Presented by the California Lawyers Foundation, the non-profit arm of the California Lawyers Association

Note: California Lawyers Foundation suggests a donation of $45 from general attendees, although it is not required.
Students and recent graduates (since 2020) are encouraged to attend at no cost.

Join us for an evening with top leaders in the law.  Panelists will discuss the twists and turns of their own career paths and offer insight into how to chart your own path towards a satisfying and stimulating career in the law. 

The California Lawyers Foundation (CLF) believes in a legal profession that mirrors our population, in access to justice for all and in a society that understands the equalizing role of the rule of law and judicial branch. 

Specifically, the Foundation works on three core initiative areas: access to justice; civics engagement and education; and diversity, equity and inclusion.  As part of CLF’s core work, we host a signature speakers series on a variety of topics over the course of the year.  In 2022, CLF has a particular focus on educating the next generation and current lawyers about opportunities in the legal profession through this series. If you would like to support the Foundation and our work, you can click here or use the button below to make a tax-deductible donation to our 501(c)3 organization.   

Emcee: Jeremy Evans, CLA President

Moderator: Heather L. Rosing, Shareholder and CEO, Klinedinst Attorneys; Inaugural Past President, California Lawyers Association and California Lawyers Foundation

Speakers:

Dave Fox is a seasoned plaintiffs trial lawyer heading a 10 attorney firm, Fox Law, focusing on personal injury, mass torts, and class actions.  He is also a former federal prosecutor from the US Attorney’s Office here in San Diego.  Dave and his firm have obtained over $500 million for his clients through outstanding verdicts and settlements in difficult cases involving wrongful death, catastrophic injuries, and fraud.  His trial results have led his peers in the San Diego plaintiffs bar, CASD, to give him the Outstanding Trial Lawyer Award in 2015, 2018, and 2022.  Best Lawyers and his peers recently named him “Lawyer of the Year” for Mass Torts and Class Action work.

Dave and the attorneys at his firm have been appointed by courts in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Sacramento to various mass tort/JCCP leadership committees, including leadership for all of the major wildfire litigation cases across the state against PG&E and So Cal Edison since 2015.  Dave began his legal career by clerking for the Honorable Janis L. Sammartino as her first law clerk when she took the bench on the U.S. District Court here in San Diego.  After that, he joined a top international law firm, Cooley LLP, where he represented Fortune 500 companies in high stakes litigation and class actions. He was later honored to serve as a federal prosecutor in the United States Attorney’s Office.  There, he successfully investigated, prosecuted and tried numerous cases involving public corruption, weapons trafficking, drug trafficking, and a high profile 5-week trial against corrupt United States Border Patrol agents.

Dave served several years on the federal Magistrate Judicial Selection Committee and as a Lawyer Representative to the Ninth Circuit. He has served on the Board of Directors of the San Diego County Bar Association and the Association of Business Trial Lawyers (“ABTL”). He also taught as an Adjunct Professor of Trial Practice at the University of San Diego School of Law, and has been on the faculty for the National Institute of Trial Advocates (“NITA”).

Janice Brown is a Principal in Meyers Nave’s Labor and Employment Practice, and  Workplace Investigations Practice. She has more than 35 years of trial, arbitration and appellate experience in state and federal courts. Janice’s distinguished career began in the  U.S. Justice Department where she quickly demonstrated outstanding legal expertise that earned her membership in the Honors Program and the “Outstanding Trial Attorney” and “Trial Lawyer of the Year” awards in under three years.

Janice is recognized as a pioneer in the legal profession as the founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Brown Law Group, a woman- and minority-owned employment and business litigation firm in San Diego that served local corporations and Fortune 50 companies headquartered throughout the U.S. for over 20 years. She is a trusted advisor to clients, an inspirational mentor to colleagues and an influential leader in advancing diversity throughout the legal profession. For example, San Diego SuperLawyers magazine published an article about Janice titled “Chief Executive Optimist: Janice Brown took an uncommon approach to the law and built an uncommon firm.” Janice is also a speaker and consultant for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion issues.

Janice is well known for her legal expertise as well as her commitment to local community service. She has been featured on the local San Diego affiliates of CBS, Fox, ABC and NBC for her insights on topics such as sexual harassment and wrongful termination. Janice also is a frequent speaker on economic development and personal and business success.