I don't normally pay a lot of attention to the State Bar Elections.
In 2011, I asked for your support to vote for Buck Files for State Bar President because it was important to have a criminal law practitioner be the president for a change. Mr. Files was elected and he's done a great job of making issues involving Criminal Law relevant to the State Bar.
This year, the election for State Bar President has gone to a run-off between League City attorney Trey Apffel and an attorney named Steve Fischer.
I voted for Apffel in the general election, and I just voted for him again in the run-off. Although his credentials are certainly impressive, I don't know the man.
But I am very concerned about his opponent's ability to lead the State Bar.
Fisher is running on a promise to "shake up" the State Bar, which I'm all for. However, when things get "shaken up" the general hope is that they are changed for the better. Fischer's vision for the Bar concerns me when he includes things like making lawyers less accountable. His own website promotes the idea of lessening grievances against attorneys unless they could prove bad intent, or to use his terms:
"If you have (A) No bad intent + (B) No harm done = No foul."
That's a nice idea, theoretically, but can you imagine how many loopholes that ideology would create?
Additionally, I personally find Fischer's behavior on the campaign trail to be erratic to put it mildly.
I'm all for aggressively running for office, but some of Fischer's tactics have been way over-the-top. From bombarding mailboxes on Facebook, to over-aggressively hounding people in the hallways and doorsteps of courthouses, there is something about Fischer that troubles me if he is going to become President of the State Bar.
For ages, lawyers have had a to fight a bad reputation of being overly aggressive and not responsible for their own actions. In my opinion, Fischer seems so hell-bent on winning the election that he doesn't realize that he's reconfirming a lot of stereotypes about our profession.
I've never heard any of the same concerns about Apffel.
Voting in the run-off is very easy. All you have to do is click here to vote.
It shouldn't take you more than about 45 seconds.
Please vote for Trey Apffel.
4 comments:
Some of Fisher's comments online have really caused me concern, too. They published a compilation of some of his recent "greatest hits" from one of the Corpus Christi newspapers where he would frequently opine. Many of the comments were appallingly ignorant, insensitve, and ill-advised, to put it mildly. The prospect of that man being the president of the SBOT for even a year is deeply disturbing. I voted for Trey.
I noticed some of Fisher's people aggressively promoting him with flyers in the CJC awhile back. My thought was that if one has to be so aggressive in campaigning, what are they lacking or trying to hide.
What are they lacking or trying to hide? That is what I thought about Mike Anderson aka James Michael Anderson's campaign. Fisher is a good man. Although, he is not the typical good ole boy, Fisher gets along with the top echelon to lead. That is why I voted for Fisher in both elections. I encourage everyone else to do what they think is best for the Texas Bar.
Anon 8:14 p.m.,
Fischer is a terrible representative for attorneys. He's pushy and obnoxious and has no qualms about saying grossly inappropriate statements in public. He will make an embarrassment out of our profession.
Saying "what are they lacking or trying to hide?" is a silly statement that holds no substance. You are just trying to float out some sort of conspiracy idea without even beginning to back it up.
Fischer will be a disaster for the Bar.
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