May 3 hearing on 2-day bar exam, unaccredited schools

On Friday, May 3, the public will have an opportunity to give input on two proposals concerning the admission to practice law.

The Committee of Bar Examiners is considering changing the format of the California Bar Exam from three days to two days and changing some rules concerning law school accreditation. The changes would require unaccredited schools to become accredited within 10 years and allow distance learning schools to become accredited.

The forum will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the State Bar’s offices at 180 Howard St., San Francisco.

MCLE hearing set for May 8

The State Bar Board of Trustees’ Member Oversight Committee has scheduled a May 8 hearing to review Minimum Continuing Legal Education Requirements (MCLE).

From 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the committee will focus on legal education providers. From 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., the topic shifts to mode of delivery.

There will be an opportunity for public comment at each session. The information gathered may ultimately be used to develop a proposal for rule changes that would be submitted to the board.

SF Bay Area attorneys vote for new trustee

Voting for a new State Bar Board of Trustees member begins this month for attorneys who live in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Daniel Dean, 47, a San Francisco litigator, and Omid E. Talai, 30, an assistant district attorney with the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, are running in District 1, which covers Alameda, Contra Costa, Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Solano and Sonoma counties.

Ballots will be mailed April 30, and State Bar members have until July 1 to cast their votes, either electronically or by mail. Newly appointed and elected trustees will be sworn in for three-year terms at the State Bar Annual Meeting in October.

More information about the board elections can be found on the State Bar website.

Nominate a judicial officer for the access to justice award

The California Commission on Access to Justice is seeking nominations of California judges for the 2013 Benjamin Aranda III Access to Justice Award. The deadline is May 31. The award will be presented by the chief justice in the fall.

The Aranda award recognizes one California trial judge, appellate court justice, or commissioner for his or her efforts to improve access to our judicial system. The recipients have demonstrated a long-term commitment to equal access to the courts and have done significant work in improving access to the courts for low and moderate income Californians. The nomination form and additional information is available at the State Bar website. Contact Frank Monti, 415-538-2141, for questions or further information.

Nonprofits seek attorney board members

Attorneys interested in giving back to the community are invited to apply for vacancies on four legal services boards by May 24. The boards of directors of the California Indian Service and California Rural Legal Assistance are each seeking two new members. One position is open on the Board of Directors of the Legal Aid Society of Orange County and Community Legal Services in Southeast Los Angeles County, and one on the Board of Directors of the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles.

• California Indian Legal Services:  A nonprofit legal services corporation, CILS provides legal assistance to the rural poor. Two, three-year positions on the board, which meets four times a year, will be open starting Sept. 1. More information on CILS can be found at www.calindian.org. Eligible applicants must be State Bar members, support the purposes of the Legal Services Corporation Act and must be interested in delivering quality legal services to the poor.
• California Rural Legal Assistance: CRLA is recruiting for two vacancies for two-year terms. More information on the organization, which advocates for economic justice and human rights on behalf of California's rural poor, can be found at www.crla.org.
• Legal Aid Society of Orange County and Community Legal Services in Southeast Los Angeles County: LASOC/CLS is seeking applicants for a three-year term. Applicants must practice or reside in the area served by LASOC/CLS. More information about the organization can be found at www.legal-aid.com/.
• Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles: A three-year position on the board of LAFLA will be available starting July 1. The organization provides legal assistance to the poor and its board meets at least four times a year. Applicants should have a knowledge and interest in the delivery of legal services to the poor and can expect to spend considerable time raising funds for the organization. For more information on LAFLA, go to its website, www.lafla.org.

Attorneys interested in any of the appointments should send a letter stating the reasons that they want to serve, and a resume highlighting their professional experience and community activity to: Sarah Lindsey Chanrasmi, State Bar of California, Office of Legal Services, 180 Howard St., San Francisco, CA 94105 or sarah.chanrasmi@calbar.ca.gov. Applications will be reviewed by and recommendations will be solicited from the respective boards of directors. Questions can be directed to 415-538-2534.

Apply to serve on the JNE Commission

The State Bar is seeking active members of the bar, former members of the judiciary and members of the public to serve on the 2014 Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation (JNE Commission). The application deadline is June 3. The application form and information about the commission are available from the State Bar’s website or from the State Bar's Appointments Office, 415-538-2370.

