New LACBA President and Leadership Installed |
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LACBA’s 2022-2023 President Ann I. Park, President-Elect Kristin Adrian, Senior Vice President Sarvenaz Bahar, Vice President Jeffrey B. Margulies, and incoming Board of Trustee Members were sworn in during the June 23 Installation and Awards Dinner. Also sworn in were LACBA's Barristers/Young Attorneys President Anne Nash and the section's new officers. All terms began July 1.
Legal industry leaders were recognized during the event. John Carson received the Shattuck-Price Outstanding Lawyer Award; Hon. Kevin Brazile and Presiding Judge Eric C. Taylor received Outstanding Jurist Awards; and Philip H. Lam was given the Philip H. Lam Diversity Impact Award, which was recently renamed in his honor.
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Ann I. Park speaks after being sworn in as the 22-23 president. |
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Judges Brazile and Taylor with outgoing Pres. Pauley (center). |
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New board members stand to take their oaths of office. |
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Munisoglu Receives Magazine's Top Award
Longtime board member and retired L.A. Superior Court Commissioner Elizabeth M. Munisoglu has received the Samuel Lipsman Service Award for Outstanding Leadership and Service. Los Angeles Lawyer Board Chair Norman Chernin received a Certificate of Appreciation for his outstanding service and Past LACBA President Tamila Jensen received a Certificate of Appreciation for her special outstanding service as a nonmember supporter of the magazine. The magazine's Editorial Board presented 2022-2023 publication year awards during their June meeting.
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Statement on Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization
Released June 24 by Presidents Brad Pauley and Ann I. Park
The Los Angeles County Bar Association is deeply troubled by the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which overturns Roe v. Wade. For more than half a century, our law has recognized that American citizens have a fundamental right to make their own medical and reproductive decisions. The Court's decision in Dobbs departs from the Court's own body of precedent and thus does violence to the principles of stare decisis. Far more troubling, it does so for the express purpose of eliminating a constitutional right long recognized and relied upon by American women and their families, and by men as well.
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Recent Decisions Where Zealous Advocacy Crossed The Line
By David D. Samani
Over the past two years, the news has seen an uptick in reports highlighting a lack of civility in society. Among lawyers, of course, concerns about a lack of civility date far further back. For instance, in 2007 the California State Bar adopted the Attorney Guidelines of Civility and Professionalism to “provide best practices for civility in the practice of law.”i Likewise, in 2014, Rule 9.7 of the Rules of Court was amended to modify the attorney oath for new lawyers to expressly include a pledge to conduct oneself with “dignity, courtesy, and integrity.” More recently, the September 10, 2021 report from the California Civility Task Force—a collaboration by the California Lawyers’ Association and California Judges Association—highlights the ongoing concern and presents four proposals aimed at creating more concrete measures to ensure that lawyers display a level of civility (including a proposed change to the disciplinary rules).
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Small Firm Cyber Breaches Increase by More Than 100%: Is There Help Out There?
According to Law360 Pulse, breaches of firms under 50 lawyers spiked in 2021: from 33 reported breaches in 2020 to 68 in 2021, an increase of more than 100%. Click here to read about some of the current risks regarding firm cyber breaches.
LACBA Members can access an exclusive Lawyers Professional Liability program with AXA XL available only through AHERN Insurance Brokerage. Apply today.
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Los Angeles Lawyer Magazine
July/August 2022 Preview
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The combined July/August issue of Los Angeles Lawyer kicks off the new bar year with a cover honoring LACBA's new president Ann Park and her inaugural "President's Page" address to the LACBA family. This is accompanied by a photo celebration of the installation of officers for the coming year and presentation of the association's top awards. Anne Nash, incoming president of the Barrister / Young Attorneys Section, rounds out this part of the issue with her own inaugural statement in the Barristers Tips article, and our own new chair of the LAL Editorial Board, Brianna Strange, begins her term with a rousing historical perspective in "From the Chair."
Also featured in this issue is a "literary debate" on the California State Bar's proposed Paraprofessional Program to fill the "justice gap"—a topic that not only affects the state's legal community but also the administration of justice for the state's citizenry—with an article by the Hon. Mark Juhas and Catherine Blakemore, chair and vice chair, respectively, of the California Access to Justice Commission taking the more generally "pro" side of the argument, which is countered by authors Erin Joyce and Raquel Greenberg in an article that argues against the premises of the Paraprofessional Program Working Group. This contest of words is followed by an inspiring profile of the "First Sundays" program originated by Judges Brazile and Taylor with another colleague as professional support for one another when they were still working as attorneys for Los Angeles County Counsel before their days on the bench. Authored by Ann Donlan, LASC communications director, with Judge Taylor, the article discusses how First Sundays has evolved into a statewide model judicial mentoring program to provide support for and encourage "people of color, women, and other underrepresented groups," for whom mentorship has traditionally "come from equally disadvantaged peers supporting each other.” The rest of the issue's fare offers a wide variety of reading pleasure, including a solid nuts and bolts practice guide by Sanford Jay Rosen and Ernest Galvan on remedies in systemic reform litigation, a compelling book review by Kate Mangels of John Carreyrou's account of the Theranos scandal: Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup, and, finally, a Closing Argument by Mariko Yoshihara and Katherine Wutchiett on paid family leave, discussing where it is and where it needs to be.
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Los Angeles Lawyer magazine, the official publication of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, is looking for articles written by lawyers for our members' continuing professional education. We publish articles on substantive law issues that educate and inform other lawyers about the law. No area of law is excluded; what you know about, you can write about. We will gladly provide samples to prospective authors. For further information, please contact John Lowe, editor, at jlowe@lacba.org or visit us online.
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Update: $42,000 Raised for Free Legal Aid to Veterans |
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This May, LACBA Counsel for Justice Veterans Legal Services Project (VLSP) ran its second annual Who Are You Remembering campaign, teaming up with sponsors, military family members and friends, and individual donors to honor the lives of our nation’s fallen heroes while raising the funds needed to provide critical legal services to the current and former servicemembers who are still here.
Together, over $42,000 was raised to support a number of VLSP’s ongoing free legal services, including housing dispute advocacy for disabled veterans, record clearing, family law assistance, military discharge upgrades, and small business development.
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Special thanks goes to the David William Upham Foundation for the generous donation of $27,500, gold sponsor Proskauer, and silver sponsors Arnold & Porter, Barnes & Thornburg LLP, John A. Clark, Clyde & Co, Foley & Mansfield PLLP, and Hill, Farrer & Burrill LLP.
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Down By Law Rocks for Legal Services Projects
With help from fans and LACBA members, the band Down by Law (pictured right) raised $5,304 to support Counsel for Justice during April's Law Rocks Battle of the Bands L.A. The annual event supports local nonprofit organizations through friendly band competitions featuring talented legal pros.
For almost a decade, Down by Law—with musicians from Reed Smith; Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete; and Seals Phillips LLP—have selected CFJ and its four legal services projects as their charity of choice. Thanks to the band and all who donated and came out to hear Down by Law!
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Copyright © 2022 LOS ANGELES COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION |
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