We were honored on October 7 to be joined by an all-star roster of speakers for our annual Dialogue on Diversity program—Right to Vote! History of Voting Rights, Legal Challenges, and Current Concerns. San Diego City Councilmember Monica Montgomery gave special welcome remarks, Fourth Appellate District Justice Eileen Moore provided the legal and jurisprudential background of key voting rights developments, voting rights litigators Mimi Marziani and Chad Dunn provided an on-the-ground analysis of current litigation and issues percolating through the states and various courts right now, and finally our San Diego Registrar, Michael Vu, added a don’t-miss update on voting in San Diego County. Thank you to all of our speakers, our sponsors, and to my co-facilitator Fanny Yu for presenting this timely and informative dialogue. And the best part is—if you weren’t able to join us (or if you left early to watch the VP debate), you can catch the replay here and get 1.5 hours of free Elimination of Bias MCLE (self-study credit).
On another important election-related note—the SDCBA Board has voted to support Measure B on the November 3, 2020 ballot for the City of San Diego, which measure would amend San Diego’s City Charter to establish an independent Commission on Police Practices. As the largest law-related organization in San Diego County, taking a position on independent police oversight and accountability is closely related both to our mission and to our commitment to fairness, equity, and equal access to justice under the law. You can read our full news release about the SDCBA’s support for Measure B here. And if you’d like to join SDCBA members in a roundtable discussion about other measures or initiatives on your ballot, check out tomorrow’s lunchtime program BYOM: Bring Your Favorite Ballot Measure. Register here.
The SDCBA Board of Directors election is under way now through November 13. You can learn more about each of our outstanding candidates here. To vote electronically, please check for an email from vote@simplyvoting.com with the link to your ballot. If you have any questions about the logistics of voting, or to request a paper ballot, please email Olga Blankson at oblankson@sdcba.org.
And, in case you missed it, you can catch the replay here of our September 30 Awards Ceremony & Celebration of Community Service. At this moment, it is particularly important to celebrate the good in our community and in one another. At the event, California Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins provided inspiring welcome remarks and we were honored to receive a proclamation from San Diego City Council President Georgette Gómez declaring September 30, 2020 “San Diego County Bar Association Law Day.” (See the proclamation here.) It was an honor getting to know our Service Award recipients and student civics contest winners. A special thank you to our sponsors, presenters, speakers, and of course, our honorees. Again, click here to view the celebration.
Tomorrow, Tuesday, October 20 at 10:00 a.m., we are kicking off a four-part Tech Tuesday course on Building and Understanding Your Firm Website with an Introduction to Website Builders and which to use. Technology and Practice Management Advisor Adriana Linares and SDCBA Director of Marketing Ron Marcus will guide you through starting and managing your firm’s site from start to finish, to better promote your firm and serve your clients. Register here.
Next Monday, October 26 at 12:00 p.m., the Appellate Practice Section will host Got Amici? Strategic and Technical Considerations in Amicus Participation in Litigation. This CLE event will offer an insightful discussion on the fundamentals of amicus briefing and strategic considerations of how briefs can be most impactful. Plus, it offers both 1.0 CLE credit and 1.0 Specialization credit in Appellate Practice. Register here to join us.
It’s not only election season—it’s membership renewal season too. I’m pleased to let you know you can renew your membership for 2021 at the 2020 rate! With all the other challenges (and opportunities) 2020 is bringing our way, we want to make keeping your SDCBA member benefits in 2021 easy. You can renew here.
We wish you a wonderful week!
Johanna Schiavoni
2020 SDCBA President