East Bay La Raza Lawyers Association

On Thursday October 29, 2009, the East Bay La Raza Lawyers Association and friends celebrated a Judicial Excellence and Scholarship Awards Dinner at the Cocina Poblana restaurant in Oakland’s Jack London Square.

Themed, “Civil Rights in the 21st Century: An Injury to One is an Injury to All!,” the event honored the judicial excellence and moral courage of California Supreme Court Justice Carlos R. Moreno for his principled dissent in Strauss v. Horton, the Prop. 8 case. The evening also featured a powerful keynote speech about the potential for justice through solidarity and familiarity by acclaimed gay Latino novelist Michael Nava, a judicial staff attorney running for San Francisco Superior Court Judge in 2010.

The event also honored Ms. Erlinda G. Castro for her lifetime achievements as a socially active lawyer and provided scholarships to five Latina Berkeley Law students: Lucero Chavez, Elizabeth De La Torrre, Magdalena Guadalupe, Oriana Sandoval and Amanda Urquiza, rewarding their commitment to serving the social justice needs of the Latina/o community.

Event sponsors included:

• Kazan, McClain, Lyons, Greenwood & Harley, P.C.
• Kazan, McClain, Abrams, Fernandez, Lyons, Greenwood, Harley & Oberman Foundation, Inc.
• Diana Lyons
• Frank Fernandez
• Alameda Contra Costa County Trial Lawyers Association
• Sundeen, Salinas & Pyle
• Morrison & Foerster
• Reed Smith

Save the Date — October 29, 2009

The East Bay La Raza Lawyers Association is proud to host our annual

Judicial Excellence and Scholarship Awards Dinner
“Civil Rights in the 21st Century: An Injury to One is an Injury to All!”
October 29, 2009, 5:30pm - 8:30pm
Cocina Poblana, 499 Embarcadero West
Oakland, CA 94607

2009 Judicial Excellence Honoree:

• California Supreme Court Justice Carlos R. Moreno

Keynote Speech:

• Michael Nava, acclaimed Latino author and California Supreme Court staff attorney to Justice Moreno

Scholarship Recipients:

• to be announced at the event

This year’s dinner theme and judicial excellence award honors Justice Moreno’s principled dissent in Strauss v. Horton, the Prop. 8 case. We believe that history will show the moral and legal truth of Justice Moreno’s legal reasoning and invite you to join us in a delightful evening of justice and solidarity.

This year we plan to provide five (5) $2,000.00 scholarships to first, second and third year law students who (1) self-identify as Latina/o, (2) live, work or study in Alameda or Contra Costa counties and (3) have demonstrated their commitment to serving the social justice needs of the Latina/o community.

Click here for scholarship applications.

For sponsorship information, please call our event coordinator, Coco Corona, By Design Multimedia, at 707-644-4218.

As a sponsor, you will have an opportunity to meet with our honorees, special guests and dignitaries as well as participate in the Scholarship Awards presentation and have yourself or your organization listed in our program booklet and website.

Sincerely,

EBLRLA Board

Responding to the Iranian American Bar Association (IABA)’s request for endorsements of its call for lawyers’ independence in Iran, the EBLRLA joins the call upon the Islamic Republic of Iran to repeal the revisions made by Ayatollah Shahroudi and to protect and respect the independence of the IBA..

Responding to the 7/17/09 revision of Iran’s 1955 law on the independence of the Iranian Bar Association (IBA), the IABA critiques the new regulations’ impingement of the independence of Iranian lawyers and the likely resultant threat of disbarment based on opinion or political affiliation. According to the IBA and IABA, the new revision violates fundamental principles of international law as well as guarantees afforded by the Iranian Constitution.

As the IABA quotes, from the preface to the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, “adequate protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms to which all persons are entitled, be they economic, social, and cultural, or civil and political, requires that all persons have effective access to legal services provided by an independent legal profession.”

We agree that, “An independent legal profession is an essential prerequisite to ensure the protection of human rights and the impartial administration of justice,” and encourage all lawyers to join the IABA’s call.

Click here for further updates from the IABA.

The EBLRLA board has voted to cosponsor the Annual Meeting of the Labor & Employment Law Section of the State Bar of California.

The Section’s annual meeting highlights significant developments and trends in labor and employment law and will be held on October 23-24, 2009 at the Claremont Hotel and Spa in Berkeley, California.

This year’s meeting theme is “Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Fair Employment and House Act and California Civil Rights Year,” and it will include MCLE programs on a variety of current topics, a Tribute to Legends and Pioneers of the FEHA and Civil Rights, and many distinguished speakers.

The EBLRLA encourages lawyers, law students and other legal workers to attend the Section’s meeting and help evolve the historic labor - Latino coalition to meet the needs of all poor and working class people.

Click here for more information.

¡SAVE THE DATE!

East Bay La Raza Lawyers Association,
Berkeley La Raza Law Students Association,
Centro Legal de la Raza,
and friends*

Invite you to join our Mentorship Program Summer Mixer!

Thursday July 30, 2009, 5:30pm
Cocina Poblana
499 Embarcadero West
Jack London Square
Oakland, California

Join us for tapas, drinks y comunidad (community) as we celebrate the end of the summer 2009 California bar exam and introduce East Bay Latina/o law students to volunteer mentors from the local bench and bar.

The night promises to be one to remember for Oakland’s progressive bench, bar and friends. Join us to mingle, learn about local immigrant rights struggles and celebrate the work of Latina and Latino lawyers organized in critical coalitions dedicated to social justice!

• Cosponsored by TUPOCC (The United People of Color Caucus of the National Lawyers Guild); San Francisco La Raza Lawyers Association; the NLG - SF Bay Area Chapter’s Anti-Racism and Immigration committees; Charles Houston Bar Association; Equal Justice Society; Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom; and the Alameda - Contra Costa County Trial Lawyers Association.
• Invited cosponsors include the Minority Bar Coalition and the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area.

RSVP to marctizoc@yahoo.com.

Marc-Tizoc González, Esq.
President, East Bay La Raza Lawyers Association
http://www.eblrla.org
c/s