Real Property Probate and Trust liaison urges clearer communication on regulatory sandbox, Board of Governors told

Former governor Brent Williams Ruth, newly appointed liaison from the Real Property Probate and Trust section, told the Board of Governors that the board should provide clearer, more direct communication when it takes on large-scale projects.

"I have been appointed by the Real Property Probate and Trust section to be the liaison to the Board of Governors," Brent Williams Ruth said. He said his section has one immediate concern: better communication about projects that affect practice of law rules and public understanding.

Ruth cited a recent headline about a regulatory "sandbox" and the role of the practice of law board. "It wasn't until the headline came out that non lawyers will be practicing law that people started taking a bigger note," he said, urging the board to give sections and members clearer notice and more time for review when proposals use acronyms or complex names such as "TAXI CAB." He said that when proposals are presented with limited context, members outside the inner circle may struggle to follow and to ask for pauses or more information.

Ruth gave a personal example of the risk of rushed decisions: when he first joined a board years ago, he said he was asked to vote on a multimillion-dollar budget on the same day he was sworn in and declined because he had no context. "This is a multimillion dollar budget. I was just sworn in. I have no context and I can't give my vote," he said.

He also referenced an announcement that morning that the White House had confirmed ratification of a 28th Amendment to the Constitution, and he marked that as a moment of celebration for women: "So congratulations to all the women. You are now equal. The Equal Rights Amendment has passed," he said.

Ruth closed with praise for the Bar Association's technology work, saying the Technology Task Force and its chair have received positive recognition. "The great work done by our technology Task Force you're going to be hearing from, including specifically, Chair Durkin, was called out... just really being grateful for the BOG to have created that entity and for appointing chair Durkin to do that work," he said.

President Angelou recognized Ruth and noted his appointment; no formal board action or vote on the communication request was recorded during the remarks. Ruth said he expects to attend future meetings in his role as liaison: "You'll be seeing me at all of the meetings."