Become a certified specialist

Start the process of becoming a board certified specialist in California by registering for the next exam administered Oct. 22, 2013.

The California Supreme Court created the specialist program to increase public protection by identifying attorneys who are specialists in key areas of law and by encouraging the highest standards of practice in the profession.

The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization offers the examination every other year in the following areas of law: admiralty, appellate, bankruptcy, criminal, estate planning, trust & probate, family, franchise immigration, legal malpractice, taxation and workers’ compensation.

Attorneys who have been practicing in the specialty area since January 2012 or earlier are eligible to register. Register early to guarantee your preferred test center site in either South San Francisco or Pasadena. Registration must be received by Sept. 10, 2013.

See the State Bar website to download an examination application and to learn more about preparatory materials and classes.

Significant changes to the law concerning construction-related disability access claims

Senate Bill No. 1186, authored by Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) and Senator Bob Dutton (R-Rancho Cucamonga), made significant changes to the law, some of which impose State Bar disciplinary consequences on lawyers. The bill contains an urgency clause, which means it was effective immediately upon enactment Sept. 19, 2012, but some of its provisions didn’t go into effect until Jan. 1. The bill includes the following provisions, all of which govern construction-related disability access claims:

• A general prohibition against sending a demand letter that includes a request or demand for money or an offer or agreement to accept money, effective immediately
• A revision to the existing mandatory written advisory that must be provided with a demand letter or complaint, effective immediately
• A requirement that a lawyer send a copy of a demand letter to the State Bar and the California Commission on Disability Access, effective Jan. 1.
• A requirement that a demand letter sent by a lawyer include the lawyer’s State Bar license number, effective Jan. 1.
• A requirement that a lawyer send a copy of a complaint to the California Commission on Disability Access, effective Jan. 1.
• A requirement that demand letters and complaints contain plain language sufficient for a recipient business or property owner to determine the basis of alleged violations, including: specific identification of each access barrier encountered; the date of the incident; and a description of how each barrier interfered with full and equal access, effective Jan. 1.
• A requirement that a complaint be verified by the plaintiff, effective Jan. 1.  A complaint filed without verification is subject to a motion to strike
• A reduction of statutory damages if specified conditions apply, effective immediately
• The establishment of procedures for a mandatory evaluation conference, effective as to claims filed on or after Jan. 1.

Help JNE move to paperless evaluations

The State Bar commission that evaluates the governor’s candidates for judgeships is seeking the help of attorneys to solicit information electronically.

For more than 20 years, the Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation, commonly known as the JNE (“Jenny”) Commission, has gathered information about candidates by mailing paper comment forms to attorneys. Over the past 18 months, the commission has experimented with the use of email to gather comments, but has encountered one barrier: the spam filter. While most of JNE’s emails reach their intended recipients, a significant number are blocked.

Attorneys can solve this problem by authorizing the spam filters serving their email address listed with the State Bar to accept the following email address: mailto:jneccf@calbar.ca.gov. Those who work in legal offices can help by asking their IT specialists to authorize the JNE email address for all spam filters serving office computers.

The electronic comment forms are identical to the written forms. A hyperlink in the email takes the commenter to a website where a form identical to the written comment form can be completed electronically. The electronic comments are maintained confidentially, with access only by investigating commissioners and staff. The use of email appears to result in response rates at least as high as the use of written forms, and it will save the State Bar tens of thousands of dollars a year in copying, stationery and postage costs.

Bar rules book available for e-Reader

To facilitate a lawyer’s ability to readily identify and address legal ethics issues, the State Bar has published an e-Reader version of the Rules of Professional Conduct and the State Bar Act. The e-Reader version of the rule book is compatible with the Kindle Reader App, a free e-Reader application available for iPads, iPhones, Blackberry phones, Android phones, Macbooks, and PC laptops. The book also works on all versions of Amazon.com’s Kindle.

The 2012 edition of the e‑Reader version of the rule book can be purchased at Amazon.com for $6.99, a significant discount from the price of the hardcopy book. It offers several useful features including a search function, bookmarking, highlighting and annotating. In addition, once downloaded to a tablet, smart phone or other compatible device, the book can be accessed at any time, even without an Internet or cellular data signal.

