David Cameron Carr urges California lawyers to restart a California State Bar Association. His article is titled, “President Kelly Explains it All To You…Almost" and is here:
http://kafkaesq.com/2013/03/02/president-kelly-explains-it-all-to-you-almost/
First graf: “For years I have been trying to correct the misapprehension, held by both lawyers and civilians, that there is some entity called the “State Bar Association” that acts as an advocate for California lawyers, that The State Bar of California is a government consumer protection agency.”
The article to which David is reacting is "What is the State Bar and What Does It Do?" by state bar president Patrick Kelly. The first graf of that article: "As I’ve traveled the state, I’ve been struck by the fact that some attorneys seem to have the incorrect impression that the State Bar is a professional “association” designed to serve the needs of its attorney members. This is often expressed through the question “What am I getting for my annual dues?” In fact, the State Bar is a judicial branch regulatory agency that oversees admissions, licensing, discipline and Minimum Continuing Legal Education of the more than 240,000 California attorneys. We are accountable to the Supreme Court and represent the people of the State of California. Perhaps the better question is “Are we adequately protecting the people of California?”"
[posted by John Steele; edited to add Patrick Kelly's article and first graf]
An independent bar association would only truly represent the employer class of attorneys. (See "State Bar: For employers, against employees" http://tinyurl.com/c59uuh )
Perhaps of greater serious interest is David's exposure of the California Bar's plans to restrict respondents' rights at the pleading stage. ( http://tinyurl.com/bvc4lqu )
I outline the legal theories necessary to oppose these measures in "The California State Bar seeks new oppressive pleading allowances" http://tinyurl.com/dyzd7c7 )
Posted by: Stephen R. Diamond | March 14, 2013 at 03:37 PM