To everyone who supported the FCBA in 2011 as a financial sponsor or by attending our events, thank you! Your support allows the FCBA to continue to provide services not only to our members, but all residents of Fresno County, including:

• Indigent Referral, which finds a qualified criminal law attorney when the Public Defender must decline a case (this is a service the FCBA has provided with no extra funds and no additional staff);
• The Attorney Referral and Information Service, which provides the public with a free, one-half hour consultation with a lawyer who has expertise in the subject area of the client’s problem;
• The Fee Arbitration Committee, which provides arbitration assistance to attorneys and clients regarding conflicts over billings;
• The Judicial Evaluations Selection Advisory Committee, which reviews the qualifications of candidates seeking appointment to judicial positions in our county courts, the Fifth District Court of Appeals, and the California Supreme Court;
• Supporting 13 practice area sections, with their own networking opportunities, programs and MCLE classes; and
• Providing low-cost MCLE on a variety of subjects through self-study articles and tests in the Bar Bulletin (which are still available and archived on the web site).

If you are a reader of “Tim’s Take,” you already know the FCBA’s fundraising efforts fell short last year. Some firms and individuals were forced to cut their level of support; some had to stop altogether. Perhaps as a result of the economy, attendance at all our events fell, further reducing our income. While the economy shows some glimmer of hope for recovery, our fundraising efforts so far this year are once again falling short.
 
We cut our expenses to the bone, including not replacing a full-time staff member (which means three employees have been doing the work of four all year). We postponed purchasing a back-up computer server, deferred providing health insurance benefits to our staff, and made every other cut we could. We also sought other sources of revenue, including seeking financial sponsorship by vendors, and providing self-study MCLE articles and tests in the Bulletin.
 
As the holiday season is in full swing, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to the FCBA for 2012. You may have already received a letter or phone call from the FCBA asking for your support for 2012 to allow these programs and services to continue. If you have already contributed, thank you! If you have not, please consider making a donation. Those who make donate $250 or more will receive recognition in the Annual Banquet Program, signs at the Banquet, and in the Bar Bulletin; further details will be posted on the web site. However, no donation of any amount is “too small.” If each member donated $25, we would exceed our fundraising goal.
 
When we sent out a notice that the service day at the Community Food Bank had to be cancelled due to lack of food on the shelves, I was moved by the immediate response of our members, many of whom made donations to the Food Bank within hours. I hope that same spirit will move many of our members to make a donation to the FCBA so that we can provide services not only to our members, but to all residents of Fresno County. Please contact Bobbie Lee at 264-2619 or at bobbielee@fresnocountybar.org to make a donation or for more information.
 
Happy Holidays, and have a safe, healthy and happy new year!
 
Tim Sullivan
2011 FCBA President

P.S. Sign up now to attend the Annual Banquet on January 27, 2012. Your 2012 President, Ken Taniguchi, says it will be different from any Banquet you have been to in the past.