Board of Trustees and Assignments
Officers
President - Mary E. Gilstrap
Judicial Liaison, Community Outreach, New Memberships
President - Elect, David Mulé
DBA Luncheons, 2011-12 Installation
Secretary - Patricia S. Muro
Family Law Section
Treasurer - Michael B. Rover
New Memberships
Trustees
Julie A. Rosser - Bird Awards, Website & Email Coordinator
Karen J. Sloat - Client Relations, Bird Awards
Carlos L. Campos - Senior Law Day, Adopt-a-School
James T. Latting - Mediation, Adopt-a-School
Kimberly T. Lee - Senior Law Day
Robert J. Gilliland, Jr. - Fee Arbitration
Roger K. Tansey - Media Relations, New Memberships, Senior Law Day
Immediate Past Presidents
Barbara R. Baron
Matt Morris
New Members
- Ugochi Anaebere
- Richard Henderson
- Cara Whisler
Past Events
Member Search
Advertising
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Desert Bar Association
Items of Interest
FREE MCLE PROGRAMS FROM THE OFFICE OF LEGAL SERVICES
The State Bar Office of Legal Services has worked with legal aid advocates and the Practising Law Institute (PLI) to develop these training programs which are available on demand at the PLI website. Registration is free.
APPLY FOR APPOINTMENT TO A STATE BAR COMMITTEE
Deadline: February 1, 2012. The State Bar Office of Legal Services is seeking qualified applicants for the Legal Services Trust Fund Commission (LSTFC), the California Commission on Access to Justice and the Standing Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services (SCDLS). The application deadline is February 1, 2012. Those appointed to the 2012-2013 positions by the State Bar Board of Governors will begin their terms on October 14, 2012 (at the close of the 2012 State Bar Annual Meeting).
STATE BAR LOREN MILLER AND PRO BONO AWARDS - CALL FOR NOMINATIONS!
Deadline: March 15, 2012. The State Bar of California wants to know about members who performed extraordinary legal services to the poor last year. Please nominate your colleagues for the 2012 Loren Miller Legal Services Award and the President's Pro Bono Service Awards.
2012 PATHWAYS TO JUSTICE CONFERENCE
Please mark your calendar for the 2012 Pathways to Justice Conference, June 7-8, 2012, UC Hastings College of the Law, San Francisco. Don't miss this excellent opportunity to attend cutting edge programs, earn MCLE credit, and network with legal services colleagues.
VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT TO SERVE ON STATE BAR ETHICS COMMITTEE (COPRAC)
COPRAC is the committee responsible for drafting the State Bar's formal ethics opinions as well as advising the State Bar Board of Governors on issues affecting attorney professional responsibility, including the consideration of amendments to the California Rules of Professional Conduct. The application deadline is February 1, 2012.
MCLE COMPLIANCE DEADLINE IS APPROACHING
MCLE compliance is due for attorneys whose last names begin with H through M. The deadline is February 1, 2012.
URGENT ACTION REQUEST - REPORTS ON THE EFFECTS OF THE REDUCTION IN COURT FUNDING
The Desert Bar Association would like to encourage local attorneys to submit Reports on the Effects of Judicial Branch Budget Reductions on Legal Practitioners, Their Clients, and Court Users to the Judicial Council Office of California.
AYOTTE & SHACKELFORD UPDATE INDIO COURT NUMBERS IN DIRECTORY
Ayotte & Shackelford have updated, as of November 2011, the numbers for the Indio Courthouse in the Ayotte & Shackelford Directory of Attorneys, and are making the revised page immediately available via download.
NEW LEGAL ETHICS AND TECHNOLOGY RESOURCE PAGE IS ONLINE
The general Ethics Information page at the State Bar website has added a new area dedicated to Ethics and Technology ― a collection of resources that address professional responsibility issues raised by the use of Internet websites, email, chat rooms and other technologies. The resources include advisory ethics opinions, articles and MCLE programs.
BAR RULES ARE NOW AVAILABLE IN AN 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.
