDUCT A CAMPAIGN. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Maria Carmen Ramirez City: Oxnard CANDIDATE FOR DISTRICT 6 2005 Board of Governors election Admitted to practice law in California: December 20, 1974 Public disciplinary history: None Disclaimer:Candidate's statements on this page were supplied by the candidates and have not been checked for accuracy by any official or employee of the State Bar. CANDIDATE'S STATEMENT Have you ever really noticed this phrase on your bar card? "Preserve and improve our justice system in order to assure a free and just society under law." It is a call to action. I have been acting on this call for my entire legal career. I wish to continue these efforts as your representative on the Board of Governors, for District 6. I believe in the mission of the State Bar to serve the profession, its members and the public, and ultimately the cause of justice in California. I have been an attorney since in 1974, after graduating from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles earlier that year. In 1975, I began a 23-year career as a legal aid attorney for poor families and individuals, first in Los Angeles County, then in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. Now I work for the Ventura Superior Court, coordinating a self-help legal access center, in Oxnard. I inform the public about the legal system, their rights, obligations and remedies and help them to find attorneys and to understand the process of representing themselves if they do not have an attorney or cannot hire one. I am active in the Ventura County Bar Association and State Bar. In 1998, I was President of the Ventura County Bar Association. I continue to be active in VCBA activities as well as other community organizations. I am on the Volunteer Lawyers Services Program and LRIS Committees, Inns of Court and I am a member Board of Directors of the Ventura County Trial Lawyers. I was Chair of the State Bar's Standing Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services, from 1999 to 2000, after serving as a member for several years. I have been a member of Ventura County's delegation to the Conference of Delegates for the 13 years. I have taught courses at our local law school. Because we lawyers are the only profession in California that has the privilege of regulating itself, we must be accountable to our members as well as being responsive to the public. I understand the demands placed on lawyers in today's extremely competitive and time-pressured practice of law. I also understand that people must have access to justice. It is fundamental to our democracy that people can resort to the Courts for a fair hearing about their problems, whatever the issue and whatever their status in our communities. And that lawyers be free to represent them zealously within the bounds of the Canons of Ethics. I will be a responsible and respectful representative for our District's members. I look forward to representing you. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Holly J. Fujie City: Los Angeles CANDIDATE FOR DISTRICT 7 (Office 1) 2005 Board of Governors election Admitted to practice law in California: November 29, 1978 Public disciplinary history: None Disclaimer: Candidate's statements on this page were supplied by the candidates and have not been checked for accuracy by any official or employee of the State Bar. CANDIDATE'S STATEMENT I am a shareholder in the firm of Buchalter, Nemer, Fields & Younger, and serve as the Administrative Chair of its Litigation Practice Group. I received my A.B. degree from U.C. Berkeley in 1975, and my J.D. in 1978 from Boalt Hall School of Law. I am running for the Board of Governors because I want to help the State Bar address the needs and concerns of the many diverse types of lawyers in Los Angeles County. Toward that end, I would reinstate the practice of regular meetings and communications between the District 7 Board of Governors members and the different geographical, ethnic and special interest bars in the County. Only by maintaining an open line of communications between the Board of Governors and those it represents can it be truly responsive to the needs of the lawyers of Los Angeles County. I also want to ensure that the State Bar is fiscally responsible and maintains a good working relationship with the State Legislature. I am committed to maintaining high professional standards for California lawyers and the independence of the judiciary. I pursue that commitment by serving as an Attorney Representative to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference , and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles chapter of the Federal Bar Association. I have also served on the Judicial Advisory Committee for the selection of federal judges for the Central District of California, advising the California U.S. Senators and the White House since 1992. I am committed to encouraging mentoring programs