As the election has come to a close, one thing is clear – lawyers are leading the way. The White House will welcome two attorneys: President-elect Joe Biden, who early in his career worked as a public defender, and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, a former prosecutor and Attorney General of California. It also is fitting in this year, when we celebrated the 150th anniversary of the 15th amendment and the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment, that Harris will become the first female Vice President in U.S. history, and the first Black person and Indian American to hold that office.
At the local level, lawyers also are stepping up to lead. The San Diego City Council will add three attorneys – Marni von Wilpert, Raul Campillo, and Sean Elo-Rivera will join current Councilmember and attorney Monica Montgomery Steppe. At the County of San Diego, attorney/economist Terra Lawson-Remer will join the Board of Supervisors. Esther Sanchez was elected as the Mayor of Oceanside and Whitney Antrim will join the Coronado Unified School District Governing Board. And, Tim Nader has won a seat on the San Diego Superior Court. Our region also re-elected a number of lawyers to their posts, from Congressmen Mike Levin and Scott Peters to Assemblymembers Lorena Gonzalez and Brian Maienschein, City Attorney Mara Elliott, Encinitas Mayor Catherine Blakespear, and La Mesa Councilmember Colin Parent. A number of those elected officials are staffing up their offices, and we have those postings listed on our job board here if you, or others you know, are interested.
Among the items that passed is San Diego City Measure B, which the SDCBA supported and which measure is on track to prevail with more than 70% voter approval (see updated tally results on the Registrar of Voter’s website here.) The measure will amend the City Charter to create an independent Commission on Police Practices.
While we’re in the voting spirit, don’t forget this Friday, November 13 is the deadline to cast your vote for the SDCBA’s 2021 Board of Directors. You can get to know the candidates and cast your ballot here.
Tomorrow, November 10 at 10:00 a.m., we will host the third installment of our Tech Tuesday series, Building and Understanding Your Firm Website. Join SDCBA Technology and Practice Management Advisor Adriana Linares and Marketing Director Ron Marcus for Creating and Editing Content in WordPress. Then, next Tuesday, November 17 at 10:00 a.m., tune in for the final event in the series, Advanced Tips and Tricks in WordPress, where you will learn about bulk editing, reusable blocks, installing plugins, and more. If you missed the first two sessions, you can watch them here.
Last month, our Exchange on Equity roundtable provided an opportunity for small group discussion of Ava DuVernay’s documentary 13th, which focuses on the 13th Amendment and in particular, its punishment clause. We invite you to join us for our next roundtable, Wellness & Anti-Racism, on November 16 at 5:30 p.m. For Black, Indigenous, and People of Color within the legal community, anti-racism is an imperative step toward improving their individual wellness, as well as the health of our legal community as a whole. The roundtable will be based on an article, “There is No Wellness Without Anti-Racism,” which all participants are encouraged to read prior to the event. And we encourage you to take part in the SDCBA Wellness Subcommittee’s Wellness month – see the wellness resources and opportunities throughout this newsletter and on our website here.
On November 18 at 5:30 p.m., we will celebrate our annual signature event, Holidays Around the World, with the SDCBA’s Committee on Diversity & Inclusion and the cheerful company of our local law related organizations. Remember to submit your recipe for the Holidays Around the World cookbook by November 13. Submit here.
We hope you will also join us for the following events:
- November 17, 12:00 p.m. – Family Law Support Matters Involving Servicemembers and Veterans (presented by the Family Law Section, 1.0 hour CLE credit)
- November 17, 3:00 p.m. – Pro Bono Opportunity: Guardian Ad Litem Training (1.5 hours CLE credit)
- November 19, 5:30 p.m. – Fall Networking Mixer: Virtual Games and Informal Networking (presented by the New Lawyer Division and Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Section)
Please note, the SDCBA will be closed this Wednesday, November 11 in observance of Veterans Day. Our deepest thanks to the veterans and active duty military members, and their families, who have served our country.
Johanna Schiavoni
2020 SDCBA President