News Scrapbook 1988

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188 r- Bar F nds LawCenter - (Continued from Page JA viding reports. "What you see is, ere's one clients), and they've done a lot of things. A lot of the ideas have spun offand support themselves."

Pl•rHpt•ctives" A professor tn urban planning at thr Gradual School of Arch1tec• lurt• and Uri, n Planning al UCLA, llaydl'n will di"Cuss "The Power of Plue •: A Proposal for Public Art and Historic Pr serva- lton in Los Angeles.•· The I cture s ries is co-sponsored by U D and focus •s on current cultural debates which may oth erwis<• r •main outH1d · traditional 11rt 1nsl1lut1ons 'I ickels are $:J for those 'who 11r1•n't mernbera of I..JM A; it's free for members . . UCSO's Mandevllle Gallery pn:Henls two on •p •rson shows open111g tomorrow. Cam Slocum pr1w•nts "St ill" nd Gronk pres• (•ntH "A Wall Piece," both up through Dec. 11 Slocum's " ttll" series of socio- poliltcol images rt>pn•sents a late 19th century photogrophic process in which lnrge-scnlr negatives wrrf> cll•veloped by sunlight and then 1mpH•gm1tcd with pure pig mf>nl on canvas. Gronk, whose full name is Glugio Gronk Nicnndro, is a pnint• er nnd performance nrtist who will paint directly onto a gallery wnll for the exhibition. A reception is slntrd nt the 11attery tonight from 6 to 8. • • Abstract etchings, wood-cuts and drawings of thf> human ligure are fenlured in the exhibition opening today nl .lJSO's Founder's Hall foyer . "Michele Burgess, Prints end Drnwin11s" st11ys up through l>(•l' Iii. Bur11ess IS a San Diego ar- tist and U D alum. * • •

more year, go to it,' " aaid Hun- t!ngton. "I still have all my ques- tions, but now Dan Grindle is run- ning it. It wasn't run before. You couldn't get budget reports, pro- gram reports. Dan is the kind of guy who will get in and make sure it goes in one direction. "If it nounders around then it will probably be the end of the Bar's commitment." Provided other directors agree. Incoming President Marc Adelman said he's an unabashed fan of the center. "I've been on the advisory board since day one and the projects and ideas that come out of the center are unique and a real value to the <.-ommunity. No- body else can do these. I have no concerns. "It's a a continuous think tank of legal scholars - excluding myself. Ev~rybody there's always looking to ideas to make things better There are many more programs come.

Craig Higgs chaired the center's advisory board before Grindle. "I think they both have done an ex- cellent job," said Nelson. "I think the center had some identity issues t.o define this year as to exactly what its legal statuR was and the direction of its programs. Call it a yearofnux." The center expects to commence !~ next program in January, a Joint effort with the city attorney's office to improve enforcement of ci- ty codes such as zoning, building permits, restaurant regulation and other local codes that don't receive enough enforcement. Both the city attorney and the law center have committed funds, said Hallstrom. Other program ideas are under advisory board review, she said. Hallstrom, who Nelson said gets paid out of grants, not the center's budget, ca!led the center "a fairly unique union Cbetween a universi- ty and a bar association). There are not models for this around the country." It has a small staff that "mobilizes" volunteers, she said. Other advisory board members include Rick Benes, Charles Bird, Judge Michael Greer, Higgs, Mar- shall Hockett, Webster "Buzz" Kinnaird, Jim Lorenz, Judge Chris Pate and Dan Tobin. /

"I feel the same way (as Hun- tington) about Dan (Grindle). He _taken on numerous responsi- b1ht1es and everything he has got- ten involved in has been extremely successful, including coaching the Bar softball team. It got third in th e league, and that's succe 88 given the talent we had." Nelson said, "My position was very strongly for the Law Center going on." It has provided the community with programs in court reform, establishment of the out. of-court neighborhood mediation centers, the jury selection process legal rights for children, continu'. ing legal education and, its current charge for the past two years, leading the implementation of the immigration amnesty program. " Hee~. it's headed in the right di- rection, continued Nelson. "I feel it is one of our (the Bar's) roles to improve the image of lawyers and to provide legal services to the community (beyond representing

