Bravo!: Probate Attorney Borden Webb Wears Many Different Hats
by Nicole De Santis

This issue's honoree for Bravo! Recognition has been involved in so many facets of the Sacramento County Bar, the column requires sub-headings. Borden Webb has been a member of the SCBA for over 30 years, and throughout the years, he has been actively involved with the SCBA Bar Council, Attorney Referral Service Program, several committees, and the Conference of Delegates. Additionally, he has been a prominent member of the SCBA Probate Section since the late 70's, when he became one of the founders of the section. And not to be forgotten is Webb's main "hat": the trust, probate and estate planning firm, Webb, Patterson and Tapella, which grew out of a solo practice Webb started in 1982. If anyone is wondering how to become more involved with the SCBA, Borden Webb's SCBA resume provides a good overview:

Member, SCBA Bar Council
Throughout the years, Webb has served several terms as a member of the SCBA Bar Council, the governing board of the SCBA that oversees all committees and meets monthly to plan and implement all SCBA functions. His leadership on other SCBA committees, the Conference of Delegates, and active involvement in the probate section enabled him to offer unique, valuable perspectives on the functioning of the SCBA as a whole.

Member, SCBA Attorney Referral Service Program
The Attorney Referral Service ("ARS") is operated by the SCBA to assist Sacramento residents who have legal problems and to assist attorneys in building a client base. In 2001, ARS was lucky to have Webb become an active member, and he continues to remain an active member, and an ardent advocate of ARS. To learn more about ARS, see the January/February 2003 and the March/April 2003 issues of the Sacramento Lawyer, which feature articles that Webb wrote about ARS. In these articles, Webb describes how ARS functions and how it can help new lawyers and those venturing out into private practice.

Chair and Committee Member, SCBA Long Range Planning and Bylaws Committee; Committee Member, Strategic Planning Committee
The SCBA is kept running smoothly through the work of several committees, overseen by the SCBA Bar Council. The Long Range Planning and Bylaws Committee studies and makes recommendations concerning the SCBA bylaws and its future. Borden Webb has been the Chair of this Committee since the 1980's. He is also a current member of the Strategic Planning Committee, and has served in the past of the Attorney-Client Relations Committee as well.

Delegate, SCBA Conference of Delegates
Every year, members of sections of the California State Bar join with several local bar association members to offer their expertise to California lawmakers in what is known as the "Conference of Delegates." The program has been a stellar success, resulting in numerous bills being accepted by a legislator for sponsorship, and quite a few being chartered into law. SCBA members who choose to join the Conference of Delegates offer their valuable input and expertise each year, and Borden Webb has been one of those people.

Co-Founder and Member, SCBA Probate Section; Member, SCBA Real Property Section
The SCBA is composed of 18 substantive law sections which host monthly MCLE lunch meetings and other programs relating to the section's specific area of law. The sections are a great way to keep up on current legal developments in your field of expertise, and network with other attorneys who can become mentors and potential referral sources for business. Thanks to Borden Webb and other co-founders, Sacramento attorneys who practice in the field of probate, trust and estate planning have an active and successful group to rely on: Webb and others started the probate section of the SCBA in the late 70's and Mr. Webb continues to remain an active member in the probate section today. He also keeps active in the SCBA Real Property Section.

Past President, Barristers Club
Not to be forgotten, the Barristers Club is the facet of the SCBA specifically for "new" lawyers, those in practice less than 5 years or those lawyers under the age of 36. Like many other local leaders in Sacramento, Webb started his community legal involvement in part through the Barristers Club, and he is proud to be a past president of the Barristers Club. He also remarked that the contacts he made early on in his legal career still remain valuable confidantes today, such as Deputy Public Defender Tom Roehr.

Bravo to Borden Webb! In recognition of his efforts to the SCBA, Webb will be awarded a $50 Gift Certificate to Bravo Ristorante in Sacramento.

If you have noticed the efforts of other SCBA members and wish to nominate them for a "Bravo" award in future Sacramento Lawyer issues, please contact Nicole De Santis at (916) 448-4300 or SCBA Executive Director Carol Prosser at (916) 448-1087.