If you happen to be back at work after the holiday, here is a news story that may have an impact on your law practice. And just to be sure it catches your attention, it involves the Internal Revenue Service.

The news came by way of the State Bar of Arizona, and it opens like this:

“The IRS is about to start complicating life for some attorneys.”

“Starting January 1st, attorneys who accept credit cards need to make sure that the names on their merchant accounts match the ones the IRS has on file. Some attorneys may have used abbreviations or acronyms when they opened their accounts.”

“If there is not an EXACT match between the information provided to the credit card processing company and the information on file with the IRS, there may be serious consequences.”

Read the complete article here.

Have you paid your annual bar dues yet?

Easy, easy: I’m not getting all judgmental on you; in fact, I haven’t paid mine yet either. But it occurs to me we all could use a reminder.

Every January since I first started paying bar dues in California, back in 1993, I’ve had this awful sensation that I would forget to pay those dues, which would subject me to the penalties that only the bar could inflict. And now in 2013, I continue to have the same worry, and so I have my “system” to be sure I don’t forget: 

• I place numerous reminders in my electronic calendars.
• I do the same on a few hard-copy calendars.
• I often tack a copy of my dues statement to my office wall.
• Finally, I set my dues-announcement envelope in a conspicuous place—usually dead-center on my desk. (See photo below for the current placement.)

I admit it: There is something rather neurotic about opting to ignore the easiest and most fool-proof of techniques, namely: Just pay the damned thing the day it arrives. 

Hmmm. Well, as long as I’m stretched out on your couch, I guess I’d admit that it would annoy me to pay the dues amount too early, when it arrives in December. Why send in the fee before I need to?—even though the amount merely sits in my non-interest-bearing checking account, accruing nothing in that month of nonpayment. 

Just stubborn, I guess. 

But that’s why I—and maybe you—need the reminders. In Arizona too, bar dues are due on or before February 1. And the State Bar of Arizona has a pretty handy set of resources to make sure you remember to pay, and to answer any questions you might have. 

So whether you’re paying today or January 31 (not recommended), bookmark this page. It is your portal to useful information. And when you log in as an Arizona Bar member, you can handle tasks like checking your address and paying your dues quite easily.

On that page you’ll also see a link to detailed instructions, some FAQs, membership categories and deadlines, and an easy change of address page.

I assure you: That approach far surpasses my own of staring balefully at a window envelope sitting in dominion on my desk for 60 days.

Recently, the State Bar of Arizona made the paperless plunge—declining to provide written materials at continuing legal education seminars.

What do you think of this paperless initiative as it applies to CLEs? I’ve heard from a few attorneys who think it’s a way for the Bar to offload printing costs to members. But, in my experience, that view is in the minority. The mass of people I’ve spoken with said things like, “About time” and “No big deal.”

Do you agree? Is the Bar correct to get on the sustainability bandwagon? The move has to save thousands upon thousands of printed pages every year. Is that positive enough to offset a few inconvenient negatives?

What follows are a few of the Bar’s frequently asked questions. Be sure to read all of them here.

1.     Since there are no hard copies to pick up, how will I get my materials?

You will receive an email prior to the seminar containing a link to your materials. If you prefer to take a printed copy to your seminar, please print it before you arrive at the seminar. No hard copies will be available for pick up at the seminar. 

2.     Which email address will materials be sent to?

Materials will be sent to your email address on file with the Bar.  Please make sure your email is updated with the Bar to ensure receipt of the materials.

3. What if I want a hard copy of the seminar materials?

A limited number of hard copies will be available for an extra charge.

4. I’m already paying to attend the seminar, so why do I need to pay for printed materials?

As a cost-saving measure, as well as to move forward with the SBA’s green initiatives, the CLE department is providing registrants their seminar materials in an electronic format. The advantage of “going green” serves multiple benefits:

• Allows the Bar to keep registration fees at the 2008 price;
• No more lugging around materials;
• Easy access to materials.

5. If I want to purchase a hard copy of the seminar materials, how much will it cost?

Prices for hard copy materials will be between $20 – $40, depending on the manual.

