ARNE WERCHICK
​
An energetic and still-curious octogenarian as well as writer and political critic, Arne publishes Out of My Liberal Mind as well as a travel conversation forum at Not Just Another Book Club Travel Conversation Circle and occasional musings about newly-acquired gadgets for geeks and particularly useful for seniors at Widgets by Werchick.
​
Admitted to practice in California in 1965, Arne Werchick completed fifty years of active practice as a civil trial attorney emphasizing representation of plaintiffs in professional liability and similar complex civil litigation and now is fully retired from the private practice of law. Volunteer activities since moving to Hawaii in 2014 included Board of Directors and Board Secretary, Friends of the Libraries, Kona (F.O.L.K.); Kailua Village Design Review Commission; Moderator, NJABCTCC (Not Just Another Book Club Travel Conversation Circle), F.O.L.K, a monthly travel conversation group which he founded; and 2018 Chair, Hawaii County Board of Appeals. Having visited more than eighty countries and territories, he and his wife Ruth continue their travels from their home base in Kailua Kona, Hawaii.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
PERSONAL and COMMUNITY SERVICE
​
Volunteer mediator, Appellate Mediation Program, Hawaii State Judiciary (2020- )
​
Commission member, Kailua Village Design Commission (2019 -2023 )
Chair, County of Hawaii Board of Appeals (2018)
Board of Directors (and Board Secretary), Friends of the Libraries, Kona [F.O.L.K] (2016 - 2021); organized and chairs the NJABCTCC [Not Just Another Book Club Travel Conversation Circle], F.O.L.K. (2017 - )
​
Board of Directors, Aloha Performing Arts Company [APAC] (2017 - 2018)
​
Palm Desert Rent Review Commission (2006 – 2015; Chair 2009 - 2015)
Town of Truckee Planning Commission (1999 - 2001)
Tahoe Donner Association Governing Documents Revision Committee (1997- 2000)
Tahoe Donner Architectural Standards Committee (alternate 1997-1999, member 1999 - 2000)
USTA NorCal certified umpire (1998 - 2000)
Tahoe Donner Tennis Club Board of Directors (1997-1999)
Conseiller, Confrerie des Vignerons de Saint Vincent Bourgogne et Macon USA (1984-1990)
​
Vice President, Medical & Professional Society (1977; Director 1978-1979)
Vice President, United Nations Association of San Francisco (1969-1970).
Current memberships: Royal Kona Tennis Club, British Museum of Natural History, Signal Society (KQED San Francisco), Life member, Sierra Club and East African Wild Life Society
​
Born April 20, 1940, San Francisco
Wife: Ruth. Children: Leah and Jessica
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
Special Counsel, California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform [CANHR] , 2009 – 2015).
Special Deputy Trial Counsel, State Bar of California, Office of Trial Counsel (2010 – 2015).
Presiding Arbitrator of the State Bar of California (2006 - 2008).
Administrative Law Judge pro tem, California Office of Administrative Hearings - Keyhea hearings regarding involuntary administration of psychiatric medications to prison inmates (1998 - 2003).
Judge pro tem, San Francisco Superior Court, civil jury trial, settlement conferences, small claims appeals (1991-1997). Nevada County Municipal Court, small claims (1996 – 2004).
California State Bar Committee on Professional Liability Insurance (2011).
California State Bar Committee on Mandatory Fee Arbitration (2001–2008; Chair 2004-2005; Vice Chair 2002-2004).
President, California Trial Lawyers Association (now CAOC) (1980); Vice President (1978 and 1979); Board of Governors, California Trial Lawyers Association (1976-1986).
Chair, California Trial Lawyers Association Amicus Curiae Committee (1982, 1985 and 1986, member 1974-1976, 1978, 1980-1986).
Assistant Editor, California Trial Lawyers JOURNAL (1970-1977).
Chair, California Trial Lawyers Association Committee on Malpractice Law Litigation (1976).
Vice chair, Bar Association of San Francisco Committee on Arbitration and Mediation of Fee Disputes (1996 - 2009).
Assistant Professor of Law [adjunct faculty], University of California Hastings College of the Law, 1971-1984, teaching courses in Legislation and Legislative Advocacy, Government Tort Litigation, and Trial Practice.
Board of Contributors, Medical Malpractice Law & Strategy, affiliated with New York and National Law Journals (1983-90).
Advisory Committee on Voir Dire, Judicial Council of California (1988-1992), established originally by statute as California Task Force on Voir Dire; coauthor of standardized Juror Questionnaire for Civil Cases adopted by California Judicial Council (form MC-001) (1993).
Editorial Board, San Francisco Attorney,Bar Association of San Francisco (1991-1995).
Chair, Section on Insurance, Negligence & Compensation Law, Bar Association of San Francisco (1971)
Vice Chair, California State Bar Committee to Confer with the California Medical Association (1979-1980)
Vice Chair, Medical-Legal Liaison Committee, Bar Association of San Francisco (1970)
Chair, CTLA Legal Students Committee (1970).
