News Scrapbook 1988

San Diego, CA (San Diego Co ) San Diego Union (Ci r . D. 217,089) (Cir. S. 341,840)

San Diego, CA (San Diego_Co.l Evening Tribune (CiAUG 1 2 3 6°19~8

San Diego, CA (San Diego C~.) San Diego Union (Cir . D. 217,089) (Cir. S. 341,840) AUG 25 1988 .)lffot '• P. c. e

Coronado, CA (San Diego Co.) Journal (Cir. W. 5,237) AUG 25 1988 Jltlm'• P. C. 8 Est

Poway, CA (Rancho Bernardo) Journal (Cir. W. 2,500) AUG 25 1988

AUG 25 1988

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LOCAL BRIEFS Escondi • womanmns state title Escondido's Mildred Stanley shot a 2-over-par 76 yesterday to win the California Senior Women's Amateur Golf Championship at the Del Monte Course in Monterey. Stanley finished the three-round event at 232, eight strokes ahead of Phylis LaSorella of Pebble Beach. Jane Anderson of San Luis Obispo was third at 244. The event drew 100 of the state's top senior golfers. Junior golf - Enrique Dominguez shot a 3-over-par 75 but still leads the boys' 15-17 division after two rounds of the Tribune Junior Cham- pionships at the Balboa Park Munici- pal Course. Dominguez is at 141, five strokes ahead of Kevin Riley. Darren Chim is third at 147. In the girls' 15-17 field, 1987 low gross wmner Elizabeth Bowman shot a par-72 and leads at 148. Christy Erb is second at 151. Play continues today, starting at 7:30 a.m. In the conclusion of the 11-12 divi- sions, Patrick Perez shot a 1-over- par 33 for a two-day 64 to win the boys' title at the Balboa Park nine- hole course, and Emily Tierney shot a second-round 49 to finish at 91 and win the girls' title. Football c edulea - Free pock- et football schedules are available from The San Diego Union. The book- lets contain week-to-week NFL game listings, plus schedules for San Diego State and the niversit of San Diego, USC and UCLA, an 01ego County community colleges and local high schools. Schedules may be picked up at the front counter of the main lobby of the Union-Tribune building, and all Union-Tribune community offices. They also may be obtained by mail- ing a •tamped, self-addressed enve- lope to: Football Schedules, Commu- nity Relations Department, Union- Tribune Publishing Co., P.O. Box 191, San Diego, 92112. •

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Jl(I.,. 1 1 P. C. 8 Eu . 18&8 Law tirm gives 2q-36' computers toPUSD The law firm of Hinchy, Witte, Wood, Anderson & Hodges has do- nated $3,500 worth of computer equipment to the Poway Unified School District. District superintendent Robert L. Reeves said the equipment will be used in the word processing labora- tory at Mt. Carmel High School. Included in the gift are a Wang Wrtter System 5 word processor, a Wang printer and a Wang twin shel't feeder. With offices in San Diego, Rancho Bernardo, Santa Ana and San Jose, the law firm has streamlined its administrative, documentation and case-tracking systems through a customized computer system that is considered state-of-the-art. Recog- nizing the impact of computers on the profession, the firm made a gift to the Universi o n Diego School Of La mputer research facili- ties last spring.

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Jude Pauline Eberhard. Working with limited resources, they have vividly captured the pulse and tenor of the times. By creatively usmg a multitude of local sites - among them Carpenters Hall, Mis- sion Hills, the University of San , 0e o the old San Diego Police Headquarters - they paint. a con- vincing picture of Depression-era Los Angeles. The sets and costumes are similarly true to the period. Artenstein demonstrates an occa- sional tendency to simplify complex themes, perhaps in an effort to bring greater appeal to an undeniably un- commercial film venture. By alter- nating between English and Spani h dialogue wi h ngn tI , accurately capture the binational flavor of life for Mexican immi- grants residing 1n the Umted States. In addition to the fine actmg of Chavez (who, amazingly, learned his English dialogue phonetically), the film features impressive perfor- mances by Maria Rojo as Gonzales' wife and by Peter Henry Schroeder, who plays the role of the corrupt dis- trict attorney with suitable venom. Like "El Norte" and ''Heartland" before it, "Break of Dawn" is sincere m its convictions and firm in its pur- pose. Whether the mass movie-going public will welcome this brave little film With a big heart remains to be een. But for enlightened viewers seeking a film with passion, grace and guts, "Break of Dawn" is well worth seekmg out.·