Last week I wrote about a paperless initiative of the State Bar of Arizona. As part of it, the Bar will no longer print hard copies of CLE materials.

As you might guess, I got an earful—though a good number of Arizona lawyers told me they supported the move.

One question that arose in the blog comments (where the good stuff usually lies) was in regard to the ability to annotate the electronic materials. After all, we’re all used to marking up our printed materials during the CLE presentation. What do we do if we are gazing at a PDF, and we con’t happen to own Adobe Acrobat Pro?

A blog post by Nicole Black this week provides some solutions for those accessing the PDFs on an iPad. She points to a few rather inexpensive tools that will have you commenting and noting before you know it. As she says, the four tools “are just a few of the many apps available for reading, storing, organizing, and marking up PDFs and other documents on your iPad.”

You can read her post at Lawyerist, here.

Reunion of graduates of the State Bar of Arizona Bar Leadership Institute, Jan. 24, 2013, Phoenix, Ariz.

Last evening, the State Bar of Arizona hosted its first BLI Reunion. It’s the first such event since the Bar Leadership Institute was launched five years ago.

Since then, those five graduating classes of lawyers have become embedded in significant leadership positions within the Bar. More information on the BLI is here.

Last night’s mingling event was at the downtown Phoenix Sheraton, and it was a success from start to finish. Noteworthy is the camaraderie felt among all of the graduates, who clearly benefit from and enjoy the fellowship of their colleagues.

The event also featured a few (brief) speakers. They were BLI grads who shared a little about the exciting projects in which they are involved. More on that later, but for now, let me mention Ann-Marie Alameddin, who discussed a pro bono legal information clinic she manages; we may cover her work, and that of others, in an upcoming issue of Arizona Attorney Magazine.

Have a great weekend. Here are a few more photos.

Last Thursday, John Phelps wrote candidly about violence against lawyers in an Arizona Republic op-ed.

John is the CEO/Executive Director of the State Bar of Arizona. Here is how he opened his editorial:

“The murders of Phoenix attorney Mark Hummels and his client Steven D. Singer are part of an unsettling trend in the legal world. Threats and violence are on the rise.”

John Phelps

“In the same week that Hummels was murdered, a prosecutor in Texas, Mark Hasse, was also gunned down. Last year, an attorney in Yuma, Jerrold Shelley, was shot and killed by a man upset over a divorce.”

You can read his complete editorial here.

John goes on to discuss Steve Kelson, a Utah lawyer who has researched instances of violence against lawyers all across the country. (He is in the beginning steps of his process to do the same in Arizona in 2013.) The statistics Keslon reports in John’s op-ed are startling and should give us pause.

In his conclusion, John reminds us of attorneys’ highest duties: “Mark Hummels died after leaving a mediation. His death was the result of trying to find resolution. He died fulfilling Cicero’s belief that ‘we are all servants of the laws in order that we may be free.’”

“Our thoughts and prayers go to Mark and Steve Singer’s family, friends and co-workers.”

News screen grab (referring to shooter Arthur Harmon)

UPDATE: This morning, a shooting in Delaware highlighted the flash point that the legal system can be. News reports indicate that multiple people were killed when a gunman opened fire at a security checkpoint in a Wilmington courthouse. Identities of those killed and hurt have not yet been announced. But the final paragraph of the news article is revealing: “Wilmington Police Chief Christine Dunning, attending a roundtable on gun violence with Vice President Joe Biden and other law enforcement officials in Philadelphia, declined comment on the shooting and deferred to officials on the scene in Wilmington.”

Mark Hummels with his children at the Grand Canyon

I did not intend this week’s posts to focus entirely on violence against lawyers and in the legal profession (and they won’t). But I could not let a heartfelt tribute to lawyer Mark Hummels pass without comment.

A few days after Mark was gunned down along with a client, I wrote about the tragedy. And then, yesterday, I wrote about an Arizona Republic op-ed by John Phelps, State Bar of Arizona CEO.

And even as I write this, we are learning more about a tragic shooting at a courthouse in Wilmington, Delaware. Violence related to the legal profession is an ongoing story.

