Civility, Service, and Support: A Year-End Message from President Terrance J. Evans

Dear CLA Friends and Family:

I hope that all of you are doing well and enjoyed the Thanksgiving holiday.  As we approach the final month of 2025,  I am taking this opportunity to encourage everyone to remember those who are less fortunate and highlight a few ways that we can all give back to the community.

Pro Bono Legal Services

Many of the most rewarding matters that I have worked on during my legal career have been pro bono matters.  I have had the privilege of working on a wide range of pro bono matters where I helped victims of domestic violence; victims of child abuse; victims of elder abuse, veterans, immigrants, members of underrepresented communities, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations.  My pro bono work has not only benefitted the folks who I represented, it also helped me better understand the challenges that some members of our community face while developing and refining my legal skills.  If you are interested in exploring pro bono opportunities, I invite you to visit the CLA Pro Bono page using this link: https://calawyers.org/pro-bono/

Supporting Need Based Scholarships For Law Students

Another valuable way that we can give back is by supporting need-based scholarships for underprivileged law students.  When I was a law student, I received a scholarship from the Black Women Lawyers of Los Angeles that helped me cover my expenses related to the California Bar Exam.  That scholarship changed my life and paved the way for me to have a successful legal career.  Following the investment that Black Women Lawyers of Los Angeles made in me, I have raised more than $850,000 for scholarships for underprivileged law students.  I encourage everyone to support programs that provide need-based scholarships to law students.  The California Lawyers Foundation provides a great resource page to help donors and students identify scholarship opportunities.  Here is the link for the California Lawyers Foundation: https://calawyersfoundation.org/

Civility

Last, but certainly not least, I encourage everyone to be civil to each other, not only during the holidays, but at all times.  While I realize that the legal profession is adversarial by nature, it is still important for us to be respectful to each other.  The legal community is small.  You never know if someone who happens to be an opposing counsel today will be a judge or colleague or potential client in the future.  Respectfulness and courtesy goes a long way.  The California Civility Task Force, which includes several CLA leaders, has prepared some helpful resources regarding civility in the legal profession.  To review these helpful resources, please visit the California Civility Task Force webpage using this link: https://caljudges.org/civility.asp

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Sincerely,

Terrance J. Evans, President of the California Lawyers Association