Four Lawyers, a Judge and an Addict Walk into a Bar…

June 2025

By Betty Williams
CLA President

But not just any bar. This bar is situated on the top floor of a swanky high-rise building made of marble, steel, and glass, where an event is being held by a group of lawyers, and the judge is the keynote speaker.

They all have a few things in common; most obviously, their collective higher learning. Less obvious is their discomfort and the thoughts running through their minds as they each enter the building and approach the security guard, a prerequisite to proceeding to the bank of elevators. 

The Latino male lawyer and the white female lawyer both wonder if the security guard will allow them to pass, feeling a sense they don’t belong in such a glamorous building. The gay attorney and the Indian attorney are hoping there is at least one other person in attendance that is gay or has origins from the same region of India, respectively.

The addict, now clean and sober, learned long ago that the only place he feels comfortable among strangers is in the confides of an AA meeting, where he instinctively knows that without saying a word, he is among a group of people who understand him, because they share some of the same feelings and thought processes as addicts in recovery.

These examples are no joke; they are real experiences shared with me over the past several months (although I consolidated them into one event to create a catchy title)!

Judge Lawrence Brown was the keynote speaker at the DIBAS (Disability Inclusivity Bar Association of Sacramento) Annual Celebration in May, where he shared the story of learning at a young age that his sister suffered from schizophrenia. Judge Brown said the first time he talked about this family secret publicly, was from the bench. Judge Brown was hearing a case in CARE (Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment) Court, a program designed for people with untreated mental illness or substance abuse.  He could see that the parents of the young man recently diagnosed with schizophrenia were suffering, so he shared his personal story, giving them the gift of knowing someone else understood the struggles they were facing and the long road ahead. In that moment, Judge Brown was charitable, and he was brave; opening up about a personal part of his background that had been a deep family secret for decades.

No matter our age, background, or station in life, it is human nature to seek the feeling that we belong, that we are welcome and understood. This may come most easily when we are around a group of people most similar to ourselves.

In my quest to increase the diverse leader-lawyers in CLA, I took a survey of lawyers recently as a part of registering to attend a joint mixer held at CLA’s headquarters in collaboration with Saron Tesfai, President of the Wiley Manual Bar Association of Sacramento, and Kishwer Vikaas, President of the Asian/Pacific Bar Association of Sacramento.

One of the questions the survey asked related to the various bar associations attendees had joined. Of the nearly 40 responses, 73% belonged to only one bar: the bar they most closely identify with by race, culture, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Attorneys who joined us were members of two Black bars, an Asian/Pacific bar, a Filipino bar, a Vietnamese bar, a Hispanic bar, a Women’s bar, an LGBTQ+ bar, and a bar of lawyers with disabilities.

The more time I spend with lawyers and judges throughout our state, the more I learn about their experiences, needs, and ideas, and the more I want to collaborate with them.  I am convinced this enables us to utilize our highest talents and purposes and makes us far more interesting individuals.

But am I welcomed? Just as I appreciate a women only event, so that women lawyers can communicate in a unique and supportive environment, am I intruding if I attend a bar event organized by a black women’s bar, or a LGBTQ+ bar?

I asked this question of two lawyer-leaders recently, Crystal Hill and Lexi Howard. I met Crystal Hill at the Unity Bar of Sacramento’s Fourth Annual Summit; Crystal attended representing Black Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles (BWL), as its Scholarship Section Co-Chair. We connected instantly during the dinner as we talked about the work we are each doing in our respective bar organizations. Crystal assured me that their events are open to all, not restricted to black women lawyers.

I’ve known Lexi Howard for years, because we both participate in or attend a variety of bar events throughout California. Lexi shared her experience with me, and said:

Without hesitation, I would answer with a resounding yes that you are welcome. I have regularly attended many events hosted by organizations that are not representative of my identity and have always been welcomed with enthusiasm.  Showing up is important – and it’s also about how you show up – open, curious, respectful, engaged, a guest in their realm.

Please know, the importance of feeling welcomed is crucial to us all, no matter our experience or background. The value in getting to know other people who are different from us is immeasurable. I encourage you to increase your comfort zone by getting to know lawyers from all walks of life, to collaborate, learn, and grow from these encounters. In doing so, we develop meaningful relationships, not only as lawyers, but as humankind.