State Bar Plans to Hike Dues to Pay for Reform

Conceding that the State Bar’s much-maligned system for disciplining attorneys is “not one we can be proud of,” the president of California’s Bar has announced plans to raise membership dues by 68% next year to finance improvements.

Delivering a “State of the State Bar” address to the Lawyers Club of San Diego, Bar President Terry Anderlini said attorneys must shoulder the dues increase or risk losing control of the discipline process to another state agency.

“I don’t think we have a choice,” Anderlini said after news of the proposed increase triggered a chorus of groans from the luncheon crowd. “If we turn this over to (another state agency) . . . they will gladly do it. But they will use our money and they will have people on the board who are political appointees--non-lawyers who don’t understand our profession.”

The proposal, which has cleared two State Bar committees and will be considered by the Bar’s 23-member Board of Governors at a meeting here today, would raise members’ dues from $275 to $450 a year for three years, beginning in 1989. Any increase must also be approved by the state Legislature.

Anderlini said that nearly all of the increased revenue--an estimated $17.5 million--would be used to help correct defects in the Bar’s system of handling citizen complaints about California’s 110,000 attorneys. Roughly 11,000 complaints are filed each year, and the Bar currently has 1,500 cases awaiting investigation. Last year, 106 lawyers were disbarred and 280 were disciplined.

Additional funds would be used to increase the salaries of secretaries, investigators and lawyers, who are now paid about 20% below market rates for similar positions, Anderlini said. That would help reduce turnover and boost morale, he said.

In addition, the money would be used to centralize the discipline staff and computerize the system used for processing consumer complaints.

Robert Fellmeth, a University of San Diego law professor appointed State Bar discipline monitor by Atty. Gen. John Van de Kamp, praised the planned increase in an interview Thursday, but said it is not large enough.

“They are attempting a very extensive reform of their discipline system and they ought to be praised for it,” said Fellmeth, who harshly criticized the discipline system in two reports last year. “But the $450 won’t do the job. If they are serious about improving the system, they’re going to have to spend more.”