Leadership and volunteer opportunities abound at the SDCBA. Our Board election is under way — check out the candidates here and cast your ballot by November 13. We also hope you’ll consider applying to serve on an SDCBA Committee. We have Community-focused, Governance-focused, and Profession-focused Committees (more info here). Serving on a committee is a great way to step up your Bar involvement — gaining rewarding experience while making new professional connections and great friendships, too. Appointments are made by the President-Elect and will be submitted for ratification by the Board early next year. Nominate yourself here by November 20 at noon!
Regarding the November 3, 2020 general election (eight days and counting), the SDCBA has released its Judicial Voting Guide. See the evaluations here and our news release here. The SDCBA also has endorsed Measure B on the ballot in the City of San Diego, which would amend the City’s charter to establish an independent Commission on Police Practices. See our full news release about the SDCBA’s support for Measure B here.
A replay is now available of our recent Leadership Speaker Series event – Boards and Commissions at the County and Surrounding Cities: How to Get Appointed and Why Serve. Our expert panelists covered the importance of serving, how to make your application stand out in a crowded field, and more. If you weren’t able to join us, you can watch a recording of the event here and find a link to the handout with resources about government boards and commissions seeking to fill vacancies.
On the volunteer front – this week, we’re launching a new pro bono opportunity in partnership with the San Diego Superior Court’s Juvenile Department. Volunteer to serve as a Guardian Ad Litem for a minor in need. As needed, the court will appoint attorneys who have met the qualifications to serve as Guardian Ad Litem to advance the best interests of a dependent child, to make decisions that will protect the child’s legal interests, and to oversee the civil litigation and the work of the civil attorney representing the child. Learn more here. We’ve also revamped our Community Involvement webpages featuring other opportunities for pro bono work, community volunteering, and sports.
We hope you’ll join us for our Anti-Racism Subcommittee’s next Exchange on Equity, focused on Ava DuVernay’s Documentary 13th, this Wednesday, October 28 at 5:30 p.m. Attendees will be led through a general introduction, followed by facilitated virtual breakout rooms, where we will discuss the film and its coverage of the intersection of race, justice, and mass incarceration in the United States. Register here.
Then on Friday, October 30 at 5:30 p.m., please join us for the New Lawyer Division’s spooky signature event, Face Mask-erade. In addition to costume contests and prizes, we will be using our new Remo networking platform, which allows you to jump between virtual tables for all sorts of fun. The event is free and all SDCBA members and their guests are welcome. Register here to join us.
Calling all cooks! Looking ahead to November, the SDCBA’s Committee on Diversity & Inclusion invites you to its annual Holidays Around the World celebration on November 18 at 5:30 p.m. with virtual “tables” hosted by our law-related organizations. We also will share recipes from around the globe with a virtual Holidays Around the World cookbook. If you have a tasty recipe you would like to share, please submit it here. Then register to join us here.
This month kicks off membership renewal season and we have some exciting news — you can renew your membership for 2021 at the 2020 rate! Plus, you have the option to get unlimited MCLEs through December 31, 2021, for an additional $100. Or, upgrade to the all-inclusive Patron or Friend membership for 2021 and begin receiving those exclusive benefits today! Renew now to continue your access to top-quality programming and to stay connected to thousands of your peers.
Last week, the digital edition of the latest San Diego Lawyer Magazine went live. The September/October issue celebrates our 2020 Service Award honorees and features many timely pieces, including: The Criminal Justice System and Its Relationship to Race, Volunteering as a Legal Observer, and Now is the Perfect Time to Start a Mindfulness Practice. Here’s Why! And of course we have included our regular columns on ethics, tech, and business, as well as my latest President’s Column, A Life of Service in and to the Law — Rest in Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Read the full issue here.
Have a safe and happy Halloween this Saturday and remember to set your clocks back an hour. I know we can all use the extra hour of sleep!
Johanna Schiavoni
2020 SDCBA President