Vol. 73, No. 10, October 2000
Seize the Future
"Seize the Future" is the title of a series of events scheduled for the 2000-01 State Bar agenda as an outgrowth of President Gary Bakke's theme, "The Status Quo Is Not an Option."
The first objective of the series is to focus the attention of the members of the profession, the Supreme Court and the bar staff on the sweeping changes that are encompassing the legal profession. The ultimate goal of the series is to find a consensus on the bar's response to these changes and to form a coalition of, lawyers, law firms, other related entities to work with the State Bar and the Court to implement changes that respond to the changing needs of the public while preserving the core values of our legal profession.
"The forces of change are bearing down on society and the legal profession with an unprecedented intensity. They include: continued client interest in more efficient and less costly legal services; client dissatisfaction with the delays and outcomes in the legal system as they affect both dispute resolution and transactions; advances in technology and telecommunications; globalization; new competition through services such as computerized self-help legal software, legal advice sites on the Internet, and the wide-reaching, stepped-up activities of bankers, investment companies, and financial planners providing products that embody a significant amount of legal engineering; and the strategy of Big Five professional service firms and their smaller-sized counterparts that has resulted in thousands of lawyers providing services to the public while denying their accountability to the lawyer regulatory system.
The Commission believes that the legal profession must take a proactive role in regard to these events in order to best serve the public interest and maintain its crucial role in the maintenance of a democratic society. Amending the Model rules in accordance with the Commission's Recommendation is the most progressive, preservative, and practical way to accomplish these goals. The Recommendation recognizes the realities of a changing marketplace, opens up new avenues of service to clients, responds to the suggestions of consumer advocates and provides new opportunities for lawyers."
American Bar Association Commission on Multidisciplinary Practice Report to the House of Delegates July 2000
Seize the Future Activities
MDP Definition of the Practice of Law
To schedule a presentation, contact Gary Bakke at gbakke@bakke-norman.com or call Trina E. Gray at the State Bar at (800) 444-9404, ext. 6025.
December 1-2, Madison Concourse Hotel Guest speakers: Atty. Charlie Robinson and Prof. Gary Munneke
