Family Law Section

Minutes May 14, 2003

In Attendance:

• Karma Dixon
• Steven Gunn
• Louise Knauer
• Marci Keck
• Howard Lundgren
• Lori Nelson
• Stewart Ralphs
• Adam Trupp
• Kellie Williams

Excused:

• Comm. Susan Bradford
• Judge Larry Jones
• Adam Caldwell
• Russell Minas
• Brent Johns
• Connie Mower

1. Presentation of Legal Assistants Division for Associate Membership in Section by Cynthia Mendenhall and Shari Faulkner:

There are approximately 100 members of the LAD. LAD is requesting “Associate Membership” in the Family Law Section which would entail notice to all section activities, pay section dues, be non-voting, and not sit on Executive Committee. Discussion ensued regarding the request and also whether or not to expand Associate Membership beyond members of LAD. Mr. Ralphs had prepared a draft of By-Laws change to implement the request and discussion ensued on appropriate wording of the By-Laws.

Mr. Dolowitz made a motion for the Family Law Section to amend its By Laws as set forth below to allow members of the Legal Assistants Division of the Bar to become Associate Members, Ms. Nelson seconded the motion, and the motion was approved unanimously.

2.3 Associate Membership. The members of the section may include persons who are members of the Legal Assistants Division of the Utah State Bar, and shall be known as “Associate Members.” It is the policy of this Section to involve Associate Members for the limited purpose of advancing the Section’s principal objectives that are set out in Section 1.2 a-d of these By-Laws. As a specific condition for membership in the Section, Associate Members shall take all precautions to assure that they do not hold themselves out as being members of the Utah State Bar, and will follow all guidelines and directives from the Section Chair in connection with the implementation of this requirement. Membership as an Associate Member shall be at the absolute and sole discretion of a majority of the members of the Executive Committee. Associate Members may not hold office in the Section, but are otherwise entitled to all of the privileges and benefits of the Section membership.

Mr. Ralphs will provide the By-Laws changes to the bar.

2. Approval of April Minutes. Upon motion by Ms. Nelson and second by Mr. Lundgren, the April minutes were unanimously approved.

3. Membership Dues: By consensus, the Committee agreed to leave the membership dues as the presently are assessed.

4. 2003-2004 Chair of Family Law Section. Adam Trupp, as Chair-elect will be the 2003-2004 Chair of the Family Law Section

5. Q & A in Enterprise: The Bar has requested that the sections participate in a Question and Answer in the Enterprise newspaper wherein people can pose legal questions and the questions are submitted to the section most applicable and someone from the section respond to the question. The Committee agreed to participate on a “trial run” basis.

6. Schedules for 2003-2004. The Committee agreed to continue the Executive Committee meetings on the 2nd Wednesday of each month from August through May and keep the CLE date on the 3rd Friday of each month at noon.

7. Judge’s Open House: Mr. Ralphs reported that the expenses for the Judge’s Open House immediately following the Committee meeting cost around $800.00. Mr. Ralphs will do an introduction of the section and call for a vote of section members on the Executive Committee’s recommendation of By-Laws changes, Ms. Williams will discuss discovery issues, Mr. Lundgren will discuss meaningful pre-trials, and Ms. Nelson will discuss Temporary Restraining Orders.

At the Judge’s Open House, held May 14, 2003 at 4:00 p.m. at a regularly schedule meeting of the section to which all members were notified through the Bar, Mr. Ralphs called for a vote to change the By-Laws of the Family Law Section, as recommended by the Executive Committee, to allow members of the Legal Assistants Division to become Associate Members of the Section. The vote was unanimous to approve the change.

8. Annual Bar Conference: Ms. Williams reported that the two CLE presentations for the Annual Bar Conference were set with a Judicial Panel and an ethics presentation “EthicsIsland: Don’t Get Voted Off” with Billy Walker and Mary Corporon.

9. June Meeting: Because of the Judge’s Open House, the Committee agreed not to have June BBQ.

The meeting was adjourned at 4:00 p.m.