CLA eNews

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

California Lawyers Association has established a first-ever Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion appointments policy to ensure that leadership at every level of our organization reflects the racial and gender diversity of our state. This board-driven and unanimously board-approved policy is a substantive and quantifiable commitment to DEI.  Read more

What does advocacy mean to you, CLA? Historic Supreme Court cases, power positioning, proposed laws, heated debates surrounding public policy—no matter what direction we look, the law is central to every decision and discussion governing our everyday, and the power of our advocacy begins and stops with our members. Read more

First and foremost, hoping your holiday season has been fantastic and wishing you a Happy New Year.  It has been a year to remember and there are many things to reflect on as an organization and serving as President.  Being President has been one of great honors of my life and career to this point.  Read more

Dozens of new laws recently took effect that are of interest to California lawyers. Ensure you’re up to speed on the changes, some of which are highlighted below. These laws went into effect on January 1, 2023, unless otherwise stated.   Read more

Almost one year ago, Oyango A. Snell began his tenure as Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of the California Lawyers Association (CLA).  To mark his first-year anniversary, Sheila Johnston, CLA’s new Associate Executive Director for Communications, took an opportunity to reflect on Oyango’s incredible year and get a sneak preview of what’s to come in 2023. Read more

In the context of the No-Contact rule, an attorney sending an email or text which includes her client to another attorney may provide implied consent to the receiving attorney to hit the "Reply All" button, thereby permitting the receiving attorney to communicate directly with the represented client on the email chain. Read more

As fellow leaders and bar association members, everyone has a choice of which bar association to join. Many thankfully choose multiple bar associations to connect with other leaders and participate in education, networking, social, and business development activities. As members consider renewing for 2023 and beyond, the California Lawyers Association wants to thank you for your continued commitment to growing the bar association family and being a terrific member and leader. You have a choice, and our commitment to you is to continue to provide and improve educational events, networking opportunities, and legislative advocacy with a consistent heart- and hope-based leadership.  Read more