Sally Ann Z~ I 5') Sally Ann Zoll has betfu named Director of Client Support for Education Systems Corporation of San Diego. She has been with ESC for two years as regional manager for client support. Zoll is currently completing a doctoral dissertation at the University of San Diego, is a past memoer o e oard of Direc- tors for the Coronado Schools Foundation and i a member of the Junior League of San Diego. She and her husband,/ James, .d . r re~i e m Co onado wilh_th.cir children, Cory, CheMta; 'ittnmy ~Bryan. /

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"BrHk ol Dawn'' *** A C newest rel ase Produced by Jude Pau• Hr Eberhard Wrltt n and d reetod by 1saac Arten teln Pho ography by Stephen Llghthll Mu c by Mork Adler With Osc r Ch vez M na AaJO, Tony Plana, Pepe Serna and Pot r H nry Schroeder Opens tomorrow al lhe Guild Th lro against the widespread rac al dis· cnmination of the day. "Break of Dawn' traces Gonzales' illegal entry into this country, h!S ubsequent ascension to radio star· dom and abrupt decline, followin h1. impri onm nl on trum ed-up rape barges by Angeles I tnct Attorney Kyle Mitchell. While clear• ly t In a politically volatile peri mwhich official corruption was ram• pant the film wisely empha 1zes the human qualities of Gonzales and his texican compatnots. ccordingly, you don't have to be ex1can or a foreigner to sympa• th1ze with his tory. Though some viewers might take offense at the film'' often strident depiction of American bigots, Gonzales' charac- t r is imbued with a dignity and te- nacity that hould strike a responsive chord with anyone who 1denbf1 1th the quest to achieve a better way of life. Juxtaposmg seen of Gonzal ' captivity m San Quentin Prison with h1 ris to prominence in Los Ange- l • ''Break of Dawn" is a testament to the can-do spirit of director/writ- er I aac Artenstein and producer

WORKPLACE BY MICHAEL KINSMAN ,;l/{,r§ I F 'OU'VE EVER thought that you understood your employee benefits and then sat down to study them, you probably have walked away with a different conclusion. The truth is that most of us don't have much of an idea about what orts of options our benefits hold for us nor do we know how to find out. P Garth Gartrell knows this only too well. As an attorney, Gartrell pends a considerable portion of his time studying Jaws that affect em- ployee benefits. By his count, there have been at least a dozen pieces of significant legislation over the past d('cade that affect our benefits and how we use hem. Companies, he says, are well- meaning, but often their human re- sources departments don't fully un- derstand the fine distinctions in indi- vidual cases. "Generally, I think employers want to help employees, but there are so many personal and economic factors that come into play that often th best thing a ompany can do is tell an mployee to consult a tax adviser, ' Gartrell said. To that end, the Un!,hersitrtof San Di o'c; School of Law as s up an m I o "e iel\efits and tax clinic to elp • l',oyees sort through their r l>lems Gartrell, an adjunct pro- fes or at the law school, said that studen ar given the opportunity to take on c..se rroblems and help em- ployees toward a resolution. "What we'd like to do eventually is help expand the pool of lawyers that are equipped to deal with these prob- lems," Gartrell said. "Now, there are a lot of serious legal questions being handled bv consultants, advisers and para-professionals who have good in- tentions, but may not be as well in- formed as they could be. The complexities of how to best utilize company-provided life insur- ance, retirement and health insur- ance plans can be overwhelming for most of us. At times, Gartrell said, some workers don't feel comfortable di cussing those matters with their employers. For instance, an employee might be interested in finding out what kind of health benefits he would receive if • he quits or how much he is entitled to receive from pension benefits if he retires at a certain point. But while conversations with company officials may be confidential, most workers ould prefer an alternate source of mformation. Gartrell said he believes employ- ers will welcome the opportunity to share with an outside source the bur- den of explaining complex laws to employees as well. The USD clinic will handle cases on an as-needed basis. Priority will be given to employees an.d retirees of limited financial resources. Some cases will be farmed out to private attorneys. "Our intent is not to compete with lawyers or take away their busi- ness," Gartrell said. "We want to make sure that people know their rights and what they are entitled to." An illuminating case is that of one individual whom USD students have attempted to help in his long-running disability case against his former employer. For one reason or another, the in- dividual chose to pursue his legal case against his former employer without the aid of an attorney. As the case dragged on, costs mounted; when the individual finally lost his suit recently, he was whacked with a $350,000 bill by the court for the legal fees of his former employer. ''There's a shortage of well-trained individuals to deal with these prob- lems."

