WLALA Newsletter: February 2020...The legal clinic is staffed entirely by Carol Tantau, Sojourn...
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WLALA Newsletter: February 2020 WLALA Newsletter: February 2020 Volume 25, No. 6 President's Message by Jennifer Leland The first month of the new decade is over! A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to the WLALA Foundation’s Annual Giving Campaign. With your support the Foundation can continue to support the work of the Inner City Law Center, fund projects benefiting the underrepresented in our community and support law students who are committed to issues affecting women and children. Although the campaign officially ended on January 31, you can still make a difference on our website. We have a lot of things going on in February – speed mentoring, career networking, golfing, an evening of shopping at Theory and a program by our Career Development & Life Balance Committee in the works. Information about all of these programs and events can be found on WLALA’s website . To view the rest of the President's Message, please CLICK HERE . Photo Gallery
Transcript of WLALA Newsletter: February 2020...The legal clinic is staffed entirely by Carol Tantau, Sojourn...
WLALA Newsletter: February 2020WLALA Newsletter: February 2020
Volume 25, No. 6
President's Messageby Jennifer Leland
The first month of the new decade is over! A huge thank you to everyonewho contributed to the WLALA Foundation’s Annual Giving Campaign.With your support the Foundation can continue to support the work of theInner City Law Center, fund projects benefiting the underrepresented inour community and support law students who are committed to issuesaffecting women and children. Although the campaign officially ended onJanuary 31, you can still make a difference on our website.
We have a lot of things going on in February – speed mentoring, careernetworking, golfing, an evening of shopping at Theory and a program byour Career Development & Life Balance Committee in the works.
Information about all of these programs and events can be found on WLALA’s website.
To view the rest of the President's Message, please CLICK HERE.
Photo Gallery
WLALA's 'Heavy Hitting' at Sanctuary Fitness on January 11, 2020. To view more photos, pleaseCLICK HERE.
WLALA's 'How Allies Can Support All Women in the Law: An All Perspectives Discussion on Uppingthe Ante on Diversity' on Wednesday, January 29, 2020.
The MCBA Unity Breakfast on Saturday, February 1, 2020.
Of Interest
Law.com's "No, I'm Not the Court Reporter: Tips for Dealing with Implicit Bias " published on January10, 2020.
Upcoming WLALA Events
Nominations for WLALA’s Nominating Committee
WLALA is accepting nominations for members of the 2020 Nominating Committee, which will interviewand select the nominees for WLALA’s Executive Committee for the coming 2020-2021 year. The
Nominating Committee consists of Immediate Past-President Heather Stern, President-Elect JessicaKronstadt and five WLALA members, no more than three of whom may be current Board members.The five members will be elected by a ballot vote at WLALA’s Litigators Forum on March 4, 2020.Nominations for the committee must be made no later than 10 a.m. on February 18, 2020. Anyone
interested in serving on the Nominating Committee should contact Heather [email protected], Jessica Kronstadt at [email protected] or Kay Burt
at [email protected] or (213) 892-8982.