and practical education for young lawyers. Through various organizations, I have mentored a number of law students and young lawyers, and I have spoken at many continuing legal education programs. I serve on the Board of Directors of the Boalt Hall Alumni Association, and I believe that it is vitally important that we engage young lawyers in the activities of the State Bar. I am committed to increased diversity in the profession. I sit on the Board of Governors of the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles ("WLALA") and received its Distinguished Service Award in 2003. I sit on the Advisory Board of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Los Angeles, participate in the Multi-Cultural Bar Alliance and serve on the LACBA's Committee for Diversity in the Profession. I am committed to the goal of equal access to justice. Towards this end, I serve on the Board of Directors of Bet Tzedek, and chaired its 2004 Symposium on Judaism and American Law. I also served as Deputy General Counsel to the LAPD Rampart Independent Review Panel. I am committed to ensuring the fiscal responsibility of the State Bar, and to maintaining a good working relationship with the State Legislature. If elected, I will work towards making the State Bar aware of and responsive to the issues that are important to the lawyers of Los Angeles County. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ John P. McNicholas City: Los Angeles CANDIDATE FOR DISTRICT 7 (Office 2) 2005 Board of Governors election Admitted to practice law in California: January 10, 1963 Public disciplinary history: None Disclaimer: Candidate's statements on this page were supplied by the candidates and have not been checked for accuracy by any official or employee of the State Bar. CANDIDATE'S STATEMENT John P. McNicholas is a partner in McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP, Los Angeles, California. McNicholas and the firm represent consumers, individuals and groups of victims in wrongful death, toxic and catastrophic injury, mold exposure, product liability and medical product liability, wrongful labor and employment practices, civil rights, maritime law and Jones Act litigation and mass tenant-landlord actions. The firm includes son, Patrick McNicholas, daughter, Courtney McNicholas, and another son, Matthew McNicholas. John received a history degree from U.C.L.A (1958) and attended Loyola Law School in Los Angeles (1958-1962) before entering private practice in 1963. John has been a recognized leader of the trial bar for 42 years, with more than 250 jury verdicts and 30 reported appellate decisions to his credit. He has won jury verdicts and settlements involving copyright infringement, business litigation, medical malpractice, pharmaceutical, and aviation cases. Before founding the firm in 1993, he served as defense counsel in several prominent cases, including representation of former L. A. Dodger pitcher, Carlos Lopez, former U.S. Congressman, Andrew J. Hinshaw, Lindsay Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac, GTE Directories Corporation, Ayerst Laboratories and Wyeth Laboratories now known as American Home Products/Wyeth Pharmaceutical, and the late movie mogul, King Vidor. A Fellow of the American College Trial Lawyers (admission by invitation only) and a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers (also by invitation only), John holds the rank of Diplomate in the American Board of Trial Advocates and served as President of the Los Angeles Chapter in 1995. That same year he also received the Chapter's highly coveted Civility Award. He is a certified trial specialist in civil litigation by the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA). John was an Adjunct Professor of Trial Advocacy at Loyola Law School, Los Angeles (1991-1997). In 2001 he received the school's prestigious Board of Governor's Award for outstanding contributions to society, the practice of law, and service to Loyola Law School. In 2002 McNicholas was named one of the "Top 100 Most Influential Attorneys in California" by the Los Angeles Daily Journal. That same year the Los Angeles City Council presented McNicholas & McNicholas with a citation for the firm's many contributions to the City of Los Angeles. In 2005 Los Angeles Magazine named him to its roster of "Super Lawyers" in Southern California. John served on the State Bar's Judicial Nominees Evaluation Commission (the "Jenny" Commission) (1999-2002). He served as Lawyer Representative on the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference (1989-1992). He is a current member of the LACBA Judicial Elections Committee. John is a frequent lecturer and panelist on litigation, procedure, evidence and related trial subjects for programs sponsored by The State Bar of California, the Los Angeles County Bar Association and other specialty trial bar associations. