Message from the NLD Community Service Chair

Greetings Everyone:

My name is Elijah Gaglio, and I am privileged to serve on the New Lawyer Division’s Executive Committee where I help organize and create community service and volunteer events for new lawyers. I am an associate at Aguirre & Severson, LLP, a San Diego civil litigation firm that resolves a wide range of legal issues for public entities, business owners, and individuals. I received a juris doctorate from California Western School of Law in 2018 and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of La Verne in 2015.

As many of you know, NLD is a great way for new lawyers to get involved in their community and meet other San Diego lawyers. One of my personal missions as community service chair is to find more opportunities for new lawyers to serve the local community both in and outside the courtroom.

As a new lawyer myself, it is important to remember sometimes the best way to help others is to sharpen your own skills as a lawyer and represent your clients to the best of your ability. However, I also encourage all new lawyers to start finding ways to help others outside your day-to-day practice.

This year NLD is planning many opportunities for new lawyers to help those most in need. NLD recently hosted a two-week toy drive for the Children’s Waiting Room Program, a program managed by San Diego Superior Court, Central Division for youth present in court with their parent or guardian attending a court hearing either as a litigant, a witness, or for other purposes. The waiting room offers child-sized furniture, toys, and games to create a calm atmosphere for children. As a result of everyone’s generosity and support, we are able to donate over 90 toys including board games, learning toys, play figurines, DVDs, card games and so much more. Thank you to everyone who helped make this possible!

Be sure to attend the SDCBA’s upcoming Leadership Speakers Series webinar on April 28 to learn about the value of pro bono service. The NLD will also be partnering with the Alternative Dispute Resolution Section in August to assist the San Diego Food Bank — more details to come. For those interested in more ways to volunteer in the community, please take a look at several community service and volunteer opportunities offered by SDCBA and others by clicking here.

For an example of an attorney who epitomizes dedication to public service, read For the Record’s Tips from the Bar featuring Alex Calero, who devotes his time to law-related organizations alongside his role as Senior Attorney with the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. Deveney Wells-Gibson, featured as this month’s NLD Member Spotlight, demonstrates the same passion for community service as a law firm owner who also volunteers with several volunteer organizations.

This month’s For the Record also features articles by Claudia Salinas and Omid Rejali, both of whom strive to improve the legal system for the public’s benefit. Learn about Senate Bill 467 from Salinas, an attorney with the California Innocence Project dedicated to preventing and remedying wrongful convictions. Rejali shares how his life experiences inspired him to create Lawper, a lawyer-client matching service designed to make legal services more affordable and accessible for personal injury plaintiffs.

As the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” Like many other lawyers, this question is what drew me to the practice of law in the first place. I am inspired by the members of our community who do so much to serve the public and the profession, and I am excited to see how much we can do together with NLD to give back to the community this year.

Best,

Elijah Gaglio