June 2016 - Raising the Bar

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by Todd G. Friedland

In April, we introduced you to the hard-working individuals who lead the OCBA’s many Sections and Committees. Their dedication to the OCBA’s members cannot be overstated, and the accomplishments of our Committees and Sections are too numerous to list. That said, I will mention a few below.

First, though, let’s focus on the OCBA’s Affiliate Bar Associations. You will find more information about the Affiliate Bars in this issue of OC Lawyer. In fact, I would not be at all surprised if you have already reviewed that information before reading my President’s Page. Who starts with the President’s Page anyway? Other than my kids, of course. They like to see if Daddy was able to slip any typos past editor Gialisa Gaffaney. Why, you ask? Because it teaches them to read and they like that. (Actually, because I will pay them a dollar and a Tootsie-Pop™ if they find any). But, in the words of Dick Millar, I digress.

Back to the Affiliate Bars. Our Affiliate Bars include, in alphabetical order: Association of Business Trial Lawyers, Celtic Bar, Iranian American Bar, Italian American Lawyers of Orange County – Lex Romana, J. Reuben Clark Law Society, OC Asian American Bar, OC Criminal Defense Bar, OC Federal Bar, OC Hispanic Bar, OC Jewish Bar, OC Lavender Bar, OC Women Lawyers, and the Thurgood Marshall Bar. Inclusion in the Affiliate Bar program provides these organizations with opportunities to reach a broader audience consisting of all members of the OCBA. For example, their programs are publicized in the OCBA e-newsletter. And that relationship works both ways as OCBA members may become more interested in Affiliate Bar membership or, at least, attending an Affiliate-Bar-sponsored event.

The Affiliate Bars put on some great programs. Here are examples of programs you may have missed: (1) David Lat of Above the Law spoke at OCAABA’s annual installation dinner; (2) political commentator Hugh Hewitt spoke at ABTL; (3) IABA OC held their annual dinner on a yacht cruise through Newport Bay; and (4) the Thurgood Marshall Bar Association led a joint mixer with OCAABA, OCJBA, ABTL, Lex Romana, CAOC’s Diversity Committee, and the OC Lavender Bar Association. Check the OCBA’s calendar page for upcoming programs you won’t want to miss.

The OCBA is not standing pat. We are actively looking for additional specialty Bars to join the Affiliate Bar program. At Judges’ Night, I mentioned the great work being done by the OC Korean American Bar Association and the Vietnamese Bar Association of Southern California, and we will continue to work with them on meeting the OCBA’s Affiliate Bar criteria. There is also a Filipino-American Bar Association forming in Orange County. If you are a member of a similar organization that is not (yet) an OCBA Affiliate Bar, or want further information about any of the associations mentioned above, I want to hear from you at heytodd@ocbar.org.

The Affiliate Bar program aligns with our desire to have the OCBA affected by, and involved with, diverse membership, diverse opinions, and diverse outreach. Each of these is important to fulfilling the OCBA’s mission. Creating an inclusive OCBA will better our legal community and Orange County as a whole.

In other news:

It is downright criminal (let’s call it a felony) that the OCBA does did not have a Criminal Law Section where practitioners on both the prosecution and defense sides of the equation can escape their offices and shackle themselves together for an hour of camaraderie and education. Fortunately, the OCBA does now have a Criminal Law Section. Its first meeting was held in May and included comments from Hon. William W. Bedsworth, Hon. Charles Margines, Hon. Glenda Sanders, and Hon. Richard King. If you have any interest in criminal law, I urge you to join the section. Thanks to Kate Corrigan of Corrigan Wellbourn Stokke, Craig Cazares of the Orange County District Attorney’s office, Diane Bass of the Law Office of Diane C. Bass, and numerous others for your hard work in getting the OCBA’s newest section up and running. (See? If you start a new Section your name could be mentioned here, and my kids would read your name—although no guarantee that anyone else would.)

 

The OCBA’s own Community Outreach Committee and Affiliate Bar J. Reuben Clark Law Society organized volunteers to pack meals for Stop Hunger Now. Our volunteers were commended for packing the highest number of meals in one packing session. In the end, 285,120 meals were packed and loaded into a shipping container—a very big shipping container! That’s the OCBA in action making a difference.

Speaking of making a difference, congratulations are in order to everyone who worked hard to make the Judge Kenneth Lae Golf Tournament so successful in raising money for the OCBA’s Charitable Fund. Jeff Reeves of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher chaired the golf committee’s efforts, while OCBA Past-President Ashleigh Aitken guided the Charitable Fund Board. In the end, the tournament netted over $85,000.00 to support the Charitable Fund’s endeavors.

The Charitable Fund has its second, and last big fundraiser of the year coming up. Our 4th Annual Raise Your Glass wine tasting event will be held at Big Canyon Country Club on August 25, 2016. Sponsorship opportunities are becoming scarce, so sign up now and buy your tickets. Here’s the link: www.ocbar.org/RaiseYourGlass.

Todd Friedland is the OCBA’s 2016 President. There is nothing you can do about that now. Just do your best to get through this year and hope for better next year. Complaints and other stuff can be sent to him at heytodd@ocbar.org, todd@sf-lawyers.com, or @HeyToddOCBA. Oh, yeah, Todd Friedland is also a business litigation partner at Stephens Friedland LLP in Irvine.

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