Today, I urge you to read a moving article by reporter Jenna Greene. As the essay indicates, she attended journalism school with Mark Hummels, and so her insights even precede his work as a lawyer. For the article, Greene interviewed State Bar of Arizona President Amelia Craig Cramer.

State Bar of Arizona President Amelia Craig Cramer

(I wrote just last Thursday about more coverage by Jenna Greene.)

Here is how she opens her article:

“In my journalism school class at the University of California, Berkeley, there were a few in-your-face, abrasive people, the type who seemed to enjoy confrontation.”

“Mark Hummels was not one of them. I remember him as unflappable, sunny and kind, someone who listened more than he spoke. He rode a unicycle and played the ukulele.”

“He was possibly the last person I would expect to be the victim of a murderous rampage.”

Read her complete tribute here.

Follow all Jenna Greene’s updates here.

Mark Harrison

Last week we heard some great news about an Arizona lawyer from the national organization Justice at Stake.

Mark Harrison is a member at Osborn Maledon, as well as the board chairman of Justice at Stake. On February at the midyear meeting of the American Bar Association in Dallas, he was given the 2013 Burnham “Hod” Greeley Award.

As a press release indicates, he was honored “for making a significant, positive impact on public understanding of the role of the judiciary in a democratic society.”

Justice at Stake is committed to aiding the judiciary. It “promotes increased public awareness of the need for a fair and impartial judiciary.” As the organization describes itself:

“Justice at Stake is a nonpartisan, nonprofit campaign working to keep America’s courts fair and impartial. Justice at Stake and its 50-plus state and national partners educate the public, and work for reforms to keep politics and special interests out of the courtroom—so judges can protect our Constitution, our rights and the rule of law.”

Gavel Grab adds a mention that Harrison “has worked as president of Justice for All, a nonprofit group dedicated to preserving a strong and impartial judiciary in Arizona.”

But … am I missing something? Unmentioned in the accolades is the fact that Mark was once the President of the State Bar of Arizona. Sure, Justice at Stake writes that he “led the local Bar with distinction,” but who the heck is that “local bar,” anyway? It was the SBA.

Maybe the omission signals a reduced “wow” factor associated with being a state bar president. But that would surprise me. I know that folks at Mark Harrison’s level have a drawerful of accolades and high-level experience. But even given that, bar president on the state level usually merits a mention.

And why not mention it? Isn’t the mentioning the only real payoff for the work of leading a bar? Remember, the days of a bar president are littered with meetings regarding section revenues, and lunches with tiny civic organizations, and information-sharing trips to exciting venues like Dallas or Duluth or a legislative grilling chair. After all that work, why not drop the title occasionally?

In any case, congratulations to Mark Harrison. We at the local bar look forward to continuing to collaborate with him on important issues.

A few of the Bar Flys smile after completing the P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon, January 2013.

News from the State Bar of Arizona:

“State Bar members, employees, Arizona law school students, and Arizona law school faculty members—83 in all—successfully participated in P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Marathon and Half Marathon ‘Get Fit Challenge.’ This year’s ‘Bar Flys’ team was the largest group participating in the Corporate Medium category.”

Thank you, as always, to Bar Counsel David Sandweiss, who leads the Bar Flys Team. He told me that this year, they had more law student participants than ever. Well done.

For more detail and a list of all the hardy runners, keep reading here.

The State Bar’s electronic newsletter dedicated to technology items has just come out in its winter 2013 issue. As I’ve mentioned before, this quarterly news source provides a wide variety of headlines on topics that may affect your law practice.

Among the stories is a lead item on addressing the digital accounts of the dead.

If you’re interested in the topic, you should turn to the current Arizona Attorney, where Rex Anderson writes on digital assets in estates.

And while you’re at it, do you like how we transformed this month’s Facebook profile picture for Arizona Attorney? The image is below (click to make it bigger and look closely). (We like to change the image every month depending on our cover story.)

