Loving the Love

February 2024 

By Betty J. Williams
CLA President

February has been called the month of love. Romantics happily look toward creativity or capitalism to celebrate their joy. Cynics note the overuse of the word from loving a person to a song, a meal, a color, or an expression. You get the idea. Those people prefer words like appreciate or enjoy. 

Regardless of how literally or enthusiastically you may use the phrase, we all agree there is something we love about the law, CLA and its members, and life.

People who know me well realize how highly I value efficiency, productivity, and my time.  Sometimes, I must be reminded to slow down and smell the proverbial roses. 

When I stop to think about it, I find so much to love and be grateful for in the work and connections we have made in our statewide association. 

At CLA’s long-range planning meeting in January, leadership gathered to answer essential questions and strategize for the future. We got to know our new CEO, Chris Nguyen, better as we enjoyed the relationships we have built over the years and spent quality time getting to know newer members.

The dedication of the collective group is unmistakable, which is something I appreciate about CLA leadership and its volunteers. The commitment of our volunteers comes from a place of genuinely caring about the impressive work of our 18 Sections. 

For example, I love that:

• The Antitrust and Unfair Competition Law Section will celebrate Women in Competition Law in California at its seventh annual event on March 7, 2024, in San Francisco. 
• In March, the Environmental Law Section will hold its annual Student Negotiations Competition at Golden Gate University. It is also partnering with the New Lawyers Section on educational programs geared toward law students, new lawyers, and others interested in learning more about the practice area.
• The International Law and Immigration Section is planning around-the-world travels in 2024.
• The Litigation Section informs members on the latest cases and trends via its California Litigation and other publications.
• This week, the Privacy Law Section will hold its second annual Privacy Summit in Los Angeles.
• The Solo and Small Firm Section is bringing its programs to some of the underserved areas of California so members can reap the benefits no matter where they live in our large state.

I could name so many more, including this list of Section priorities for 2024.

Furthermore, our dedicated volunteers at CLA’s nonprofit arm, the California Lawyers Foundation, made my heart smile at an event last month. Students at Luther Burbank High School in Sacramento who are learning about careers in law through the foundation’s California Legal Pathways Collaborative enjoyed motivational speakers, including Sacramento Kings’ Domantas Sabonis. 

I encourage you to think about what you love and for which you are grateful. It might be something simple, such as receiving fun conference swag. (Judging from the many social media posts I saw, our board members loved sporting the CLA-branded socks and jackets we purchased at our recent meeting). Or it could be something more meaningful, such as the support you received from a colleague during a trying time. 

Whatever it is, don’t let February end without taking the time to let someone know that they are loved and appreciated. On that note, thank you all for your work to help our legal profession improve and grow stronger together!