by Jesse Bolling
Youth is wasted on the young. —Oscar Wilde
Welcome to the President’s Page. Yes, your powers of observation are working. Despite my best efforts to grow long locks of blond hair, I am not Ashleigh Aitken.
My name is Jesse Bolling. I like Old Fashioneds and brunch, sometimes together. I am also the Chair of the Orange County Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division. I promise, this article is legitimate. I did not “hijack” the President’s Page. And yes, I did graduate law school even though I look twelve.
But enough about me. I would like to take this opportunity to provide the readers of Orange County Lawyer with more information about the YLD. Below, I have defined the three words that make up the “Young Lawyers Division” in the hope of providing you with some context as to what it is, exactly, that we do.
Young (defined): In the early stage of life, growth, or development. The OCBA offers its members the opportunity to participate in numerous sections. But there is only one section where all 9,000-plus OCBA members (local law students included) have, had, or will have the requisite qualifications: the Young Lawyers Division. Whether you joined the YLD or not, every single one of us is, was, or will be a Young Lawyer.
Today’s world is so focused on differences. Whether big (culture, religion, politics) or small (favorite food, local beach, coffee joint), our differences define us. However, we all share the experience of being inexperienced at some point. The YLD was established to embrace this commonality.
As Chair, I have set out to meet every YLD member. Currently, I have met more than 200 of the approximately 800 Young Lawyers. Despite everyone’s unique personality, it was not the differences but the similarities that captured my attention. The current Young Lawyers of Orange County are intelligent, ambitious, and seeking more responsibility. They cannot wait for the next challenge, regardless of their chosen practice area. But in just about all of my conversations, the Young Lawyers I spoke with agreed about one thing—they need You.
And who are You? You are the attorneys who provide Young Lawyers with the tools to succeed in this crazy, but rewarding, profession. You could be a senior attorney offering help to a Young Lawyer who experiences difficulties. You might be a senior partner with a booming book of business who takes a chance to employ a Young Lawyer despite the fact he or she still has so much to learn. You might simply be a good listener. Most importantly, You let Young Lawyers make mistakes, teach Young Lawyers how to lawyer properly, and keep Young Lawyers marching toward success. You are mentors of the future generation.
One of the goals of my Chairdom is to foster the relationships between You and the Young Lawyers of Orange County. For starters, we are implementing a new program called YLD Connections, which we hope will grow the number and increase the quality of relationships between young and more seasoned attorneys. To the credit of the existing bar, many have agreed to participate. Several members of the state bench, the entire federal bench, the Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Santa Ana, and other members of the legal community have already signed up and agreed to meet with Young Lawyers in an informal and more personal setting. It might be drinks after work or watching a hearing and talking about the arguments over lunch. Regardless of the setting, the key is connecting a small group of Young Lawyers with people whom they admire and seek to emulate.
Of course, we need more volunteers (my email address is below).
Lawyers (defined): Persons who practice law. This profession requires a great deal of dedication to numerous skillsets. I had a professor in law school repeatedly advise me that “the only true lawyer is a well-rounded lawyer.” Being the complete package is not easy. Think of all the boxes a lawyer needs to check: community service, oral advocacy, exercising good judgment, business development, staying healthy, writing skills, and maintaining one’s professional demeanor and appearance after working late nights. The YLD is committed to developing these skills in its constituents. Allow me to introduce part of my YLD crew and explain how they are ensuring Orange County’s Young Lawyers are sufficiently well-rounded.
Marcus McCutcheon is the Community Outreach Chair. He is known for his suave suits and good looks, but don’t worry, there is more—he also volunteers his time fighting for those in need. Marcus is starting a new partnership between the YLD and the Public Law Center. Every month, the PLC hosts clinics to provide those in need with pro bono legal services. The YLD plans to adopt one clinic day each month that will be staffed solely by Young Lawyers. Community service, check.
Kyle Bevan is the Education Chair, a former Deputy District Attorney, a man of great mystery, and a lover of Mexican food. More importantly, Kyle is a great oral advocate. His most recent education event addressed just that—learning how to effectively give an opening statement. Kyle recruited one of the best trial attorneys in Orange County, Senior Deputy District Attorney Larry Yellin, to speak at the event. Oral advocacy, check.
Colin Hendricks is the Health and Sports Chair. Colin is well known throughout Orange County for his sweet dance moves, but in addition, Colin is a brilliant attorney who is grooming himself to be a future governor of California. Colin manages the various YLD sports teams, like our infamous softball team, the Bad News Bearristers, and the indoor soccer team, Motion to Strike. Colin also organizes events that educate the YLD on maintaining a healthy lifestyle in a stressful environment. Staying healthy, check.
And yes, if you are eligible to join but are not yet a YLD member and feel like crashing one of our events, consider this your official invitation.
Division (defined): One of the parts into which a thing is divided; section. A successful group needs to be stronger than the sum of its parts. The YLD embraces this ideology by trying to be more effective through collective efforts. At a recent Masters event, a fellow OCBA attorney set out one of the YLD’s duties: to keep the OCBA cool. This is a responsibility I take quite seriously, and along with the other Chairs mentioned above, I found the right person for the job. Meet Meredith Williams, YLD Social Chair. An incredibly smart, ambitious attorney who may be the most involved person in Orange County. Most recently, she organized a YLD wine tasting event with several JAMS mediators: vino + networking = success. Yes, I believe this is the first time a math equation has been used in a President’s Page article.
When I joined the YLD board last year, I noticed a surprising weakness: the YLD does not have a signature event. Meredith has been busy putting the finishing touches on just that—a YLD Gala benefiting the OCBA Charitable Fund, which will be held in January 2016. We have lofty goals and hope to raise a significant amount of money (hint, hint).
Stay tuned for more details.
The Young Lawyers Division (defined): Attorneys seeking to continue the great tradition of Orange County lawyering. You have ensured that there is a future for the Young Lawyers of Orange County. And, as stated in the definition above, the YLD wants to build on all of Your successes. This definition brings me to my last introduction: Michelle Philo, the 2016 YLD Chair. Michelle, like me, wants to create continuity within the YLD, and I cannot think of a better leader to take over next year.
I leave You with one final thought. You were Young Lawyers once, and I hope this article helps You remember where You started and who helped You along the way. No matter how ready Young Lawyers may think they are, we still need You, in our good moments and bad, to succeed.
Hopefully, together, we can prove Mr. Wilde wrong.
Jesse Bolling is a Young Lawyer who litigates business disputes at Greenberg Gross LLP. He would like to thank FJM and Katzy for their assistance. Jesse can be reached at jbolling@ggtriallaw.com.