CELEBRATE PRO BONO WEEK OCTOBER 23 - 29, 2011
The last week of October is “Celebrate Pro Bono Week." The Celebration is a coordinated national effort to meet the ever-growing needs of this country’s most vulnerable citizens by encouraging and supporting local efforts to expand the delivery of pro bono legal services and by showcasing the great differences that pro bono lawyers make to the nation, its system of justice, its communities and, most of all, to the clients they serve. The State Bar of California proudly supports Celebrate Pro Bono Week, and it is particularly important that people also support pro bono efforts at the local level – both next week and every day of the year. Here are some key resources:
STATE BAR FEE BILL SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR
Gov. Brown signed a measure authorizing the State Bar to collect $400 for most active lawyers, $115 for inactive lawyers and to offer an option to donate $20 to legal services programs.
RESULTS OF THE DBA ELECTION
The votes have been tallied, and we are now happy to announce your incoming Officers and Board of Trustees of the Desert Bar Association for 2011-2012 are...
REQUESTING A TRANSCRIPT IN FEDERAL COURT
Effective October 17, 2011, CM/ECF users must electronically file the Transcript Order form (AO 435) in the Case Management Electronic Filing System (CM/ECF) for all transcript requests.
RIVERSIDE SUPERIOR COURT - NEW FAX TELEPHONE NUMBERS EFFECTIVE AUGUST 29, 2011
As part of the court's transition to a new telephone system, effective August 29, 2011, the court's direct fax filing telephone numbers will change. The court will not be accepting any fax filings from 6:00pm Friday, August 26, 2011 until 7:00am Monday, August 29, 2011. This countywide cut-over will take all weekend. For more info on the new numbers, click on
RELOCATION OF RIVERSIDE FAMILY LAW DEPT. F201
Effective Monday, June 6, 2011, Riverside Family Law Department F201 is relocating from the Hall of Justice to the Family Law Courthouse in downtown Riverside. Department F201 will be located on the second floor. Attorneys and litigants appearing for hearings scheduled on or after June 6, 2011, should report to the Family Law Courthouse at 4175 Main Street, Riverside, CA 92501.
NEW CIVIL LAW & MOTION HEARING DATE ONLINE RESERVATION SYSTEM
Effective Monday, April 11, 2011, a new automated on-line system for reserving civil law and motion hearing dates will become operational in the western and mid-county regions, to be followed in the near future in the desert region. With the exception of unlawful detainer and small claims cases, a civil law and motion hearing date can now be reserved on-line through the court’s website.
CHANGES TO RIVERSIDE FAMILY LAW'S FAX FILING NUMBER
Effective Monday, February 28, 2011, the fax filing number for Riverside Family Law will change. If you are currently registered to fax file, and need to submit documents to Riverside Family Law, please use fax number 951-955-9160. A Judicial Council 'Facsimile Transmission Cover Sheet' must accompany each facsimile filing. Fax filing number 951-955-1939 will no longer be available for use.
CHANGES TO THE COURT'S PARENT ORIENTATION PROGRAM
The manner in which the Parent Orientation Program (POP) is offered is changing for Riverside Superior Court. Effective immediately, in-person attendance of the Parent Orientation Program will cease and parties will be directed to complete an on-line Parent Orientation Program.
EXPEDITED JURY TRIAL INFORMATION SHEET
This information sheet is for anyone involved in a civil lawsuit who is considering taking part in an expedited jury trial -- a trial that is shorter and has a smaller jury than a traditional jury trial. Taking part in this type of trial means you give up your usual rights to appeal. Please read this information sheet before you agree to have your case tried under the expedited jury trial procedures.
CA SUPREME COURT OPINION: CASSEL V. SUPERIOUR COURT OF LOS ANGELES (SUPER. CT. NO. LC070478, FILED 1/13/11)
"The issue here is the effect of the mediation confidentiality statutes on private discussions between a mediating client and attorneys who represented him in the mediation. ... The [Court of Appeal] majority concluded, when a mediation disputant sues his own counsel for malpractice in connection with the mediation, the attorneys — already freed, by reason of the malpractice suit, from the attorney-client privilege — cannot use mediation confidentiality as a shield to exclude damaging evidence of their own entirely private conversations with the client. The dissenting justice urged that the majority had crafted an unwarranted judicial exception to the clear and absolute provisions of the mediation confidentiality statutes. Though we understand the policy concerns advanced by the Court of Appeal majority, the plain language of the statutes compels us to agree with the dissent."
ABA Journal: Plaintiff Who Discussed Suit with Lawyer on Work E-Mail Can’t Claim Privilege
A woman who sued her employer claiming discrimination can’t shield her lawyer e-mails in the litigation because they were sent from her work e-mail account, a California appeals court has ruled.
IMC Inc.