LACBA News

A foundational concept of the attorney-client relationship is the duty of loyalty or, as stated by the California Supreme Court, the "attorney's duty to protect his client in every possible way, and it is a violation of that duty for him to assume a position adverse or antagonistic to his client without the latter's free and intelligent consent." However, the duty of loyalty has bounds...

LACBA’s 2025 Black History Month Honorees are Henrissa Bassey, Judge Kelvin Filer, Marnishia L. B. Jernigan, Sharron McLawyer, Richard John McNeil, Marcus Nelson, Holly Parker, and Brenda Suttonwills. Read the bios of these outstanding members and follow along on social media this month as we profile each.

LACBA's list of resources for both attorneys and community members impacted by the fires.

Upcoming LACBA events related to the L.A. fires:

• Federal Relief for Wildfire Victims: A Conversation with the Small Business Administration and FEMA, February 7 and February 21, noon 
• Tax Aspects of the 2025 California Wildfires Disaster and Recovery, February 12, 4pm

More events are being developed. Check the LACBA Calendar for the latest schedule. 

LACBA joins the world community in observing International Remembrance Day commemorated each year on January 27, the anniversary of the liberation of the largest Nazi concentration camp in Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1945.

Congratulations to LACBA's annual award winners. Senator Thomas J. Umberg is this year’s Shattuck-Price Outstanding Lawyer. Supervising Judge Kelvin D. Filer is the Outstanding Jurist for 2025. And Justice Helen Zukin is the Philip H. Lam Diversity Impact Award recipient. All three will be honored at the Installation and Awards Dinner, June 20 at the Bonaventure Hotel.

LACBA is committed to supporting our community during the devastating fires impacting LA County. We are providing resources, including updates on court closures, legal assistance, and a members-only emergency listserve to facilitate communication and support. LACBA is also organizing efforts with leaders and legal professionals to explore ways to assist those affected. 

As we bid farewell to 2024, I want to thank you for your support of LACBA and take a moment to reflect on the year that passed and the one ahead. I find myself more contemplative than usual because this new year marks the midway point in my tenure as LACBA’s President...I can say without hesitation that my favorite part has been having a front row seat at various LACBA events and meeting many of you in person or virtually.

Our dear friend and LACBA member, Seth M. Hufstedler, passed away on Dec. 20 at the age of 102, following 74 years of active practice that included serving as the association's president in 1969. 

A Message from Presiding Judge Tapia – Last month, former Presiding Judge Samantha P. Jessner passed me the gavel, marking the beginning of my two-year term leading the nation’s largest consolidated trial court. This role represents both the greatest challenge of my career and the privilege of a lifetime. Our partnership with LACBA is one we deeply value, and I am honored to use the first Quarterly Update to share a glimpse of the road ahead. 

A pervasive lack of lawyer civility has long been a matter of concern. Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor observed: “…[A]ttorneys have been spotted exchanging invectives and even engaging in shoving matches in front of various court clerks’ offices, an image that that recalls the description of modern-day litigation as ice hockey in business suits.”