PROFESSIONALISM COMMITTEE -- 2008 YEAR-END REPORT

Chaired by:       The Honorable John C. Uhler, Judge

Members:         Kristina Bange, Christopher Ferro, Donald Hoyt, David Staudt, John Stitt, Sean Summers, and Cindy Van Laeys. Heather L. Dorion, Secretary.

2008 Committee Areas of Study and Action.

1.      November 2007 Lunch & Learn YCBA CLE.

a         Goal: To review and analyze the evaluations of the seminar for possible follow up.

b        Project Status Report. Completed.

c         Recommendation to the Committee for 2009. No additional action, at this time.

2.      Pro Se Litigants Surveys.

a)      Goal. To review and analyze the survey results and the Family Law Section response to the referral for possible follow up.

b)      Project Status Report. Completed.

c)      Recommendation to the Committee for 2009. Given the current economic climate, explore the idea of creating a guidepost brochure (similar to the one created by the Family Law Section a few years ago) and possibly a video clip for the YCBA website to show pro se litigants how they should conduct themselves in the courtroom.

3.      October 2008 Professionalism Vignettes.

a)      Goal: To present at the local Bench-Bar Conference a series of vignettes to highlight a variety of transaction and litigation situations that create ethical difficulties for the practitioner and to stimulate discussion of alternative ways to meet those difficulties.

b)      Project Status Report. The committee presented “Gotcha Botches (sic)” on Friday, October 24, 2008 at the Local Bench-Bar Conference as the opening plenary session. The evaluation results and comments were mostly positive.

c)      Recommendations to the Committee for 2009. None.