Member, Private Judging Advisory Panel, Institute for Social Analysis (1991).
Lawyer delegate to Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, Seattle, Washington (1969).
Board of Governors, Western Trial Lawyers Association (1983-1986).
Chair, State Legislation Subcommittee, Association of Trial Lawyers of America (1981-1982); Vice-chair, ATLA Administration Department (1983); member ATLA Board of Governors, (1980-1983).
Consultant to Nevada Trial Lawyers Association before Assembly Judiciary Committee of the Nevada legislature (1985).
Consultant to Alaska Bar and Trial Lawyers Associations to Alaska Governor's Commission on Medical Malpractice (1975).
Faculty member: National College of Advocacy, Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Reno, Nevada (1981).
Civil College of Advocacy, San Francisco, Hastings College of the Law (1978).
Instructor, "Law for the Layman," YWCA of San Francisco, 1965.
​​
Publications Authored
​​
ARTICLES and LETTERS [PARTIAL LIST]
​
Werchick, Blog: Out of My Liberal Mind, Substack bi-weekly since 2024
​
Jul 5 •
​
June 2025
Jun 21 •
​
Becoming a Tyrant in Five Easy Steps: a Blueprint
Audio version - press the arrow
Jun 7 •
​
May 2025
New feature this issue: if you would like to hear a 13 minute audio version, click here:
May 24 •
​
THE LIMITS OF MORAL CONDUCT, OR “I WAS JUST FOLLOWING ORDERS”
May 10 •
​
April 2025
Apr 26 •
​
Apr 12 •
​
March 2025
LIBERALISM IN AN AGE OF CHAOS AND UNCERTAINTY
Mar 29 •
​
Mar 15 •
​
WILL THE REAL VICTIMS PLEASE STAND UP . . . PLEASE . . . YES, I MEAN YOU!
Mar 1 •
February 2025
SAINT DONALD HAS ARRIVED. CAN THERE BE ANY DOUBT . . . .
Welcome to the Church of Trump who’s only intercessor is the Donald himself.
Feb 16 •
​
A shout out to Representative Nanette Barragán, commenting after the president blamed the D.C.
Feb 8 •
​
January 2025
ARTICLE FIVE . . . AMERICA PREPARES FOR WAR UNDER A LAWLESS PRESIDENT
Jan 26 •
​
MAKING AMERICA GRATE AGAIN . . .
I think we have enough to get started.
Jan 23 •
​
Hello again, and best wishes for a very happy and healthy 2025.
Jan 4 •
​
December 2024
Dec 13, 2024 •
​
November 2024
“The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars but in ourselves . . . .”
Nov 10, 2024 •
​
October 2024
I’m old enough to remember when politics was fun.
Oct 26, 2024 •
​
September 2024
Avoiding pre-election depression --
Sep 22, 2024 •
​
The Liberal Media, an Urban Myth
Sep 6, 2024 •
​
August 2024
Please, let's not get ahead of ourselves . . .
Aug 28, 2024 •
​
Happy Days Are Here Again, Dare We Hope . . .
Aug 11, 2024 •
​
July 2024
Jul 21, 2024 •
​
Jul 3, 2024 •
​
June 2024
The Right to Arm Bears - part two
Jun 22, 2024 •
​
Jun 5, 2024 •
​
May 2024
These are sad times for the American government.
May 22, 2024 •
​
The latest polls this week show Donald Trump carrying almost all the battleground states.
May 14, 2024 •
​
April 2024
Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are . . .
Apr 30, 2024 •
Apr 20, 2024 •
​
Debate? No debate? Do we care?
Apr 20, 2024 •
​
Apr 15, 2024 •
​
- - - -, Editorial opinion: "Unleash the Power of the Marketplace" (Medicare drug pricing), West Hawaii Today, page 4A, October 13, 2021
​
- - - -, Editorial opinion: “How to Fix Our Broken Health Care,” West Hawaii Today, page 4A, July 11, 2017
- - - -, Letter: "A Reluctance to Divest," New York Times, page A30 [New York edition], December 9, 2016
- - - -, Editorial opinion: "TMT and the Importance of Scientific Discovery," West Hawaii Today, page 5A, May 27, 2016
- - - -, "Attorney Fee Agreements and Fee Disputes: Cases, Source Materials and Recent Developments," California Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB) program, “Attorney Fee Agreements and Fee Disputes” (2007; 2010; revised, updated and retitled 2013)
- - - -, "Recent Developments in the Law of Attorney's Fees," Program Materials (program 141), California State Bar Convention (October 2006), revised 2010.