The bar’s rule book has been published for more than 65 years. The 30-page edition published in 1949 has grown to 411 hard copy pages. In addition to the rules and State Bar Act, the book includes other related authorities such as selected Rules of Court, code sections, the Federal Mortgage Assistance Relief Services Rule, the State Bar Pro Bono Resolution, the Lawyer Referral Service rules, MCLE rules and more.

Legal ethics and technology resource page is online

The general Ethics Information page at the State Bar website has an area dedicated to Ethics and Technology ― a collection of resources that address professional responsibility issues raised by the use of websites, email, chat rooms and other technologies. The resources include advisory ethics opinions, articles and MCLE programs.

Most of the resources are internal links to other pages on the bar’s website and some are external links to local or specialty bar associations. The page is organized both by the type of resource (ethics opinion, article, etc.) and by subject matter (law firm websites, electronic files, social networking, etc.).

The service focuses on providing basic legal research leads on how the rules apply to new technologies rather than specific law office systems, hardware or software options. For the latter, the resources of the State Bar’s Law Practice Management & Technology Section can be considered.

Register a law corporation

Law corporations are required to register with both the California Secretary of State and the State Bar of California under Corporations Code §13404. Registration requirements are set forth in Business & Professions Code §§6160 and 6161.

Rules and application materials are available on the State Bar website. Information required to register a law corporation includes:

• Proof of registration with the Secretary of State
• Submission of bylaws and a sample share certificate containing the appropriate restrictions on share ownership
• A completed application that reports all the attorneys who are associated with the corporation
• Submission of the Guarantee for Claims in the appropriate amount
• A Declaration of Compliance with Rule 1-400

Limited Liability Partnerships providing legal services are also required to register with the State Bar. If not registered, attorneys should be particularly aware of California Corporations Code § 16306(f), which specifically removes the protection from liability for claims based upon legal work.

Prior to registering with the Secretary of State, it is advisable to check with the State Bar to ensure that the entity name complies with rules and has not already been registered. Additional information is available at the Law Corporations page, LLP page, or the Law Office Management page. Assistance is available at LLP@calbar.ca.gov.

Create a surrogacy agreement

An “Agreement to Close Law Practice in the Future” is available on the State Bar website for attorneys who want to plan for the possibility they will not be able to continue to work. The sample agreement, available to all lawyers, spells out the responsibilities of the primary attorney and his or her successor in the case of death or incapacity.

If a lawyer designates a successor using the new sample contract, the designated surrogate goes to court for appointment as the practice administrator who can take control and dispose of the practice. A lengthy list of duties is part of the contract and includes the ability to open mail, become a signatory on bank accounts, notify clients and transfer files, pay bills and handle funds, and accept the original attorney’s clients and cases. The practice administrator also will have the power to sell the practice.

Feeling stressed? The Lawyer Assistance Program can help

Attorneys struggling to cope with the stress of a challenging economic environment or a difficult employment situation are invited to contact the Lawyer Assistance Program (LAP), which now offers new support programs in addition to its traditional help with substance abuse and depression. Support is offered for issues like stress, relationship and personal problems, grief and anxiety.

The LAP is designed for attorneys who might wish to participate in a weekly group with other lawyers and would like the support of a mental health professional (group facilitator) or a trained peer counselor who is familiar with attorneys’ particular challenges.

The LAP also offers an Orientation and Assessment (O&A) to any attorney who wants professional assistance to cope with personal problems, work problems, substance abuse or other mental health issues. The O&A provides a confidential assessment completed by one of the LAP clinicians located throughout the state. Referrals to outside resources and an opportunity to participate in a LAP group for a short period of time also are provided. There is no fee for this service.

Interested attorneys should call 877 LAP 4 HELP (877-527-4435) or contact LAP@calbar.ca.gov. All calls are confidential.

Membership benefits from CalBar Connect

State Bar members can save up to 25 percent every time they rent with Hertz, a participant in CalBar Connect, the State Bar’s member services and benefits initiative. Visit the Hertz page for details.

CalBar Connect, which provides discounts to all State Bar members, also offers a variety of insurance plans including Professional Liability Insurance, Workers’ Compensation Insurance, Group and Individual Disability plans, Life Insurance, AD&D, Auto, Home and Business Office plans.

Opt out of lists

Attorneys who wish to remove their names from lists the State Bar provides to qualified outside entities may do so by logging on to My State Bar Profile. Go to “Account Information” and select “Update my mailing preferences (opt out).”