A new proposal has been posted to the California Courts web site, at http://www.courts.ca.gov/policyadmin-invitationstocomment.htm.
 
·         SPR17-27 Criminal Procedure: Use of Risk/Needs Assessments at Sentencing (approve Cal. Standards of Judicial Administration, standard 4.35)
 
The deadline for comment is 5:00 p.m., Friday, April 28, 2017.
 
If you have any questions, please contact Benita Downs, at benita.downs@jud.ca.gov, or at 415-865-7957.

The United States District Court, Central District of California, is currently accepting applications from qualified individuals interested in serving as Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference Lawyer Representatives.  Please refer to the link below for more information.

https://www.cacd.uscourts.gov/news/seeking-applications-ninth-circuit-judicial-conference-lawyer-representatives-1

Please click on the link below to access the Recruitment Notice for Criminal Justice Act (CJA) Trial Attorney Panel.  Thank you.

http://www.cacd.uscourts.gov/news/recruitment-notice-criminal-justice-act-cja-trial-attorney-panel

Comments sought:
 
Thirty-two (32) new proposals to amend the California Rules of Court, Judicial Council forms and legislation have been posted to the California Courts web site, at http://www.courts.ca.gov/policyadmin-invitationstocomment.htm.
 
The attached list provides a summary of the proposals and contains direct links to each individual proposal. You are welcome to distribute this to any other interested parties. The deadline for comment is 5:00 p.m., Friday, April 28, 2017.
 
If you have any questions, please contact Benita Downs, at benita.downs@jud.ca.gov, or at 415-865-7957.

Friends & family are welcome to join!
3 hours of MCLE offered morning of Saturday May 6, 2017

Cruise Line: Carnival - Inspiration Ship

Cost: $309 per person for a cabin without a window plus tax & gratuities,
$349 per person for a picture cabin plus tax & gratuities.
Cabin prices & upgrades subject to availability
Minimum 2 persons per cabin and $100 deposit per person.
All you can eat dining is included.

Departing: Friday May 5, 2017 from Long Beach cruise terminal at 5:30 p.m.
Boarding is from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Returning: Monday May 8, 2017 at 7:00 a.m. Long Beach
cruise terminal

Passport: Must have a valid passport that expires 6 months after May 5, 2017
MCLE:

• 1 hour of Ethics presented by Ret. Judge Lillian Lim, 1st Filipina Judge in the United States and Veronica Alexander, UCI School of Law
• 1 hour of Labor & Employment Law presented by Vince Verde, Esq. & Carolyn Sieve, Esq., Ogletree Deakins
• 1 hour of Ethics presented by Susan Natland, Esq. and Jaimie Shean, Esq., Knobbe Martens

For questions & concerns please contact:
Vincent Gonzales, Esq. from FLOC: vmgonzales@semprautilities.com
Elsie Secoquian, Esq. from FLOC: esecoquian@hotmail.com

http://www.cacd.uscourts.gov/news/attorney-admission-fee-increase

Contact: Laura Ernde
415-538-2283
barcomm@calbar.ca.gov

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 1, 2017 – In response to a recent increase in attorneys seeking to do pro bono work, State Bar President James Fox and Executive Director Elizabeth Parker said today:

“We applaud the recent wave of attorneys throughout California looking to provide pro bono legal services around immigration and other legal concerns. The State Bar of California strongly supports access to legal services as a core part of our public protection mission. We support the promise of justice for all, including for low-income people who too often have no choice but to navigate the legal system alone.

We encourage attorneys licensed in California to provide pro bono support to help bridge the gap in access to justice. While upholding ethical standards for attorneys and regulating the legal profession is a core focus of the State Bar’s work, it’s equally critical to ensure that all of California’s residents have access to high-quality attorneys when the need arises.

In addition to the donation of time, a donation of financial assistance can make a huge positive impact, especially with a shifting political landscape. Please consider making a donation to the State Bar’s Justice Gap Fund or directly to your local legal aid provider to help make sure individuals and families who need legal assistance can get help when they need it.”

Information about providing pro bono legal services in California
Attorneys who wish to provide pro bono legal service in California must have active State Bar status. Status can be switched from inactive to active via the State Bar website.

The fee for active status is waived for attorneys who participate in the State Bar of California’s Pro Bono Practice Program.

The Pro Bono Practice Program allows California attorneys who are currently inactive or retired to have active status for the sole purpose of doing pro bono work. Attorneys who are accepted to the Pro Bono Practice Program must work with a qualified legal services provider, certified lawyer referral service, or court-based self-help center. In addition to a waiver of the active status fee, attorneys who qualify for this program have access to free MCLE.

More information about pro bono opportunities is available on the State Bar website. One Justice also houses a pro bono rapid response network for attorneys.

In addition to promoting pro bono service, the State Bar also provides approximately $30 million in grants annually to legal aid organizations throughout California. These grants support groups that address immigration needs, prevent homelessness, keep kids in school, protect elders from fraud and abuse and connect veterans to services, among other critical legal assistance.

Legal aid organizations provide direct services throughout the state. (The statewide list of legal aid providers is available.).

Attorneys who would like to provide additional support for access to justice can donate to the Justice Gap Fund when they pay their annual State Bar of California fees.

