News Scrapbook 1985

Professor's life i centered on the U.S. Constitution g5 utter h1 hfe

Son Diego, CA (Son Diego Co.) San Diego Union (Ci r. D. 217,324) (Cir. S. 339,7881 .. OCTl

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He was born in Chicago (so, too, w Chandler) and lived in an apart- ment bu1ldmg ma Jewish communi- ty on the we t ·1de. H1. parents were from th Russian-Poland area. "The area consi ted of first generation Amenran ." Born m 1924, an only child, he poke Y1dd1 h until he wa 5. He Jokes about English betng hi . econd language He grew up playing ball in the alleys and stree . Time · were tough When he could fmd work, his father wa a worn ns dre · sales- man. "W had nothing•· aid Si gan "I m an, I'm not kidding When I had to go to th school prom, my mother had to get $5, and it was very diffi- cult" S1~g n, till n mfortabl re- call , "The la t time I had an mter- va w like thi at th1 tage I kind of terminated 1t " But h ays that with a mile "It's a different world" He liked school, and decided on law arly. "I thought I had the tend- nri , the kills I thought could be u ful In that profession.'' He was al- w y inter ted in political matters, w pr 1dent of lu high school cla , did me volunteer political work. "It wa very different politics than I have now." Was he liberal then He chuckles, "Oh, ye ·. Well, I'm liberal now, it depend on how you def1n the word" S1egan. one of San Diego's better• known conservatives, defines liberal· "In cl I al tem1s, my VJew of a lib- eral Is one who wants minimal gov- mm nt, who wants to let people do as th y want to do so long as they're not harmful to othe or to society." He ent to high hool and junior

Siegan-...._~~-------- :i,.q!? curves in toward the shore, the Coro- nado Islands are in the distance.

Continued from Page F-1 partnership which lasted 20 years. He was appointed research fellow in law and economics at the University of Harvard Law School in 1968-69. He admits it was a prestigious post. "I sought it and got it. That began my academic career " His major research project was on Houston, which had no zoning. His published study was controversial. "I said Houston functioned better with- out zoning than 1f it had zoning." Has interest in zoning had come about via his law practice and own- ing property. "I learned that to fully understand the controls on land use, one had to go to the Constitution, and once one get immersed in one part of the Constitut10n, it's a very attrac- tive document for one academically oriented." When he decided to teach full time he came to the University of San Diego. Why USO? He gestures toward the view - the Pacific

having the nation governed in such a way as to maximize individual liber· ty I think is a great accomplishment, and that's the accomplishment of the Constitution." Siegan is concerned today about economic liberty. "We have protect- ed enormously speech, press, relig- ion, sexual privacy, but we no longer . . . protect economic liberties. Those are the liberties connected with property, free enterprise. The court at one time did protect economic lib- erties, but since 1936, it has not pro- tected the production or distribution of goods and services, the right to contract for economic purpose. And yet that was one of the things that was of greatest concern, if not the greatest concern of the framers of the Constitution," he said. Afew years back, Siegan wrote the book "Economic Liberties and the Constitution." Now he is writing one about the Supreme Court and the Constitution.

Though Siegan has concentrated on the Constitution for years, it is a fairly short document, only 15 pages. "It basically sets up a society that puts as little restraint on an individu- al as 1s consistent with civilization, with orderly existence. I think that is a remarkable achievement," said Siegan. The Constitution was framed in 1787. After ratification by the re- quired nine states in 1788, the gov- ernment and the first congress came into being in 1789. Before that, Siegan explains, the country was run by Ar- ticles of Confederation, with minimal central authority and little power over the states. "There was nothing of the sort we have now, with a na- tional election for president," he said. "I don't agree with certain parts of it as origmally intended, or even more so as interpreted by the Su- preme Court. But the basic idea of

The San Diego Umon 1 Bruce K. Huff USO professor Bernard Siegan: The U.S. Constitution 'is still very relevant to society as It exists today.'

college in Chicago, then joined the Army and for a hart time took col- lege courses at Carnegie Tech. He spent 1943-45 in World War II on troop hips gomg back and forth across the Atlantic. "I was in the in- formation and education service, which meant my job was telling sol- diers why they were going to fight, and when they came back, why they had fought."

He studied law at the University of Chicago after leaving the Army. In 1950, he joined a law firm, for three years, really working more as a law clerk. His salary for a six-day week was $50. It was menial work but gave him "tremendous background," he said. Then he and a friend formed a law See SIEGAN on P e F-4

San Diego, CA (San Diego Co.) Dally Transcript (Cir. D. 7,415) OCT 2

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Lawyers Club Annual Wine and Cheese Reception ie set for 5:30-7 p.m. Oct. 11 at Gray, Cary, Ames & Frye, 401 B St.. 17th floor. Honored guests will be judges Patricia Benke, Irma Gon:r.aJe:r., Llsa Guy-Schall, Richard Huf. fman, Susan Huguenor and William Mudd and Commissioner Linda Cabulong. • • • Colin Wied, a former president or the San Diego County Bar Asso- ciation, was sworn in at the State Bar convention lo serve a three- year term on the Bar's Board of Governors. James Pokorny, the immediate past vice president of the Califor- nia Young Lawyers Association, was also sworn in for a one-year term on the board as the CYLA representative. In addition Superior Court Judge William Todd Jr. and Municipal Court Judge Ronald Domnit:r. were sworn in as members of the executive board of the California Judges Association and Deputy District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis took the oath as a mem- ber of the Board of Directors of CYLA. All were sworn in by Chief Jus- tice Rose Bird. • * •

