Most of The Top Advisors to State Bar Are From Valley

The Solo and Small Practice section of the State Bar of California represents attorneys from throughout the state but its group of advisors has a strong San Fernando Valley region presence. Eight of the section’s 11 advisors are from the region, having served on the section’s committee in some capacity and then taking the advisor role to remain active. The Solo and Small Practice section started in 1987 and then during the 1990s was nearly disbanded due to budget problems. It was the efforts of Sherman Oaks attorney Myer Sankary that kept the section alive. Sankary’s connection to the Valley resulted in others from the area serving on the executive committee. As the years progressed, there has been more of an effort to add diversity to the locations that members come from. As the committee members change then the make up of the advisors will eventually change, too, said Nancy Goldstein, a Westlake Village attorney and chair-elect of the section. Goldstein, for instance, replaces Teresa A. McQueen who is from Irvine. The current secretary is from Anaheim while the treasurer is from Petaluma. The three non-Valley advisors are from Los Angeles, Beverly Hills and Santa Cruz. Education programs The section serves its members with continuing legal education programs and a mentoring program for new attorneys. It also gives out an award named in honor of Sankary to a lawyer demonstrating years of faithful service and leadership to the community or fellow attorneys. Cynthia Elkins, who handles employment law matters from her firm in Woodland Hills, is in her first year serving as an advisor. What she gets out of it is the camaraderie of interacting with the executive committee, being a presenter at bar association conventions, and contributing to a book published by the section, “The California Guide to Opening and Managing a Law Office. She also contributes to the mentoring program. “As sole practitioners, we have a lot of competition with larger firms and we like to be able to provide referrals to others in the same type of set-up as we are,” Elkins said. Possible second book In her role as an advisor, Canoga Park attorney Anne Adams also contributed to the “California Guide” and said there is talk of the section publishing a second book. Law is the third career for Adams, who was a stockbroker and then did marketing in the cable and pay television industry. She saw herself as a good fit for the solo and small firm section committee because she practices on her own plus her varied work experience could bring a different perspective. Adams serves as an advisor to continue to bring that experience. “Lots of time the advisors, they have more of an institutional history,” Adams said. “They bring a lot of background to discussions about various issues, what would be a good idea or what has been tried before.” SOLO/SMALL PRACTICE STATE ADVISORS Anne C. Adams <br >Canoga Park Roberta J. Burnette<br >Westlake Village Cynthia Elkins<br >Woodland Hills Richard D. Kaplan<br >Beverly Hills Lisa Clare Lerner Miller<br >Valley Village Patricia L. McCabe<br >Van Nuys Steven G. Mehta<br >Valencia Matthew C. Mickelson<br >Encino Myer J. Sankary <br >Sherman Oaks Michael R. Sohigian <br >Los Angeles Eleanor Kay Southers<br >Santa Cruz