On Saturday, April 25, the State Bar of Arizona once again held its annual Law Day legal-aid clinics. There, more than 20 attorneys volunteered ther time and expertise to assist more than 200 consumers.
The following update comes from my colleague Alberto Rodriguez:
“On Saturday, April 25 the State Bar of Arizona held the 2015 Law Day Legal Aid Clinics where 21 of its members offered free one-on-one legal consultations from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at two locations in Phoenix.”
“The clinics offered free legal consultations by members who practice Family Law, Bankruptcy/Foreclosure, Probate/Trust Law, and Immigration Law at State Bar of Arizona headquarters and St. Matthew Parish in central Phoenix. This year, the Bar partnered with ABC15 and Univision Arizona to promote the day-long clinics, which proved to be overwhelmingly successful.”
“Volunteer attorneys provided 216 consultations during law clinic for the 208 consumers who were seen. In addition, many attorneys offered pro-bono legal services after the clinic to consumers who needed additional help.”
Short, sweet, and on tap: A bevy of State Bar lawyer groups are hosting a mixer tonight, Thursday, April 30. The April networking event is titled Draft With Drafts Night.
Where: The Vig Uptown, 6015 N. 16th St., Phoenix 85014
Time: 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm (and later if it’s any good)
Your hosts: State Bar Young Lawyers Division, Tax Law Section, In-House Counsel Committee, and the Arizona Jewish Lawyers
Because?: Networking, happy-houring, free beer sampling from Deschutes Brewery and complimentary appetizers and desserts (that’s called “burying your lead”)
“Free” may never have sounded more enticing. But that word describes an event this Saturday, April 25, when you can ask lawyers questions for free!
That’s when the State Bar participates in Law Day and when its attorney volunteers give of their time and expertise in the fourth annual Law Day Legal Aid Clinics.
The one-on-one sessions are available in the following areas:
In that post, I also mentioned a related exhibit that is worth your time. Since then, I read even more deeply about it, and saw what’s been installed, and I urge you all over again to stop by the Bar building in Phoenix if you can. It will be displayed until 3:00 pm on Thursday, April 16.
Here is some background from the Bar:
“In addition to offering the ‘Lessons from the Holocaust’ CLE program, the State Bar has partnered with the American Bar Association (ABA) and the German Federal Bar to showcase the highly acclaimed international exhibit ‘Lawyers Without Rights: Jewish Lawyers in Germany under the Third Reich,’ from April 13 through 16, 2015.”
“According to the ABA and the German Federal Bar, ‘Lawyers Without Rights is an exhibition that speaks for itself. Its message resonates with all persons who understand and appreciate the concepts and ideals of a just role of law. It is a commentary and a lesson for all people everywhere about the dangers when lawyers or minorities are attacked or the law itself is unjustly applied.’ The exhibit showcases a series of stories that illustrate the Nazi mistreatment of German lawyers who happened to be Jewish.”
“The exhibit at the State Bar of Arizona is an exact replica of the full exhibit that has been shown in several cities in Germany and throughout the world. It will be open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on April 13-16, 2015.”
“Both the CLE and exhibition will be held at the State Bar of Arizona located at 4201 N. 24th St. in Phoenix. For more information contact Sarah Fluke at 602.340.7317.”
The exhibit wisely and hauntingly tells particular, personal stories of German lawyers who were Jewish and whose lives were irrevocably altered—or ended—by the Holocaust.
Also to be displayed, in the Bar lobby, will be 10 six-foot banners with pictures and text. They will be displayed from Wednesday afternoon until Thursday afternoon. Below is a photo of those posters when they were at Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles.
“The German Federal Bar, known as the Bundesrechtsanwaltskammer, is the national bar of the Republic of Germany and based in Berlin. Membership is approximately 166,000 lawyers and is required of all licensed lawyers in Germany.”
An event this Saturday, April 18, brings together legal leaders and others to assess the experiences of the most recent Arizona county to use the judicial merit-selection system.
Pinal County is the place, and the event will be held at the Holiday Inn in Casa Grande, Ariz.
The speakers will include retired Ariz. Chief Justice Ruth McGregor and State Bar President Richard Platt. Lunchtime remarks will be delivered by Vice Chief Justice John Pelander.
That page also includes the complete program and list of speakers.
It is sponsored by numerous groups, including the State Bar of Arizona, Arizona Advocacy Network and Justice at Stake. The organizers clearly want the conversation to range beyond the county line; they indicate the day’s dialogue will include “Pinal County’s judicial system, AZ’s Merit Selection System and national cases impacting Fair and Impartial Courts.”
