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Meeting |
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June 11, 2002 |
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| Alfred P. Carlton, president-elect of the
American Bar Association, made the case to Charlotte Rotary that the ABA performs valuable
services for its member attorneys and our whole society. When he becomes president in August, he will be only the second North Carolinian to hold that distinguished office. Educated at UNC-Chapel Hill and the University of Dayton, Carlton lives in Raleigh, and is partner with Kilpatrick Stockton LLP, a full-service international law firm with 520 attorneys. He has also served in the U.S. Air Force, practiced solo, and was general counsel to Bancshares of North Carolina and counsel to the N.C. Bankers Association. He considers himself a Rotarian on leave, having been a charter member and president of the Crabtree Club. The ABA has 408,000 individual members, 900 employees, a $180 million budget, and is the world's largest professional association. It is non-profit, non-partisan, and non-political. How did Carlton become head of such an organization? He has worked for years on various committees, beginning with an appointment for which, in his absence, he was nominated by friends. He learned to enjoy the business, and during the '90s became chair of the prestigious House of Delegates, the ABA's policy-making and legislative body. Currently the House of Delegates supports 700 positions. Some positions have been misreported; for example, the ABA does not oppose the death penalty. Rather it contends that until it can be employed fairly and efficiently, the death penalty should not be used as a legal instrument. Since the ABA adopted this position, Illinois and Maryland governors have taken similar stands. The ABA rejected a proposal to permit attorneys to enter other lines of business, a position which helps attorneys avoid conflict of interest charges now facing accountants. And its recommendations on military tribunals, adopted in February 2001, are being largely followed by the Bush administration in dealing with detained terrorists. Altogether, 80 percent of the ABA policy recommendations have won acceptance. The ABA was founded 125 years ago (1) to nurture a system of quality education for the profession, (2) to defend the unique independence of America's legal system, and (3) to enhance and defend the profession's reputation. During the 20th century it added two more objectives: (4) to assure access to legal services for all, and (5) to support diversity within the profession. In the 21st century the ABA must address globalization issues created by new technology with instantaneous worldwide communication. For example, the 520 lawyers in his own international firm can communicate instantaneously with each other by the internet, 24/7. Law schools will probably limit admissions, thereby restricting the profession's growth. In addition he expects the ABA to emphasize professionalism by attorneys, to assure quality service for clients. Carlton supports Rehnquist's position on judicial reform: federal judges should be nominated, quickly confirmed or rejected, and adequately paid. He also observed that the Bush administration's change regarding the ABA's review of nominees for federal judgeships merely means the review occurs after the nomination, not prior to it, as before. In response to a later question, he said no changes would be made in the review process itself, which evaluates a nominee's competence, integrity, and judicial temperament. The review committee is independent and uses a three-point scale: well qualified, qualified, not qualified. Historically, of 2400 nominees reviewed, only 24 were judged not qualified. The ABA wants to reform the practice of popular election of state judges. In some states the process works satisfactorily, but in others election costs are prohibitive: about $2 million in Texas, and $14 million for one in Ohio. It prefers merit appointments. After his year as head of his profession, Carlton plans to return to North Carolina where he will continue to practice law. The meeting began with Past President ('95-'96) Ken Harris presiding and asking Ray Killian to introduce John Batcha of the North Mecklenburg club, who informed the Club about their program to provide vegetable and grain seeds to school children and orphans in third-world countries to grow their own food. Pete deWitt introduced nineteen guests and visitors, including a large contingent from sister-city Arequipa, Peru. Sam Woodard's Health and Happiness reminded members of Ralph Howey's illness and of the passing of Ade Shefte. He then began the day's tribute to lawyers with a string of humorous quotations from courtroom litigation, and a reminder of the many distinguished attorneys among our members. After the pledge, John Stedman gave the invocation. Luther Moore introduced the guest speaker. Other members at the head table were Phil Van Hoy, Bob Knight, and Bob Freeman. * * * |
POWELL'S OBSERVATIONS
POWELL MAJORS Jerry Orr has cut the airport budget 27% to help tenant U.S. Airways reduce its costs.* * * SYMPATHY Our sympathy is extended to the family of Harry Weatherly, Jr., whose mother, Edna Weatherly, passed away on May 21, 2002, and the family of Dal Shefte, whose wife, Adelaide (Ade) Shefte, passed away on June 8, 2002. * * * ROTARY FIRSTS... Rotary established the "Endowment Fund" in 1917, which became the forerunner of The Rotary Foundation. Rotary first adopted the name "Rotary International" in 1922 when the name was changed from the International Association of Rotary Clubs. Rotary first established the Paul Harris Fellows recognition in 1957 for contributors of $1,000 to The Rotary Foundation. The Rotary emblem was printed on a commemorative stamp for the first time in 1931 at the time of the Vienna Convention. The first Rotary Club banner (from the Houston Space Center) to orbit the moon was carried by astronaut Frank Borman, a member of that Club. The first Rotary International convention held outside the United States was in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1921. The first head of state to address a Rotary convention was U.S. President Warren G. Harding in 1923 at St. Louis. * * * |
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Revised: January 24, 2008.
