1976, April, Pg. 504. On the Soapbox.

• Author: by Christopher R. Brauchli

5 Colo.Law. 504

Colorado Lawyer

1976.

1976, April, Pg. 504.

On the Soapbox

504Vol. 5, No. 4, Pg. 504On the Soapboxby Christopher R. BrauchliEach year at Christmas time, as I join my brethren at the bar in eager expectation of receiving the Session Laws, and now, with added excitement, the pocket parts, I am reminded that I practice law in what is probably one of the last states to shield its practitioners from the most recent advances in the state of its art. To describe what the legislature does as "art" may not be entirely accurate; to say that we are shielded from knowledge of its activities is. We practice law in a state where statutory changes are closely guarded secrets whose mysteries are not revealed even to those most concerned with them until several months after they have become law. There are, of course, private services which furnish us with the legislature's doings at various intervals. Lamentably, their indices are the same as those used prior to the advent of the 1973 statutes. Their sole purpose was not to assist the lawyer in finding statutory changes but to remind him, by usage, how excellent the indices furnished with the 1963 and earlier statutes were. Hence they were and are worthless except for comparison with an index we no longer use. They make no pretense of leading the practitioner to changes in the law.

Some may wonder why a profession, many of whose members spend countless dollars subscribing to well indexed services advising them of the latest changes in virtually every field of law known to man, is content to await receipt of local statutory changes until many months after the legislature has completed its work. Some may even wonder why it takes longer to publish and distribute these changes than it takes the legislative behemoth to enact them. Although the answer may be that anyone can pass laws but it takes a lot of time to compile them into an organized whole, that is small comfort to those who need the information and without it dispense outdated advice. Help may be on the way.

Although the Colorado Bar Association has not yet given this problem the attention it has bestowed upon specialization and continuing legal education, these programs will compel it to do something about the problem it has until now largely ignored.

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