San Diego, CA (San Diego Co.I Evening Tribune (Cir. D. 123,064) AUG 2 6198

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Summer camp• - UnlVQ.!.!!.ILQf San Diego's camp ses- sioiis.7rrades 2-7; sports camps for ages 8-18; all-sports day camp for ages 7-13; baseball camp, outdoor cam~. lnformat,on: 260-4&84. ~5S- ......-::=

Los Angeles, CA (Los Angeles Co.) Los Angeles Times (Cir. D. 1,076466) (Cir. S. 1,346,343) UG 2 1988

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LA~ER : Dissatisfaction in Legal Field Grows <:o tin from Page I law 1sJ and how difficult it is to get suggest that all lawyers are gelling 1 ing as many a qu t r of their any re ult ," ys Bob Schneider, rich. A 1986 survey by the Los mcmb rs very year. who was a lawyer in Los Angeles Angeles County Bar Assn. showed Car er con ultants and counsel- for 10 years and now works in that 64% of members made be- ors r port lawyer flocking to sem- Phoenix. Even people who gel free tween $21,000 and $100,000; 5.5% mars and work. hops on changing coun_scl frown on lawyers. Reu~en made less than $21,000: 6% made profe ions. Carel'r dissatisfaction Cast1llo. a Pomona legal services more than $200,000 a year.) m th prof s ton h, s b come a attorney, said tt is not uncommon regular topic of d1scu 10n at place- for chcnts t? announce: "If I h~? ment director meetings, ays Lu- the money, Id get a real att?rney. Juana Treadwell, placement direc- For graduates of prest1g1ous law tor t Boalt Hall, the law chool at schools, it can also come as a shoc_k UC Bt-rkeley At its recent Toronto to d1Scover that much legal work 1s convention, th ABA conducted a boring cw associates may spend three-hour panel d1 cussion for law their first six months in practice firm on ways to cope with lawyer doing role review of case docu- discont nt. ments, says John S1amas, a pa tner It 1s clear that "many lawyers in the San Francisco firm of Jack- don't cm to be getting much son, Tufts, Cole & Black and gcncr- 60-80 Hour Weeks While the big salaries at elite firms were gratifying to the young lawyers, they came with a catch: To earn the pay, they had to mcrease dramalically the number of hours they billed clients each year s a result, it is now common for young ssociates at major firms to work 60-80 hour a week , Treadwell of Berkeley says.