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Danni R. Murphy City: Santa Ana CANDIDATE FOR DISTRICT 8 2005 Board of Governors election Admitted to practice law in California: December 11, 1986 Public disciplinary history: None Disclaimer: Candidate's statements on this page were supplied by the candidates and have not been checked for accuracy by any official or employee of the State Bar. CANDIDATE'S STATEMENT Many members of the State Bar don't know really what the bar does. They know what the Bar does 'to' them - test and discipline - but don't know what it does 'for' them and 'with' them. Also, there are differing opinions as whether the Bar's involvement is too little or too much. We need to make the Bar more relevant to the 21st Century as we review the way we regulate attorneys, and the manner in which we interact with the citizens of California. The best way to predict the future is to invent the future. We need more then just strategic plans; we must look at the structure of how we practice law and how we deliver services in the future. I want to work to preserve the independence of the bar. Last decade we witnessed the murky intermingling of the branches of government as the State Bar was forced to disassemble and claw its way back to relevance. We must work to improve the efficiency of the Bar's operation and look for ways to lower dues. And, we must work with the judiciary to improve the practice and the business of the practice of law. As a profession and as a bar, we cannot be reactionary anymore - we must be proactive. Change is opportunity, not a threat. Looking closely at Board governance to ensure a high impact Board is one way to ensure we invent the future. As a leader in the legal community, I will to continue to work for the legal community by representing all of us on the Board of Governors. I will work hard to enhance the reputation of the Orange County legal community, just as I always have, with enthusiasm, and energy. I am a long time leader in the legal community. I served as President of the Orange County Bar Association during its Centennial Celebration year in 2001. I served as an elected Director of the O.C.B.A. Board of Directors, and as an elected officer and member of the Executive Committee for over a decade. I have chaired many O.C.B.A committees, served on Boards of the Orange County legal charities and have been an active participant at the State Bar level. I am currently Supervisor and "Head of Court" of the Public Defender's South Justice Center Branch office. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Posted Jul 17 2005 4:23AM CEST     Username withheld , California   6. Task Force To Study Malpractice Coverage Disclosure     STATE BAR PRESIDENT APPOINTS TASK FORCE TO STUDY REQUIREMENT FOR LAWYERS TO DISCLOSE MALPRACTICE COVERAGE MEDIA CONTACT: Diane Curtis 415-538-2283 San Francisco, June 16, 2005 - State Bar President John Van de Kamp has appointed a task force to study whether the state should require California lawyers to disclose if they maintain professional liability insurance, and if so, how such a requirement should be accomplished. The 15-member Insurance Disclosure Task Force, chaired by James E. Towery, bar president in 1995-96 and former chair of the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Client Protection, will report to the state Supreme Court and the bar's board of governors. If the panel determines disclosure is necessary, it is charged with coming up with a plan to implement the requirement. "The ABA has passed a Model Rule calling for disclosure and requested all states to consider this issue. Independently, it's time for the California State Bar to address this as a client protection issue," said State Bar President John Van de Kamp. "In our discipline system, we see too many respondent lawyers who fail to carry insurance. As a result, clients turn to the State Bar's Client Security Fund, which all of our members pay for as part of our bar dues." The ABA passed the Model Court Rule on Insurance Disclosure last August, and similar requirements for lawyers have been adopted by 12 states. The ABA Model Rule requires lawyers to certify to the highest court of the state whether they are currently covered by professional liability insurance and state their intention to maintain insurance during the time they are engaged in the practice of law. Lawyers employed by government or as in-house counsel are exempt. Lawyers must give written notice to the court in the event that the insurance policy lapses. Under the ABA Model Rule, information in the certified disclosures is public and made available in a manner prescribed by the court. Failure to comply with the certification requirement results in administrative suspension from the practice of law, and false information subjects a lawyer to discipline. Until five years ago, state laws required California attorneys without professional liability insurance to disclose that fact in their written attorney fee contracts with clients. Those