Volunteer lawyers counsel veterans at the 2013 Arizona StandDown. (photo: Alberto Rodriguez)

Today, I share some great news from the State Bar of Arizona, as communicated by my colleague Alberto Rodriguez. Congratulations and thank you to all the Arizona lawyers who participated:

On Friday, March 8, and Saturday, March 9, the State Bar of Arizona and 24 of its members participated in the 2013 Arizona Veterans StandDown. The State Bar and volunteer attorneys joined several service providers at the three-day event that offered a variety of health and human services to homeless and at-risk veterans in our state. Volunteer attorneys from across the valley fielded legal questions via one-on-one consultations with veterans seeking legal advice.

Volunteers Roger Ferland and Kay at the 2013 Arizona StandDown. (photo: Alberto Rodriguez)

The “Civil Law Clinic” organized by the State Bar offered legal consultations by members who practice Family Law, Bankruptcy/Foreclosure/Tax Law, Elder/Mental Health Law, and Real Estate/Landlord & Tenant Law.

Volunteer attorneys provided 322 consultations during the two-day civil law clinic for the 254 veterans who were seen. In addition, many attorneys offered pro-bono legal services to veterans who needed representation.

The following is a list of committed attorney and logistics volunteers:

Attorney Volunteers:

Jennifer Alewelt

Jennifer Boucek

Steven Clark

Stasy Click

Kristen Coyne

Patrick Derksen

Ben Dodge

Tracy Essig

Meredith Flori

Kirk A. Guinn

Stacey L. Johnson

Harry Keidan

Cynthia Kelley

Katherine Kraus

Joseph W. Kruchek

Alyssa Medina

Bill Miller

Judy M. Miller

Kay A. Nehring

Louis G. Parker

Jane Proctor

Ryan Scott

Charles Sears

Gosia M. Zawislak

Logistics Volunteers:

Ann Bean, Dodge & Vega

Roger Ferland, MLAC Chair

Donene Olmstead, Dodge & Vega

Kay Nehring, Nehring Law Office

Veteran Edward Cook, alongside a photo of his younger self, at the 2013 Arizona StandDown. (photo: Alberto Rodriguez)

The State Bar of Arizona’s annual Minority Bar Convention will occur next week, on April 4 and 5. Presented by the Committee on Minorities and Women in the Law, it will be held at the Desert Willow Conference Center in Phoenix (map below).

Kathleen Nalty

Among the speakers will be Kathleen Nalty, “an expert in helping organizations develop inclusion strategies to eliminate hidden barriers to success for female and diverse employees.”

You can read more about Nalty and her work here.

More information on the Minority Bar Convention is here.

Register online here.

Are you still on the bubble as to whether to attend this week’s Minority Bar Convention? Well, let me tell you about a rousing lecture delivered last night. It was by a journalist, not a lawyer, but it communicated eloquently the value to a profession of a focus on diversity and inclusion.

Gwen Ifill speaks at the ASU Cronkite Journalism School, April 1, 2013.

Gwen Ifill, managing editor and moderator of the PBS news show “Washington Week,” gave a public lecture last night at the downtown Phoenix Arizona State University campus. Her topic was “Diversity and Inclusion in the News.”

Last year, I had the opportunity to view Ifill in action as she covered the GOP Presidential Debate in Mesa. Moving from speaker to speaker in the spin room, she asked pointed queries, always seeking to illuminate her audience with the content, rather than with her own presence. (See more of my debate-followup photos here.)

Gwen Ifill interviews Gov. Jan Brewer following the GOP debate, Mesa, Ariz., Feb. 22, 2012

As I listened to Ifill’s remarks at ASU last night, I was thinking about the State Bar’s own Minority Bar Convention, slated for later this week. Ifill aimed her speech to the mass of Cronkite Journalism School students in the room. Clearly, the legal profession is not the only one in which the topic is a welcome consideration. Her presentation was the perfect entrée to a lawyer event dedicated to diversity and inclusion.

First, some background about Ifill and her work.

“Washington Week” is the longest-running prime time news and public affairs program on TV. Ifill also is senior correspondent for “PBS NewsHour.” She also appears frequently as a guest on “Meet the Press.” As the ASU Cronkite website continues:

“Her appearance is sponsored by the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication as part of an ASU award given to the school last year in recognition of its efforts to advance diversity and inclusion. The inaugural Institutional Inclusion Award included a grant to fund the visit under the university’s Diversity Scholar Series, a biannual event designed to stimulate conversations about diversity, social justice and policy making.”

