Name and title: Maresa Talbert, Founding Attorney of Talbert Law Office
Undergraduate and law school: Baylor University and California Western School of Law
Years in practice: 3 years
Why do you serve?
I serve because that’s what leaders do.
What/Who inspires you to serve?
I am inspired to serve because of my faith. I truly believe that service is a part of my purpose and fulfillment in life. In my opinion, service is what makes life meaningful.
What advice would you give others to inspire them to serve?
When you give, it will come back to you — in the same measure that you gave. When you give of yourself, it opens the door for others to pour into your life also.
Please list three noteworthy people (living or dead) you’d want to have dinner with and why.
- My husband, my mother, and my sister because my family means everything to me. I live in San Diego, often separated from my husband, who is an active-duty naval officer, stationed in Norfolk, Virginia. Likewise, my family lives outside of California, and I don’t see either one of them as often as I would like. Those three are the most important people in my life.
What is one item on your bucket list?
Establish and sustain a productive 20-hour work week.
What is your favorite quote?
To whom much is given, much will be required. (Luke 12:48)
Favorite place on earth?
Dubai
Favorite place in San Diego?
Home
Cherished advice that you have received from a loved-one, mentor or colleague?
My mom has always reminded me that “Pride comes before the fall, so stay humble.”
If you could magically change one thing about the world, what would it be?
This is quite the loaded question because there are so many things that I would like to change in the world; however, to sum it up, if I could change one thing, it would be for people to treat each other like they, themselves, want to be treated.
How can others make giving back part of their daily lives?
Service does not have to be grand gestures, but serving others can range from paying for the person’s meal behind you in a drive thru to providing pro bono legal services.
In what ways does serving the wider community benefit the legal profession?
Serving the broader community sharpens my skills as a lawyer, both in my substantive area of practice and beyond. As an attorney, I am an advocate for people, so expanding my relationship within the community only allows for better advocacy and representation. Serving the community also increases my credibility as an attorney, which also reflects favorably on the legal profession as a whole.
The SDCBA Law Day theme this year is “Advancing the Rule of Law Now.” What does this theme mean to you in your work and in your daily life?
Advancing the Rule of Law Now is so appropriate for the societal climate. To me, this theme communicates the idea that everyone can, should, and will be held accountable — by the same standards based on law, not by discretionary powers. The absence of equally applying the rule of law is what fuels me in my work and daily life.
As a recipient of a 2020 Service Award, who would you like to thank?
I would like to thank God, who is the source of everything good in my life. I have to honor my mom who is my foundation, and my husband who supports me fully and always has my back.
I would further like thank other community leaders, mentors, and colleagues, specifically the following:
- Johanna Schiavoni, who nominated me for this award;
- Doug Lytle, one of my mentors who recommended me for the SDCBA IP Executive Committee;
- Andrea St. Julian, with whom I co-chair San Diegans for Justice, the organization that promoted Measure B;
- Geneviéve Jones-Wright, with whom I serve on the board of the Earl B. Gilliam Bar Association;
- The late Dr. Willie Blair, a community leader and my beloved mentor, who served the San Diego community with great passion and vigor;
- To the community-at-large, I thank you for trusting me to advocate for you and keep your best interests at heart.