Outreach to the California State Bar Board of Trustees

Thomas F. Coleman, legal director of Spectrum Institute, will speak during the public comment segment of the meeting of the Board of Trustees of the California State Bar on November 24, 2020. The meeting will be held in Los Angeles. Coleman will encourage the State Bar to take two actions in 2020: (1) support our right-to-counsel bill to ensure that seniors and other people with disabilities have effective representation of counsel in probate conservatorship proceedings; and (2) take pro-active measures to ensure that the State Bar’s complaint system is accessible to people with cognitive and communication disabilities. For a copy of his written submission, click here. 

Update: (1-25-20)  Trustees listened attentively to the presentation of Thomas F. Coleman at the board meeting yesterday. The vice-chair indicated that the State Bar will investigate complaints from third parties alleging misconduct against a client. He asked for specific instances where staff said something differently. Today, attorney Coleman sent him an email explaining that such a statement was made to him by the former executive director, showing that a misunderstanding about the complaint process goes to the very top of State Bar management.