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18 B. Rep. 1 (1989-1990)

handle is hein.barjournals/breport0019 and id is 1 raw text is: Vol. 18/No. I B aAugust/September'1989 The Official Newspaper of the Distict of Columbia Bar Presenting the report of the Court of Ap- peals Study Committee to the Bar's Board of Governors are committee members (from left) S. White Rhyne of Mullin, Rhyne, Emmons & Topel; Chair James P. Schaller of Jackson & Campbell, P.C.; and Charles L. Reischel of the D.C. Office of Corporation Counsel. Intermediate level Court of Appeals concept endorsed The D.C. Bar's Board of Governors has endorsed the concept of establishing an in- termediate appeals court in the District of Columbia as a way to reduce delay at the D.C. Court of Appeals, the District's highest court. The Board's vote was taken after it received the report of its Court of Appeals Study Committee. That report, which in- cluded a dissent and minority report, also called for the highest court to review all cases initially and take up precedent-setting cases, leaving to the intermediate court -.rror-correcting cases. The Board also endorsed the report's recommendation of a number of administra- tive improvements in the court system in- cluding the establishment of a centralized court reporting system for the D.C. Courts under the Court of Appeals. The Board also directed the committee to continue working on the issues of analyzing cost to clients and distinguishing law-declaring cases from rou- tine cases in the first instance. The committee's majority concluded that the Court's backlog is the result of a short- age of judge time. Currently there is a 22 month delay in processing cases, well be- yond the American Bar Association standard of six months. The minority argued that ad- ditional judges and staff at the D.C. Court of Appeals and streamlined administrative procedures would resolve backlog more eco- nomically and effectively than creating a new tier in the system. Professional lia bility insurance plan start-up funds are sought by Bar Hoping to provide a significant service to a company owned and operated by District lion. Once that amount is raised, the corn members of small- and medium-sized D.C. of Columbia lawyers would offer greater pany would begin offering insurance. law firms and public interest groups as well stability and would, in the long run, benefit The committee, chaired by J. Gordon For- as sole practitioners, the D.C. Bar's Board the members of our Bar who are concerned ester, Jr., recommended and the Board ap- of Governors has voted to pursue the for- with the unpredictable nature of professional proved the concept of a 12 member board mation of a lawyer-owned professional lia- liability insurance costs, Ruff wrote. of directors for the company, three of whom bility insurance company in the District. Because the Bar can not use dues for such would he appointed initially by the.Board Writing to members of the Bar located in an undertaking, the letter sought start-up of Governors based on the recommendation the District of Columbia on behalf of the contributions totalling $60,000. If that of its Executive Committee. Board of Governors, D.C. Bar President amount is raised and the company formed, Members with questions concerning the Charles F. C. Ruff said a minimum of it would make a securities offering in order proposal were invited to contact Forester at $60,000 in start-up costs are required in or- to obtain a required minimum of $1.5 mi- 202/452-1400. der for the Bar to establish a non-assessable mutual insurance company that would be owned by members of the Bar practicing in the District of Columbia who elect to make capital contributions to the company. Only members contributing capital would be eligi ble to apply for insurance through the company. The Board's action and Ruff's letter oc- curred after extensive investigatiotn by the Bar's Special Committee on Professional Malpractice Insurance. The committee's work included a survey of lawyers which revealed significant support for a lawyer- owned company as well as willingness to in- vest in such an undertaking. The commit- tee also found that 24 states have bar-owned insurance companies. The Board's decision to support the for- mation of a professional liability insurance company was made after two years of i- STUDYING INVESTMENT STRATEGIES with an eye for college education expenses tensive effort.... We did not base our de- and retirement needs are D.C. Bar members who attended a luncheon seminar at the cision on the expectation that the company D.C..Bar's 1989 Convention sponsored by Shearson Lehman Hutton. The conven- will offer insurance at a lower cost than that tion attracted several thousand D.C. Bar members to a variety of substantive semi- now available. Rather, it was our hope that nars and social opportunities. Thousands attend Bar's Annual Convention seminars,elun bes, and expositions Several thousand D.C. Bar members par- ticipated in three days of standing-room only seminars, special recognitions of outstand- ing Bar members, distribution of door prizes, and a range of social opportunities during the Bar's Annual Convention held in late June. This year's convention provided the mem- bership with a number of firsts: an expanded three-day format providing an increased number of seminar programs; a three-hour exposition where the members could visit commercial vendors as well as voluntary bar organizations in the district as a series of door prizes were awarded; a communica- tions center with free local and long distance service as well as fax equipment and a mes- sage center; and daily continental breakfast. Over 700 attended the convention's open- ing luncheon featuring remarks from The Hon. Abraham D. Sofaer, Legal Adviser to the U.S. Department of State (see story, page 8). Sponsored seminar luncheons at- tracted overflow crowds on the convention's second day and outstanding Bar members were recognized on the closing day. This has been a year of some achieve- ment as we recognized we have a mul- tifaceted purpose, said outgoing D.C. Bar President Philip A. Lacovara. We have tried to provide a service to our members; we have also recognized that we are a public profession ... with special ob- ligations to use our skills and talents to serve the comnunity of which we are a part. I suggest no profession is more commit- ted to public service than ours and there are no more committed members than the 50,000 members of the D.C. Bar, incom- ing D.C. Bar President Charles F. C. Ruff told more than 200 at the President's Lunch- con (see story, page 6). Each new president and officer of this Bar comes with his or her own ideas of what programs they wish to run. The heart of the Bar's work are in the members we recog- nize here today. What the officers and staff can do is to create an atmosphere which is conducive to these efforts, Ruff concluded. Elections scheduled Press discuss views for several Bar panels on U.S. Supreme Court page 3 page 7 Outstanding members Members live history win top Bar awards in trip to China page 6 page 12

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