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Why did you become an attorney? New bar president takes
professionalism seriously
>> New post: 2003 president of the Hawaii State Bar Association Douglas Crosier
>> Day job: Partner at Rush Moore Craven Sutton Morry & Beh
>> Professional highlights: First University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law graduate to serve as president of the state bar; also serves as a director on the disciplinary board of the Hawaii Supreme Court; previously served as director of Legal Aid Society of Hawaii
>> Family: Wife, Jean Crosier; son, Chad
It was something that I'd thought about from grade school. I volunteered to defend a student in grade school in a mock trail where the teacher was trying to teach us about law. I still remember that. When I went to college, I actively participated in the Vietnam anti-war movement and the legal issues there were interesting. I was a social worker before I went to law school. My first part-time job in school was for a family law attorney and that's the law I'm doing now. It seemed a natural extension of my social work background. It is very, very rewarding if you are able to help an individual start life anew and not financially and emotionally devastated.
What are your goals as association president?
I've been involved in improving the judicial evaluation process for a long time and this year I hope to establish the bar association's first ever judicial evaluation program. Hawaii is I think one of only two states in which the judiciary is solely appointed. I also will be focusing on restoring the public's confidence in the legal profession and the legal process by addressing the public's growing poor perception of the ethics of lawyers. So many surveys I've seen show there is a significant number of people who think attorneys are dishonest and unethical. I want to address that. So those are the two areas I want to concentrate on, public perception and judiciary review.
Is having an appointed judiciary a good thing?
No question, if we institute elections, we introduce campaign finance issues and politics. In our society we are governed by law rather than by powerful people having their own interests. In order to do that, you need an independent judiciary. Hawaii is a model in this regard.
What inspired your interest in professional discipline?
We are privileged to be lawyers. Because of the opportunity lawyers have to effect change in the law and therefore affect the entire society -- whether as a legislator, judge or practicing attorney -- we have an obligation to honor that trust that society puts in the legal profession. I don't think we've done enough to honor that trust. There are actions lawyers and judges can take to ensure integrity and honesty in the practice of law in and out of the courtroom.
The bar association has 6,700 members. Does Hawaii really need that many lawyers?
I think so. The more attorneys that are practicing law the more choice is provided to the public. Also, just the natural consequence of having more people in the profession will lead to a more competitive fee climate. There will always be room for good lawyers. Society is becoming more and more complex every day. The legal profession is necessary to sort though that complexity.
There have been some high-profile scandals involving local politician-attorneys.Do you think the bar responds adequately when its members run afoul of ethics rules or break the law?
The only thing we can do is encourage the ethical practice of law and encourage the court to enforce the rules of honesty.
Do you think lawyer jokes contribute to a negative public perception of attorneys?
I think they contribute to it, but these jokes come from somewhere. Instead of getting upset about it, I think lawyers should be asking themselves "why?" We should start asking ourselves about our ethics and our judicial processes. Hawaii's attorneys do a lot of very good things for the community. The huge majority of lawyers are honest and try to do the right thing. But I don't believe in fixing public perception through some sort of PR campaign. There are some real problems that need to be addressed.
Do you have a favorite lawyer joke?
No. I don't think my colleagues would appreciate their bar association president telling a lawyer joke.
Inside Hawaii Inc. is a conversation with a member of the Hawaii business community who has changed jobs, been elected to a board or been recognized for accomplishments. Send questions and comments to business@starbulletin.com.
