Committees

Committees are the life-blood of the Bar, they are branches off the Board of Governors. In addition to the standing committees, the Lawyer Referral Service Committee as well as its subcommittee, the Court Assigned Counsel Committee, have subcommittees for their Peer Review Panels.

The BOG appoints Bar members and certain outside specialists to committees according to members' interests. If you're a member of the San Joaquin County Bar Association in good standing, you may be appointed to serve on a committee. Talk to any member of the Board of Governors if you're interested, or contact the Bar Association.

Across the Bar Committee

The Across the Bar Committee publishes Across the Bar, the official publication of the San Joaquin County Bar Association as well as the annual Desk Reference & Membership Directory. The Across the Bar is published bi-monthly except for the December "Year in Review". Deadline for all articles and advertising is the 5th of the month prior to month of issue.

Judicial/Professional Liaison Committee

The Judicial/Professional Liaison Committee holds regular meetings with representatives from the bench and court administrators to discuss topics of mutual concern relating to the administration of the justice system in San Joaquin County.

M.C.L.E. Committee

The MCLE Committee is responsible for overseeing the Minimum Continuing Legal Education Program. All MCLE events and self-study courses (mostly in Across the Bar) are approved by the Committee. The San Joaquin County Bar Association is a State Bar approved MCLE provider.

Probate Committee

This committee meets regularly with the Probate Judges, the Superior Court Representatives, and other probate experts regarding local probate procedures and practices, including:

The Bar Foundation

The Bar Foundation carries out the charitable activities of the Bar Association through law related and community public service projects.

Court Assigned Counsel Committee

A Sub-Committee of the Lawyer Referral Service Committee

The purpose of the court assigned counsel program is to provide competent counsel to represent indigent criminal defendants where there is a conflict with the Public Defender's Office.

The program's Court Assigned Council Payment and Policy Manual has been adopted by the Courts in the County. The CAC Committee has the responsibility of regularly reviewing this manual and to make such changes and additions as deemed appropriate to carry out the purposes set forth above. In addition, the CAC regularly reviews panel attorneys submissions to ensure accuracy and adherance to the manual.

Lawyer Referral Service Committee

The Lawyer Referral Service Committee oversees the operation of the Lawyer Referral Service ("LRS"), which makes legal services more available to the general public by providing referrals to an experienced member of LRS consistent with the needs of the client.

Our LRS meets all standards and is a State Bar Certified Lawyer Referral Service as well as an American Bar Association certified service.

Of Counsel/Emeritus

The Of Counsel/Emeritus committee meets semi-annually, or on an "as-needed" basis, to ward off potential problems of comprimised attorneys and to intervene before problems demand a solution by the State Bar of California.

If you're a family member of an injured or deceased attorney whose practice wasn't appropriately closed prior to the attorney's death or injury, the committee can arrange for a proper and legal transfer of files or closing of the firm.