As my year as President comes to an end, a number of people have asked me what I consider to be my accomplishments for the year. What changes have I helped bring about? It is difficult for me to say because I don't yet have a perspective on the year. I feel like I'm at mile 23 of a marathon. I just want to finish and lie down. Give me a few days rest, and I'll tell you whether or not it was a good race.
There is another reason why I believe it will take some time to determine the achievements of this year. Real change takes place slowly and lasting results take time. It's like raising a family. When I started out as a parent, I had no clear idea what I was doing or where I was going. There is no instruction manual that comes with having a child, though I did have a goal in mind. I hoped my children would grow up to be responsible and a capable adults. I was never sure how to get there. My instincts told me that to achieve that goal I should provide a structured, caring atmosphere and invest a lot of time and energy. But, despite all the hard work, I really won't know until my children grow up whether or not I have succeeded. All you can do is seek the best advice available, follow your instincts and have faith in yourself and your family that everything will turn out well.
Being State Bar President has been a very similar experience. I had no instruction manual and no clear idea how to do this. At the beginning of the year, I said I liked being a lawyer. I had a simple, perhaps naive, vision of where I wanted the Bar to be in a few years. My hope was that in a few years, each of us would feel better about the practice of law and our professional lives. I hoped we would be more respectful of each other and be more unified. To achieve this goal requires significant structural and attitudinal changes in both the State Bar and its members. Consistent and committed leadership, over several years, is required to implement these changes.
To that end, the Board of Governors and management of the State Bar have developed a set of goals and strategic plan to achieve these goals. We have begun to implement the strategic plan with specific proposals for change. These include revamping the discipline department to specifically distinguish between cases that require swift prosecution, and the other cases that call for supportive remedial help. The State Bar is developing a Web site and related services, which are far ahead of any similar project in other states. On a smaller scale, we have restructured the Board of Governors meeting to address one major issue identified in the strategic plan each month.
The concept that "Lawyers Provide A Voice" is the inspiration and the driving force for the change. (It is a unifying theme.) This statement defines the service we promise to our clients. We help everyone be heard. We don't guarantee results, we don't deliver revenge, but we provide an effective voice so all are heard and given access to the system.
The function of the State Bar is to help lawyers provide that voice. It is also to provide lawyers a voice in the system, whether that is the judicial system, legislature, or media. Armed with this theme, it is my hope that the State Bar is effective in educating the public about the professional service we provide.
Changes cannot happen without dedicated State Bar staff. Stuart Forsythe, the Executive Director; John Berry, the newly hired General Counsel and head of the discipline department, along with a wonderful blend of new and veteran management personnel, are all committed to these changes. It has been a tremendous pleasure working with them. The Board of Governors and its officers are similarly committed to a long-range plan for change.
I am honored to have been the President of the State Bar. I am proud of the steps we have taken to bring about meaningful change. I have faith that in four or five years from now, we will all be able to say, "I feel better about the practice of law. I'm proud to be an attorney - a voice for my client."
On a personal note, I have thoroughly enjoyed being State Bar President. However, it is hard to over emphasize how much of a strain this has been on my family and my practice. I thank my wife, Pam and my kids, Maegan, Rebecca, Peter, and Patrick. They have been wonderful and supportive. Thanks to my partner, Cory Vandemoer, for pulling the heavier oar all year. To my staff for carrying on without me on so many occasions. To my colleagues, Paul Brinkmann and Kevin Heinonen, and their staff, for their advice and good humor. I thank all of the attorneys in District One for their support over the year. In particular, I want to acknowledge David Barrow, Kate O'Brien, Marge McCullough and her firm, who have all given me honest and valuable advice. Everyone at the State Bar has been incredible. They are a dedicated and capable group.
I'm weary and it's time to hand the reins to the very capable Don Bivens. I must say that despite all the time away from my family and my practice, I'm in pretty good shape. I'm still married to the person I want to grow old with. I have four wonderful children, and I still have a couple of clients who have not left me. Life is good!