Misleading fee statement

Elliot Smith takes issue (January Letters) with the fee statement misleading people into believing they owe more for their state bar dues than they actually do. I agree completely with him but would also add that the lead story in this month’s eJournal also is appalling. The statement that active lawyers must pay $410 in bar dues is simply false. The amount that MUST be paid is $390. Again, this is an apparent attempt by the bar to make people think that non-required payments are actually required.

If a practicing attorney prepared a fee statement like this or sent out a statement to clients with such inaccurate information they could easily find themselves in ethical trouble. The fee statement should be changed and the story information corrected.

Bilenda Harris-Ritter
Maumelle, Arkansas

Where does the money go?

If this is the breakdown of our yearly fee -- $410 which includes $315 as the annual fee, $40 for the Client Security Fund, $25 for disciplinary activities, $10 for the Lawyer Assistance Program, $10 for a building fund and $10 for technology upgrades. What is done with the $315?

Adolph L. Visconti
Winnetka

• Editor’s note: 79 percent of the general fund underwrites the discipline office and the remainder funds activities such as legal services, media and information services, member records and professional competence.