WHERE’S THE GIRL?
Perhaps you have seen the advertisement in the OSB Bulletin soliciting donations to aid publication of Serving Justice. A readers asks, 'Who is the girl in the photo who is sleeping in the chair? And where is she now? And does she know you’re using that embarrassing photo of her?!'

We don’t know about the possible embarrassment; we are curious about the identity of the girl in question. If know the identity or the circumstances of the photograph, contact Paul Nickell, Bulletin editor, at (503) 620-0222 or toll-free in Oregon at (800) 452-8260, ext. 340, or at pnickell@ osbar.org.

1 IN 5 FACE LEGAL ISSUES
Nearly one out of every five Americans faced a legal issue within the last year, according to a new survey by the legal website FindLaw (www.findlaw.com).

The top five legal issues were real estate (buying/selling, property disputes, landlord-tenant disputes) at 21 percent, followed by: family law (divorce, child custody), 17 percent; estate planning (wills, trusts, settling of estates), 12 percent; personal injury, 11 percent; and traffic violations, 8 percent.

According to the nationwide survey, 18 percent of American adults said they were involved in at least one legal issue within the last year, meaning an issue where they either used a lawyer or could have used a lawyer. Eighty-one percent said they did not have a legal issue within the last year; one percent were not sure. The percentage of people facing legal issues did not vary significantly by age, gender or income.

FUTURE OF THE PROFESSION
Where is the legal profession headed? Will new technologies usurp lawyers’ role in society, or can lawyers adapt to societal changes to better serve their clients? Will corporate scandals cause the public to lose trust in lawyers, or will lawyers be seen as heroes for helping restore freedoms and securities that may be lost in the aftermath of terrorist attacks?

The ABA Committee on Research About the Future of the Legal Profession has been working for two years to define — and help create — the future for lawyers and clients. The committee’s multi-media report, which was presented to the ABA Board of Governors in August, includes such components as a 'Diary of the Last Lawyer,' an interview with the U.S. president in 2016, ABA Journal eReports from the future and action steps needed if the profession is to achieve its preferred future.

To access the report visit www.abanet.org/lawfutures/ report2002/.

2003 EQUAL JUSTICE CONFERENCE SET FOR PORTLAND IN APRIL 2003
The 2003 Equal Justice Conference is scheduled for April 9-12, 2003 in Portland. The conference is a collaboration between the ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service and the National Legal Aid and Defender Association.

The Equal Justice Conference brings together all components of the legal community to discuss equal justice issues. Client-based service and strengthening partnerships among the key players in the civil justice system are key components of this event. Through plenary sessions, workshops, networking opportunities and special programming, the conference provides a wide range of learning and sharing experiences for all attendees.

Mark your calendars now for this event. In the meantime, for more information, contact Dorothy Jackson at (312) 988-5766 or JacksonD@staff.abanet.org

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You will recall that in this space we have been calling upon Bulletin readers to share photos depicting the creatively organized workspaces of their colleagues.

Inactive OSB member Colin Lamb inspired this idea. Lest you think he is poking fun at the 'messy desk,' Lamb points out that his own desk is the very model of disarray (he has to open a drawer to find a flat place to put new files). Lamb theorizes the cluttered desk might have something to do with left brain/right brain-creative/linear thinking patterns, or something along those lines. You be the judge.

Portland attorney Dan Lindahl is the first to respond to the Bulletin’s invitation for such photographs; he actually submitted photos of the offices of two colleagues at his firm, Bullivant Houser in Portland. The first 'are from my good friend and next-door-neighbor [who shall remain nameless] … I really regret that the photos do not do adequate justice to the mess present, but my little digital camera lacks the wide-angle lens that would be necessary to capture the full majesty of the disarray.'

The Bulletin editors note (with pleasure) that a recent issue of this magazine rests atop one of the piles … but for how long?