CLA eNews

On February 10, 2023, at the City Club in beautiful downtown Los Angeles, California Lawyers Association hosted an exclusive luncheon and reception for Mary Smith, the incoming President of the American Bar Association. Smith is a member of the Cherokee Nation and is the first female Native American president of the ABA.   Read more

In honor of Women’s History Month, California Lawyers Association (CLA) celebrates the many women who give their time and energy to our association. Their incredible work—for CLA and their professional careers—inspires us.  Read more

My sisters have beautiful stories to tell. Growing up with five older sisters, three older brothers, and two wonderful parents, mom and dad, who just celebrated 50 years of marriage, was, to say the least, an amazing experience. My mother, jokingly, often told me growing up that had I been the first, I would have been the last! Learning from these experiences was one of the better lessons learned in life. Read more

Even if the answer is no, that’s okay! Because there are many tested strategies for engaging your communities—professional and personal alike—in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) training. Read more

It was only five minutes into a virtual meet-and-greet with my new colleague when we realized our mutual passions—associations, members, and exercise. Our paths to the California Lawyers Association were almost identical, except where Erika went to law school and I graduate school. Despite our degrees, we quickly remembered that we had met nearly 20 years prior in the halls of the State Capitol and now, again, as colleagues. Of course, I asked her a million questions, only fitting for someone whose professional career as a communications executive!  Read more

California Lawyers Association (CLA) and the D.C. Bar shared findings today from a groundbreaking research project offering insight into personal and workplace risk factors for mental health problems among practicing attorneys. In 2020, the two organizations announced their participation in the project, which has now yielded the third in a series of published papers. Titled “Stressed, Lonely, and Overcommitted: Predictors of Lawyer Suicide Risk,” the findings were published February 11, 2023 in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Healthcare. The research project was led by attorney mental health and well-being expert Patrick Krill, of Krill Strategies, and Justin J. Anker from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Minnesota. Read more

“Be careful what you wish for, or you just may get it!” Those were the words from my mother when I told her that I wanted to be Chair of the Board of Representatives for California Lawyers Association (CLA). She was worried that as a small firm attorney, I would not have the support that an attorney from a larger firm might have taking on this role. What my mom did not know is that I had all the support in the world, because CLA is an organization that prides itself on supporting its volunteers in whatever capacity they choose to follow. What drives a person to take on a role like chair that is so time-consuming and is a purely voluntary position? I can tell you without reservation it’s because it is extremely fulfilling. Read more

Known as John Box around CLA Headquarters, John doesn't see anything in boxes.  An adventurer, family man, and former United States Marine, John Box is always the person you want on your team. No, really, he won an award for outstanding service in the Marine Corps and saved a pilot from harm when serving as the Incident Commander! If there were ever a movie about John Box, Tom Cruise would play the role of John for his bravery, skills, and abilities to do what is impossible for most.    Read more

Thinking back on the heroes that had an impact on childhood experiences, Major League Baseball Hall of Famer and civil rights champion Jackie Robinson once said, “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.” This rings as true today as it did when the words were spoken. It is one of the truer statements ever to be made.  Read more

This Ethics Spotlight highlights changes in the California Rules of Professional Conduct during 2022, as well as ethics advisory opinions that were issued during 2022 by the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility (“ABA”), the Orange County Bar Association’s Professionalism and Ethics Committee (“OCBA”), and the California Supreme Court’s Committee on Judicial Ethics Opinions. Read more