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Friday, November 11, 1988

yers: Fees charged to insurance companies probed ,-oup of L.A. attorneys C: 'J ••,s be th< .,m,. law, °"" ;, ,,...,u,u.,- ,,,., Con11nued from A- ~) yer Maria ~folio said: "The fallout is Sever_al insu!ance company law- . The dispute c~nated this week "What is abuse in the eyes of an "I assume that litigation and ballot our office," said Denni Olson, gomg t~ hit everyone - l~uran_ce yers said earners beheH: that, _f~r m a s~~wdown of msurance bal!ot insurance carrier is often vigorous propositions related to Cumis will pok man for the Postal Inspection companies, attorneys, the Jud1c1al years before passage oft ,e new Ctv1l propos1t1ons, some sponsored by trial defense in the eyes of the insured" probably be with us th t f Servi<'e m San Diego. "At this point, sy tem. It's not going to be pretty," Code provisions, they were being de- lawyers, others by insurance carri- King said. "Like anything in life a;d professional career,, e res O my it's pendmg" Under state law developed through frauded by the policyholders' law- ers, and others by consumer groups. · <:::C The Cahfornla Department of In- a erie of court rulings, in urers are yers on a massive scale statewide. The consumer-sponsored Proposi- urance al o acknowledged the fed• required to hire separate counsel for One lawyer said he heard that bill- lion 103, calling for reduced rates, era! probe. their clients if one is requested. Hav- ings have topped $100 million in the won narrowly, but carriers almost "Allegation of a fraud were ing eparate lawyers avoids possible past five to six years; others say the immediately challenged the measure brought Into th fraud bureau about conflicts of interest between the in- costs could go higher because the in the state Supreme Court on consti- a year-and-a-half ago," said Ron urance carrier and client. The insur- cases date back even further. tulional grounds. Warthen, the department's chief er pays the client's lawyer fees, but "It's a $250 million problem to the Insurance carriers have levied fraud inve tigator. has little say m how the lawyer con- insurance industry m California complaints that some authorities 'W pr nted th case to the U.S. ducts the case. alone," said James P, Schratz, attor- have been slow to look into their con- attorn y's office m Los Angel . At Policyholders typically fmd law- ney and assistant vice president for cerns about possible billing fraud by th· time, they felt they didn't hav yer to defend them m civil insur- Fireman's Fund Insurance Cos. in lawyers. enough evidence to warrant pro ecu- nee hability cases by asking some- Santa Rosa. In San Diego, U.S. Attorney Bill hon one they know for referrals. One at- Other lawyers agreed with his esti- Braniff said he did not believe that Lat r, It wa pr nted to the U.S torney close to the fraud mate that policyholders' attorneys insurance companies had any com- attorn y m San D1 go, and my under- investigahon said many of the law- have billed carriers about $250 mil- plaint about his office not responding landing i they are lookmg at the yers who take such cases are well lion since 1978. They say some altor- to the accusations. ca " known in Southern California, and neys have charged fees as high as "I think they are talking to you As 1stant U.S. Attorney George that they often refer cases to each $175 an hour while insurance defense about ancient history. I don't believe Hardy In San Diego, who Is handling other. lawyers typically earn $85 to $125 an they are still frustrated," Braniff th mve hgat1on for his office, de• The policyholders' lawyers have hour. said. He declined to say directly elm d to comm nt on the matter. come to be referred to, generically, "We are very concerned about the whether his office was investigating Among lh crlm aid to be under a Cumi coun el, after the name of problem of this insurance fraud and possible lawyer fraud against insur- tnve tJgatrnn are conspiracy under the 1984 appeal court case that the adverse effect on the consumer," ance companies. the Racket r Influenced, Corrupt spawned the law - San Diego Feder- Schratz said. Trev Davis, associate chief trial Org n zahon Act (RICO), and mail al Credit Umon v. Cumis Insurance Said another insurance defense counsel for the State Bar's attorney and wire fraud for u. e of the Po tal Society. lawyer, "One thing I've learned in ail discipline system, said some allega- rvic and telephone lo run up th Since that ca e, the state Legisla- this is, it's very easy to rip off an tions have reached her office. alleg dly exc ive btlls. ture amended the Civil Code last insurance company." "Some counsel called us several An insurance industry lawyer who January to set certain standard for The complaints highlight a long- months ago and said they thought a k d not to be nam d said ii is no Cumis lawyers. They must have five standing feud between carriers and some fraud was going on," Davis er t w1thm the industry that year ' experience in insurance law trial lawyers in California. Each said. "The lawyer gave us three bind- II rdy' offwe I probing reports of and their rates must be comparable blames the other for the current high ers full of papers, ·ne inches thick, fraud to those bemg paid in the market- costs of auto, property, malpractice with no index." aL State hrm in urance defense law- place and liability insurance premiums. See Lawyera on p T- A-7

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