The Ethics Committee: Not So Mysterious After All, 0618 COBJ, Vol. 47, No. 6 Pg. 70
| Author | AMY DEVAN, J. |
| Position | Vol. 47, 6 [Page 70] |
BAR NEWS HIGHLIGHT
AMY DEVAN, J.
It has been an honor to serve as chair of the CBA Ethics Committee for the past year. One of the things I’ve enjoyed the most is the interaction I’ve had with CBA members about the work we do. Te most common question I’ve been asked is, “How does the Ethics Committee work?” In fact, I’ve answered this question so often I thought it might be nice to give CBA members some insight into the Ethics Committee—why we exist, how we function, and how we’re here to serve you.
Who We Are
The Ethics Committee consists of CBA members who volunteer to serve the association and the legal community overall. Unlike most CBA sections and committees, people cannot simply sign up to participate. Because of the workload and commitment involved, members must send a letter of interest along with a résumé or curriculum vitae to the CBA Sections and Committees staff indicating their desire to join the Ethics Committee.1
Requests to join the Ethics Committee are reviewed in the summer, and new members usually begin their terms in August so they can attend the first meeting of the fiscal year in September. Membership decisions are based in part on the number of spots available in a given year.
All Ethics Committee members serve one-year terms and are officially appointed or reappointed each year by the incoming CBA president. As long as a member is attending meetings and participating, there is no limit to the length of time he or she can serve. One of the valuable benefits of Ethics Committee membership is the ability to work alongside people who have been on the committee for many years; every interaction is a learning experience.
Member Expectations
The Ethics Committee meets on the third Saturday of every month at the CBA offices. Members are expected to attend at least half of the regularly scheduled meetings.
Because the Ethics Committee is a service-oriented commitment, members are also expected to:
■ work on subcommittees to draft informal letter opinions requested by members;
■ work on subcommittees to draft formal opinions issued by the committee;
■ volunteer for the Calling Subcommittee to field ethics questions from lawyers calling the Ethics Hotline;
■ travel around the state giving CLE presentations on ethics...
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