WLALA Foundation's Domestic Violence Project
The Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles Domestic Violence Project (DV Project) is chaired byJill Piano. The DV Project sponsors a weekly drop-in legal clinic each Monday from 6-7 p.m. inconjunction with Sojourn, a domestic violence service provider in Santa Monica. At the legal clinic, clients - all of whom are referred by Sojourn - are provided with assistance on avariety of legal issues, including restraining orders, divorce/separation, child custody, child/spousalsupport, criminal proceedings as well as civil law issues. These clients represent every socio-economicand ethnic background, from executives at large entertainment industry corporations to recentimmigrants who speak limited English. Some of these women are still with their batterer and beingabused, while others have left their batterers and are seeking guidance on their legal rights and nextsteps. The legal clinic is staffed entirely by Carol Tantau, Sojourn Support Services Coordinator, Minty Msiu-Kootnikoff, Legal Services Director, Sojourn, and WLALA volunteer attorneys who answer legalquestions, explain the legal process, inform victims of their rights and make referrals asnecessary. Through the legal clinic, attorneys provide legal advice, guidance and support to thesewomen, and clients are welcome to return as often as necessary until their legal issues areresolved. Each client consultation with is brief, about 10-15 minutes depending on the number ofclients waiting for assistance. The legal clinic does not provide representation of clients in court anddoes not assist in completing legal forms. However, attorneys are available to review forms completedby clients and to prepare clients to testify and present their case in court. Repeat clients often work onreestablishing their lives and working towards other positive goals for themselves and/or theirchildren. Volunteer Opportunities: Volunteers may help in two various ways: 1) volunteering directly for the legal clinic itself; 2) assistingthe co-chairs in organizing with training materials, programs and meetings, or 3) may choose to offerpro bono representation to a client if the volunteer so desires, with mentorship from Sojourn’s LegalServices Director. There is no expectation that a volunteer take a case for representation. Wewelcome all volunteer attorneys and law students regardless of background or training in domesticviolence or family law issues. For more information:Please contact our chair Jill Piano at [email protected].
Continuing to Celebrate WLALA's 100th Year
We continue the celebration of WLALA’s 100-year history this month with a clip from another longtimeleader in the legal community and 2012 winner of the Ernestine Stahlhut award.
The Honorable Patricia L. Collins (Ret.) is a distinguished member of WLALA. Among her careerhighlights was service as the Chief of the Major Crimes Unit at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in LosAngeles, Los Angeles Municipal Court Judge from 1988 to 1992, and Los Angeles Superior CourtJudge from 1992 to 2008. She is currently an arbitrator and mediator at ADR Services, Inc. where shewas voted a “Top 50 Neutral” by the Daily Journal.
Please enjoy this short excerpt from Judge Collins’ 2017 interview, in which she describes achallenging moment early in her career facing “Voldemort at deposition.”
2020 WLALA Fran Kandel Public Interest Fellowships
The Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles (WLALA) Fran Kandel Public Interest Fellowshipenables law students to work with an organization or individually to develop and implement a project in
the field of public interest law, in the spirit of Fran Kandel.
The WLALA Kandel Fellowship is designed to fund particular projects with a tangible outcome. Whilenot
intended for purely academic research, the fellowship can support an internship with a projectcomponent.
To read more about this fellowship, please CLICK HERE.
2020 WLALA Foundation and ICLC Law Student Fellowships
The Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles Foundation and Inner City Law Center are acceptingapplications for their summer fellowship position. The WLALA Foundation/ICLC law student fellow will
spend 10 weeks working full-time at ICLC during the Summer of 2020. The fellow will work withICLC’s Homeless Veterans Project and spend their summer focusing on issues affecting women
veterans, including clients who have been victims of military sexual trauma.
To read more about this fellowship, please CLICK HERE.
WLALA’s 2020 Law School Tuition Scholarships
The Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles (WLALA) Foundation is pleased once again to offer
tuition scholarships to law students who have demonstrated a commitment to issues affecting womenand/or children. WLALA is an active bar association that seeks to promote the interests of women, and
to promote equality and equal opportunity of all people. The WLALA Foundation’s special projectsinclude the Harriet Buhai Center for Family Law, which assists low income individuals in preparing andhandling pro per family law matters; the Downtown Women's Center, which is the only organization in
Los Angeles exclusively dedicated to addressing the needs of women overcoming poverty andhomelessness in Skid Row; and the Fran Kandel Public Interest Grant, which provides financial
assistance for special projects undertaken by law students working in the public interest. WLALA'snumerous committees include a group that provides pro bono legal advice to victims of domestic
violence.
The WLALA Foundation will award one-time tuition scholarships for the 2020 academic year to lawstudents whose prior and current activities, and future plans demonstrate a commitment to issues
affecting women and/or children.
To read more about this fellowship, please CLICK HERE.
