Thank you for taking the time to read this before voting. The election of our Bar Officers is important to all of us, and your participation is critical to that process.

Serving as your Bar President is important to me because there are issues critical to the practice of law that need our attention now. I have experience and expertise in these areas. When I ran for Bar Commission 4 years ago, the Bar had a terrible relationship with the Legislature. Attorneys serving on the Hill were amongst the most antagonistic, and were frequently the ones to run bills that attacked the profession. While things have improved, again this year we saw bills reducing the authority of the Court, and attacking attorneys. Senate Bill 105, which just passed, took away the Court’s ability to evaluate judicial performance and gave it to a newly created Committee of 13 political appointees, no more than 6 of whom can be attorneys. Worse yet, this new Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission was funded at less than half the amount believed necessary to make it work. It now falls to us to figure out how to make it work. The Justice Court system was also revamped this year, and we saw bills that attempt to modify the Rules of Procedure or Evidence by statute rather than by the Court’s Rules Committee. Every year we see attempts to bring our profession under the Legislature’s control through state licensing and regulation through the Department of Occupation and Professional Licensing instead of the Courts. The Bar Commission needs to be vigilant in defending our rights.

I frequently hear attorneys lament the demise of professional courtesy and civility within the profession. I would like to see a mentoring program instituted for new lawyers that will help improve the professionalism of the practice. I would like to see the Bar take a more active role in encouraging more professional and forthright relationships between the members of the Bar. Internally, we need to complete an audit of each department within the Bar. We have wonderful, supportive staff at the Bar, but that monitoring is the job of the Bar Commission not the staff.

For the last 14 years I have served our legal community in many capacities. I mention this to show that I care, I’m interested and participating, and I know what is going on because I have been working on the solutions. I have enjoyed serving our profession. I believe that there are still areas where change and growth are needed, and I believe I can further those goals by serving as your Bar President.

As I have said before, “It is your Bar; please take the time to vote. And I hope I can count on your support.”

Thank you.

Bar

Bar Commissioner (4 years)
Bar Commission Executive Committee
2005 Real Property Practitioner of the Year Award
Committee on Law & Aging Pro Bono Honor Roll (2006-2007)
Co-Chair Governmental Relations Committee (5 years)
Governmental Relations Committee (11 years)
2005 Distinguished Committee of the Year Award (Governmental Relations Co-Chair)
Officer Real Property Section (4 years)
Officer Business Law Section (4 years)
Mid-Year Convention Committee
Annual Convention Committee
Utah State Bar Lobbyist
Needs of the Elderly counseling (3 years)
Help Write and Grade Real Property Bar Exams (6 years)
Organize, Host and Teach Bar Leadership Conference (2 years)
Fitness and Character Appeals Board (2 years)
Young Lawyer Division Mentoring Marathon
Admissions Review Committee
Needs of the Elderly Counseling
Teach Business Law Section CLE 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003
Teach Real Property Law Section CLE 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003
75th Anniversary Bar Journal Article

Courts

Judicial Council 2006, 2007, 2008
Policy & Procedures Sub-Committee of Judicial Council 2006, 2007, 2008
2005 Amicus Curiae of the Court Award from the Utah Supreme Court
Teach Small Claims Judges Course (8 years)
Teach Justice Court Judges Course (4 years)
Pro-Tem Judge (14 years)
Supreme Court Rules Committee, Sub-Committee on Small Claims
Small Claims Judge's Training Program
Authored Small Claims Judge's Bench Book

Non-Profit Boards/Community Service

Camp Kostopulos (8 years)
Chief Barker, Variety Club Tent of Utah
Utah Access to Justice Planning Council (Co-Chair with Justice Nehring, 3 years)
Give Kids their Dreams
Committee on Law & Aging Pro Bono Honor Roll (2006-2007)
Trial Advocacy/Moot Court Competitions (3 years)
Sandy City Board of Adjustment (2 years)

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