August 18 marked the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote and represented the largest expansion of democracy in U.S. history. But true equality remained elusive, particularly for women of color. To live up to our constitutional ideal of “We the People,” we must treat hard-fought voting rights as sacred and ensure the franchise can be accessed and exercised by every citizen. To learn more about the movement for women’s suffrage, I recommend watching, this video. And I hope you plan to join us on September 30 at noon for our Law Week and Service Awards virtual program, which will celebrate the theme “Your Vote, Your Voice, Our Democracy: The 19th Amendment at 100.”
We have a number of CLE events coming up, including three just this week, one of which is a specialty Elimination of Bias CLE, Employment Law — The Battle Ground for Civil Rights: What Employers Should Know in the Wake of Civil Unrest and the #BLM Movement, on August 25 at 12:00 p.m. Our Sections will also host:
- August 27, 12:00 p.m. – California Consumer Privacy Act: Key Trends and Development (presented by the Business & Corporate Law Section with 1.0 hour CLE credit available)
- August 27, 5:00 p.m. – 8th Annual Beer, Spirits, and Wine Law Update (presented by the Entertainment & Sports Law Section, with 1.5 hours CLE general credit available)
- August 31, 12:00 p.m. – Issues and Tactical Considerations in Elder Abuse Litigation (presented by the Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law Section)
- September 1, 12:00 p.m. – Allocation of the Million Dollar Exclusion and How to Lose at the Assessor’s Office (presented by the Taxation Law Section and the Real Property Law Section)
On September 9 at 12:00 p.m., please join us for Breakouts with the Bench — Juvenile Law, which provides a terrific opportunity to personally connect with Juvenile Law judges and attorneys from across San Diego County. Space is limited for this unique event, so register now. We welcome those who practice in the area of juvenile law, or attorneys or law students who want to learn more about the practice.
Mark your calendars now for the rescheduled annual Bench-Bar Media Event: Meeting This Moment — How the Bench, Bar, and Media are Addressing the Intersection of COVID-19 and the Social Justice Movement – September 15 at 5:30 p.m. Please join us as our panel of experts discusses how to maintain access to the courts, ensure equal access to justice, and confront obstacles to newsgathering, all amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and sustained protests over police treatment of African Americans. If you already registered for the event originally scheduled for August 19, you should have received an email update with the same Zoom link for the event. If you haven’t yet registered, you won’t want to miss this important discussion. Register here »
We encourage our members to get involved with the SDCBA beyond our programming. A great way to do so is to step into a leadership role with one of our practice-area Sections or, for lawyers in their first seven years of practice, our New Lawyer Division (NLD). Serving in leadership is a great way to build connections, contribute ideas, and develop your leadership skills. Nominations for Section and NLD leadership open Sept. 3. Learn more here »
Another excellent way to get involved and contribute your expertise and ideas is to write for the SDCBA’s official blog, Blawg 401. Blawg 401 covers timely topics relative to attorneys practicing in San Diego and beyond, and features posts on legal ethics, technology, law practice management, wellness, and more. If you would like to submit an article pitch for publication on the SDCBA blog, please reach out to hjohnson@sdcba.org.
Please also remember that if you achieve a professional success, feel welcome to submit it to bar@sdcba.org for inclusion in our member Distinctions section of San Diego Lawyer Magazine.
As the school year starts back up this Fall, we wish you and your families a safe and productive distance-learning experience.
Johanna Schiavoni
2020 SDCBA President