My understanding is that the Court and the State Bar have had a difficult time encouraging attorneys to forward their names to be considered for the judicial nominating commission in Pinal County. The system has been used in other counties for a long time, but it may be getting its sea legs in Pinal. Perhaps forums like this will spread the word about merit selection’s value.
Dr. William Meinecke, Jr., State Bar of Arizona Convention, June 19, 2013.
We hear too often the true statement that we may be doomed to repeat the unlearned lessons of history. But an upcoming program at the State Bar, on Thursday, April 16, may provide tools and insights to avoid that trap of amnesia.
Titled “Lessons From the Holocaust,” its speaker is Dr. William Meinecke, a historian for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s leadership development programs. He also wrote Nazi Ideology and the Holocaust (2007).
Here is information from the Bar about the April 16 event:
“The Holocaust is much more than an unspeakable horror from WWII or a chapter in a history book. The study of the Holocaust provides important insight into the consequences when the mission of the police, judiciary, and the legal profession is transformed from protecting the rights of individuals to actively abusing basic human civil rights. Using legal decrees, judicial opinions, and case law of the period, participants study the role of these professions in the destruction of democracy and the establishment of the Nazi German state.”
“Participants are challenged to examine their own roles and responsibilities as members of professions that hold the public trust, protect society, and influence the health of our democracy by studying the decision making, the opportunities, and often the failures of their counterparts in Nazi Germany that helped lead to mass murder.”
Paired with the event will be the display of an information-filled poster series, on loan from the American Bar Association and the German Federal Bar. The gripping series is titled “Lawyers Without Rights: Jewish Lawyers in Germany Under the Third Reich,” and it will be available for viewing in the State Bar member lounge on Monday through Thursday in the week of April 13. (Registration for the Holocaust CLE event is not required to view the posters.) I have just received background material on this amazing project, and I will provide more detail on it as soon as I know more.
The following photo is taken from the project.
Munich lawyer Dr. Michael Siegel marched by the police through the city’s streets after complaining about the treatment of a client. (Photo from German Federal Bar and American Bar Association.)
I regularly report on the activities of Lawyers on Call, a State Bar public service program hosted at the ofices of 12 News, the Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. At the events, volunteer lawyers answer consumer questions on various topics. On Tuesday, March 31, the event focused on tax laws. In a moment, I’ll share the names of the generous volunteer attorneys. But first, it’s worth noting that this version of Lawyers on Call included a new development: the use of a streaming video app, Periscope, to better address some consumer questions. To add to the functionality, this past month’s event also includes a video recap (see it at the end of this post). I am very impressed by the video’s quality, achieved via free apps. That makes me think I should try my hand at some videos myself! The Lawyers on Call news comes, as always, from my innovative colleague Alberto Rodriguez: Five attorneys volunteered their time and expertise on March 31, 2015, to offer legal advice on tax law. The attorneys were:
The lawyers answered 118 calls, 23 questions via Facbook, and a handful on Periscope, a streaming video app that had 55 participants. Sample consumer questions:
How do I report on gaming winnings?
How does the Affordable Health Care Act affect my file/return?
What are the penalties if I file late or file an extension?
How does filing bankruptcy affect my 2015 file/return?
Several callers reported scam activity—receiving phone calls from individuals claiming to be an “IRS” representative who request personal information and payments. Facebook continues to be a successful component of Lawyers on Call, as attorney Derek Kaczmarek answered 23 questions posted on the 12 News fan page. In addition, the 12 News social media team launched the use of Periscope, an interactive streaming video app where participants could ask their questions live. Four out of the five attorneys were first-time volunteers. All volunteers were extremely satisfied with the quality of the questions overall and were excited to have participated in the Lawyers on Call public service program. Here is a terrific video recap:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n83m1ZbclBs&feature=youtu.beFollow @azatty
Yesterday, I attended a downtown Phoenix chamber-type luncheon. When I first RSVPed, I was told the location was TBA. But it turned out to be a great choice, and not only because the space is a high-rise going through an adaptive reuse. It’s also my old building.
Well, not mine, of course. My employer’s. For years, the State Bar of Arizona officed at 111 West Monroe. Eventually, the leadership decided to buy rather than lease, and that’s how we ended up near 24th Street and Indian School Road.
And ol’ 111? I miss that building quite a bit. It not only had the midcentury charm that takes you back. It also participated in an urban vibe that is all too rare in Arizona. Our views from the 17th through the 19th floors were often spectacular. And it was nice to stroll out on the street to buy a hot dog or a cup of soup.
Yesterday, the event was held in the 19th-floor space, gutted and ready for tenant improvements. But while everything was open, I slipped down a floor to my old office (sigh). And I spied where the Communications Department used to wield our mighty pen (and website, also mightier than the sword).
