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President-Elect Candidates
JOHN A. ADAMS
John A. Adams is a shareholder at the law firm of Ray, Quinney & Nebeker where he has practiced since 1982. Mr. Adams received his B.A. degree in Economics from
Brigham Young University and then attended Brigham Young University Law School. Following graduation from law school in 1981, he served as a law clerk to the
Honorable George E. MacKinnon of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Mr. Adams is currently a Bar Commissioner from the Third District and is a member of the Commission's Executive Committee. He serves on the Bar's Admissions and
Communications Committees as well as a special committee reviewing the Rules of Lawyer Discipline and Disability. He also served as a member of the Utah Supreme
Court Task Force on Bar Governance. Mr. Adams is a former president of the Young Lawyers' Section and the Salt Lake County Bar Association.
Mr. Adams concentrates his litigation practice on general commercial matters, insurance coverage disputes, natural resources, intellectual property law and
environmental litigation. He is a trained mediator and is a member of the Utah federal district court mediation panel. He is married to Lisa Ramsey Adams (J.D., U.
of U., 1986) and they have four children.
Few lawyers have extra time. If they do, they wish they didn't because time is money in our profession. Most lawyers don't have a lot of time to think much about
the operations of the Bar, but they want to have leaders who take the time to carefully consider decisions, keep an eye on future planning and exercise sound
judgment.
Successful bar governance draws on the time and capabilities of a lot of different people. The bar president may set the tone, but the real work is done by many
others and must be a well-coordinated team effort. We need to continue to (1) effectively use the time and abilities of our paid, professional bar staff, (2)
empower and encourage the activities of our sections, committees and local bar associations, and (3) keep members informed promptly of events and issues that
affect them.
I understand bar operations and governance at multiple levels. I served as Young Lawyers President, served ten years on the executive committee and as an officer
of the Salt Lake County Bar Association and currently serve as a member of the Bar Commission's five-person Executive Committee.
Please take the time to vote in this first general election. I would appreciate your vote and support.
Denise A. Dragoo
DENISE A. DRAGOO, ESQ., is a partner with the law firm of Snell & Wilmer L.L.P., Salt Lake City, Utah. Ms. Dragoo received her Bachelor of Arts from the
University of Colorado in 1973 with honors, is a 1976 graduate of the University of Utah, College of Law, and received a Masters of Law in Environmental Law in
1977 from the University of Washington, School of Law, in St. Louis, Missouri. Ms. Dragoo is the Utah State Bar's Trustee to the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law
Foundation. Prior to joining Snell & Wilmer, Ms. Dragoo was in private practice for fifteen years and served as a Special Assistant Utah Attorney General for
the Department of Natural Resources.
Ms. Dragoo was first elected to the Board of Bar Commissioners in 1991 and is completing her fourth term (9th year) with the Board. Ms. Dragoo is President of the
Legal Aid Society of Salt Lake and serves on the Board of Directors of the "and Justice for All"campaign. She has served as President and member of the
Executive Committee of Women Lawyers of Utah, Inc. Ms. Dragoo is past Chair and a current member of the Judicial Conduct Commission and a Fellow of the American
Bar Foundation.
Dear Colleagues:
Having long advocated the principle that Bar members should select their own leaders, I am eager to participate in the first direct election of the
President-Elect. This campaign has moved beyond the Bar Commission to involve all lawyers in a meaningful choice in the direction of Bar affairs.
With this objective in mind, I would appreciate your vote for President-Elect. I am now serving my fourth term (9th year) on the Bar Commission. During my
tenure, I have worked toward certain goals which I would continue to seek to achieve as President-Elect:
1.Keep the Composition of the Bar Commission Inclusive: The Bar Commission should remain inclusive, welcoming the contribution of elected members, public members and ex officio members.
2.Implement a Communication Plan: As Chair of the Special Committee on Communications, my Committee has worked with the Commission to develop and implement a communications plan. The plan is interactive, reflecting input from members, section and committee leadership, the Supreme Court and the public at large.
3.Admissions: I support the hiring of a law-trained admissions director to improve the professionalism of the admissions process and the need to
forge agreements with neighboring state bars to facilitate multi-state practice.
4.Professional Conduct: I support rule changes to expedite issuance of "safe harbor opinions"to avoid potential ethical problems and additional funding for the Office of Professional Conduct to reduce the time currently required to process complaints.
5.Pro Bono Services: Consistent with member input, the Commission has encouraged voluntary contributions of Bar members to support civil legal services through the "and Justice for All"campaign.
Please give me a call or send me an e-mail if you would like to discuss these matters. I hope to receive your vote when the ballots come in early April.
Denise A. Dragoo
(801) 257-1998
ddragoo@swlaw.com
Second Division Candidates
David R. Hamilton
Present Practice:
Partner of Smith, Knowles & Hamilton, P.C. Practicing primarily in the areas of litigation, collection/ commercial, insurance and domestic.
Professional Experience: Member of Utah State Bar (1978).