That is an astonishing increase, says Martha Fay Africa, a legal headhunter in San Francisco. When she was placement director for the law school at UC Berkeley, firm typically required associates to bill I.500 to 1,550 hours a year. After giving big salary increases, the firms now demand 1,850, 1,900 or 2,000 hours. Further, this is often the bare m1mmum. A lawyer at a major firm who bills only 2,000 hours a year "has one foot out the door and the other on a banana peel," says Carol Kanarek, chair of the ABA Career Issues Committee. For associates who hope to become a partner and share m the profits, the mimmum billmg time demanded now is closer to 2,200 hours. "And I see some people," Kanarek says, "who are billing more than 3,000." Because billable hours generally are 15%-20% less than the total

al counsel to the National Assn. for

ratlf1calion from practice," says Sheldon Krantz, dean of the Tlni- who 18 on sabbatical interviewmg unhappy lawyers for a book on prob! ms with the profe ton. Life Isn't Television For many lawyers, the problem Is unreahst1c expectations. After graduating from college with liber- al arts degre s, many attended law chool !or lack of better ideas on what to do with their hves: on televi on, at I a t, the life of a lawyers emed exciting to them. "Unfortunately, my t,fe is not telev1 ion," says Whelan. who left a large New York firm tojoma !es frenetic Lo Angeles practice. Clients often blaml' lawyers for taking too much time and runnmg up their bills b cau they "don't appreciate how complicated [lhe ver

TONY BARNARD / Los Angeles Times Lawyers handling civil cases await assignments in Department I of Los Angeles County Courthouse.

Law Placement.

School of~ V, oung lawyers also learn qui~kl,Y

their work is oflen lonely. basically you reams of ~aper, says Schneide:, lhe Phoenix lawyer. "You don t even deal with people that much." The major complaint among as- sociates. however, is overwork. In 1985, some major New York law firms found their young associates were ba1lmg out in droves in their third year, Just as they were start- ing to really earn their keep. In response-and in answer to in- creased competition from the fi- nancial community for major uni- versities' best and brightest-the firms offered enormous starting salaries (now reaching $76,000 an- nually at some New York firms) to people who, in some cases, never had held a job before. (This, by the way, is not to your desk .and Its

time lawyers work-they usually, for example, cannot charge clients for meetings and administrative tasks-their time on the job can stretch intolerably. "My brother bills 60 to 70 hours a week," Whelan says. "He goes home in order to sleep. He never leaves the office. I ask him what he does for pleasure. He says, 'Noth- ing.' You make money, but what is the point? You have no life." Hoping to avoid the most con- summg firms, some prospective associates try to deduce their true situation from clues in job inter- views: Do the attorneys wear their jackets at work? Do they keep their doors closed? Are the secretaries happy? Most frightening are firms with showers and dining facilities

on the premises. When you see those, "you might as well not even rent an apartment" because you'll never have time to use it, Whelan says. If firms wanted, she says, they could divide a lawyer's work and give it to two people-even on half-pay, a person could make a decent living. But firms are so conservative, "they would rather kill one person than work two." Some lawyers, especially women with families who do not mind being out of a partner track, have opted to work part time which is still 40-45 hours a week. But for those associates who choose to spend the six or seven years to make partner, the pressure is intense. Partners are notorious

for giving associates maior proJects late on Fridays or calling them up Sunday morning to come to work. Associates "realize that if they don't comply with every sort of whim, that they won't make part- ner," Africa says. As law firms are increasingly run like businesses, individual associ- ates are increasingly viewed as profit centers-the more, the bet- ter. In big New York and Los Angeles firms, Africa says, it is common for the ratio of associates to partners to be 3-1 or even higher, in contrast to the 1-1 ratio of most other areas. Because of this, associates have less contact with partners, less training, less super- vision and, most importantly, · ss Please see LAWYERS, P e 9

After evaluating the case and the verdict, Gartrell said his students had discovered several avenues the individual could have brought to the · court's attention that might have spared him · court-imposed costs. Garten kno 90- cent of the cases that come efore the 1c: will be easily and swiftly resolved. It is the cases, such as the one de- scribed above, that he is most con- cerned about. "We don't want to practice law," Gartrell said. "But if we bad gotten that particular case off the bat, we could have helped him and be proba- bly wouldn't be facing that $350,000 payme,,t today." • /

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