Todd -

I can respect the skepticism you have about the CCA. Some of the concerns you've voiced are the same reason why I haven't joined the CCA -- mainly because they dont seem to have a clear position on the issues.

However, I really dont understand how you can jump to so many conclusions about this new guy. I'm just finishing my second year of law school, so I wont even pretend to know as much as you do about ethics, advocacy and conflicts of interest, but does it necessarily matter who some of his former clients are? Doesn't he have have a duty to be a zealous advocate for his current client?

If anything, I'd think that if he's been at both sides of the table, he'd know how to advise a group that represents sportfisherman better than some elitist wild fish advocate who thinks industry has no legitimate positions in the law.

Frankly, i would think that someone who has experience on both sides of the table would be in a great position to serve as an advocate and advisor for a group like CCA. You dont have to be a card-carrying, anti-establishment liberal to be a fish advocate. BTW, I'm not suggesting that you are either. But I just dont see the issue to be nearly as B/W as you do.

Dom