Afternoon sun in my old office at 111 W. Monroe
And who would’ve guessed, but when I walked up the fire stairs one floor, the door to the roof was open! I enjoyed the breeze and the view, one eye peeled for an angry security guard. But I enjoyed my brief perch over the sixth-largest city in the country.
Below are some more photos, including the old boardroom. (Click to enlarge and widen the images and to view them in a slideshow.)
How many of you attended meetings or events at the old State Bar spaces?
View from my old office at 111 W. Monroe
View from the roof of 111 W. Monroe, Phoenix
The old Communications Department area, 18th floor, 111 W. Monroe, Phoenix
View from the roof of 111 W. Monroe, Phoenix
Former State Bar reception area, 18th floor, 111 W. Monroe, Phoenix
View from the roof of 111 W. Monroe, Phoenix
Mornin’ Moonshine Coffee, 111 W. Monroe
Afternoon sun in my old office at 111 W. Monroe
View from the roof of 111 W. Monroe, Phoenix
Former kitchen, 18th floor, 111 W. Monroe
Former office space of the Arizona Bar Foundation being adaptively rehabbed, 18th floor, 111 W. Monroe
The old Executive Director suite, 19th floor, 111 W. Monroe, Phoenix
The old Communications Department area, 18th floor, 111 W. Monroe, Phoenix
View from the roof of 111 W. Monroe, Phoenix
View from the roof of 111 W. Monroe, Phoenix
View from the roof of 111 W. Monroe, Phoenix
The old Communications Department area, 18th floor, 111 W. Monroe, Phoenix
Former kitchen, 18th floor, 111 W. Monroe
Former office space of the Arizona Bar Foundation being adaptively rehabbed, 18th floor, 111 W. Monroe
Former State Bar Boardroom, 19th floor, 111 W. Monroe, Phoenix
Mornin’ Moonshine Coffee, 111 W. Monroe
Sun shines into my old office at 111 W. Monroe
View from the roof of 111 W. Monroe, Phoenix
Mornin’ Moonshine Coffee, 111 W. Monroe
Mornin’ Moonshine Coffee, 111 W. Monroe
Former State Bar Boardroom, 19th floor, 111 W. Monroe, Phoenix
Former State Bar reception area, 18th floor, 111 W. Monroe, Phoenix
Attorney Mark Bockel poses in the Larsen Gallery, Scottsdale, as photographer John Hall shoots his picture, March 12, 2015.
The annual photo shoot for our Creative Arts Competition winners was held last week, and it looks like it was terrific.
I say “looks” because I was out of town and had to miss it. But that makes me doubly happy that Art Director Karen Holub thoughtfully provided me some “behind the camera” shots. (Which is kind of amazing, as she was herding cats, a photographer, and multiple lawyer-winners.)
All of the professionally shot photos will appear in the May issue of Arizona Attorney Magazine—along with the talented artists’ work. In the meantime, click here to see last year’s winning work.
Thank you to the Larsen Gallery in Scottsdale for hosting our shoot. As always, your space and the work you display are remarkable.
Have a great—and artful—weekend.
Here are a few more shots. (Click them to biggify.)
Photographer John Hall at the Arizona Attorney Magazine arts photo shoot, Larsen Gallery, Scottsdale, March 12, 2015.
Photographer John Hall with attorney Mark Bockel at the Arizona Attorney Magazine arts photo shoot, Larsen Gallery, Scottsdale, March 12, 2015.
The State Bar of Arizona’s Board of Governors is accepting applications from non-lawyers from throughout the state to fill one seat on its Board. The application deadline is Friday, March 6, 2015. Participation of public members is essential to the State Bar’s mission of serving the public and its efforts of making sure the people of Arizona have a strong voice in the legal system.
A total of four public members, who serve three-year terms, sit on the 30-member Board. The Board establishes the vision, mission and policies of the association and ensures that there are sufficient resources for its management and operations.
Applicants for the public member positions may be from any county within Arizona and:
Must be at least 21 years of age
Must have resided in Arizona for at least three years
May not be an active or inactive member of any bar association
May not have, other than as a consumer, a financial interest in the practice of law
Individuals with experience in human resources or finance are especially encouraged to apply.
Members of the Board of Governors attend approximately ten all-day meetings each year. Meetings are usually held on the third Friday of the month at the State Bar’s office in Phoenix. Preparation in advance of the meetings, including review of related materials, is essential. In addition, members attend the Bar’s annual convention in June and a two-day retreat in July. Board members also serve on standing Board committees. Travel and meal expenses are paid for all meetings, but there is no other compensation for service as a Board member.
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