At ASU on Monday, Ifill described her own path to the highest-profile newsrooms in America. She explained how she grew up to be someone who believes diversity and inclusion are “needed for the profession, for politics, for society and for our general national health.”

But “how in the world did a little black girl get it in her head to be a journalist?” Ifill mused. Well, she liked to write, and early on was drawn to believe that news organizations had an obligation to present the truth. That belief played out in her own relationship with a nonjournalist—St. Nick.

She was 9 years old and had grown skeptical about the reality of Santa Claus. Seeing her waver, Ifill’s dad presented her with their daily newspaper, on the cover of which was a wire story purporting to show Santa Claus himself winging his way to their community. That was enough for her.

“I believed again. It was in a newspaper; how could it not be true?”

The reality of news organizations was a different animal entirely. She recalled approaching her desk as an unpaid worker at a major daily newspaper, where she found a piece of paper with the scrawled words, “Nigger go home.”

So surprised was she that she reported her first reaction as thinking, “I wonder who this is for?” But then she took it to her bosses and let them know that it was unacceptable. Though they knew which aging newspaperman had written the message of hate, he would remain in the newsroom. But they offered Ifill a job.

“It’s not how you get in the door,” said Ifill. “It’s what you do when you get through it.”

She said that her entire career is based on the belief that journalists have a special responsibility to “get it right.” And doing that is near-impossible, she said, if you decide it’s unimportant to hear from multiple voices.

She recounted her interview with a young senator from Illinois after he delivered a major Democratic Convention speech. And she admitted that the historic nature of the moment escaped her as she wrangled the questions, the timing and all the technology that goes into a modern convention interview—this one with a younger Barack Obama.

“Change happens while we’re not paying attention,” she said. “Transformation occurs under our noses.”

On the topic of race—and of diversity and inclusion generally—Ifill saw it often in presidential politics.

“Sometimes race helps, and sometimes it hurts. But race always matters.”

Ifill stressed the value of diversity to the journalism profession. For her, it is not an “add-on” or a luxury.

The job of the reporter, she said, aligns with the goals of diversity: Open the doors wider. Listen harder.

When she covers a story, Ifill said, “I feel responsible to hear as many points of view as possible. And I want a newsroom with as many different points of view and understandings as possible.”

“Diversity is not just about race or any subset of the population. It’s how you tell the story more fully.”

 “What we get by welcoming diversity and inclusion, by rewarding difference, is simply our salvation as a profession.”

Finally, Ifill said that she is as disappointed as anyone by the rancor in public debate. In contrast, she said that a PBS segment in which Mark Shields and Paul Gigot disagree amicably is one of the most popular segments of the “PBS News Hour.” People clearly yearn for that.

“I am discouraged by the way we all retreat to our corners and only listen to those who agree with us. That’s not healthy. We’re all longing for civility in public conversation, even when there’s disagreement.”

“That, too, is diversity.”

The profession of journalism is not the profession of law, so strict parallels cannot be drawn. Nonetheless, I am struck by alignments, such as: professions in crisis; declining trust among and little perceived relevance to outsiders; declining interest among those choosing professions; occasional tone-deaf leaders who prefer to hear from only traditional voices.

Those characteristics cannot be the path to salvation—for any profession.

Once more, then, here is the link to the Minority Bar Convention.

And here is a link to photos of Ifill’s visit, via the Facebook page of the the National Association of Black Journalists–Arizona State University Collegiate Chapter.

Abraham Lincoln would want you to share news of the State Bar’s great Law Day event. (painting by John Holcomb)

The State Bar of Arizona has a rich tradition of participating in Law Day, that annual national event reminding all of us how valuable the rule of law can be. And this year, they continue that commitment.

I have been privileged to moderate the Bar’s Law Day event a few times. In 2008, our topic was judicial merit selection, and we had a blast with a talented panel of speakers who are lawyers and judges. When I moderated, I had the chance to ask challenging questions that (I hope) led panelists to explore the topic fully.

