There are solo practitioners and big-firm lawyers, deputy public defenders and deputy district attorneys, an appellate specialist, attorneys from mid-sized firms and one guy the State Bar slapped on the wrist a few years back for accusing a trio of appellate justices of misbehaving.
They are the 18 lawyers — from as far north as Roseville and as far south as San Diego — who have thrown their hats into the ring for five seats on the State Bar Board of Governors. The State Bar announced the names late Wednesday and the candidates have until June 30 to convince their districts’ voters to choose them for a three-year term. Only time will tell if the victors become superstars of justice or reviled show boaters who manage to piss off State Bar staff with meddling and micro-managing. Oh, yeah! There have been plenty of the latter and few of the former over the years.
At least one lucky candidate will get a chance to serve one final year as State Bar president.
Let’s bring out our lovely contestants … after the jump.
Candidates from District Three, which covers Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties include Cheryl Hicks, an Oakland dependency lawyer and former president of the Alameda County Bar Association; Edward Lai, a partner with Concord’s Sellar, Hazard, Manning, Ficence & Lai; Walnut Creek solo John Nejedly; and Berkeley lawyer Anthony Prince. The winner would replace Richard Frankel, a partner with San Ramon’s Frankel & Goldware.
Candidates from District One, which takes in Butte, Colusa, Del Norte, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity and Yuba counties include Placer County Deputy DA Clark Gehlbach; and Michael Jones, a business litigator and partner with Roseville’s Hansen, Kohls, Jones, Sommer & Jacob. The winner would replace Auburn lawyer John Dutton.
Candidates from District Five, which encompasses Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Mono, Monterey, San Benito, San Joaquin, Santa Cruz, Stanislaus and Tulare counties include Lowell Carruth, of counsel and litigator with Fresno’s McCormick Barstow; Kern County Deputy PD R. Konrad Moore; and Bakersfield solo David Torres. The winner would replace John Peterson, of counsel commercial litigator for Fresno’s Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo.
Candidates from District Seven, comprised of Los Angeles County, include Patrick Kelly, the L.A.-based managing partner of the western region of New York’s Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker; Los Angeles solo Jeffrey Lustman, who was publicly reproved by the State Bar in 2006 for insulting three justices; and Jeremy Rosen, a partner and appellate specialist with Encino’s Horvitz & Levy. The winner would replace Howard Miller, a partner with L.A.’s Girardi & Keese.
Candidates from District Nine, which covers Imperial and San Diego counties, include Stephen Grebing, a partner and civil litigator with San Diego’s Wingert, Grebing, Brubaker & Goodwin; Michael Begovich, with San Diego’s Office of Assigned Counsel; La Mesa lawyer Garrison Klueck; La Mesa solo Wells Lyman; Paula Roach, with the San Diego County counsel’s office; and San Diego solo Adam Van Susteren. The winner would replace San Diego District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis.
Ladies and gentlemen, start your campaigns and pray you don’t regret getting elected.
— Mike McKee
Comments