Lawyers Rank High in @taprootfound Study of Social Responsibility, Giving Back

Attorneys give more of themselves than do those in other professions? They may be fightin’ words.

I discovered that this past weekend, when I repeated (via Twitter and in person) new research showing that attorneys rank pretty highly in the generosity department. They came out near the top in a “professional social responsibility by professions” ranking.

First, I have to say that the findings didn’t surprise me. Most of the lawyers I know give legal services for free or at a reduced price. I can’t identify many of the many professions and vendors I deal with doing the same.

And yet, when I shared the news, many people rolled their social media eyeballs at me. And those I spoke with in person were willing to declare the study “a fraud” or “a joke.”

The study I pointed to is noted here. (And the research was done by the Taproot Foundation.) As the article notes, “This ranking is created based on US Census data on hours of pro bono services provided per member of each class of profession.”

Here is more from the Taproot Foundation on the importance of pro bono in many fields.

If you need another window into how lawyers are viewed by many, simply scroll down to the comments beneath the story. Eeesh.

Here is one of the kindest remarks I got in response: When the person saw that lawyers came out near the top of the pro bono heap, her only reaction was, “I want to see the raw data on that.”

Do you also doubt the reliability of the study? Tell me what you think.

FINALLY, while I’m on the subject, I just heard from a Phoenix connection with the following question: “I’m looking for a recommendation of a corporate lawyer who may be willing to work with a small professional orchestra (501 c3) on more of a consulting basis, i.e. pro bono if possible.”

That’s all I know about the legal needs. Do you have any suggestions? Any interest in following up?

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Lawyers of @AZStateBar Offer Free Legal Information Saturday – #shareplease

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.

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Law Day Events by @AZStateBar To Provide Free Legal Information

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.

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Pioneer Hotel Fire Case Covered by @60Minutes

The Pioneer Hotel burned in downtown Tucson, December 1970.

[Note: A previous version of this story indicated that the Pima County Attorney's Office is housed in the structure that formerly was the site of the Pioneer Hotel. We were misinformed; the PCAO is across the steet from that site. We apologize for the error.] 

Last evening, the TV news magazine 60 Minutes screened a compelling news story about the Hotel Pioneer fire case, from 1970.

The Tucson fire killed 28 guests, and 16-year-old Louis Taylor was arrested before the fire was extinguished. The black teenager was convicted by an all-white jury.

The news program (screen shots below) was peppered with commentary by Taylor’s Arizona lawyer, Ed Novak, a Polsinelli partner (and former President of the State Bar of Arizona). As the story says, Novak “is now leading Louis Taylor’s defense team, which is made up of volunteer lawyers, students and law professors from the Arizona Justice Project.” That team has sought a new trial for Taylor.

Novak and the team reviewed all the evidence, and conducted depositions of individuals such as the original fire investigator, Cy Holmes. That work was followed by recent findings that the cause of the fire was undetermined; that meant arson was just one of a number of possibilities.

“The last time I checked,” Novak said, “we don’t convict people on a ‘possibility.’”

In the story, Steve Kroft reported that 60 Minutes had sought an interview with Pima County Attorney Barbara LaWall, to no avail. So Steve approached her on a Tucson street. That interview is captured in the broadcast.

But, as the story indicated, a new trial will likely never occur. Taylor has accepted a deal that gave him release from prison—where he has spent two-thirds of his life—but through which he must declare no contest to the charges.

You should read the script, and view the story, here.

Later this week, Taylor’s lawyers will have a press conference on the case’s outcome. I’ll report their statements.

Here are some screen shots from the 60 Minutes program:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

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Arizona Lawyers, @AZStateBar Aid Veterans in StandDown Event

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)

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Reunion of Leadership Institute a Success for @AZStateBar

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.

Benjamin Taylor II, at right, at the State Bar BLI Reunion.

State Bar of Arizona President Amelia Craig Cramer speaks at BLI reunion.

Lawyer Ann-Marie Alameddin speaks at BLI Reunion.

Lawyer Ann-Marie Alameddin speaks at BLI Reunion.

State Bar of Arizona CEO John Phelps speaks at BLI reunion.