I recall being offered a deep scowl when I devil’s-advocated a former Bar President panelist with the question, “So why not sign on to Senate confirmation of judges? Our current system came from Missouri, not from Moses.”

The next year, I was the moderator of our program centered on the screening of competing Law Day videos created by high school students. Much of it is a blur, but I do recall that I wore a beard and stovepipe hat to honor Abraham Lincoln. (Good times. No photo survives.)

So my Law Day affection is deep and abiding, and that’s why I am looking forward to this year’s offering by the Bar (no moderating required).

The Bar’s events will occur on Saturday, April 27, and they aim to provide the highest possible testimony to the value of our legal system—by providing actual legal information to those who need it most.

The very ambitious programming will cover four-plus legal topics, and the information will be provided at five locations around the Valley and in Tucson. There will be no charge.

More information on the clinics is here, or contact my colleague Alberto Rodriguez at 602-340-7293 or alberto.rodriguez@staff.azbar.org.

And if any lawyer-readers want to participate by offering her or his services, for one session, a half-day or (dare I ask it?) a full day, also contact Alberto. He is seeking lawyers who can provide information in the following focus areas: landlord/tenant; immigration (there will be sessions in both Spanish and English); divorce, child support and paternity; and bankruptcy and foreclosure. 

Abe Lincoln would have been proud.

And for those who join me in being pleased at the Bar’s commitment to legal services and the value of lawyers and law, let me share one anecdote that I read at my Law Day moderator gig in 2008:

“During the Suez Invasion of 1956, the British Prime Minister was careful to exclude opinions that disagreed with his approach. He specifically instructed that Sir Gerald Fitzmaurice, the very distinguished Legal Advisor to the Foreign Office, and who had strongly and consistently advised that the British action was unlawful, should not be informed of developments: ‘Fitz is the last person I want consulted. The lawyers are always against our doing anything. For God’s sake, keep them out of it. This is a political affair.’”

That quality—of independent and honest counsel—is more valuable and more in need than ever before. Remember to share around the Bar’s Law Day agenda and encourage participation.

Here is a challenge I offer to you today: Share a law-related item via social media or email.

Whoa, pretty easy, right? I bet you thought I was going to ask for some major heavy lifting. Instead, it is a simple click, share, send, done.

The item is connected to a topic I covered before: a State Bar of Arizona Law Day event that will offer free legal information to those who need it.

Really, truly, honestly free. The information will be provided by generous Arizona attorneys who know that the gap between legal services and people who need them is too, too wide. Those volunteers are offering their time pro bono to help shrink the gap just a bit.

All of the pertinent details are here. If you share nothing else, send this link to anyone you know who may be able to use it. As the State Bar says:

“The 2013 Law Day Legal Aid Clinics will serve as a free legal resource where members of communities from across the Valley and Tucson can attend information sessions on a variety of legal topics.”

“The information sessions will be conducted by volunteer lawyers and will last 90 minutes. Lawyers will provide guests with a presentation on a specific legal topic, as well as reserve time for a question and answer period. Guests can participate in one or more sessions at one of the five partner locations.”

Are you connected via social media or email to any groups that could benefit? Send it their way. Post it on your Facebook timeline. Share it on your neighborhood association listserv. Ask your firm administrator to post it prominently.

Your sharing news of Saturday’s event can help guarantee its success. Possible attendees have to be informed about the locations, the topics, the opportunity on offer. Success of the event, as measured by attendance and questions answered, will help ensure that it can be done—again and again.

For at least a part of the morning, I will be at the event staged at Phoenix’s Burton Barr Central Library. I want to hear some of the information offered, and I want to thank the lawyers who are offering it—and their Saturday.

I hope to see you and your friends there. And if you missed that link, here it is again.

The McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park was the site of the first annual YLD picnic.

You’ve got to love it when a plan comes together.

That must have been what the State Bar of Arizona Young Lawyers Division thought this past Sunday, when a large group of attorneys—and their families—gathered for a picnic and networking.

The venue was the McCormick–Stillman Railroad Park in Scottsdale, and all reports are that the kids (and those who are kids at heart) had a great time. For those for whom the evocative blast of a railroad horn is not a draw, here’s what else was available: food, games, bouncy houses, cotton candy, chair massages.

