Seeking Nominees for State Bar Councilor
The Buncombe County Bar Nominating Committee is seeking nominations for State Bar Councilor, for a term beginning January 1, 2016. Nominations for this position are due on April 24th, 2015.
According to Buncombe County Bar State Bar Councilor Howard Gum, “The North Carolina State Bar was created in 1933 by the North Carolina General Assembly as the government agency responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in North Carolina. The State Bar currently regulates over 20,000 licensed lawyers. Protection of the public and protection of our system of justice are the objectives of regulation.
The North Carolina State Bar is governed by a 62 member council whose members are lawyers elected by the lawyers in their home communities. The public’s interests are represented by three members of the council who are not lawyers and who are appointed by the Governor and other elected officials. Four officers are elected by the members of the council to provide leadership. The daily operations of the State Bar are carried out by a staff of over 60 lawyers and non-lawyers.
The key regulatory responsibility of the State Bar is the investigation and prosecution of lawyers who violate the State Bar’s Code of Ethics for lawyers.
In addition to lawyer discipline, the State Bar’s regulatory activities include: promoting the competency of lawyers and paralegals; adopting the Code of Ethics for lawyers (known as “Rules of Professional Conduct”); counseling lawyers on how to follow the Rules; resolving disputes between lawyers and clients; preventing the practice of law by people who are not licensed; compensating clients who were the victims of lawyer theft; and advancing the administration of justice.”
An open meeting of the Nominating Committee of the Buncombe County Bar will take place on Friday, May 1, at 12:30 pm., in the Pisgah Legal Services conference room. The purpose of the meeting is to consider nominations for State Bar Councilor, President-Elect, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and three members of the Executive Committee for the 2015-2016 fiscal year.
Suggestions for persons to fill these vacancies are welcome. Nominations can be mailed to the Bar Administrator, P.O. Box 7391, Asheville, NC 28802; faxed to 866-231-5177; or emailed to admin@28thJDB.com, and must be received by 5 p.m., April 24, 2015. According to the Bar’s By-Laws, any member whose name is submitted for consideration for nomination to any office must have indicated willingness to serve in such office if elected.
The election of officers for the fiscal year of July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016, (and for the State Bar Councilor’s term beginning January 1, 2016,) will occur at the annual meeting of the Bar on June 10, 2015. Additional nominations may be made from the floor at the meeting when the election is held.
