Update:    The Board of Trustees has voted to approve President Pasternak’s appointments to Board Committees on a divided vote.

The second item on the agenda is the appointment of Board liasions to various State Bar organs, also a perogative of the President (with Board approval, of course.)    Board member Joanna Mendoza has moved to delay voting on the appointments;  she complains that she nothing to do.   That motion has just been defeated on an 8-5 vote.  Trustee Krinsky moves to approve President Pasternak’s appointments with changes including appointing Mendoza to some assignments.  That motion has just been approved.   Mr. Pasternak assures the Board that he has listened to all members comments and that he has to power to change those appointments.

The new Board of Trustees of the State Bar of California held its first meeting of the new Board year on October 11, 2015 at the State Bar Annual Meeting, just down the road from the home of Mickey Mouse.  Almost immediately, one very first agenda item, the Board ran into a buzzsaw of controversy .  Some things don’t change.

The issue is appointments to chair Board Committees, a perogative of the State Bar President.   Some Board members accused incoming President David Pasternak of stacking appointments to Board Committees in favor of Board members who voted for his election against competing candidate Heather Rosing, including appointments to the powerful Board Executive Committee.   That election was close, so close that outgoing  President Craig Holden cast the tiebreaking vote that elected Mr.  Pasternak.  Six of his eight proposed appointments to the Ex Comm have gone went to lawyers who voted for his election.  His propsed appointments of all seven Board subcommittees are to Trustees who voted

Bad feelings still exist.   Part of the controversy is the impact of the recently signed fee bill that imposes the requirement of compliance with the Bagley Keene open meeting acts.   Public member Dennis Mangers accused  Mr. Pasternak of using Bagley Keene to avoid inclusion.   He just threatened to resign and the tone of meeting is turning very ugly.

Updates to follow.