Education: Juris Doctor, University of Utah, 1978. Bachelor of Science, magna cum laude, University of Utah, 1975.
Professional Activities:
Member of American Bar Association, Litigation, Tort & Insurance Sections. Member of American Collectors Association/MAP. Member and Past President of Weber County Bar Association. Member of Davis County Bar Association. Chair of the Client Security Fund (CSF), Utah State Bar, and principal author of CSF Rules and Regulations.
Other: Layton Rotary Club, 1995-present. 1997 Layton Rotarian of Year. Layton/North Davis Chamber of Commerce, 1995-present. Reported Cases: Crompton v.
Crompton, 888 P.2d 686 (Utah Ct. App. 1994). Balls v. Hackley, 745 P.2d 836 (Utah Ct. App 1994). Larson v. SYSCO Corp., 767 P.2d 557 (Utah 1989). State v. Auble,
754 P.2d 935 (Utah 1988).
Personal: Married, four children.
In seeking the position of Commissioner for the Second Division, I have no agenda in mind other than to be the voice for Bar members of the Second Division.
Having practiced in the Division for 22+ years in all of the courts and many of the practice areas, I believe I have a sense for those items that are important for
us all. Common sense and practicality often turn out to be the basis on how matters are resolved and would represent my basic platform in seeking the position.
Felshaw King
Lifetime resident of Utah and Second Judicial District. Graduated from the University of Utah Law School. Admitted to Bar in 1962. Admitted to the Bar of Supreme
Court of United States, Tenth Circuit and Fifth Circuit.
Representative in Utah House of Representatives 1965-66, Chairman of House Judiciary Committee and House Majority Whip; Commissioner, Davis County Housing
Authority, 1979-1984; Chairman of Education Section of Utah State Bar; 1984; Chairman Utah Committee of Consumer Services, 1977-1989; President, National
Association State Utility Consumer Advocates (NASUCA), 1985-1987; State Committeeman of Association of Trial Lawyers of America 1965-1967, State Representative to
Legislative Section, 1969-1970, Member of Board of Governor's Utah Trial Lawyers Association, 1967; President, Aldon J. Anderson American Inns of Court 1997; Two
years sea duty as Line Officer in the United States Navy, Retired from U.S. Naval Reserve as Commander, Judge Advocate General Corps.
Engaged in private practice in small firm for over 38 years representing school districts, municipalities, special service districts and private clients on a
variety of matters, including primarily personal injury, estate planning and business matters.
The Utah State Bar should be a key factor in the professional career of every lawyer. The Bar should function as a support organization for lawyers and as an aid
to them in providing quality legal services to the public served by the legal community. All other functions of the Bar should be secondary and collateral to that
main purpose. The Bar should be more "user-friendly,"especially to small firms which do not always have the resources of larger firms. As a Bar
Commissioner, one of my goals would be to improve the relationship between the Bar and small-town firms outside the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. It is my
belief that more can be done by the Bar to promote the interests of small firms and to provide them greater service without compromising the other services
currently being provided by the Bar. For example, more CLE courses could be sponsored outside of Salt Lake County.
Full support from all members of the Bar, wherever located and however situated, is important for the continued success of our Association. Success of our
profession requires a cohesive response to challenges and problems which face us in this new century. I would sincerely like to be part of the Bar team working to
meet these challenges effectively.
Third Division Candidates
David R. Bird, Gus Chin and Karin Hobbs are running uncontested for three vacancies in the Third Division. According to Utah State Bar bylaws, in the event an
insufficient number of nominating petitions are filed to require balloting in a division, the persons nominated shall be declared elected.
David R. Bird
David Bird is a shareholder in the natural resources department. He practices almost exclusively in the areas of government relations and environmental law. David
is involved in building coalitions, representing trade and professional associations and lobbying for the interests of individual clients. While the primary focus
of his practice is natural resources and environmental law, he is involved with a broad range of legislative issues. David is chairman of the Utah Mining
Association and a member of the Utah Manufacturers Association. He is the firm's legislative liaison with state government and is the former chair of the
Legislative Action Committee of the Salt Lake Area Chamber of Commerce and the Chairman of the Utah State Bar Legislative Affairs Committee. He has taught
Environmental Law at Brigham Young University where he was a member of Phi Kappa Phi, a J. Reuben Clark Scholar and the BYU Law Review from 1975 to 1977.
Areas of Concentration: Government Relations, Natural Resources, Environmental, Administrative Law.
Admissions:
United States Supreme Court, 1987; United States Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit, 1977; United States District Court, District of Utah, 1977; Utah State Bar, 1977.
Education: Brigham Young University (J.D., magna cum laude, 1977). Brigham Young University (B.S., cum laude, 1973)
I am seeking your support as a Bar Commissioner for the Third District. I am a shareholder at Parsons Behle & Latimer where I have practiced Natural
Resources and Governmental Relations law since graduating from BYU Law School in 1977. I have been actively involved in the Utah Bar since my admission, serving on
many committees and panels. I have served on the Bar's Governmental Affairs Committee since 1979 and have served as its chair for over 10 years. In that position,
I have worked closely with many lawyers and past Bar Commissions.
