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Newsletter for October 20, 2025 – November 3, 2025

 

OCBA Community Fair & Volunteer Appreciation Celebration

Saturday, October 25, 2025

We're calling on the OC Legal Community to come out and participate in the Community Fair and we're rolling out the red carpet for the incredible volunteers who make our OC legal community greater every day! OCBA Volunteers register in advance to secure your OCBA swag. LIMITED QUANTITY.
Click here to register.

OCBA Harmon G. Scoville Award Reception
Tuesday, November 18th

OCBA Members are invited to this reception honoring this year's Harmon G. Scoville Award recipient Edward A. Schlatter. This award annually recognizes a member of the Orange County legal community whose career exemplifies the highest standards of the legal profession, who is widely known as a champion of the constitutional system of justice, and who has made significant contributions to the OCBA and its community. Click here to read the official press release.

Register online today!

Featured Seminar

OCBA Trusts & Estates Annual Seminar: Decisional Capacity in Estate Planning

Tuesday, October 21, 2025

Click here to register online.

OCBA News

Call for Nominations: Franklin G. West Award – OCBA’s Highest Honor

Application Deadline: Monday, November 3, 2025

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2025 Franklin G. West Award. The highest honor bestowed by the OCBA, this annual recognition, which was established in memory of Judge Franklin G. West, is considered the OCBA's lifetime achievement award. Judge West epitomized the best of the legal profession, both as an attorney and a judge. The Award, which annually recognizes an outstanding attorney or judge whose lifetime achievements have advanced justice and the law, will be presented at the 2026 OCBA Judges' Night & Annual Meeting taking place on January 22 at the Irvine Marriott. Click here to download the nomination form.

OCBA 2026 Section Leadership Election - Accepting Online Nominations!

Online nominations OPENED on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025 for the Banking & Lending, Commercial Law & Bankruptcy, Elder Law & Special Needs, Immigration Law, Intellectual Property & Technology Law, Labor & Employment Law, Real Estate Law, Tort & Trial, and Trusts & Estates sections. Please note nominations will close on Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. Visit ocbar.org/nominations.

Online nominations WILL OPEN on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025 for the Business Litigation, Construction Law, Conservatorship, Guardianship, & Protective Proceedings, Entertainment, Sports, & Marketing Law, Family Law, Health Care Law, Insurance Law, and Solo Practitioner/Small Firm sections. Please note nominations will close on Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. Visit ocbar.org/nominations.

View the full nomination and election schedule online at ocbar.org/elections.

OCBA 2026 Membership

Renew your OCBA Membership for 2026 and stay connected to the Orange County Legal Community. Continue to enjoy the benefits of member pricing on CLE programs, events and access to valuable attorney resources. Make yourself visible to the Bar with advertising discounts in Orange County Lawyer magazine. Membership is based on the calendar year, so renew early to avoid any interruption in benefits. Renew Today!

Worthy Mentions

Have Good News of Your Own to Share? Contact OCBA Communications Manager Erick Palacios at epalacios@ocbar.org to acknowledge your achievement through the OCBA.

Events

OCTOBER 21, 2025
OCBA Trusts & Estates Annual Seminar: Decisional Capacity in Estate Planning

OCTOBER 25, 2025
OCBA Community Fair & Volunteer Appreciation Celebration

OCTOBER 29, 2025
OCBA Family Law Seminar Series - Live Webinar

OCTOBER 30, 2025
OCBA Seminar: How to Preserve Your Victory or Reverse Your Defeat

NOVEMBER 3, 2025
OCBA and LACBA Virtual Networking Mixer

NOVEMBER 5, 2025
World Affairs Council: Angels of War - Honoring the Nurses of the Vietnam War

NOVEMBER 5, 2025
OCBA Family Law Seminar Series - In-Person

NOVEMBER 6, 2025
U.S. Supreme Court Review and Preview & The David G. Sills Award for Appellate Excellence Presentation to Justice Raymond J. Ikola (Ret.)

