Dear OCWLA Members,

It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your 2025 Orange County Women Lawyers Association President. We begin this momentous year of our 50th anniversary with heavy hearts as we grieve with our Los Angeles County neighbors in the wake of the catastrophic wildfires. Our thoughts are with our members and neighbors who are suffering incredible loss right now.

As I mentioned at our installation dinner in December, one of our goals this year is to provide tangible opportunities for our community to support one another. We have listed on our website some ways we can support the fire victims and first responders. 

Goals for our fiftieth anniversary year include:

• Offering advocacy and policy training for lawyers interested in advocating for women’s issues, locally and globally;
• Continuing to support our affiliate partners including the Unity Bar to support diversity on the Orange County Superior Court bench;
• Strengthening connections and networking opportunities for women in business and women lawyers through joint events; and
• Continuing to offer groundbreaking, one of a kind MCLE’s, and wonderful events like our gala and women judges reception.    

This month, we will be offering the first in a “Professional Tool Kit” series. On January 29^th, we will be hosting a photographer to take professional headshots for registrants. Hair and makeup touchups will also be available. Our first MCLE of the year, Celebrating Seven Historic Female Firsts on California’s Courts of Appeal will be on February 18^th.

I am excited about the year ahead for the OCWLA! Thank you for entrusting me with the privilege of leading this organization. If you would like to help the fire victims and first responders, please see the resource link here.

Warmly,

Tracy Hughes

2025 OCWLA President

Robinson Calcagnie, Inc.

Happy December OCWLA Members!

As I write my last message as OCWLA President, I reflect on what has been a truly amazing year for this organization. It has been an honor to lead this inspiring group of professionals who continue to break barriers, advocate for justice, and support one another in our legal community. I am proud of all that we have accomplished together. From hosting impactful events and professional development opportunities, to creating a space where we can all lift each other up, we have truly made a difference. I am grateful for the camaraderie and the spirit of collaboration that define this organization, and for the ways we’ve shown resilience in facing challenges.

A big thanks to all who attended and supported our Installation Dinner & Holiday Celebration at the Fairmont Newport Beach on December 5. Special kudos go to Tracy Hughes, who planned this spectacular event, and Heidi Plummer, whose snow machines and invaluable contributions made for the perfect kickoff to the holiday season. Thanks also to the Honorable Sheila Hanson, the newly-elected Assistant Presiding Judge of the Orange County Superior Court, for her inspiring words and for swearing in the OCWLA Board and the Foundation Board. 

Wishing you all a joyful holiday season and a new year full of opportunities.

Welcoming the 2025 OCWLA Board:

Executive Officers

Tracy Hughes, President

Heidi Plummer, Vice President

Sayuri P. Espinosa, Treasurer

Antoinette Naddour, Secretary

Caroline Djang, Immediate Past President

Board of Directors

Mimi Ahn

Shirin Forootan

Betty Fracisco

Dana Heyde

Suzanne Leslie

Ashley Peniche Montenegro

Amber Poston

Janani S. Rana

Laurie Rowen

Heather Stangle-Smith

Also welcoming the 2025 OCWLA Foundation Board:

Executive Officers

Caroline Djang, President

Tracy Hughes, Vice President

Eemaan Jalili, Treasurer

Heidi Plummer, Secretary

Board of Directors

Cheryl L. Barrett

Maria Bashaw

Jeanne Behling

Jeannette Garcia

Lauren Johnson-Norris

Kristine Koo

Farnaz Salessi

Warmly,

Caroline Djang

2024 OCWLA President

Happy October

OCWLA Members!

I am excited to announce that our largest-ever 48th Annual Gala is already SOLD OUT!! The Gala will be held on Thursday, October 17th at the spectacular VEA Hotel in Newport Beach where we will honor our award recipients: the Honorable Desirae Hutchison for Judge of the Year, Mei Tsang for Attorney of the Year, and Cox, Castle & Nicholson for our Advancement of Women Award. 

We will also hold our silent auction with over 40 items including wine baskets, jewelry, restaurant and shopping gift cards, Angels and Ducks tickets and much more. Please look out for an email where you can pre-register for the silent auction and bid on items prior to and during the event. For our live auction, we will be auctioning off a Luxury 4-Night All-Inclusive Cancun Getaway and a 2-Night Stay including dinner at the Ranch in Laguna Beach. New this year, we will be raffling off a luxury handbag, one-carat diamond earring studs, and an overnight stay in a suite, including breakfast, at the Renaissance Newport Beach. It’s going to be an unforgettable evening and I hope to see you there! 

Warmly,

Caroline Djang

2024 OCWLA President

NEWS

Happy September

OCWLA Members!