- - -, “Who's Afraid of the Presiding Arbitrator?”, Desert Bar Association Journal (Spring 2007)
- - - -, “Thou Shalt Not Sue Thy Client,” Desert Bar Association Bulletin (April 2006)
- - - -, "Fletcher v. Davis: Is this the End of Liens to Secure Attorney Fees?" Consumer Attorneys of California Forum (September 2005)
- - - -, "Recent Developments in the Law of Attorney's Fees: Are You Protected?" Program Materials (program 87), California State Bar Convention (September 2005)
- - - - , “Attorney Fee Disputes, Arbitration Agreements, and Aguilar v. Lerner,” California State Bar Journal (May 2005)
- - - -, "So You Think You're Goint to Get Paid: Legal Obstacles and Ethical Traps Affecting Attorney's Fees," Program Materials (program 76), California State Bar Convention (October 2004)
- - - -, “Awarding Program Filing Fees,” Arbitration Advisory prepared for State Bar Committee on Mandatory Fee Arbitration (October 2003)
- - - -, "Division of Attorney Fees: Selected Cases and Materials", (July 2002); used as Reference Materials for program, "Will Your Fee Agreement Survive the Supreme Court?", California State Bar Convention (October 2002)
- - - -, "Tort Liability for Architectural Barriers under the Americans with Disabilities Act", CTLA Forum (January 1997)
- - - -, "To Speak the Truth," San Francisco Lawyer (February 1994)
- - - -, "Glebe House," San Francisco Lawyer (December 1993)
- - - -, "Briefly Noted: Deposition Reporting and the Computer," San Francisco Lawyer (August 1993)
- - - -, "A Reasonable Facsimile," San Francisco Lawyer (February 1993)
- - - -, "Don't Call Me . . . ," San Francisco Lawyer (June 1992)
- - - -, "Warp Two: Life in the Fast(Track) Lane," San Francisco Lawyer (December 1991)
- - - -, "Potent Portables," San Francisco Lawyer (December 1991)
- - - -, "Legal Malpractice: the Case for Evidence of Settlement and Verdict Value," Barristers Law Journal (October 1991)
- - - -, "A Beach in Fiji," San Francisco Lawyer (August 1991)
- - - -, "Judge Not . . . : Controversy in Private Judging," San Francisco Lawyer (August 1990)
- - - -, "A Bill of Rights for South Africa," San Francisco Lawyer (April 1990)
- - - -, "Arbitration and Good Faith," CTLA Forum (October 1989)
- - - -, "Who Will Question Jurors?" CTLA Forum (September 1988)
- - - -, "When Doctors Sue Doctors," Medical Malpractice Prevention (May-June 1987)
Shore and Werchick, "Exempting Malpractice Death Cases from MICRA," CTLA Forum (May 1986)
Werchick, "New Malpractice Trouble: Be Prepared!" Physician's Management (September 1984)
- - - -, "Four Baffling Litigation Syndromes," Medical Malpractice Law and Strategy (February 1984)
- - - - , "Fifty Percent of Dead: The Indivisible Injury and the Joint Liability Doctrine," CTLA Forum (October 1983)
- - - - , "Deposing the Doctor Defendant," PRACTICING LAW INSTITUTE (1983)
- - - - , "Method Not Madness: Selecting Today's Jury," Trial (December 1982; reprinted in The Best of Trial [ATLA Press 1990] pp. 161-170)
- - - - , "Ten and a Half Magic Steps for Deposing the Opposition Expert," CTLA Forum (September 1982)
- - - - , "Periodic Payments: The New Crisis in Compensation," California Trial Lawyers Association JOURNAL (19:1 1981)
- - - - , "Twelve on Trial," CTLA Forum (October 1980)
- - - - , "Better than a Thousand Words," PRACTICING LAW INSTITUTE (1982)
- - - - , "Suing the Hospital: The Plaintiff's Case," P.L.I. (1977)
- - - - , "Special Problems of Evaluating and Settling Medical and Dental Malpractice Cases," and "Bad Faith and the Settlement of Personal Injury Cases," P.L.I. (1976)
- - - - , "Trial Tips: Voir Dire Revisited," California Trial Lawyers Association JOURNAL (14:2 1975)
- - - - , "Trial Tips: Arguing Obscure Instructions," California Trial Lawyers Association JOURNAL (14:2 1975)
- - - - , "Pitfalls in Federal Tort Claims Suits," California Trial Lawyers Association JOURNAL (1972)
- - - - , "Trial by Jury" (Book Review), The Brief Case (1964)
​
BOOKS
A. Werchick, CIVIL JURY SELECTION (Colorado Springs CO: Wiley Law Publications, 1988; 2d ed. 1993)
A. Werchick and R. Werchick, THE GREAT BARRIER REEF: A GUIDE TO THE ISLANDS AND RESORTS (San Carlos CA: Wide World, 1986; 2d ed. 1988)
A. Werchick, LEGISLATION AND LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY [looseleaf: cases and materials for course in Legislation] (San Francisco: Hastings College of the Law, 1981, revised 1983)
- - - - , GOVERNMENT TORT LIABILITY [looseleaf: cases and materials for course in Government Litigation] (San Francisco: Hastings College of the Law, 1974)
PAMPHLET
Werchick and Hobart, The Great No-Fault Hoax of 1980 (Sacramento: California Trial Lawyers Association, 1980)
​​​
​​​​Additional Website: www.Werchick.com