Making Law in Monterey: The Conference of Delegates

By Emory L. King, Jr.

This year's State Bar Annual Meeting took place at the Monterey Convention Center October 5-8. Traditionally, the Conference of Delegates is held in conjunction with the Annual State Bar Convention and this year was no exception.

Next year, the Conference will be held in Anaheim (Disneyland) September 27-30, 2007. Joan Stone, Past President SCBA (2004), will have the honor of being Chair of the Conference of Delegates. Joan will be the third Chair of the Conference who was a member of the Sacramento County Bar Association delegation.

The Conference of Delegates enables attorneys to propose changes to California statutes. Generally, attorneys participating in the Conference propose resolutions that add or change provisions of California statutory law, the rules of court, and other rules and procedures governing lawyers and the practice of law in California. Resolutions submitted are often the subject of vigorous and edifying debate on the Conference floor.

Each delegation is divided into committees representing areas of law, e.g., family law, labor law, probate law, state bar, courts and rules of court, real property law, civil procedure, criminal and vehicle law, business, corporate and tax law. Resolutions originate in these committees and, if adopted by the individual delegation, they are submitted to the Conference of Delegates of the California Bar Associations. The delegations exchange their proposed resolutions with other bar delegations and, subsequently, they exchange responses and comments.

The Resolutions Committee, comprised of members from each bar district, meets in May and takes a formal position on every resolution. They vote to approve, approve with amendment, or disapprove. At the Conference, lobbying begins in earnest. Members may amend their resolutions until the final debate. By meeting with the delegations that oppose your resolution, you may be able to devise an amendment that addresses their concern or even changes their position.

At the end of the Conference, all resolutions that pass are sent to the Conference of Delegates' lobbyist. She finds supporters in the Legislature for the resolutions and, ultimately, some resolutions become law. This year, the SCBA delegation had several resolutions proposed and several resolutions from prior years became law.

Each year the SCBA delegation sends 22 delegates and 22 alternate delegates to the Conference. The SCBA invites you to apply for these positions. If you become a Conference delegate, you can also attend MCLE classes at the State Bar Convention and visit the Exhibition Hall to view what's new from vendors who service the legal profession. Moreover, there are also notable guest speakers at the Conference. And the SCBA hosts a hospitality suite every year where all bench and bar members gather for lunch and in the evening.

If you are interested in serving on the SCBA's Delegation to the 2007 Conference of Delegates to be held September 27-30, 2007 in Anaheim (Disneyland), please contact Emory King at 916-443-4880 or via email ekinglaw@midtown.net Or if you want information on the Conference, the duties of a delegate, or costs involved in serving, please call Emory as well. Join us!