statutes expired in 2000 because of "sunset" provisions in the legislation. Appointees to the task force include lawyers from different segments of the bar, as well as representatives from the Legislature, the Supreme Court and consumer groups. The 15 members are: * James E. Towery, Hoge, Fenton, Jones & Appel, San Jose (Chair) * Mary Alexander, Mary Alexander & Associates, San Francisco * Chris Bjorklund, San Francisco * Kevin DeSantis, Butz, Dunn, DeSantis & Bingham, San Diego * Beth Jay, California Supreme Court, San Francisco * Drew Liebert, Assembly Judiciary Committee, Sacramento * Maralee MacDonald, Boutin Dentino Gibson Di Giusto Hodell Inc., Sacramento * Edith Matthai, Robie & Matthai, Los Angeles * Steven Mehta, Mehta & Mann, Valencia * Frank Pitre, Cotchett, Pietre, Simon & McCarthy, Burlingame * Russell Roeca, Roeca, Haas & Hager, San Francisco * Terrie Robinson, Sacramento * Francis S. Ryu, Law Offices of Francis S. Ryu, Los Angeles * Gene Wong, Senate Judiciary Committee, Sacramento * Dean Zipser, Morrison & Foerster LLP, Irvine. Founded in 1927 by the State Legislature, the State Bar of California is an administrative arm of the California Supreme Court, serving the public and seeking to improve the justice system for more than 75 years. All lawyers practicing law in California must be members of the State Bar. In June 2005, membership was more than 200,500. ### Posted Jul 17 2005 4:19AM CEST     Username withheld , California   5. The State Bar of California appointed seven attorneys to Judicial Council and ABA House of Delegates     STATE BAR APPOINTS ATTORNEYS TO JUDICIAL COUNCIL, ABA HOUSE OF DELEGATES MEDIA CONTACT: Diane Curtis 415-538-2028 San Francisco, March 14, 2005 - The Board of Governors of The State Bar of California has named seven attorneys to positions on the Judicial Council of California and the American Bar Association House of Delegates. Barbara J. Parker, 56, chief assistant city attorney in the advisory division of the Oakland City Attorney's Office, and Thomas V. Girardi, 65, partner in the Los Angeles firm of Girardi and Keese, will begin three-year terms on the 27-member Judicial Council in September. The council provides policy direction to the courts, the governor and the Legislature concerning court practice, procedure and administration. The council, a state constitutional agency, is made up of the chief justice of the state Supreme Court, 14 judges appointed by the chief justice, one member of the Assembly, one member of the Senate, four lawyer members appointed by the State Bar and six advisory members. The board of governors also appointed five California lawyers to two-year terms as State Bar representatives to the American Bar Association House of Delegates. Terms start at the conclusion of the ABA's annual meeting on Aug. 9. The delegates are: * Laura Farber, 39, a partner with Hahn & Hahn in Pasadena. * Ernestine Forrest, 56, a solo practitioner in Los Angeles. * Sandra L. Geiger, 34, an associate at Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Nicholson Graham in San Francisco. * John L. McDonnell Jr., 67, a member of the Oakland firm Reed Smith and former member of the ABA and State Bar's board of governors. * Jessica W. Wenzell, 30, an attorney with Hyundai Motor Company in Fountain Valley, who was appointed the State Bar's young lawyer delegate. Bert Z. Tigerman of San Francisco and Salvador Salgado of Los Angeles were named alternate delegates. The State Bar appoints a total of 11 members to the ABA's 546-member House of Delegates, the policy-making body of the association. Delegates, who meet twice a year, serve staggered two-year terms. Founded in 1927 by the State Legislature, the State Bar of California is an administrative arm of the California Supreme Court, serving the public and seeking to improve the justice system for more than 75 years. All lawyers practicing law in California must be members of the State Bar. In March 2005, membership reached more than 200,000. Posted Jul 17 2005 4:15AM CEST     Username withheld , California   4. 200,000 lawyers and counting - Quips from the California Bar Association     California State Bar reports that it has 200,000 lawyers in its membership list as of January 11, 2005. It trails New York in its membership. The 200,000 includes active and inactive lawyers licensed in the state whether they practice here or not, all California judges and the nearly 7,000 who find themselves on the "ineligible to practice" list for behaving badly. Another 35,337 other lawyers once were members of the California bar, but have either died, resigned or were disbarred. The huge lawyer population dwarfs every other state except New York, which leads the pack with 207,413 registered with that state's Office of Court Administration at the end of 2003. Another 7,000 or so have registered since, but the office has not compiled final figures for 2004. No other jurisdiction has numbers in the six figures — the closest are the District of Columbia (79,732), Florida (75,784), and Texas (74,675). The Los Angeles, the bar district has the most lawyers in the state — 53,678 as of Jan. 2o, 2005 Other tidbits: • Clara Shortridge Foltz, who passed the bar in 1879, was the first female listed on the membership rolls with bar number 2596. Foltz was a well-known suffragist and champion of women's rights. • The oldest active member of the bar today is Walter Carder of Berkeley, who will turn 99 next month. • 93-year-old Helen Shapiro of San Anselmo is the oldest active female member of the bar. • Last year, the bar presented special certificates to 388 attorneys who have been members of the State Bar of California in good standing for 50 years. • By January 1928, 9,521 attorneys had been admitted to the bar during its first year of existence. • Since 1978, the average age of new admittees every year has been either 30 or 31. The average age of active lawyers is 47. * UCLA has produced the largest number of undergraduates who became lawyers (17,039 or 8.51 percent), followed by UC Berkeley (15,161 or 7.57 percent). • When MCLE requirements for active lawyers were instituted, the number of "inactive" attorneys jumped dramatically. Posted Feb 20 2005 1:36AM CET   Images California State Bar reports that it has 200,000 lawyers in its membership list as of January 11, 2005   Username withheld , California   3. A former staffer appointed California State Bar Court judge     Bar prosecutor appointed State Bar Court judge A former Philadelphia police officer who became a State Bar prosecutor is the newest hearing judge on the State Bar Court. Richard A. Platel, 54, was appointed by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez and be-comes the first former bar staffer to move to the bar court since 1989. An assistant chief trial counsel, Platel was responsible for administration of the investigations division, supervising 60 people. He held a similar job in Philadelphia, where he was detective captain in charge of the investigations division prior to joining the district attorney's office. While working as a police officer, he attended Temple University at night, majoring in criminal justice and graduating summa cum laude. He attended Temple law school while working for the DA. As a former staffer sitting on the bar court, Platel will not face the usual six-month learning curve that faces other judges. Asked whether he becomes discouraged by the number of lawyers who wind up in the discipline system, Platel said he looks at that question from a different angle. Given that some 150,000 lawyers are in active practice, the number who are disciplined is actually quite small, he said. "I think that says a lot about California attorneys." Posted Feb 16 2005 5:09AM CET     Username withheld , California   2. The State Bar of California - Bar program for certifying legal specialists     San Francisco, February 11, 2004 — Press release The State Bar of California, the first bar in the country to establish a program for certifying legal specialists, announced today that 389 attorneys passed the August 17, 2003 Legal Specialist Examination. The overall pass rate was 71 percent. There are more than 3900 active State Bar certified legal specialists, with approximately 200 more on judicial service. The bar created the certification program in the early 1970s to help consumers find attorneys who have demonstrated ability and experience in specialized fields of law. Attorneys can be certified directly by the State Bar in eight areas of law: appellate; bankruptcy (personal and small business); criminal; estate planning, trust and probate; family; immigration and nationality; taxation; and workers' compensation. In addition, the State Bar accredits outside certification programs in business bankruptcy, consumer bankruptcy, and creditors' rights; elder law; civil, criminal, and family law trial advocacy; and accounting, legal, and medical malpractice. To qualify as a certified specialist, an attorney must be an active member of the State Bar, have substantial experience in the field, pass a written exam, complete approved legal education programs, and be evaluated by judges and other attorneys. Information about certification is available from the State Bar's Office of Certification, 180 Howard Street, San Francisco, 94105, 415-538-2120, or by visiting www.californiaspecialist.org. Founded in 1927 by the state legislature, The State Bar of California is an administrative arm of the California Supreme Court, serving the public and seeking to improve the justice system for more than 75 years. All lawyers practicing law in California must be members of the State Bar. In February 2004, membership reached more than 195,000, making it the largest state bar in the nation. ### Posted Mar 10 2004 8:54PM CET     Username withheld San Juan Capistrano, California   Page # 1 2

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