GROUPS

Criminal Defense Group

The Douglas County Criminal Defense Bar Association is a not-for-profit corporation comprised of attorneys who practice criminal defense law. The majority of its members serve on the district court appointment panels, providing legal services to indigent criminal defendants as well as in care and treatment cases and indirect contempts. The group meets for lunch on the second Friday each month at The Free State Brewing Co., 636 Massachusetts St. Annual membership dues are $25.00; members buy their own lunch at meetings. For more information contact "Skip" Griffy at 842-0040 or sg328@aol.com.

Solo & Small Firm Group

The Solo and Small Firm group focuses on practice management and firm development for attorneys practicing alone or in small firm settings. Presently, there are no meetings. Members share ideas and information, and post questions and comments, via the Solo & Small Firm Listserv. There are no fees or dues. For more information contact John Bodle at 843-0187 or jb@kawlaw.com.

Women Attorneys Group

Douglas County Women Attorneys is an informal group that was formed for the purpose of social and professional networking. The group is informally affiliated with the Kansas Women Attorneys Association. There are no dues and no membership requirements other than gender. The group meets for lunch at 11:45 on the second Thursday each month at the Eldridge, 701 Massachusetts St. For more information, contact Kathy Kirk at 749-1323 or kathykirk@earthlink.net.

Young Lawyers Section

Pursuant to the Bylaws of the DCBA, the Young Lawyers Section consists of members who have practiced law in Douglas County for less than five years or who are less than 36 years of age. The Section is governed by the Young Lawyers Section Bylaws. The Young Lawyers are charged with responsibility for ongoing public relations, culminating in the annual Law Day activities. The principal feature of Law Day is the Law Day Luncheon, as well as investigation of nominees and selection of the recipient of the Liberty Bell Award for outstanding public service. For more information contact the President of the Young Lawyers Section or email younglawyers@dgbar.org.

Bench-Bar Committee

The Bench-Bar Committee is responsible for communicating concerns and advancing the professional relationship between the members of the bar and the judges of Douglas County, Kansas. The Committee is comprised of the DCBA President, Young Lawyers Section President, and five additional members who each serve staggered five year terms, a new member being appointed each year by the DCBA President. The Committee meets on the first Tuesday of odd-numbered months at the Judicial Building, 111 E. 11th St. You can contact the Committee with your questions, concerns or suggestions by emailing bench-bar@dgbar.org or contact individual Committee members as follows:

Ethics Committee

The Ethics Committee is composed of the DCBA President and six to eight other members appointed by the President. The committee investigates complaints regarding ethical conduct by an attorney, and makes recommendations as to proper action pursuant to the rules of the Kansas Supreme Court relating to disciplinary administration.

Lawyers Assistance Committee

The Lawyers Assistance Committee, sometimes called the Impaired Lawyers Committee, works in cooperation with the Kansas Lawyers Assistance Program (KALAP). KALAP was established by the Kansas Supreme Court to provide for peer intervention, counseling, and rehabilitation of attorneys and judges whose professional performance may be impaired because of physical or mental illness, substance abuse or emotional distress. The Douglas County Committee, in addition to providing such assistance, is sometimes called upon by the District Court when the death or disability of an attorney necessitates referral of client files. KALAP may be contacted at 888-342-9080 or help@kalap.com. Anyone preferring to seek local assistance or information may contact Martin Miller at 841-8462 or millerlaw48@msn.com.

Speakers Bureau

The Douglas County Bar Association and the Douglas County Criminal Defense Bar made a determination some time ago to establish a speakers bureau to provide informational programs on the law and justice system to civic groups or any organization that wishes to hear from us. Anyone who is interested in participating as a speaker should let us know by contacting Kate at Collister and Kampschroeder at <collkamp@sbcglobal.net> or at 842-3126 or by fax at 842-3878.

There are some guidelines that must be followed. Please provide any contact information for yourself, a general description of your experience as a lawyer or one who works in the judicial system, and identify the topic about which you are interested in presenting a program. In addition, please provide a basic and/or brief description of the program about which you propose to speak and your objective in presenting the program. All of the requirements set out above are mandatory. We will not consider any volunteer who fails to completely provide the requested information.

Keep in mind that the purpose of this program is educational. Use of the program to advertise the speaker's business or solicit business or clients for the speaker will result in removal from the group and the speaker will not be eligible to present further programs.