As I mentioned last week, our virtual Breakouts with the Bench series is kicking off July 8 at 12:00 p.m. Each of our five events in the series highlights a specific practice area (Civil, Criminal, Family, Juvenile, and Probate) and offers a unique opportunity for lawyers and judges to build connections and discuss meaningful issues. Please join us to personally connect with judges and attorneys throughout the county. Register for the July 8 Civil Law “Breakouts with the Bench” event here »
Two special programs are happening this week with a focus on our newer lawyers. I encourage you to come out and support them. Tomorrow, our Diversity Fellowship Program will host a panel discussion at 5:30 p.m.: Law Students & New Lawyers: Being Present, Visible, and Successful from Day One. This program is open to anyone, so please feel welcome to dial in to hear from this all-star lineup! And, Thursday’s (Virtual) Happy Hour and Trivia Night, hosted by the New Lawyer Division, is also open to all SDCBA members. See the registration details for how to join in the rounds of trivia at 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
I’m pleased to report that through the SDCBA’s Public Positions and Comment Guidelines, we have formally supported a resolution being considered by San Diego’s City Council to place on the November 2020 ballot, a City Charter amendment to establish a “Commission on Police Practices.” This Commission would replace the existing “Community Review Board on Police Practices” and would, among other important features, have members appointed by the City Council, have independent staff and independent legal counsel, and possess investigative authority, including the power to subpoena documents to compel witness testimony and to retain and utilize independent experts. The City Council will consider the item at its meeting tomorrow, Tuesday, June 23 (here’s a link to the agenda, see item #331). If you are interested in submitting public comment to the City of San Diego, you can do so here. The SDCBA also recognizes the multi-year efforts of San Diegans for Justice to advance this ballot initiative to ensure independent police oversight and accountability. If you would like for the SDCBA to consider taking a public position on a law-related issue under review in your jurisdiction, you can review our guidelines here and submit a proposal here.
Finally, June is always a momentous time in the legal world, as the U.S. Supreme Court’s term comes to a close on June 30. This year marked a first at the Court, with telephonic oral arguments starting in May (the first time the Court had not hosted in-person oral arguments since the 1918 influenza pandemic, when the Court deferred its arguments). Last week, the Court issued historic decisions recognizing employment protections for LGBTQ workers under Title VII (Bostock v. Clayton County (decided June 15)) and holding that the proposed rescissionof the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program did not comply with legal requirements under the Administrative Procedures Act (Department of Homeland Security v. Regents of Univ. of Cal. (decided June 18)). Friday, June 26, also marks the 5th anniversary of the Court’s decision in Obergfell v. Hodges (2015), which recognized marriage as a fundamental right, which cannot be abridged for same-sex couples.Important cases remain on the Supreme Court’s docket for this term – you can read more about that here, where there is also an audio archive of oral arguments.
We wish you a productive and healthy week. Johanna Schiavoni
2020 SDCBA President