NOVEMBER 18, 2025
OCBA Harmon G. Scoville Award Reception
OCBA Members are invited to a reception in honor of this year's Harmon G. Scoville Award recipient Edward A. Schlatter. Click here to read the official press release.

SAVE THE DATE

Volunteer Opportunities

Special Olympics Southern California Volunteer Event
Presented by the OCBA Community Outreach Committee
Sunday, November 16, 2025
The Special Olympics needs volunteers to make their Fall Games a successful event for the hundreds of Special Olympics participants. The OCBA will be volunteering with the tennis players, including being a ball person, keeping score, handing out water to players, and other assistance as needed.
Click here for more information.

Attorney Volunteers Needed to Score CRF-OC’s High School Mock Trial Program
MCLE Credit Available
CRF-OC’s 45th Annual High School Mock Trial Competition requires approximately 100 attorney volunteers to score each of the first four preliminary rounds of Mock Trial on November 6, 13, 18 and 20, 2025. Volunteer check-in opens at 4:45 pm and closes at 5:15 pm. Trials will end before 8:00 pm. A virtual orientation for attorney volunteers will take place Tuesday, October 21st at noon. It will be recorded for your convenience if you cannot attend the training. CRF-OC provides all the necessary materials; outside research is not required. Register here
See flyer for more details.
We are also looking for attorney volunteers to coach mock trial teams for Portola High School (Irvine), La Quinta High School (Westminster) and John F. Kennedy High School (La Palma), and El Modena High School (Orange). If you are interested in coaching, please complete the Mock Trial Coaching Interest form or contact CRF-OC’s Program Director, Marcy Garrett, at mgarrett@crfoc.org. Please consider sharing your time, knowledge, and expertise with these very dedicated high school students. The competition begins November 6, 2025.

Orange County District Attorney’s Office - Trial Attorney Partnership (TAP)
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office established the Trial Attorney Partnership (TAP) program to offer a select group of private attorneys the opportunity to gain invaluable courtroom experience. Through TAP, participants handle contested evidentiary hearings, litigate motions, and conduct jury trials. View the informational brochure or flyer detailing the program and featuring testimonials from former participants. Attorneys considering the program will be provided with comprehensive training, valuable courtroom experience, and the opportunity to earn significant MCLE credits—all at no cost. If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact the OCDA at TAP-Program@ocdapa.org.

Level Up For Justice
Family Law Pro Bono Opportunities with the Public Law Center are ongoing and available. Level 1 pro bono help includes a free consultation and advice. Level 2 pro bono help includes a free consultation, document preparation, and advice. Level 3 pro bono help includes a free consultation, document preparation, advice, plus representation. Contact Angela Mestre (Pro Bono Coordinator, Public Law Center) via email at amestre@publiclawcenter.org for more information.

Orange County Superior Court - Ambassador Recruitment Program
The Orange County Superior Court serves 3.2 million residents in the third most populated county in the State of California. As the 6th largest court in the nation, the Orange County Superior Court hosts hundreds of visitors every year. The ambassador program is designed to help these visitors gain a greater understanding and appreciation of the work of the Court, its history, and the art, and architecture of the building. All applicants are required to submit a completed online application, have the proper attachments, and answer the supplemental questionnaire. Interested in applying? Email CommunityEngagement@occourts.org.

Veterans Legal Institute Family Law Clinic - Remote Volunteer Opportunity
If you're a family law attorney, you can advise a veteran on his or her case from the comfort of your own home. VLI seeks volunteers to the monthly Family Law Clinic on the last Friday of the month from 1 PM - 4 PM. Clients receive a free consultation from a family law attorney on his or her Southern California family law case. For more information, please contact Katie Binkley at kbinkley@vetslegal.com.