During my career I have been actively involved in many business and trade associations and believe that Bar members have an important part to play in the
economic, political and social affairs in our State. Too many people hold our profession in disdain. If elected I will work to strengthen understanding and ties
between Bar members and the business and political communities and raise awareness of the contributions of the members of the Utah State Bar.
I would be pleased to serve you on the Bar Commission and I solicit your support.
Augustus "Gus"Chin
Gus enjoys his role and responsibilities as an assistant prosecutor for Salt Lake City Corporation. Before becoming a municipal prosecutor, Gus clerked for the
Honorable Tyrone E. Medley. Gus received his JD and his undergraduate degrees from the University of Utah.
Gus enjoys being involved in the community. In addition to being a Small Claims Judge Pro Tempore, he is President of the Utah Chapter of the Organization of
Chinese Americans. He is also a member of the "and Justice for All"Leadership Committee, and the University of Utah College of Law Alumni Board of
Trustees. Gus takes great pleasure from serving others. In the past he has been a Tuesday Night Bar volunteer as well as the President of the Utah Minority Bar
Association.
Originally from Jamaica, Gus prefers the cooler, and drier climate of Utah. Gus is semi-fluent in Spanish. Gus' hobbies include cooking, meeting people and playing
racquetball (which he hasn't found time for since the birth of his three year old twins). His pride, joy and motivation are his wife, Lisa, and his four children:
Jeremiah, Barbra, Emmalyn and AnnMarie.
Effective bar governance requires the involvement of lawyers representing diverse viewpoints and concerns. I believe that involvement in bar governance (1)
affords consideration of diverse views, (2) provides an opportunity to make a difference in the administration of justice and bar issues, and (3) ensures
pragmatism in the management of member concerns such as dues, funds, and discipline.
For the past three years I have been an Assistant Salt Lake City prosecutor. I have also been active in the Bar and the community. My past activities include
serving as an ex-officio Bar Commissioner, volunteering for Tuesday Night Bar, membership on the Law Day Committee and the Representation Subcommittee for the Utah
Task Force on Racial and Ethnic Fairness and being past-president of the Utah Minority Bar Association. Presently, I am a member of the Leadership Committee of the
"and Justice for All"campaign, President of the Utah Chapter of the Organization of Chinese Americans, and a member of the U of U College of Law Alumni
Board of Trustees. I also serve as a Small Claims Judge Pro Tempore in the Third District Court.
I seek the opportunity to be a voice of reason representing the views and concerns of fellow lawyers within the Third Division. As such, I ask for your support
to be a Third Division Bar Commissioner.
Karin S. Hobbs
Karin S. Hobbs started a private mediation and appellate consulting office in April of 2001. She was previously Chief Appellate Mediator at the Utah Court of
Appeals for three years where she mediated over 300 appellate cases, involving claims in commercial litigation, personal injury, probate, workers' compensation,
employment, zoning, and divorce. Ms. Hobbs was formerly a Staff Attorney at the Utah Court of Appeals, Associate Bar Counsel at the Utah State Bar, and Deputy
Director of the Division of Child and Family Services. Ms. Hobbs served as a member of the Appellate Operations Task Force in 1994. Ms. Hobbs is currently chair of
the Utah State Bar's Alternative Dispute Resolution Service and serves on the Board of the Utah Council on Conflict Resolution. She has attended numerous mediation
trainings, including the Negotiation Workshop at Harvard Law School and CDR Associates' mediation training in Boulder, Colorado. Ms. Hobbs regularly presents to
local and out-of-state organizations and has been a speaker at several State Bar Association annual meetings throughout the Intermountain West. Included in her
recent publications is an article in the American Arbitration Association's Dispute Resolution Journal entitled, "Attention Attorneys: How to Achieve the Best
Results in Mediation.Ó
My experience as a mediator, staff attorney and law clerk for the Utah Court of Appeals, and counsel to the Utah State Bar, has exposed me to the concerns of
hundreds of attorneys, from senior partners in large law firms to solo practitioners, government attorneys and corporate counsel. I would like the opportunity to
address some of these concerns by serving on the Bar Commission.
After mediating over 300 cases, many of which involved complex, multiparty disputes, I came to appreciate the concerns of practitioners. As Adjunct Professor of
Law teaching Negotiation and ADR at the University of Utah, I am also familiar with the concerns of young attorneys entering practice. As an attorney for the
judiciary, I became aware of the concerns of judges and government attorneys. In April of 2001, I opened a private dispute resolution and appellate consulting
office. This will present me with further insight into the concerns of the legal community.
In addition, I have been active in the Utah State Bar, initiating and chairing the Alternative Dispute Resolution Section. With my experience I could make
significant contributions to the Utah State Bar. I ask for your vote to enable me to make this contribution.
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