The next Board of Governors meeting will be held in San Francisco May 13 and 14 at the State Bar offices. I encourage anyone who is interested in the issues before the board to attend any of the committee meetings on Friday and the full board meeting on Saturday morning. If you want more information regarding the agenda, feel free to give me a call.

One of the highlights of the May meeting is the election of the 2005-2006 President. There are three candidates, Jim O. Heiting of Riverside, representing District 6, Joel S. Miliband of Newport Beach, representing District 8 and Roderick A. McLeod from San Francisco, representing District 4. Jim is a partner in the law firm of Heiting and Irwin. Joel is a partner in the law firm of Rus, Miliband & Smith. Rod is a partner at Jones Day.

The new president will be installed at the Annual Meeting, scheduled for September 7-11, 2005, in San Diego. All State Bar sections will be presenting MCLE classes at the Annual Meeting. The Conference of Delegates of California Bar Associations will also be meeting in San Diego. Your Sacramento delegation, chaired by Emory King, is an active and important part of this conference.

The State Bar has also announced that 15 attorneys, including three from San Francisco, have entered the race for five seats on the State Bar Board of Governors. The list includes big-firm attorneys, solo practitioners, prosecutors, public defenders, appellate lawyers and one court attorney.

Ballots will be mailed to all active lawyers on April 29. The last day to vote is June 30.

NEW BAR PROSECUTOR: Scott Drexel, top State Bar Court executive for the past 16 years, has been named chief trial counsel for the State Bar's attorney discipline system.

ETHICS SYMPOSIUM: San Francisco is the location for the bar's annual ethics conference on April 16.

ANNUAL ARANDA AWARD: The California Access to Justice Commission is seeking nominations of California judges for the Benjamin Aranda III Access to Justice Award.

ACCESS SURVEY: A new survey is available at the State Bar website to determine the kinds of challenges faced by women, minorities, older and gay attorneys in California.