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president’s messageThe theme of this month’s to balance them with other aspectsedition of the Contra Costa of the required curriculum.Lawyer—the future of lawFor as long as I’ve known, thepractice—has me reflectingmodel we followed was that lawabout some potential changes infirms trained new lawyers. Perhapsthe practice of law and the nature ofthey are no longer willing to do so.change itself.Or perhaps there has been such aSome people crave change. Others,like me, work more on a model of they no longer can, and too manycontraction in the job market that“if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Change people graduating from law schoolthat we choose can be exhilarating. are forced to start their own practice,servicing whatever clients theyIt can stimulate our imaginationswith the promise of a better life. can find without as much practicalChange that is foisted upon us is anothermatter. The latter may instill be optimal. Whatever the reason, Iknowledge of how to do so as wouldresentment, discomfort, even fear. am told that the requirement forWe can often anticipate the changesthat the future will bring. Exactly perience before they are admitted tolaw students to obtain practical ex-The ChangingTimeshow we will deal with them is less the bar or engage in the practice ofcertain. But experience teaches us law is coming.that deal with them we will.I am told that there are somechanges on the horizon regardingthe practice of law. I wonder howthey will affect us.The first is that one day soon a requirementfor admission to the baror engaging in practice may be a certainamount of practical experience(see Richard Frankel’s article, pg. 8).This prerequisite may be requiredto be fulfilled by participation inclinics or specialized classes in lawschool about the actual practice oflaw. It may instead take the formof required internships after graduationfrom law school. I know thatone law school in our community,John F. Kennedy University Schoolof Law, is currently debating howto prepare for this coming requirement,what clinics to offer and howA second possible change is whatis being called Limited Practice Licensing.This proposal concerns thepossibility of creating a new categoryof licensed technicians ableto give basic legal advice on routinematters. As I write this, the State Baris scheduled to hold its first publicmeeting on April 11 to discussthis idea. I will quote here from anemail that I recently received concerningthe idea:“The idea of limited-practice licensingsurfaced at a State Bar retreatin San Diego in January wherethe Board of Trustees looked atways of improving public protection,access to justice and the StateBar’s regulatory functions. Proponentsof limited–practice licensingsee it as a way to improve deliveryof legal services to the public, whoJay ChafetzCCCBA Board Presidentoften turn to non-lawyers for assistancewhen they can’t afford theservices of licensed attorneys. Sucha program, supporters argue, wouldmake legal services more affordable,while ensuring consistency andquality. California currently allowsnon-lawyers to perform some tasksthat don’t constitute the practice oflaw, such as helping people fill outlegal forms. Paralegals working underattorney supervision, unlawfuldetainer assistants, legal documentassistants and immigration consultantsregistered by county clerks orthe California Secretary of State canalso assist consumers with some legalneeds, short of practicing law.Each year, the State Bar receiveshundreds of complaints about businessesand individuals practicinglaw without a license, but it is limitedin the action it can take becauseit does not regulate non-attorneys.”Are either of these proposedchanges going to be dramatic forcurrent or future lawyers? Are theyto be feared or welcomed? There isno way to know. The only thingcertain in our lives is change, notwhether any particular change willultimately prove to be good or bad.sCONTRA COSTA COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION CONTRA COSTA LAWYER 7