Monday, March 8, 2004
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Four Expected to Seek Top State Bar Spot in May Vote
By DAVID WATSON, Staff Writer
Four of the five third-year attorney members of the State Bar Board of Governors are expected to seek the presidency of the organization in voting that will occur in May, current President Anthony Capozzi said Friday.
Capozzi said he expects former Attorney General John Van de Kamp to be among the candidates. Van de Kamp, who is now with Dewey Ballantine, is one of two eligible members who represent District 7, which consists of Los Angeles County.
The other third-year District 7 member, Matthew E. Cavanaugh, has said he will not run, Capozzi said. Cavanaugh could not be reached for comment and Van de Kamp, citing State Bar rules, said it would be premature to announce whether he will run until the date of the voting is formally set.
Capozzi said he will take that action at the board’s meeting March 27 in Los Angeles, setting the special election meeting required under the board’s procedures for May 22. The special Saturday session will take place during the board’s regular meeting in San Francisco, scheduled for May 21-22, he explained.
The new president will take office at the State Bar’s convention in Monterey Oct. 7-10. State law requires the election, in which a new president is selected by the board, to be held between 270 and 90 days before the convention.
Two other third-year attorney members, Redwood City lawyer Vivian Kral and state Deputy Controller for Policy Windie O. Scott, confirmed Friday they will be candidates, though Scott cautioned she was not making a formal announcement of her candidacy.
The fourth eligible attorney member, Russell Roeca of Roeca, Haas, Hager in San Francisco, also cited board rules in declining to comment, but Capozzi said he assumes Roeca will run.
While the board includes public members, who are also eligible to run, it has only elected attorney members to the presidency.
All elected attorney members of the board serve as vice presidents during the final year of their three-year terms and are eligible for the State Bar presidency. Roeca is also treasurer and chairs the board’s influential Planning, Program Development, and Budget Committee, as did Capozzi the year before his election.
Three candidates have said they will run for the District 7 seats being vacated by Van de Kamp and Cavanaugh. Deputy Public Defender Marguerite D. Downing and Sherman Oaks attorney Phillip Feldman have declared they will run for Van de Kamp’s seat, while MetNews Co-Publisher Jo-Ann W. Grace has said she will seek to succeed Cavanaugh.
If Van de Kamp is chosen president he would remain on the board for another year, giving Los Angeles County lawyers an additional representative.
There are two second-year District 7 representatives on the board—Deputy District Attorney Steven J. Ipsen and Century City attorney David M. Marcus—and one first-year member, Century City lawyer Sheldon H. Sloan.
Nominating petitions for the board seats must be turned in by April 1. Voting is by district, with ballots being mailed out to members April 30 and due back June 30.
Votes are to be canvassed July 12-15.
Copyright 2004, Metropolitan News Company