Here’s another good example of why New York is so monstrously messed up. The Bar Association has a racial spoils system, dedicated to promoting diversity in the Bar’s governing House of Delegates. That’s right, no need to run for election if you’re a favored minority or ethnicity. Just step to the head of the line. Here’s the text of a letter sent to New York State Bar Association members by its President-Elect, Mr. Getnick.

Are you interested in being part of the State Bar’s House of Delegates? Do you know a member who is poised to take on a leadership role within the State Bar? Opportunities exist to serve as one of a group of 12 Presidential Appointees on the House of Delegates representing a range of racial and ethnic groups.

During the next few months, I will be appointing members to serve in this capacity and, as part of this process, I invite you to nominate yourself, if eligible, or someone else to serve. Candidates for this position will be considered on the basis of the following criteria:

? The candidate must be an active State Bar member.
? The candidate must be a member of a racial or ethnic minority group.
? The candidate must be willing and able to travel to Albany, Cooperstown and New York City to attend House of Delegates meetings held four times each year.

If chosen for this position, you will be notified prior to June 1, 2009. This is a one-year term that will begin on June 1, 2009 and conclude on May 31, 2010. Candidates for these positions are reviewed annually.

I hope that you will consider serving on the House of Delegates in this very important capacity or recommending a colleague for such service. To be considered, please forward a letter of interest stating why you or the person that you have nominated is both interested and qualified to serve, along with relevant background materials such as a resume or biography, by March 2, 2009.

Materials should be emailed to mgetnick@nysba.org and sent by regular mail to:

President-elect Michael E. Getnick
c/o HOD Diversity Seat Appointments
New York State Bar Association
One Elk Street
Albany, NY 12207
Fax: (518) 463-8527

Thank you for considering this opportunity to serve our profession.

Sincerely,

Michael E. Getnick, President-Elect

It is an absolute embarrassment for a professional organization to single out members solely by ethnicity or race for special treatment. How is this functionally different than having a lower passing score for the bar exam by race and/or ethnicity? It’s not, it’s pernicious, and it’s unmeritocratic. Worst of all, it’s racist in the truest meaning of the term. It states to those certain races and ethnicities that are favored that they are unable to compete with the general bar membership and need to be accommodated by the benevolent organization. Hooey. People of different races and ethnicities compete on level playing fields and win all the time. Especially in New York.

‘Puter expected better from New York attorneys, reputed to be among the sharpest (in the best and worst sense) in the country. But then again, Shelly Silver’s a New York attorney, along with former Gov. Spitzer, so perhaps ‘Puter’s expectations were misguided.

'Puter

Always right, unless he isn’t, the infallible Ghettoputer F. X. Gormogons claims to be an in-law of the Volgi, although no one really believes this.

’Puter carefully follows economic and financial trends, legal affairs, and serves as the Gormogons’ financial and legal advisor. He successfully defended us against a lawsuit from a liquor distributor worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid deliveries of bootleg shandies.

The Geep has an IQ so high it is untestable and attempts to measure it have resulted in dangerously unstable results as well as injuries to researchers. Coincidentally, he publishes intelligence tests as a side gig.

His sarcasm is so highly developed it borders on the psychic, and he is often able to insult a person even before meeting them. ’Puter enjoys hunting small game with 000 slugs and punt guns, correcting homilies in real time at Mass, and undermining unions. ’Puter likes to wear a hockey mask and carry an axe into public campgrounds, where he bursts into people’s tents and screams. As you might expect, he has been shot several times but remains completely undeterred.

He assures us that his obsessive fawning over news stories involving women teachers sleeping with young students is not Freudian in any way, although he admits something similar once happened to him. Uniquely, ’Puter is unable to speak, read, or write Russian, but he is able to sing it fluently.

Geep joined the order in the mid-1980s. He arrived at the Castle door with dozens of steamer trunks and an inarticulate hissing creature of astonishingly low intelligence he calls “Sleestak.” Ghettoputer appears to make his wishes known to Sleestak, although no one is sure whether this is the result of complex sign language, expert body posture reading, or simply beating Sleestak with a rubber mallet.

‘Puter suggests the Czar suck it.