Attorney Ronald P. Albert, 1983 graduate of Boalt Hall, baa opened an office at 525 B St., Union Ba nk Building, Site 2200, San Diego. He will practice civil and commercial litigation, emphasiz- ing real estate and bankruptcy law and debt collection. The Pacific Beach resident was a Law Review editor and on the Moot Court board at Boa It. • • • Lawyers Club is endorsing three of its members for election to the San Diego County Bar A880Ciation

1.:,i~~~.?,e!!.~!~~.!?.;!!~.~~~~! 11porte time for members or the San "A W~y Out: General Nuclear Set- shall Hockett, who practices do-

.~~~2" at the Loe Angeles Bonaventure Hotel. .More information is avail- able from Don Breer at the Office or Bar Relations, at.ate bar. 555 Franklin St., San Francisco, 94102. San Diego attorney Wainwright Fishburn Jr., of Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch, was elected at the State Bar Convention to the HI.Btings College or Law alumni board of governors for a two-year • • • 'In rNpODBe to requests from our readers, Law Briefs will print a limited number of phot011 of San ~go /awyen in the news. Inter- ested readers should send black and white photos with their rel9Ue6. However, the Transcript regret$ that it cannot guarantee term. • • •

Diefo County Bar At111oclatlon. Touch football atarts • Oct. 12, with games scheduled on Saturday mornings. And the 39th Annual Golf F('etival is Oct. 14 at Singing H11lR, cht'Ck in time 11 a m. S lf-Rtylcd "perennial golf chairman" Ned Huntington in- pac ages are av111 · abl : The Monaghan Whopper, in- d t th k ·1 1ca es re

mestic and personal i~ury law; Marilyn Huff, past club preeident and partner at Gray, Cary, Amee & Frye; and Christine Pate, • pest club president and partner at Jen. nings, Engstrand & Henrikson. th e San Diego office of Lillick, Mcl-lose & Cbarl<>.a ministrator. A graduate of Georgetown University's Legal Assistant Program, Hinman aerv- ed on the faculty for eight years, was with the Federal Trade Com- miuion and taught at the USD Lawyer's ABBistant Program. • • • The state bar's Estate Plamt- lng, Trust and Probate Law Section is sponsoring an all-day seminar on the use of computers in these areas of law. The session 88 di h G • • • h . d Ju t · Hinman 88 jome legal ad-

tlement."

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David Alt, founding partner of Saxon, Alt, Brewer & Kincannon, is teaching business law at the UCSD Extension. A graduite or University of Sao Diego Law ~h99l Ail is a member of the American, California and San Diego bar associations. Commer-

SANDIEGO BARASSN. San Diego Cc,unty Bar Assocletlon Meetings, Oct. 3-9 J Thursday October 3

LawBriefs by Pauline Repard

eluding privet~ dinner with Judge Gil Harelson, The Goodman Nil- pic-kers SJ)f'Cinl ("This one cost.q le'IS hut provides a lol more 'chal- lenges' and more 'app<'al.' Includes a group meeting with Ted Todd .. no trophies, no dinner, no verdict"); and The Bartolotta Bonanza ("No dinner, no golf, no gold.") • • •

c1al Law League of America Jud the California Association of Thrift andlAans.

Medical/Legal Committee noon, Conference Room, Bar Office Family Law Section - noon, The Wi ne Connection Restaurant, Speaker: Murry Bloom, Concillia- tion Court, Subject: "Mediation and the Go,~rt System - Can We Ever Get to Hearing?" , Federrd Court Committee - noon, Executive Hotel , Board Roon- Friday, October 4 Attorney/Realtor Committee noon, offices of Luce, Forward, HamiltQn and Scripps, Conference~, Room. , Appellate Court Committee - •· noon, Conference Room, 8ar Office Tuesdny, October 8 Taxation Law Section - noon, Varsity Room, University Club, Speaker: John Vranna, Program Manager of Calirs Amnesty, pres- ently Manager of Compliance De- velopment Section, Subject: "Post Amnesty/Enforcement Issues/ Criminal Investigations". Workers Compensation Law Section - noon, Lounge Room, University Club Military Llaliron Committee - noon, ConferenceRoom, Bar Office Wednesday, October 9 Immigration Law Section noon, The Wine Connection Bankruptcy Law Section noon, National University, Speaker: Victor A. Vilaplana, Gray, Cary, Ames & Frye, Subject: "Motions for Relieffrom Stay"

publication of all photos. -----~- ~-----------------~'-- .

Attorney Robert Woods receiv- ed the Bar's Pro Bono Service Award for volunteering up to 40 hours a year of legal services to the VFW post in San Diego. ' • • • San Diego attorney Virginia Nelson will be among the speakers at the California Trial Lawyers ABSOCiation converttion Nov. 9 at the Sheraton Palace Hotel, San Francisco. F. Lee Bailey and Rich- ard "Racehorse" Haynes (who didn't make the state bar conven- tion in San Diego because of an in- jury) are also scheduled to appear. Seminars will include criminal trial psychology, cross-examina- tion, legislation, discovery, jury persuasion and wrongful diecbarge. ••• Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps a;;;;o\mces a new partner: Robert J. Durham Jr., former partner in Durham & Durham; and a880Ciates Michael L. Jensen and Franne M. Flcara, former Escon- dido asaistant city attorney. ••• Lawyers Alliance for Nuclear Arms Control is hosting a break-) fast speech by retired Admiral1 Noel Gayler al 8 a .m. Oct. 9 in the California Western School of Law faculty reading room, 350 Cedar

David Alt

Ronald Albert