FROM THE CHAIR

By Jeremy B. Crickard, Esq.*

The Executive Committee of the Trusts and Estates Section ("TEXCOM") is focused on improving the practice of law for Section members and for the public in general. While this focus is singular, the means to accomplish this goal are several. In my first "From the Chair" column I would like to highlight one of the ways TEXCOM carries out its mandate. TEXCOM runs on the tireless efforts and expertise of its thirty-five volunteer members/advisors, and I would like to highlight the service of several of these remarkable individuals.

I would first like to express my gratitude to TEXCOM’s immediate past Chair, Bart J. Schenone. Bart’s one-year term as Chair was an extension of his prior seven years of exceptional service to TEXCOM and the Section. Bart’s steady leadership, incredible depth of knowledge in the field, and dedication to all things TEXCOM amount to an irreplaceable combination. Fortunately, though Bart’s tenure as Chair has ended, Bart will continue to serve as an advisor to TEXCOM for an additional three years as is the tradition for our past Chairs.

It is early spring as I write this column, which marks the start of the legislative cycle. TEXCOM is involved in legislation impacting the areas of practice of our Section members. As a Section of the State Bar of California, TEXCOM is precluded from engaging in political activities. TEXCOM therefore focuses on providing technical comments and guidance in areas relevant to the expertise and legal practices of our Section members. The administration of guardianships, conservatorships, probates, and trusts are each governed largely by statutes in the Probate Code, and thus technical comments and guidance are often required or relevant to legislation impacting our practices. Consequently, TEXCOM devotes considerable time and effort to its legislative program.