Lawyers Protest ‘Legal Remedies’

David Haldane’s article of June 7, 1990 entitled “Legal Remedies” is, at best, only half a story. The three “lawyers” Mr. Haldane chose to focus on, after having interviewed several, are all active participants in The Other Bar, Alcoholics Anonymous, Cocaine Anonymous and other 12 step programs. They have, individually, between 2 1/2 and 8 1/2 years of “sobriety.” They have all admitted the mistakes of their past, the harm they caused their clients, and they have all been disciplined by the state Bar of California as a result. I know, because I am one of those three “Lawyers”; the other two are good friends of mine through our mutual participation in The Other Bar.

Each of us spoke frankly and candidly with Mr. Haldane, for a considerable period of time, as a result of his representations that his article would be about chemically dependent lawyers, like ourselves, who had turned their lives around. In other words, not just “what it was like” for us (and our clients) while we were drinking and using, but “what happened,” what really happened to make each of us decide we no longer wanted to live our lives like “that” anymore. Most importantly, it was our understanding that Mr. Haldane would tell you what it is like for each of us today; how different our lives are and how grateful we are for our sobriety. Unfortunately, Mr. Haldane’s article fails to tell you this; he forgets this story has a happy ending.

For instance, my friend Marshall, who has been sober 8 1/2 years, is back living in Encino with his wife and family, and has been for some time; my friend Marty is working in an attorney’s office, is no longer living in the streets, but has his own apartment in Santa Monica, and hopes to be practicing law again in the near future. And Wendy, as all of us do, has a new life today based on honesty, trust and responsibility.

The three of us, and many others, agreed to be interviewed with the hope of helping someone else. By showing, positively, what our lives are like today, we felt we could maybe, just maybe, give at least one other addicted lawyer the courage to change, to get help. Mr. Haldane’s story is a tragedy, not so much for the three lawyers he focused on, but for the one lawyer that might have been helped.

Lastly, Mr. Haldane again tells only half of the “victims” story. With Mr. Miecke and Mr. Kelly, he ended the story before it began. He failed to tell the reader that, as a consequence of her sobriety, both these individuals, who had filed complaints against their lawyer with the State Bar of California, ended up being witnesses on behalf of that lawyer at her State Bar hearing. Furthermore, he failed to tell you that both these individuals are being represented today, and have been for some time, by that same lawyer they complained about (or, since her suspension, the law firm she works for).

Mr. Haldane failed to tell you how they, when interviewed by him, expressed confidence, trust and pride in that lawyer today. I know, because that lawyer is me.

I gave Mr. Haldane’s the names of these individuals because he specifically asked if I had any clients who had filed complaints with the State Bar and, after I became sober, came back to me for legal representation. Mr. Haldane failed to tell you that these men have been, and continue to be, a tremendous source of support and encouragement for this lawyer.

As sober members of Alcoholics Anonymous, we are very proud of how far we have come; we also have a good deal of shame and guilt about our past and those we harmed. It is unfortunate for us all that Mr. Haldane focused on that past and neglected the most important part, the present.

WENDY L. SLAVKIN

Tarzana