Become a WLALA Officer
WLALA is accepting 2020-2021 WLALA Officer applications. If you have served on the WLALA Boardfor at least one year, you may seek election as an Officer. The deadline for submitting an application is
March 31, 2020. You can fill out the application HERE.
Request for Attorney Mentors for WLALA Law Student MentorProgram
Over 100 mentorship opportunities now available! Has a mentor impacted your career?
Now is the time to pay it forward! WLALA has over 100 women law students seeking a mentor likeyou.
CLICK HERE to show your interest and share how much time you’d be willing to commit, no amount is
too small and the rewards are unlimited!
The Business of Law Webinar Series
In this free webinar series, CEB brings you legal experts to speak to the how-tos and what-to-dos ofbuilding a successful law practice and business. Learn how to capitalize on your connections, grow
your network through social media, command a negotiation, find new clients, collect fees, work withautomation tools, go out on your own, and much more. This webinar series does not provide MCLEcredit.
Upcoming webinars:Jan 29: Project Management Tools for Success ( Register)Feb 13: Strategies for Building a Successful Small Firm Litigation Practice With a Big FirmPresence (Register)Feb 20: Building Professional Confidence: Why and How ( Register)
To learn more, please CLICK HERE.
Member News
WLALA Board Member Arezou Kohan will be giving a free motivational talk on “Women, Business &Leadership” at El Camp Workspace in El Segundo, 2150 Park Place #100, El Segundo, CA 90245, on
2/19/2020 at 6:00 p.m.
WLALA Past President Amy Brantly will be speaking at California Lawyers Association's FourthAnnual "Celebrating Women in Competition Law in California" on Thursday, March 5, 2020. For more
information and to register, please CLICK HERE.
WLALA Executive Committee member Janet Hong has started a new position as a Lecturer at UCIrvine School of Law. She will be supervising a team of law students in the Criminal Justice Clinic,
taking them to court to make appearances and working with indigent clients. Congrats, Janet!
If you are a member of WLALA and would like to share some news, please email [email protected].
WLALA Networking Facebook Page
We are excited to announce that WLALA has created a Facebook page for members called WLALANetworking where you can connect with other members of the Women Lawyers Association of LosAngeles. You can join HERE. Please note that you must be a member to join. Before posting, please
be sure to read the Rules and Guidelines here:https://www.facebook.com/groups/461034731456299/about/.
WLALA Auto Renewal Memberships
WLALA is now offering an automatic annual dues renewal program to provide members with an easyand convenient way to pay their membership dues. When it’s time to renew your membership you canselect the autopay membership as an option. Instead of receiving a renewal notice, WLALA will sendyou a reminder notice ___ days before your credit card is charged. Your membership will thenautomatically renew on the day it is set for expire.
Upcoming Local Bar Events and News
Holland & Knight in collaboration with the California Minority Counsel Program (CMCP) is hosting a
program, "Updating the Track - Forging a Path to Success for Minority Attorneys " on Tuesday,February 4, 2020. For more information, please CLICK HERE.
Korean American Bar Association's "Everything You Wanted to Know About Being a Judge But WereAfraid to Ask" is on Thursday, February 6, 2020 . For more information, please CLICK HERE.
The John M. Langston Bar Association ("Langston") is having their 44th Annual Installation andAwards Gala on February 7, 2020 . For more information, please CLICK HERE. To register, please
CLICK HERE.
The Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles will be presenting LA County Presiding JudgeKevin Brazile with a Diversity and Inclusion Award, along side several other bar associations on
Wednesday, February 19, 2020 . Tickets for our members and their guests are $50, which will includean authentic Italian meal with salad, pasta, an entree, wine with dinner and dessert. Follow the link to
sign up as a member or guest of the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles to receive thisreduced admission price, or buy a table of 8 for $400 with your firm's name and our association's
name on it. We hope you can join us for this important community event! For more information and tosign up, please CLICK HERE.
