As a solo practitioner who has survived 17+ years in the practice, sitting at the same desk, looking out the same window, utilizing the same county law library, enduring the same lack of resources and modern technology, I can certainly relate to the plights and challenges facing the sole practitioner.

During my inaugural address at last September’s annual meeting, I asked our membership to take on issues involving the representation of our children in need. There are more than 2.3 million children in the state of California living at or below the poverty level. There is no better group suited to advocate on their behalf…

On the rare occasion that my wife, Erin, is still awake when I return home at night from Sacramento, her first question usually is, “Any setbacks today?” My response is rarely “No.” Running as fast as I can in shoulder-deep water is an apt analogy for the progress we are making. Slow, but steady. In…

A few weeks ago I was struck by a certain irony as we celebrated Law Week in California. At a time when we salute the value of the rule of the law in our country, we are witnessing the possibility of dismantling the structure of the legal profession in our state — based on the political…

On the rare occasion my wife, Erin, is still awake when I return home at night from Sacramento, her first question usually is, “Any setbacks today?” My response is rarely “no.”

The decision to seek relief from the Supreme Court of California for the State Bar funding crisis did not come easily, nor did it come without significant and substantial debate. It had been the main subject of debate by the board of governors for almost eight months. Every conceivable effort was made to craft a…

The number of calls and correspondence concerning lawyer discipline that find their way to my small office is ever increasing with each passing day. Clearly, the financial inability of the State Bar to undertake new discipline matters is escalating into a terrible problem. With the current standoff in the legislature, the problem is, in fact,…

As my term comes to an end, I thought I would share in my last president’s column some thoughts and insights from the past year. It was a little over a year ago–July 26, 1997, to be exact–that I was elected president of the State Bar. It was the culmination of what most agreed to…

As the year draws to a close, it’s time for what will hopefully become an annual tradition: the Law Brief’s “Gutsiest Attorneys of 1998” awards.

The Law Library Justice Foundation recognized Adelman’s tremendous efforts as State Bar President by presenting him with the 1998 Bernard E. Witkin, Esq., Award. [/column_1]