Resources for Californians on finding an attorney
The State Bar also provides resources for Californians who need help finding an attorney as well as ways to avoid fraud from notarios and other people posing as attorneys.
·         Find Legal Help
·         Finding the Right Lawyer / Como Encontrar el Abogado Apropiado
·         Avoiding Fraud by Immigration Consultants
·         Información Legal en Español
People who think they have been a victim of misconduct by an attorney or someone posing as an attorney should file a complaint with the State Bar.
·         Filing a complaint against an attorney about misconduct
·         Filing a complaint against a notario or someone posing as an attorney
·         Client Security Fund application, to recover money lost due to attorney misconduct

###

The State Bar of California is an administrative arm of the California Supreme Court, protecting the public and seeking to improve the justice system since 1927. All lawyers practicing law in California must be admitted to the State Bar.

Due to a delayed start to our billing and compliance cycle, the Board of Trustees approved the MCLE reporting deadline for this year only as March 1st. MCLE Group 3 attorneys (last names N-Z) who are reporting compliance for the 2/1/2014-1/31/2017 compliance period must complete and report the education due no later than March 1, 2017 in order to avoid a $75 noncompliance fee.  Please make sure that any MCLE marketing materials that include the reporting deadline correctly characterize this grace period.

Notwithstanding the forgoing, the next Group 3 MCLE compliance period formally starts February 1, 2017, therefore, any course taken in February may be used for the 2017 or the 2020 period, but not both. Attorneys should be reminded to keep careful records in order to avoid double-counting any hours earned in February.

If you receive compliance questions from a California attorney, please feel free to refer them to the State Bar at 1-888-800-3400 or MCLE@calbar.ca.gov.

Please join the UCI Newkirk Center for Science & Society to welcome the arrival of the National Registry of Exonerations, the definitive repository of data about exonerations in the United States, and honor our benefactors Denise Foderaro and Frank Quattrone.
 
Thursday, March 16, 2017
2:30 p.m. - Panel Discussions
Two panels will discuss the importance of the Registry
for research, journalism, and policy reform.

5 p.m. - Celebration Program
Program to include:
Barry Scheck, Co-Founder, The Innocence Project
Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean, UC Irvine Law School
Brian Banks, Exoneree
Franky Carrillo, Exoneree
Approved for 1.5 hour of MCLE Credit.

7 p.m. – Reception
Click here for all panel and program details.

UCI Student Center - Pacific Ballroom
A311 Student Center
Irvine, CA 92697
Directions

Everyone is welcome to attend all or individual events.
RSVP by March 10th.
Questions? Please contact newkirk@uci.edu

Denisha McKenzie slated to take role of President in 2018
 
IRVINE, Calif., January 30, 2017 – Carothers DiSante & Freudenberger LLP (CDF), an award-winning California employment, labor and immigration law firm, is pleased to announce Attorney Denisha McKenzie is the President-elect of the Thurgood Marshall Bar Association (TMBA).  Committed to diversity and the advancement of justice through positive community involvement, the Orange County Bar Association affiliate’s mission is to connect, support, and increase the African American legal community in Orange County.

The TMBA is a contemporary group that strives to promote increased diversity, multi-culturalism, community service and excellence and integrity in the practice of law.  Similarly, at CDF, workplace diversity is a core value.  The firm supports a professional environment that attracts attorneys and staff from all backgrounds, resulting in an organization filled with professionals whose perspectives and experiences greatly benefit the counsel of clients.

“As a member of the TMBA since 2015, I am honored to serve the association as President-elect, and look forward to taking on the leadership role of President next term,” says Denisha McKenzie, CDF attorney.  “I have learned a great deal from my peers at both my law firm and this association, and I’m privileged to continue my work with both organizations that have such an important impact on diversity in our legal community.”

“Denisha’s legal experience and dedication to community service is a testament to her leadership and commitment to providing the very best counsel for our clients,” says Todd Wulffson, Managing Partner of CDF’s Orange County office.  “Her experience on the TMBA board gives her a rich understanding of the importance of diversity in the legal community.”

A proud graduate of University of California, Irvine School of Law’s inaugural class, McKenzie is based in CDF’s Irvine office where she works with employers on a variety of issues involving discrimination, retaliation and wrongful termination cases, representing clients before state and federal agencies.  Prior to joining CDF, McKenzie co-founded the Orange County Human Rights Association; was one of the first student co-authors of the first edition of the UC Irvine Law Review; and received the distinction of Pro Bono honors upon graduation.  Previously serving as the TMBA Vice President in 2016, McKenzie is President-elect this year and will assume the role of President in 2018.

As the 2017 TMBA Distinguished Law Firm Sponsor, CDF will fund scholarships for four Law Student Ambassadors to help with their legal education costs.
“It has been an honor and privilege to work so closely with a critical leader in the Orange County legal community on issues of diversity and inclusion,” said Kimberly La Salle, TMBA’s current President.  “Denisha's vision, skill and willingness to share her experience for the greater good have positively impacted and advanced diversity in the Southern California legal community and beyond.”

About Carothers DiSante & Freudenberger LLP
For more than 20 years, Carothers DiSante & Freudenberger LLP has distinguished itself as one of the top employment, labor and immigration firms in California, representing employers in single-plaintiff and class action lawsuits and advising employers on related legal compliance and risk avoidance.  The firm has five offices throughout California – in Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego. For more information, visit: www.CDFLaborLaw.com and find CDF on LinkedIn or Twitter to learn more about how the firm protects California employers.