Theodore Roosevelt Senior High School is extending an invitation to Law & Public Serviceprofessionals from the Los Angeles County Superior Court and L.A. County Probation Department to
participate in their Law & Public Service Pathway Mock Interview Day on Friday, March 6, 2020 .Every year they ask their Juniors to prepare for summer internships and/or jobs by asking them to
participate in a series of workshops to prepare them for the "world of work". These workshopsculminate in mock interviews that they like to conduct on campus for their 85 juniors. To sign up,
please CLICK HERE.
Mount Saint Mary's University's "Report on the Status of Women and Girls in California" is on March26, 2020. Use the discount promotion code: PARTNER20 for their early-bird pricing through February
3, 2020. For more information, please CLICK HERE.
Law students may apply for the judicial extern positions with the Los Angeles Superior Court. Formore information, please CLICK HERE.
To view the rest of the local bar events and news, please CLICK HERE.
New Members
Bethe Barkley, Jemma Bateman, Brittany Benjamin, Chelsea K. Blatt, Sofia Bowden, Nichole Butler(Murray), Alexis Casillas, Paige Christie, Denise L. Clem (Lloyd), Hannah E. Dunham, Ashley S.
Feldman, Jennifer Fisher, Brianna Flores, Amanda Fornwalt, Sharen H. Ghatan, SyuzannaGhavazyan, Christine Gonong, Laura A. Harper (Macy), Samantha Hay, Wesley Hsu, Yifei Hu, Erika
Johnson-Brooks, Ysabel J. Jurado, Marwa Katbi, Allyson Kimmel, Melanie Khosravi, Jennifer R.Kramer, Anya Kwan, Shalini Manaktala, Ellen McGlynn, Juanita Mendoza, Diana A. Mikhail, Tracy
Nakaoka (Kawano), Ani Nazaryan, Tannaz Noormohammadi, Kelsey OBrien, Andrea W. Paris,Andrea E. Pinango, Calimay Pham, Ashlee B. Reece, Alexis Salzman (Van Ornum), Shelby Scheider,Allison Schulman, Rosy Shrestha, Joy M. Sterling, Leana Taing, Christine Tarr, Natifah Tolbert, Taylor
Ulloa (Panasiti), Brenda L. Valle-Balderrama, Cindy Wallace, Lauren Weinberger, Kelly Welch,Armineh Yousefian, Sarah Zarrabi.
WLALA Job Bank
Did you know that your WLALA membership allows you to access the WLALA Job Bank? The JobBank has employment opportunities from different non-profit organizations and law firms.
Control Risks is hiring for a full-time bilingual Corporate Counsel to join their team in their DowntownLA Office. For more information, please CLICK HERE.
Public Counsel is hiring for Directing Attorney for Homelessness Prevention Law Project. For moreinformation, please CLICK HERE.
Public Counsel is hiring for Staff Attorney for Homelessness Prevention Law Project. For moreinformation, please CLICK HERE.
The Power Group Section in the Department of Water & Power Division has an immediate opening fora power group attorney. For more information, please CLICK HERE.
The ACLU Foundation of Southern California (ACLU SoCal) seeks a Policy Counsel to protect andadvance reproductive justice, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (“LGBTQ”) rights, andgender equity in Southern California and throughout the state. For more information, please CLICK
HERE.
You must be a current member and logged into the website to view job postings. If you need helpobtaining your username and password, please email [email protected]. To view the WLALA Job Bank,
please CLICK HERE and click on the Search Openings link in the upper left corner of the page.
Visit Our Website
The Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles ("WLALA") promotes the full participation in the legal
profession of women lawyers and judges from diverse perspectives and racial and ethnic backgrounds,
maintains the integrity of our legal system by advocating principles of fairness and equality, and improves the
status of women by supporting their exercise of equal rights, equal representation, and reproductive choice.
- WLALA Mission Statement
The WLALA newsletter is a publication of the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles. Contents do notnecessarily reflect the views of WLALA. To advertise and for rates, contact the WLALA Office at (213) 892-8982. The newsletter welcomes articles, submissions and information about our members’ activities. Forinformation about submissions to the WLALA newsletter, please contact Jeannine Taylor at [email protected].
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