Q&A: Craig Holden
talks about his passions and goals as president
|
Holden - Photo by S. Todd Rogers
|
Los Angeles attorney Craig
Holden presides over the State Bar Board of Trustees as the bar undergoes a management
change. Holden talks about that as well as his other goals for the coming year.
The State Bar recently had a change in top management.
What are the next steps to replace the executive director?
The board is considering appointing an interim executive
director while it begins the process for the selection and recruitment of a new
executive director, which will be announced shortly. Also, the board is
continuing its analysis and consideration of the appropriate
management/executive team structure to ensure that the important functions of
the State Bar are carried out effectively, efficiently, and in a manner
consistent with its obligations to the people of
California. During this period of transition, Deputy Executive Director Robert
Hawley is serving as acting executive director. The board has directed me to
work closely with Bob as he performs the executive function for the bar during
this period of transition.
What was the most gratifying case you’ve worked on as a
lawyer?
The most gratifying case I’ve worked on was a pro bono case
representing an elderly African-American woman who migrated from the Jim Crow South
and had purchased and owned a home in South Los Angeles free and clear. She was
preyed upon by people that took advantage of the fact that she was legally
blind. They had her sign documents that they misrepresented to her and that
resulted in the transfer of her property to total strangers. She lost her
largest asset in life. The ability to get her house back for her was probably
the most meaningful act I’ve done as a lawyer.
Your grandmother was an immigrant from Jamaica. Tell me
about her and the influence she had on your life.
My parents were both busy executives who worked long hours.
My grandmother emigrated from Jamaica so she could be there during our youth to
help guide and influence us. She was big on volunteerism. She always went out
of her way, even though she didn’t have to, to serve others. She imbued in me a
sense of volunteerism that I carry today, and that inspires my interest in volunteer
public service.
Let’s get to your year as State Bar president. What would
you like to accomplish?
I’m passionate about mentoring for young lawyers, supporting
pipeline diversity programs to increase diversity within the profession, and
finding and implementing innovative solutions that increase access to legal
services for those people with few or modest means. Those are my core areas of
focus but I also plan to engage discussions on how we can broadly define the
bar’s core mission of public protection – doing exceptional work in the area of
admissions and discipline and exploring how we can improve – and advocating for
increased funding for the judiciary. Those will continue to be fundamental
areas I will address during my term. We also need to continually evaluate how
we can improve our governance as a board, how we can improve in our oversight
of bar staff and the culture within the bar organization.
You mentioned mentoring. Who were some of your mentors
and how did they make a difference in your career?
I’ve been blessed with many mentors. I’ll get in trouble if
I leave someone off. They’ve ranged from Jewish to African-American to Japanese
and so many others. They were instrumental in giving me sage advice, guidance
and training. They’ve helped groom me into becoming a better lawyer. My mentors
have been really generous in that regard and I’d like to pay it forward.
What are some of the things you can do, that you think the
bar could do, in the area of mentorship?
Mentoring can be either formal or informal. There are
numerous mentoring programs out there. The challenge is finding mentors who
will give up their time since there is no lack of demand by mentees but there
is a dearth of mentors. I would like to canvass some of the best practices out
there and convene a group of experts to explore innovative ideas and solutions.
I think it’s important to see what programs are sustainable and can be
replicated and implemented throughout bar organizations, committees, councils and
commissions. Mentoring of young lawyers in particular is critical because of
the changes that we’re seeing in the profession. So many young lawyers are starting
their own firms without the benefit of traditional training, experience and
guidance from seasoned practitioners. So I think mentoring is critical for
young lawyers. On an informal level, everyone can engage in mentoring. It can
be over a cup of coffee. It can be a quick phone call with someone to give
advice or serve as a sounding board. I’ll be working with multiple bar
organizations, including the Sections and the California Young Lawyers Association, so I’m excited about partnering with them and what
we can accomplish.
You also mentioned diversity. Given the constraints that
the bar has in that area, what do you think the bar can do to promote
diversity?
We have to comport with the laws of the state, but in doing
so I think we can promote the rich diversity that this state has and the need
for a dialogue about diversifying our profession. There are organizations that
have developed terrific initiatives that take advantage of the rich diversity
of this state in helping students in early education, high school, college and
law school matriculate into the profession. Promoting and supporting those
initiatives, and exploring other innovative solutions, is one of the most
effective things we can do. As former chairman of the Council on Access &
Fairness, the State Bar’s diversity think tank, I have confidence in the
ability of the Council and its leadership to continue to develop winning
diversity and inclusion strategies. The California Minority Counsel Program is
another important organization that has been a leader on the diversity and
inclusion front, and I’ll continue to work with them and similar organizations
that have a commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion.
You mentioned your commitment to access to justice. What
do you think the bar can do in that area?
We have to be innovative and look at new solutions. The
legal profession’s going through a paradigm shift. There are a lot of bright
scholars out there who have identified solutions to the justice gap – not just
increasing legal services for the poor but also getting legal services for
those with modest means that are above the poverty line but still need lawyers
in life-critical areas but cannot afford them. The bar board will have to seriously
consider some of these creative and innovative ideas and how we may be able to
implement them. I chaired the working
group on the limited license concept, which was received favorably by the
bar board last year. I think that’s a good example of innovative solutions that
can be explored. The need is greater today because of increased poverty and
decreased funding. The more we can do with lawyers either volunteering time or
monetary contributions the more we can do to close the justice gap.
Especially now that you’re president – you have an
insanely busy schedule I’m sure – how do you blow off steam?
I get several hundred emails daily and it’s easy to get
buried, but I’m surrounded by terrific lawyers at my firm who are supportive
and that makes a big difference. As much as I love being a lawyer, getting away
from the law business during free time is critical. I work out regularly and
spend time with family and friends, all of which keeps me grounded.