A recap, and thanks
By Craig Holden
President, the State Bar of California
They say the true test of leadership is whether an
organization is better off when you leave. As I prepare to end my term this
month, I’d like to take the opportunity to thank those who have helped me serve
and highlight the positive and productive strides the State Bar has made.
Let me start with the most crucial decision the board has made
– ushering in new management and hiring a stellar new team in
Executive Director Elizabeth Rindskopf Parker, Chief Operations Officer Leah T.
Wilson and General Counsel Vanessa L. Holton. These three bring the skills and
experience we need to “raise
the bar” and move forward as an organization.
At a time when the legal profession is rapidly changing, the
bar as a regulatory agency needs to anticipate change and be ready to lead the
way. A solid management team is key to that effort.
We’ve accomplished many other things this past year, for
which I have many people to thank. I’ll highlight some here:
- I proactively advocated for reforms
across the organization, and the board embraced them, well before an audit
report that reflected a six-year look back on the organization, and issued
recommendations which we are implementing. I’d like to thank the entire board
for supporting and implementing these measures.
- We made the decision to invest in the historic San Francisco bar
headquarters so that it will be upgraded for the benefit of the many State Bar
employees and volunteers who do the work of the State Bar in close proximity to
our partners at the Supreme Court. The upgrades will also support a new group
of tenants.
- We reconstituted the Rules
Revision Commission which began a comprehensive revision of the Rules of
Professional Conduct. I’d like to thank Justice Lee Edmon for leading the
Commission, as well as all of those who serve on it.
- The Mentoring Task Force issued a preliminary
report calling for a pilot program to support new lawyers. I’d like to thank
Judge Marguerite D. Downing for chairing the task force, as well as everyone
who volunteered to serve on it.
- The board approved a strategic
plan for the organization, which will guide us into the future. Kudos to trustee
Heather Rosing for helping to marshal that process.
- I’ve promoted
several programs that help and encourage students from diverse backgrounds
to seek careers in the legal profession. I’d like to thank the Council on
Access and Fairness for its support and efforts to advance these initiatives.
- I’d like to thank the board for adopting the recommendations of the Civil Justice Strategies Task Force, designed to
increase access to justice for all Californians.
- I’ve trumpeted the positive
role lawyers play in society, in order to establish goodwill for the legal
profession and demonstrate that lawyers serve the public good.
- I’ve commissioned an effort to modify the annual fee statement to
clearly distinguish between mandatory and optional dues and make the fee
statement more user-friendly.
- We engaged in outreach to ensure immigrants are not preyed upon by non-lawyers and some lawyers with
false promises of helping them get legal citizenship. Special thanks to Trustee
David Torres for being at the forefront of this effort.
- I’ve advocated for increased court funding with our elected officials in
Sacramento.
- I’d like to recognize the Committee of Bar Examiners for advancing a
proposal to shorten
the bar exam from three days to two starting in 2017 after an intensive
study concluded it would save $1.1 million a year and maintain existing
pass/fail standards.
- The board supported efforts to increase funding for legal services for
the poor and those with modest means. Special thanks to Trustee and new board
President David Pasternak for helping lead
the way.
- I’d like to thank our court leadership for showing us the way, as well
as our elected officials in Sacramento for creating a true partnership with our
judicial branch agency.
- I'd like to thank my firm, Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith, and my family for supporting my public service.
- On a lighter note, I had the pleasure of hosting a group of elementary
students on a tour of the State Bar Court, where we held a mock trial to decide the
best dessert: ice cream or cake. The kids enjoyed both desserts after the
trial.
I’d like to conclude by thanking my colleagues for giving me
the opportunity to lead this past year and the entire State Bar staff of
consummate professionals who aided my efforts. What a year! It’s been a
valuable experience and one I won’t soon forget. As for the leadership test I
posed in the beginning, I’ll submit on this record and leave it for others to
decide.