Yes, I said chair massages (which probably felt great after time inside the bouncy houses).

The event wouldn’t have been possible without the support of a few corporate sponsors:

• Geico
• John Driscoll & Company, Inc.
• Thomson Reuters

There are some more photos of the event (courtesy of my colleague Lisa Bormaster) at the Arizona Attorney Facebook page.

Picnic attendees chat with representatives from sponsor John Driscoll & Company.

State Bar employees Mirna Lerma, Ayde Gutierrez, Sulema Bucio and Mabel Ramirez at the TV studio for A Su Lado.

I regularly share updates from my State Bar of Arizona colleague Alberto Rodriguez, especially as they relate to the Lawyers on Call program. That is a call-in program through which thousands of Arizonans have had their legal questions answered.

Mabel Ramirez interviewed during A Su Lado.

Last week, the Bar offered a twist on the lawyer call-in approach. Instead, on April 24 a team of terrific Bar employees answered questions that they are adept at answering. Congratulations and thanks to the four wonderful women who responded to the calls. Here is Alberto’s description:

The State Bar of Arizona and Univision 33 hosted a special edition of A Su Lado (On Your Side) on Wednesday, April 24. Univision 33 kicked-off their sweeps period with a special consumer protection phone bank and news story that featured the State Bar of Arizona and members of the Resource Center team. Resource Center Supervisor Mabel Ramirez was interviewed during the 5 p.m. newscast and offered helpful tips to help guide viewers in finding a lawyer, verifying lawyer membership, and filing a Bar/UPIL complaint.

The following is a recap from the public service program:

Date: April 24, 2013

Topic: State Bar of Arizona’s Consumer Protection Services and the Law Day Legal Aid Clinic

Phone Bank Team: Sulema Bucio, Ayde Gutierrez, Mirna Lerma and Mabel Ramirez

Summary: The RC team answered an impressive 85 calls during the two-hour phone bank focused on the Bar’s consumer protection services. The following is a small sample of the questions that were received:

• Does the Bar offer free legal advice or referrals?
• How can I file a complaint against an attorney?
• Can you verify if the attorney I’m working with is an actual attorney?
• Can you tell me more about the Law Day Legal Aid Clinics?
• Several callers were asking for legal advice and were referred to the Law Day Legal Aid Clinics.

The Resource Center team members were first-time participants. They were satisfied with the quality of the questions overall and were excited to have participated in the A Su Lado public service program. Calls were consistent from 5 to 7 p.m., which led to another successful phone bank.

State Bar Resource Center staff take callers’ questions during A Su Lado.

2013 BLI Graduates—Back row, L to R: Brad Martin, Blair Moses, Elizabeth Kruschek, Buck Rocker, Doreen McPaul, Ray Ybarra Maldonado. Front row, L to R: Chris Tozzo, Tabatha LaVoie, Nicole Ong, Laura Huff, Annamarie Frank, Cid Kallen, Jessica Sanchez. Not pictured: Heather Baker.

The newest class of the State Bar of Arizona Bar Leadership Institute graduated last Friday. As always, it was a noteworthy event marking the accomplishments of a talented group of lawyers.

You may already know about the BLI, but here is a description of the program:

“The Bar Leadership Institute is a nine-month program designed to foster the professional growth and enhance the leadership skills of a diverse group of Arizona attorneys. The purpose is to increase participation and visibility in the State Bar and the community-at-large among historically under-represented groups, with an emphasis on racial, ethnic, cultural, religious, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability and geographic diversity. In 2009 the Bar Leadership Institute was selected by the American Bar Association to receive its prestigious Partnership Award.”

More detail is here.

Speakers at the graduation stressed the qualities of leadership exemplified by the attorney graduates.

State Bar President Amelia Craig Cramer praised the attorneys, and she thanked them for their continued participation in the work of the Bar.

State Bar of Arizona President Amelia Craig Cramer, May 10, 2013

CEO John Phelps urged the graduates to value the friendships and connections they forged through the BLI program.

