Colorado Bar Association President's Message to Members
| Publication year | 1990 |
| Pages | 1046 |
| Citation | Vol. 19 No. 6 Pg. 1046 |
1990, June, Pg. 1046. Colorado Bar Association President's Message to Members
It seems appropriate, at the end of my term, that I report to you on matters which were accomplished during my tenure as president.
As I reported in my opening message last July, I found, as president-elect, that one of the highlights of the year was the opportunity to meet lawyers from around the state and become acquainted with some of the problems confronting our rural colleagues. That impression was reinforced this year and the visits around the state will remain among the highlights of the two years Margot and I spent, first in the company of Bill and Ginger DeMoulin and then in the company of Jerry Conover and Jacqueline Wonder. I am pleased to report that some of my goals have been fulfilled.
In July, I reported that it was my intention to attempt to obtain legislation raising court-appointed counsel fees. As you all know, that proved unnecessary. In August, Chief Justice Quinn issued a directive ordering the increase of court-appointed counsel fees by $15 an hour in $5 per hour increments effective January 1, 1990, July 1, 1990, and January 1, 1991. As part of that directive, a provision was included that mandates review of court-appointed counsel fees every three years.
I also reported on the formation of committees to address the problems of the aging and problems of the homeless. Both of those committees have been formed and will, I am confident, remain a vital part of the committee structure of the Colorado Bar Association. While discussing committees, I would be remiss if I failed to point out that the backbone of this Association is its committee structure. Of all bar associations in the western part of the United States, the Colorado Bar Association is the only voluntary bar association. Notwithstanding this fact, more than 80 percent of the practicing lawyers in the state belong to the Association. This is attributable in no small part to the effective work of the committees and the innovative programs provided by the Association through its able staff.
It is impossible to thank each of the committee chairs and members, but members who are not active owe a debt of gratitude to committees. They are responsible for the production of...
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