|
|
Special Appearance Attorneys
Published in the San Diego Daily Transcript Law
Journal
December 10, 2001 Issue, Volume 4, Number 4.
Robert L. Ray graduated from UCLA Law School and initially spent 2 years
working for Appalachian Research and Defense Fund, Inc. in Eastern
Kentucky and 5 years for Powers, Venick, & Lyle in Nashville Tennessee,
which was an AV rated firm. When Robert returned to California in 1982
he worked as a senior litigation attorney for Merill & Associates, house
counsel for Farmer's Insurance Group. Robert started his business in
1992. Although several attorneys make the claim of being the first to
ply their trade in this fashion, when Robert started this unique
business there were few competitors..
Appearance Attorneys
A new kind of attorney has emerged in courtrooms across California in
recent years. They are known as Appearance Attorneys. In October 1992,
the firm of Robert L. Ray & Associates was formed with the expressed
purpose of assisting busy attorneys and law firms by providing highly
qualified attorneys who were local to each respective court in which
they would appear. As one of the forefathers of this new concept. Ray
took a close look at the newly enacted legislation of the 1990's Fast
Track program that applied to all state courts. This legislation was
intended to move cases through the court system more efficiently by
mandating a schedule of progress. The problem: Many attorneys of record
were often unable to make their court appearances due to time and
distance conflicts .
Robert L. Ray realized that attorneys were missing appearances in
increasing numbers. This was causing attorneys to rack up unexpected
court costs through sanctions. further increasing the number of
appearances they were required th attend, and sometimes resulting in
cases being dismissed or damaged. The solution Robert L. Ray envisioned
was to apply a concept sometimes called outsourcing, but in a new way.
He was one of the foundational engineers of the new legal industry,
which today shows signs of becoming a long-term institution of legal
practice.
To accomplish this, Mr. Ray knew he must develop a relationship with
other attorneys, law firms, judges, and court clerks. Futher, he knew
that it would be important to obtain critical information for each case
the would enable the appearance attorney to proerly represent the
attorney of record in court. Finally, he knew that coordinating this
activity was critical, as everything had to happen within a short time
frame, frequently within only a few hours and occasionally in only
minutes.
Convincing attorneys that another attorney could properly handle their
cases in court was one of the first obstacles Mr. Ray had to overcome.
This required some fancy footwork, and so Mr. Ray became a good dancer.
He developed the art of "commanding the courtroom" even though he was
not the judge. He drew on a number of skills, including calculated
humor. He knew that most attorneys would prefer to avoid the court's
attention, but he believed the key was instead to draw attention. He
turned out to be right. Though resistance was present inthe beginning,
he was able to make the inroads that he needed. Fast Track placed a
tremendous burden on attorneys and law firms, many calling it
"impossible". Mr. Ray called it an opportunity.
The idea of Fast Track was simple. The courts would in a sense,
intervene in the progress attorneys were making with their cases. This
meant that attorneys whose cases were classified as Fast Track, were
going to be required to attend court appearances on a regular basis and
comply with the courts demands to move their cases toward resolution.
Sounds like something the clients would like to hear, but something
their attorneys were going to have difficulty complying with. In a
perfect world, an attorney can book all their activity at convenient
times with no conflict in their schedules. It is not, of course, a
perfect world. These attorneys began to find that they had many time
conflicts, often needing to be in court in two or more cities at the
same time. Impossible? Yes, on the surface. But that isn't what Mr. Ray
saw. He had a plan to solve this problem.
Today, Mr. Ray operates the business out of two primary locations:
Colton and Oceanside, with two "virtual offices" in Corona and Rialto,
all of which are interconnected via the Internet. Although Mr. Ray
continues to personally serve the Riverside Court, he and his wife have
moved their residence to Oceanside to directly support this new branch
office, and the San Diego county area courts. This year Mr. Ray is
celebrating the 10th anniversary of his business. He employs and office
staff of twelve legal professionals for support. Over 1,000 associate
attorneys work with him to serve the over 12,000 client base. To date,
Ray and his associates have appeared on over 50,000 appearances
throughout the state. Many of the attorneys he has assisted have become
regular repeat customers, and others are occasional customers, calling
when the need arises. All are welcome and all are provided with the same
high level of service. One of the attorney services offered to attorneys
is a free and friendly reminder of upcoming appearances in San
Bernardino and Riverside Counties. Mr. Ray also has direct access to the
Riverside Register of Actions system, which has been a huge benefit for
both the firms attorneys and it's customers.
To the observer, a day in the life of Robert L. Ray looks like a corss
between a Laker's fast break and an excerpt from a good southern
infomercial. He rushes into one courtroom after another with almost
perfect timing, collects himself, and represents the case as if he'd
been working on it for months. His associate attorneys are of a similar
caliber.
Robert L. Ray & Associates attorneys joke about sometimes being referred
to as "not real lawyers". However, to anyone who knows them, it's hard
not being a little mesmerized by their courtroom performance. They are
very candid about the pitfalls of the work as Appearance Attorneys. They
know that no matter how diligent they are in obtaining information to
operate in a competent manner, there are obstacles, but they always seem
to overcome them. Even when the case information provided to them is
insufficient, they tap on their experience and press to do the right
thing for their sponsor attorney and client. They seem to know everyone
in the halls and in the courtrooms. They apparently and something in
common with just about every courtroom deputy and clerk. They appear
dressed in a business like manner and perform professionally.
Robert L. Ray & Associates are still forging this new industry each day,
as the terrain is forever changing. This industry is still new, cutting
edge, and growing. Robert L. Ray & Associates is not the only appearance
service, and competition is growing rapidly. Robert L. Ray and others
now in this industry are helping courts by reducing the number of "no
shows" on a daily basis throughout the state of California. Robert L.
Ray's clients receive and onging value, whether they hire him today or
not. Sooner or later they will need his help. When they do, Mr. Ray and
his growing army of attorneys will be there to assist. One court
system's research has determined that each missed court appearance costs
the court system, and therefore the taxpayer, an estimated $350.00.
 |
|