“That network of leaders is something special,” he said. “Take advantage of that friendship; nurture it. You’ve had the opportunity to connect with others in this special program.”

State Bar of Arizona CEO John Phelps, May 10, 2013

With a laugh, he concluded, “You’re part of the club now. Be sure to use your club membership.”

Elena Nethers, the Bar’s Diversity and Outreach Advisor, reminded graduates, their families and supporters that the BLI is designed to “enable people to attain their full potential.”

This year, she reported, the 14 graduates arose from a pool of 60 applicants.

Bar Governor Lisa Loo praised the program and the attorneys, taking the time to introduce audience member Henry Ong, a Bar member since 1972. He has been an active participant in the activities of multiple bars, Lisa pointed out. And for good measure, he is the father of Nicole Ong, one of this year’s BLI grads.

Also attending the event was BLI chair and attorney Booker Evans, Jr.

If you are interested in being part of this successful initiative (for yourself or someone else), be sure to share and complete the Bar Leadership Institite application for the coming year’s class. The application is due by June 28.

State Bar Governor Lisa Loo and BLI chair Booker Evans, Jr., at the 2013 BLI graduation

No, in fact. This is NOT the State’s Bar’s Summer Law Camp.

If you have school-aged kids at home, they likely had their last day of school about a week ago. And they got bored around the house about half a week ago.

The State Bar of Arizona hears you. That’s why I point out that you still have a few days left for them to enroll in the Bar’s Summer Law Camp.

Why not? Except (if you’re lucky) for a few blissful weeks, your own summer will be occupied by legal matters. What better bonding experience than for your youngster to learn firsthand about the law.

And the Bar will even make it easier for the kids. The one-day camp will involve no document prep or writing memos to the file! But the application deadline is June 12.

Here is the news from Elena Nethers, the Bar’s Diversity and Outreach Coordinator. Be sure you send her the complete application at elena.nethers@staff.azbar.org

“The State Bar of Arizona is offering a free Law Camp for high school students on June 14 at the Phoenix School of Law and June 28 at the University of Arizona School of Law. Lawyers and law students will lead campers through fun and interactive activities that expose students to the law. Campers will also hear from law school staff about what they need to do now to prepare for law school and career options for lawyers.”

“If you have high school-age children who are interested in law or if you know kids in your church or community groups that might be interested, this is the perfect camp. The flyer (below) has more information. The registration form is on the second page and can be faxed or emailed to me at elena.nethers@staff.azbar.org by Wednesday, June 12.”

A recent feature story reminds us of the power of vision and drive. In this case, both arose from those who decided it was time for the State Bar to launch an Animal Law Section.

Those early conversations occurred probably a decade ago. And we enjoyed the new group so much, we featured the Section and our story on the cover of our December 2005 Arizona Attorney.

This month, I read that members of the Section decided to take a road trip together.

You read that right: a road trip. How many Sections do you know that hop into cars together and travel for hours toward a common destination? (And when it gets boisterous, does the Executive Council ever have to warn that they will turn this car around right now?).

The shared vision of the Section took them on a journey to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, in Kanab, Utah. As the Best Friends folks open their story:

“For Amanda Chua, a personal injury attorney, and 21 other Arizona attorneys and their families, a trip to Best Friends took a whole year to plan. The diverse group included real estate attorneys, personal injury lawyers, family law practitioners and civil litigators. Despite their array of specialties, all of the attorneys are members of the State Bar of Arizona, and belong to a special group called the Animal Law Section, which has over 90 members.”

“It was during a membership meeting that the idea of a trip to Best Friends came up. Many of the attorneys in the group serve on the boards of, and/or volunteer with, local rescue organizations or environmental groups. And many of them knew about the Michael Vick dog-fighting case, so they were familiar with the work that Best Friends does. But a few people in that meeting mentioned that they had never visited the Sanctuary. So Amanda, who was the past chair of the Animal Law Section, proposed that they form a committee to plan a group excursion to Kanab, Utah.”

You can read the complete story here.

Attorney Amanda Chua, center, and other members of the State Bar Animal Law Section recently visited the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah.

Well done to all of the Section members who decided to take their legal practice area into “the field” for an exciting excursion.