I hope you are all enjoying your last few weeks of summer. Thank you to everyone who attended our amazing Women Judges Reception on August 29, where we celebrated the Honorable Elizabeth G. Macias as the recipient of the 2024 California Women Lawyers Joan Dempsey Klein Distinguished Jurist Award. We were honored to have 33 judges in attendance, an OCWLA record! One of the missions of the OCWLA is the advancement of women on the bench. Women still only make up 35% of the superior court bench in Orange County. The California statewide percentage of women judges on the superior court bench is 41.2%. The 4th District Court of Appeal has 31.8% women justices and the statewide percentage of women justices on the Courts of Appeal is 43.3%. The California Supreme Court is 57.1% women. While women have made substantial progress on the bench here in California and in Orange County, there is still much progress to be made. The OCWLA thanks the women judges who have helped advance women on the bench and within the legal profession, and thanks the many people who have supported them along the way. 

Believe it or not, our Annual Gala at the VEA Newport Beach is just five weeks away! I am pleased to announce that we have already sold 219 out of 300 tickets to this event and will sell out soon. Sponsorships are still available. If you haven’t purchased your tickets and/or sponsorship, pleaseregister online or contact info@ocwla.org. This will be our best Gala yet with some exciting new entertainment and a beautiful Parisian theme. Hope to see you at the Gala!

Warmly,

Caroline Djang

2024 OCWLA President

Happy July OCWLA Members!

I hope everyone had a festive July 4th! It was great starting the month with a day off and warm summer weather. Thank you to the more than 100 people who attended our Summer Membership Mixer at Zov’s on June 18. We raised over $1,000 for the OCWLA Foundation from our raffle, and our winners, Hillary Willett and Michael Balmages very generously donated their prizes back to the Foundation for our Gala silent auction.

We have some wonderful events coming up this summer. On Saturday, July 27, we will be hosting our Past Presidents’ Tea for members only at the beautiful Morning Lavender Café in Tustin. All members are welcome (not just past presidents), and limited spaces are still available. Please join us for delicious tea, scones, sandwiches and desserts as we celebrate our OCWLA past presidents.

Book Club will be on July 29 at Mimi’s Café in Tustin. The book is Passion in Black by Tim Buckley, Retired Associate Justice, Court of Appeal, Fifth District, who will be speaking at our Book Club!

Our Women Judges Reception will be held on August 29, at the Boardwalk Courtyard in Irvine. We will be celebrating the Honorable Elizabeth G. Macias as the recipient of CWL’s 2024 Joan Dempsey Klein Distinguished Jurist Award. Congratulations, Judge Macias!

Last, but not least, our Annual Gala will be held at the spectacular VEA Newport Beach on Thursday, October 17th. Please join us in honoring our OCWLA Award winners: Judge of the Year, the Honorable Desirae Hutchison, Attorney of the Year, Mei Tsang, Umberg Zipser and Advancement of Women Award Winner, Cox Castle & Nicholson LLP! Sponsorship opportunities are available, and we are still seeking silent auction donations. Please contact us for more information.

Warmly,

Caroline Djang

2024 OCWLA President

Happy June, OCWLA Members!

Here’s hoping that the June Gloom gives way to some sunny summer days! As always, the OCWLA has some great events in store. Our annual Summer Membership Mixer, co-hosted with the OCWLA Foundation will be on Tuesday, June 18 from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at Zov’s in Tustin. We will be introducing our Foundation Board members and announcing our Gala Award Winners (which, spoiler alert, will also be announced at the end of this message!).  

OCWLA is participating in the Food from the Bar virtual food drive from June 1-30. Your support helps provide nutritious food for children, families and seniors experiencing food-insecurity in Orange County. Please visit yourfooddrive.org between June 1-30 to donate. Remember to select “OCWLA” when making your donation!

OCWLA Book Club will be June 24 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at Mimi’s Café in Tustin. OCWLA Member Maria Bashaw will be leading us, and the book of the month is The Hummingbird’s Daughter by Luis Alberto Urrea.

Please save the date for our beautiful Past Presidents’ Tea (all members are welcome) on July 27 at 10 a.m. at Morning Lavender Café in Tustin

Last, but not least…drumroll, please…I’m so excited to announce this year’s OCWLA Award winners:

Judge of the Year, the Honorable Desirae Hutchison, Attorney of the Year, Mei Tsang, Umberg Zipser and Advancement of Women Award Winner, Cox Castle & Nicholson LLP! Congratulations to all of our wonderful and accomplished awardees!

Our honorees will be recognized at our spectacular Annual Gala at the VEA Newport Beach on October 17. Please see below for a flyer and link to sponsorship opportunities and silent auction donation information.

Happy Pride Month!

Warmly,

Caroline Djang