Sep. 12, 2013
Patrick M. Kelly
See more on Patrick M. KellyWilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP | Los Angeles | Practice type: Litigation
During a year as president of the State Bar of California, Kelly has overseen, guided and prodded along a blizzard of significant efforts affecting lawyers. They range from a call for increased practical training of new lawyers to potential big changes in continuing education rules to a website with advice for aging baby boomers.
His most important project, however, was not strictly a State Bar endeavor. Kelly put many hours into working to restore funding to the state court system.
"It's been my No. 1 priority this year," he said.
As bar president, Kelly was a member of the steering committee of the special Open Courts Coalition, a group of legal community leaders striving since 2011 to persuade Sacramento to restore some of the $1 billion cut from the courts' budgets.
Kelly said he made five trips to the capital to meet with legislators and spoke with many privately in Los Angeles or by telephone. "I've talked to legislators a lot," he said.
"He really committed himself," Bar Executive Director Joseph L. Dunn, a former state senator involved in negotiations, said about Kelly. "Any time there was anything about court funding, he was there and vocal."
The concerted efforts paid off, at least somewhat. In June, the Legislature and the governor agreed to put about $63 million back into the judicial branch's budget.
"We've been able to turn the Queen Mary," Kelly said about the extra money.
Other Kelly efforts have included encouraging lawyers to function as peacemakers as well as advocates and pushing to add a nonbinding "civility" promise to the oath attorneys take when being sworn in. That proposal is set to go to the state Supreme Court next month for rulemaking.
The State Bar Board of Trustees "accomplished more this year than any other board," Kelly said, a fact he credits to his colleagues.
"I have been a president blessed with a fabulous and committed board."
- Don J. DeBenedictis
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