The mission of the Orange County Women Lawyers Association is to support women in the legal profession. Essential to this mission is our support for the legal profession. Recent calls for the impeachment of judges and even the elimination of the federal district courts strike at the heart of our legal system. Executive orders targeting individual lawyers and law firms for advocacy positions they have taken are a direct threat to fundamental rights in the United States Constitution. These rights include freedom of expression and the right to free association under the First Amendment, and the right to counsel under the Sixth Amendment.  The clear, equitable enforcement of laws is fundamental to our democracy. The rule of law ensures that no individual or institution is above legal accountability, that there is due process where there is a threat to life, liberty, or property, and that our judicial processes remain fair, independent, and transparent. This framework ensures the stability of a free and just society.  We stand by the judges and lawyers upholding the rule of law. We remain committed to defending the fundamental principles that protect our legal system and the rights of all individuals. *This statement is on behalf of the OCWLA Board of Directors and may not reflect the sentiments of all members.

The Empowering Women in Law Scholarship.

The Pearce Law Firm is led by Edith Pearce, a female lawyer who is invested in the success of women in the field of law.  Edith wants to help one female law student each year by contributing to their education. This scholarship will be offered annually, and one female law student will receive $1,500 to alleviate some of their financial pressure.

Eligibility Requirements

In order to participate in this scholarship, applicants must meet the following criteria:

Please take a look at our scholarship page for more information: https://thepearcelawfirm.com/empowering-scholarship-application/ 

Register Here!

Click Here for More Information!

SP25-01

Title: Judicial Branch Administration: Rule and Standard for Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Court-Related Work

Summary: The Artificial Intelligence Task Force proposes adopting one rule and one standard to address the use of generative artificial intelligence for court-related work. The task force developed this proposal as part of its charge from the Chief Justice to oversee the development of policy recommendations on the use of artificial intelligence in the judicial branch.

Deadline: Comments must be submitted by Thursday, April 17, 2025, at 5:00 PM (Pacific Time)

The State Bar's 2025 committee appointments application is now open for nonattorney public members, attorneys, and former judicial officers with interest in helping the State Bar advance its important statutory mission.

To apply, please visit the State Bar’s online application portal, select your committee from the left-hand menu, and click the “Apply for membership” button in the top right corner. For more details on each committee, refer to the linked committee webpage in the profile description. The application deadline is April 3, 2025, 5:00 p.m.

Officers and members are appointed annually by the Board of Trustees at its May meeting.

We look forward to your application and encourage you to share this opportunity with colleagues who might be interested in serving on a State Bar committee.

For questions, please contact Appointments@calbar.ca.gov.

CIVIL JURY INSTRUCTIONS (CACI)

CACI25-01

Title: Civil Jury Instructions: Revisions to Judicial Council of California Civil Jury Instructions

Summary: The Advisory Committee on Civil Jury Instructions seeks public comment on proposed revisions and additions to the Judicial Council of California Civil Jury Instructions (CACI). Under

California Rules of Court, rule 10.58, the advisory committee is responsible for regularly reviewing case law and statutes affecting jury instructions and making recommendations to the

Judicial Council for updating, revising, and adding topics to the council’s civil jury instructions. Upon approval by the Judicial Council, all changes will be published in the 2025 edition of the

official LexisNexis Matthew Bender CACI publication.

Deadline: Comments must be submitted by Thursday, March 13, 2025, at 5:00 PM (Pacific Time)

As you might imagine, there are a large number of disaster-impacted tenants who have come to the Pasadena Disaster Resource Center seeking assistance. To respond to their urgent needs, NLSLA will host a remote landlord-tenant clinic next Wednesday, January 29th. We are looking for volunteers to commit to staffing that virtual clinic. If you have any experience with landlord-tenant issues and are willing to volunteer, terrific. If not, we will train and support you!

Your commitment would be to:

• Attend a one-hour virtual training on Tuesday, January 28, from 10-11AM.
• Staff the remote housing clinic on Wednesday, January 29, from 10AM-2PM. The first hour of the clinic will be a presentation to all tenants on their rights, the law, and common issues that are arising. The following three hours will be individual appointments with tenant-clients offering counsel and advice. 

Please fill out the following form if you are able to volunteer: https://forms.office.com/r/9iVfVwBpmd

Monica Mar | Director of Pro Bono
Pronouns: she/her/hers 

Community Legal Aid SoCal
2101 North Tustin Ave., Santa Ana, CA 92705

WHERE TO FIND INFORMATION

Los Angeles Fire Department

Resources, up-to-date information and alerts via LAFD.org/alerts.

Watch Duty

Watch Duty, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, alerts you of nearby wildfires and firefighting efforts in real-time.

Alert LA County

Phone, email and text alerts by registering here:  ready.lacounty.go/emergency-notifications

National Weather Service

View active weather alerts from the National Weather Service by registering here: alerts.weather.gov

ANIMAL EVACUATION SHELTERS

Due to the ongoing Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire in Los Angeles County, the following shelters are available for animals affected by the evacuation orders. Please note capacity details and staffing information:

Large Animals

• Lancaster Animal Care Center 5210 W Ave I, Lancaster, CA 93536
• Antelope Valley Fair 2551 W Avenue H, Lancaster, CA 93536
• Industry Hills Expo 16200 Temple Ave, City of Industry, CA 91744
• Capacity for 200 horses; not staffed by DACC
• Pomona Fairplex 1101 W Mckinley Ave, Pomona, CA 91768
• Receiving horses and dogs (temporary kennels)

Small Animals

• Baldwin Park Animal Care Center 4275 Elton St, Baldwin Park, CA 91706
• Carson Animal Care Center 216 W Victoria St, Gardena, CA 90248
• Castaic Animal Care Center 31044 North Charlie Canyon Road, Castaic, CA 91384
• Downey Animal Care Center 11258 Garfield Ave, Downey, CA 90242
• Lancaster Animal Care Center 5210 W Ave I, Lancaster, CA 93536
• Palmdale Animal Care Center 38550 Sierra Hwy, Palmdale, CA 93550
• Agoura Animal Care Center 29525 Agoura Road, Agoura, CA 91301
• Pasadena Humane 361 S Raymond Ave, Pasadena, CA 91105 (Only accepts small animals within its jurisdiction)

HOW TO VOLUNTEER

Canine Rescue Club

Support for displaced pets and animals. Volunteer here: www.caninerescue.club/foster

MySafe:LA

Partners with the LA Fire Department to enhance community resilience. Volunteer here:  www.mysafela.org/volunteer

Volunteer County of Los Angeles

Engages in various community support activities, including disaster response and recovery efforts.  Volunteer here:  volunteer.lacounty.gov

American Red Cross Los Angeles Region

Urgent need for disaster shelter volunteers to support those displaced by the wildfires. 

Volunteer here:  www.redcross.org/local/california/los-angeles/volunteer.html

HOW TO DONATE

Community Foundation’s Wildfire Recovery Fund

Supports intermediate and long-term recovery efforts for major California wildfires, as well as preparedness efforts.  Website:  www.calfund.org/funds/wildfire-recovery-fund

California Fire Foundation

Provides immediate assistance to victims through programs like supplying disaster relief cash cards to those affected by wildfires. Website:  www.cafirefoundation.org

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles

Assists in rebuilding homes for those affected by wildfires.  Website:  www.habitatla.org/support-us 

LAFD Foundation

Registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit for help and support the LAFD. Website:  www.supportlafd.org

World Central Kitchen

Nonprofit that immediately prepares and serves meals to communities impacted by natural disasters and during humanitarian crises. Website:  www.wck.org/news/first-alert-ca-fires-jan25