2024 Preview from the Sections

January 2024

Curious about what fun and informative activities California Lawyers Association’s practice-area sections have in store for you in 2024? You’ve come to the right place. 

Our leaders have been working hard to keep you plugged in and entertained throughout the year. Here are some of the things you can look forward to this year.

Antitrust and Unfair Competition Law Section

Chair Aaron Sheanan said the Antitrust and Unfair Competition Law Section is excited to advance its mission of engaging, informing, and inspiring generations of lawyers to further the practice of antitrust and competition law in California in 2024. Here are a few highlights for the coming year:

• Our second annual Unfair Competition Law Institute will be held on January 18, 2024, at the City Club, Los Angeles.

• We will be sponsoring several educational panels, including Best Practices for Working with DOJ During an Antitrust Investigation with the ABA Litigation Section on January 24, 2024, at UC Law San Francisco.

• We will celebrate Women in Competition Law in California at our seventh annual event on March 7, 2024, in San Francisco. 

• Our monthly electronic newsletter, Antitrust and UCL E-briefs, News and Notes, will keep our members in the know about current developments in the law.

• We will publish updates to the California Antitrust and Unfair Competition Law Treatise, the country’s preeminent treatise on our practice, which is available on Lexis and Westlaw.  

• Our marquis event—the 34^th annual Golden State Institute of Antitrust and Unfair Competition Law—will be held on October 24, 2024, at the Julia Morgan Ballroom in San Francisco.

Criminal Law Section

Chair Marjaneh Maroufi said the section recently welcomed new members and celebrated several appointments to the bench. 

Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Amyra Cobb Hampton to the Solano Superior Court, Armando Pastran to the Alameda Superior Court, and Gary Rowe to the Los Angeles County Superior Court.

“Currently, we are trying to bring creative and consistent programming to our members,” she said. “We lead busy lives, and it’s so important to offer effective, targeted training that assists our practice. We wish you all a Happy New Year!” 

Environmental Law Section

Chair Mary Akens shared the following highlights for 2024:  

• The section has issued a Call for 2024 Panels for the 2024 Environmental Law Conference at Yosemite® on September 12–15, 2024. Complete the survey by January 19 to provide your input. 

“ELS wants to hear from YOU about what panels YOU are interested in seeing at next year’s conference,” she said. 

• On March 8, ELS will hold its annual Student Negotiations Competition at Golden Gate University. 

• Mark your calendars for two in-person events later this year. The Energy Conference will be on April 19, and the Diversity and Belonging Conference will be on November 15.

• ELS has partnered with the New Lawyers Section to co-present a FREE series covering key practice areas within the environmental legal field. This series is geared toward law students, new lawyers, and experienced attorneys interested in learning more about environmental law. 

“ELS congratulates and welcomes its newest members to the California State Bar. If you are not a member of the Environmental Law Section, please consider adding ELS as a section on your license renewal,” Akens said.

Intellectual Property Law Section

“The IP Section looks forward to an exciting 2024!” says Chair John Pavolotsky. Here is what’s on tap:

• Our in-person programs will consist of The Copyright Office Comes to California and The Patent Office Comes to California. We will host a virtual IP and Emerging Technologies conference. We have a slew of webinars, starting in January, focusing on AI and other hot topics. 

• A team of IP Section members will visit Washington, D.C., in the spring to report on new developments at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and other federal agencies with a nexus to IP. 

• Our Student Reporter Program continues, and we will redouble our efforts to engage law students interested in IP law and newer IP attorneys. 

• Our Office Hours with the Chair continue at noon on the first Friday of each month. Our Interest Groups meet regularly and look forward to welcoming new (and existing) IP Section members. 

• Last but not least, we will have monthly IP Section hikes in the San Francisco Bay Area. Five IP Section members attended the first one in San Francisco earlier this month. See you soon!

International Law and Immigration Section

The International Law and Immigration Section’s 2024 plans include around-the-world travels. 

• January: Chair Margaret Francisco kicks off January by attending the Opening of the Legal Year in Brussels, Milan, and Hong Kong. 

• March: ILS Executive Committee representatives will attend the Tri-National Congress of Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. in San Diego.

• May: An ILS delegation will visit the Czech Bar Association in Prague.

• August/September: An ILS delegation will visit Mexico City to sign a friendship agreement with the Mexican Bar Association.

• September: ILS will invite foreign bar associations to attend CLA’s 2024 Annual Meeting and present the Warren Christopher Award to the 2024 recipient.

Privacy Law Section 

Chair Nicholas Ginger said he is looking forward to a busy and productive year of events and advocacy work for the Privacy Law Section, including these activities:

• The 2nd Annual Privacy Summit will be held February 8 and 9 at UCLA, with panels covering the most pressing topics in privacy.

• Law School Outreach. The section will contact potential privacy law student groups (or help to form them) at California law schools and identify faculty members to partner with and contacts in the career services center.

• Privacy Law Section Journal. The section’s first-ever journal will be published this month. 

• Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Initiatives. The section looks forward to participating in California Lawyer’s Association’s efforts.

• MCLE events will cover topical issues throughout the year.

• E-Publications. The section sends email publications throughout the year with articles relevant to and to provide insight into pertinent privacy issues.

• Commenting on proposed CCPA regulations. The California Privacy Protection Agency is considering several sets of regulations and seeking public comment. The section offers neutral commentary to help shape clear, cohesive, and effective regulations.

Solo and Small Firm Section 

Chair Josh Bonnici said he’s looking to jumpstart another year of education and support for Solo and Small Firm Section lawyers with in-person seminars, topical webinars, and publications.

“We’re extra excited to return legal blueprint for success programs to some of the underserved areas of California to make sure that no matter where you live, valuable and affordable access to our programs can be possible,” he said.

Bonnici encourages you to reach out to him at josh@bonnicilawgroup.com to suggest topics or specific areas you’d like to learn about or focus on.

Trusts and Estates Section

Chair Kristen Caverly said the Trusts and Estates Section is hard at work on the spring issue of its premier publication, The Quarterly.

The issue will focus on mediation, with important content from retired judges and mediators throughout the state. The issue will also feature an annual update on critical legislation impacting Trusts and Estates practitioners statewide.

In the works for mid-2024 is an informative article on the new federal Corporate Transparency Act and other scholarly articles for members on topics including administration, planning, litigation, and tax. Low-cost self-study CLE is also available in all substantive Quarterly articles.  

“Throughout 2024, TEXCOM will continue to provide monthly webinars, our Trust Me^TM podcast, and informative case alerts by email to our members,” she said.

Other CLA Activities, Events

Visit CLA’s events calendar for more opportunities to network, learn, and grow as a legal professional.