Veterans Legal Institute General Legal Clinic - Remote Volunteer Opportunity
Looking for an easy way to volunteer from the comfort of your own home? VLI seeks attorney volunteers each third Tuesday of the month to conduct 20 minute phone interviews with veterans around Southern California. For more information, please contact Katie Binkley at kbinkley@vetslegal.com.

CLA SoCal: Remote Pro Bono Opportunity: Unlawful Detainer Answer Clinic
Assist low-income tenants facing eviction during the pandemic by helping to prepare answers to Unlawful Detainer complaints in this remote clinic that takes place every Tuesday, shifts at 1:30 p.m. and 2:15 p.m. Volunteers and clients “meet” via a conference call, and housing staff attorneys are available to provide real-time assistance in a video conference room for the duration of the clinic. Watch the.45-minute prerecorded training video here. To sign up, please email Monica Mar, Associate Director of Pro Bono at mmar@clsocal.org.

CLA SoCal: Remote Pro Bono Opportunity: Eviction Defense: Trial Co-Counsel
CLA SoCal is seeking attorneys with jury trial experience to co-counsel eviction cases with CLA SoCal staff attorneys. Volunteers will work with CLA SoCal staff to prepare the case for jury trial, conduct discovery, participate in settlement discussions, and represent clients at trial, all with the support of a housing staff attorney. To sign up, please email Monica Mar, Associate Director of Pro Bono at mmar@clsocal.org.

Join an OCBA Committee – Your involvement is an integral component of the OCBA’s service to its members, the community, and the judiciary.

OCBA HELP-Line – Join the Hotline of Experienced Legal Professionals to provide brief consultations in your area of practice to inquiring OCBA Attorney Members.

MAKE AN INFORMED REFERRAL WHEN A CLIENT’S LEGAL NEEDS FALL OUTSIDE YOUR AREA OF PRACTICE

Refer with confidence to the OCBA’s Lawyer Referral & Information Service (LRIS). An experienced non-profit community service providing quality legal referrals for over 50 years. LRIS representatives screen each call and properly refer callers to an attorney for legal needs or to a local organization for non-legal assistance. LRIS attorneys have experience in 35 areas of law and provide a free brief consultation with each client to discuss their legal needs and fees.

OCBA Lawyer Referral & Information Service provides referrals online at www.lrisoc.org or by phone at: (877) 257-4762 or (949) 440-6747.

Click here and join now to receive referrals through 2025.

Young Lawyers Division

Learn more about the OCBA Young Lawyers Division or join today! Visit the OCBA calendar to find great opportunities to connect with fellow YLD members.

OCTOBER 27, 2025
OCBA YLD Roundtable Luncheon with Lennis N. Collins

Masters Division

The OCBA Masters Division is open to practitioners with 25 years or more in the practice of law. Learn more about the OCBA Masters Division or join today and discover unique networking opportunities.

NOVEMBER 20, 2025
OCBA Seminar: Bringing Collaborative Justice to Family and Civil Courts

Law School Corner

OCBA Law Student Members:

Launching a successful legal career starts here! Click here to learn more about your membership benefits.

Law students are invited to participate in one of the 26 OCBA Specialty Sections which focus on professional growth and are a great resource to explore various areas of law. Attend your first section meeting for free, contact membership@ocbar.org to sign up.

Orange County Lawyer Magazine

Update Your Mailing Address

During this time, if you wish to re-route your print subscription to another address, you can update your OCBA member profile online.

Interested in advertising?

The OCBA has three main avenues of advertising to OCBA members and the greater legal community. DIGITAL ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES are available year round. For more information, visit the OCBA Advertising webpage or contact oclawyer@ocbar.org.

Affiliate Bars

OCHBA: Historic Class Action Case of Mendez, et al v. Westminster School District, et al - October 30

FLOC: Golf Mentorship Event - November 5

From the Courts & State Bar

For more information, please visit the Courts and State Bar websites.
   
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Orange County Bar Association
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