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Update on @AZStateBar Abogados a Su Lado Consumer Call-In Program

This morning, an update from my colleague Alberto Rodriguez at the State Bar of Arizona:

The State Bar of Arizona and Univision 33 hosted the final Abogados a Su Lado (“Lawyers at Your Side”) of 2012 on Monday, December 10. The following is a recap from the public service program.

Summary: Volunteer attorneys answered 93 calls during the two-hour phone bank focused on criminal charges/issues. The following is a small sample of the questions that were received:

• Can I get my license reinstated after receiving a DUI?
• How does receiving a misdemeanor charge affect my immigration case/status?
• How is a potential sentence determined?
• Should I hire a private attorney or use a public defender? What are the differences?
• What are the repercussions of getting a DUI?
• How do I take care of a warrant issued in another state?

All the Abogados a Su Lado volunteers were first-time participants. Calls were consistent from 5 to 7 p.m., which led to another successful phone bank.

In 2012, 20 Abogados a Su Lado volunteer attorneys answered legal questions from 284 consumers during three separate phone banks.

The State Bar of Arizona and Univision 33 will continue to provide the Abogados a Su Lado public service program in 2013 and are currently identifying dates and topics for the new year.

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Melissa Ho of @AZStateBar @Polsinelli Honored by @NAPABA

State Bar Governor Melissa S. Ho, Nov. 17, 2012

Here is some great news that involves a member of the State Bar of Arizona Board of Governors.

Melissa Ho is an attorney at Polsinelli Shughart as well as a Bar Governor. Among her day’s already-long list of duties, she’s also committed to helping in numerous places in the community. (See my previous story about the inspiring words she delivered to teenaged participants in ASU’s Asian LEAD Academy.)

Today I share the news that Melissa was among a distinguished group of lawyers honored by the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) on November 17 at a Washington DC event. She received one of the coveted 2012 Best Lawyers Under 40 Awards.

As the organization describes it, “These awards recognize talented Asian Pacific American attorneys under the age of 40 who have achieved prominence in their respective areas of law while demonstrating an unwavering dedication to the APA community.”

The complete release is below. Congratulations to Melissa.

NAPABA Presents Special Awards at 24th Annual Convention in Washington, DC

Washington, DC – The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) presented the 2012 NAPABA Trailblazer Awards, the 2012 Best Lawyers Under 40 Awards, and the 2012 NAPABA Affiliate of the Year Award during the 24th Annual NAPABA Convention in Washington, DC.

The 2012 Trailblazer Awards were presented on Friday, November 16, 2012, during a reception and awards ceremony hosted by Walmart. The Trailblazer Award, which is NAPABA’s highest honor, recognizes individuals who have demonstrated vision, courage, and tenacity, and who have made substantial and lasting contributions to the Asian Pacific American (APA) legal profession, as well as the broader APA community. NAPABA is proud to present the 2012 Trailblazer Award winners:

• Hon. Danette “Dee” Brown, California Office of Administrative Hearings (Eastern California Region)
• Nicholas V. Chen, Pamir Law Group (Southeast Region)
• Michael P. Chu, Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione (Central Region)
• Hon. Kamala Harris, Attorney General of California (Northern California)
• Hon. Kimi Kondo, City of Seattle Municipal Court (Northwest Region)
• Carol C. Lam, QUALCOMM (Southern California Region)
• William F. Lee, WilmerHale (Northeast Region)
• Hon. Kathryn Doi Todd, Second District Court of Appeals for the State of California (Central California Region)
• Lawrence Tu, Dell Inc. (Southwest Region)

The 2012 Best Lawyers Under 40 Awards were presented at NAPABA’s Anniversary Gala and Celebration Dinner on November 17, 2012. These awards recognize talented Asian Pacific American attorneys under the age of 40 who have achieved prominence in their respective areas of law while demonstrating an unwavering dedication to the APA community. NAPABA congratulates the following 2012 Best Lawyers Under 40 Awards recipients:

• Akemi Arakaki, LA County Superior Court, Central Juvenile District
• Steve Choi, MinKwon Center for Community Action
• James Derry, Arbitron, Inc.
• Marita Etcubañez, Asian American Justice Center
• Rio M. Guerrero, Guerrero Yee LLP
• Mark Hanasono, LA County Alternate Public Defender
• Melissa S. Ho, Polsinelli Shughart PC
• Peggy L. Ho, LPL Financial
• Laboni Hoq, Asian Pacific American Legal Center
• Blossom Kan, MetLife, Inc.
• Naho Kobayashi, McGuireWoods LLP
• Nicole Kubista, Office of the Public Defender, St. Paul, MN
• Jason Leung, Ridout & Maybee, LLP
• Edward Lew, The Walt Disney Company
• Tirzah Abe Lowe, Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP
• Samuel S. Park, Winston & Strawn LLP
• Teena-Ann Sankoorikal, Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP
• Jeannie Suk, Harvard Law School
• Vinoo Varghese, Varghese & Associates P.C.
• Carla Wong McMillian, State Court of Fayette County, GA
• Calvin K. Woo, McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter, LLP

This year, Christopher Kang, Senior Counsel to President Obama, was awarded the President’s Award for outstanding service to NAPABA and the legal community. Mr. Kang was honored for his dedication to NAPABA and his efforts to diversify the federal bench.

The 2012 Affiliate of the Year Award was presented to the Asian/Pacific Bar Association of Sacramento. This award was established to recognize outstanding local NAPABA affiliates and their best practices and accomplishments in their respective local communities.

NAPABA established the APA-Owned Law Firm of the Year Award to recognize NAPABA’s law firms—solo, small, and large—that have achieved prominence and distinction, and have demonstrated a strong commitment to the Asian Pacific American community. The Award celebrates law practices that embrace the APA community while maintaining the highest ethical and legal standards in our profession. The Award also recognizes firms that have advanced the goals and ideals of NAPABA and APA legal advocacy groups. The inaugural APA-Owned Law Firm of the Year Award was presented to Minami Tamaki LLP.

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Pro Bono Week Kicks Off Today

It’s an annual pleasure to share the news about national Pro Bono Week. It is celebrated this year from October 21 to October 27.

In recent years, I’ve written about local pro bono events (for examples, see here, here and here). To get an idea of what’s going on this week, click here.

(Do you want to pass on some pro bono good news from you or your law office? Contact me at arizona.attorney@azbar.org and I may get it posted this week.)

When you click the link to the National Pro Bono Celebration, you’ll see that a few of those events are hosted by Community Legal Services. Among other good news, they happen to be celebrating an anniversary this year. We were pleased to share in that celebration by publishing an article on the topic in Arizona Attorney Magazine. You can read it here.

To add to the festivities, this week there will be an event honoring CLS and its six decades of accomplishment. I hope to see you there.

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Final Lawyer Call-In Program for 2012 Answered Consumer Estate Planning Questions

I always enjoy reporting out the success of one of the State Bar of Arizona’s signature initiatives: the Lawyers on Call program, an effort made possible by a partnership with the Phoenix NBC affiliate, 12 News KPNX –TV. This is an update about the program’s final 2012 event, which was held recently.

We’re considering an article in Arizona Attorney on the value that comes from volunteer lawyers answering legal questions. I’m sure we’ll include a focus on the generous lawyers who participate in Lawyers on Call.

Here is the information from the recent show, courtesy of my colleague Alberto Rodriguez:

The following is a recap from the October 2, 2012, Lawyers On Call public service program, on the topic of estate planning, wills and trust issues.

The lawyer volunteers were:

• Bob Ciancola
• Steve Evans
• David Horowitz
• Scott T. Jensen
• Lynn Keeling
• Bob Lord
• Brian Starr
• Ronald G. Wilson

The volunteer attorneys answered an impressive 169 calls on estate planning issues. Some of the most frequently asked questions were related to:

• Tithing of assets
• Estate taxes
• How can I break my lease?
• Effects of beneficiary designations
• Trust administration
• Costs associated with estate planning
• Differences between wills and trusts
• Living and holographic wills
• Necessity of retaining a lawyer for estate planning

Four of the eight attorneys were first-time volunteers. Calls were consistent from 5 to 7 p.m., which led to another successful phone bank.

Lawyers On Call has helped 603 Arizonans in 2012 and more than 1,526 Arizonans in 2011. The program has helped more than 14,462 people in the eight years 12 News KPNX -TV has broadcast the program.

This was the final Lawyers on Call public service program for 2012. The 2013 schedule will be determined and released in upcoming months.

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