Last call for self-nominations for the SDCBA Board of Directors election! The deadline is today at 5:00 p.m. to declare your intention to run for one of four At-Large seats or the vacancy for the North County Division. Click here to learn more.
In June, the SDCBA issued a statement condemning racism and violence against communities of color. In that statement, we said it is not enough to simply denounce racism, but that we must be anti-racist and that we would actively work toward solutions to effectuate positive change in our profession and the justice system. Toward that goal, we’re hosting several events in the coming weeks to advance a dialogue within the legal community about race, diversity, and inclusion. We also are working to help identify opportunities for growth in the law, in our court system, on the business side of law, in learning how the media understands and covers these important issues, and in identifying leadership opportunities for our members—all toward creating more understanding and a more inclusive community.
On August 11 at 12:00 p.m., please join us along with dozens of cosponsor organizations as we welcome Michele Bratcher Goodwin, an award-winning author, advocate, professor, and social commentator, for a conversation about Race, Civil Liberties, and the Legal Profession. Professor Goodwin will discuss the history of law’s involvement in promoting and establishing racial discrimination, the law’s direct role in undermining progress toward racial equality and ending racial discrimination, and the law’s role in dismantling racism. The program will be introduced by SDCBA President-Elect Renée N.G. Stackhouse and Board Member Roxy Carter. To register for this event, which is free to SDCBA members and the legal community, click here.
Later that evening, August 11 at 5:30 p.m., please join our Intellectual Property Law Section for a roundtable about The Business of Law and Diversity: Diversifying Entrepreneurs in IP Law and Tech Transfer. The program will feature IP attorneys Dr. Kamilah Alexander, Wayne Brown, and Kristen Roberts, and will be moderated by attorneys and IP Executive Committee leaders Taneashia R. Morrell and Maresa Martin Talbert.
For a smaller group conversation with members of the SDCBA, please join the New Lawyer Division for a Book Meetup on August 13 at 6:00 p.m. to discuss White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo. And, for further insight into the current lack of diversity and equity in the legal profession, please look over the State Bar of California’s recent Bar Brief on Diversity & Inclusion in the California Legal Profession, as well as the American Bar Association’s study Left Out and Left Behind: The Hurdles, Hassles, and Heartaches of Achieving Long-Term Legal Careers for Women of Color.
On the leadership front, mark your calendars for August 12 from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. The SDCBA is proud to invite our members to attend an Info Session to learn about how to get appointed to California State Boards and Commissions.This Zoom webinar will feature the Governor’s Secretary of Appointments Cathryn Rivera-Hernandez discussing how and why to seek appointments at the State level. To attend this special program, please RSVP to Zach.Bunshaft@gov.ca.gov by 8/10 and indicate that you heard about this opportunity from the SDCBA.
Finally, on August 19 at 5:30 p.m., please join us for a stellar panel discussion at our 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. This special program will feature stories from members of the local legal community and media, to be followed by a compelling dialogue moderated by Superior Court Judge Dwayne Moring, in conversation with Dana Littlefield, the Public Safety Editor of the Union-Tribune, Adam Racusin, an Investigative Reporter with 10News, District Attorney Summer Stephan, and Andrea St. Julian, President of the Earl B. Gilliam Bar Association and Co-Chair of San Diegans for Justice. Click here to register for this free event.
As we announced last Friday, in light of the County’s July 29, 2020 Order of the Health Officer directing all non-essential businesses to close unless services can be provided without direct contact with the public, we have made the decision that our Bar Center will remain closed and our staff will continue to serve our membership remotely. While our physical space remains closed, our commitment to providing you with the very best in programming, resources, connection, and support continues.
Johanna Schiavoni
2020 SDCBA President