California Supreme Court Justices Honored at Beverly Hills Bar Association Luncheon June 1, 2016 at The Beverly Hilton
Plus BHBA Awarded Scholarships to Seven Local Law Students and Presented Prizes to Three Others in Rule of Law Writing Competition at Event
PRESS CONTACT: Libby Huebner 562.799.6055, nyjazz@aol.com
Some 300 attorneys and professionals turned out to honor the justices of the California Supreme Court at the Beverly Hills Bar Association’s (BHBA) 62nd Annual Supreme Court Luncheon on June 1, 2016, at The Beverly Hilton. Six of the seven justices attended: Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye, who spoke about California’s court system budget and California State Bar reform issues, and Associate Justices Ming W. Chin, Carol A. Corrigan, Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar, Leondra R. Kruger and Kathryn Mickle Werdegar. LA District Attorney Jackie Lacey, the keynote speaker, discussed criminal justice and mental health. More than 50 other judicial officers and other dignitaries attended.
Scholarships were also presented to seven economically disadvantaged, academically qualified, local law students involved in public service; and the BHBA presented awards to the three winners of its annual “Rule of Law Writing Competition.” LA Superior Court Judge Gilbert Manuel Lopez, a former BHBA scholarship recipient himself, also gave remarks about giving back to the community.
A tradition that began in 1954, the BHBA’s annual Supreme Court Luncheon, presented in conjunction with the Beverly Hills Bar Foundation, provides Southern California lawyers and jurists an opportunity to get together outside of the courtroom. “The Beverly Hills Bar Association is pleased to recognize and honor California’s Supreme Court Justices for their tremendous dedication and outstanding service to the State,” said BHBA President Howard S Fredman.
Added Beverly Hills Bar Foundation President Jim Jahant, “We are also proud to support deserving law school students through the Foundation’s scholarship and Rule of Law award programs. These are truly accomplished young men and women who have already made a positive impact through their dedicated public service.”
Proceeds from the event benefit the Beverly Hills Bar Foundation scholarship program. Scholarships were presented to seven law school students: Krithika Santhanam of Loyola Law School; Lusik Gasparyan of Pepperdine University School of Law; Monique Moncayo and Lauren Fierro of Southwestern Law School; Anne Busacca-Ryan and Vivian T Wong of UCLA School of Law; and Stephanie Rector of USC Gould School of Law.
The Beverly Hill Bar Foundation also recognized the three winners of its annual “Rule of Law Writing Competition” – Laura Alexander of UCLA School of Law won Grand Prize for her paper, “Rule of Law and The Media,” with Honorable Mentions going to Jena MacCabe of Loyola Law School (“Can You Hear Me Now”), and Ricardo Lopez of the University of California Irvine School of Law (“Terminally Ill Minors”).
Scholarship Donors were Girardi Keese; Greenberg Traurig; Greines, Martin, Stein & Richland LLP; and Sidley Austin LLP. Champions of Justice Donors included Bird, Marella, Boxer, Wolpert, Nessim, Drooks, Lincenberg & Rhow, P.C.; Greenberg Glusker; Oldman, Cooley, Sallus, Birnberg & Coleman LLP; Shernoff Bidart Echeverria Bentley LLP; and Valensi Rose, PLC. Press Reception Co-Sponsors were Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP; and Torrey Pines Bank. The “Rule of Law Writing Competition” sponsor was Goodson Wachtel and Petrulis APC.
About The Beverly Hills Bar Association
The Beverly Hills Bar Association, founded in 1931, is the fifth largest bar association in California, with nearly 6,000 members. Its mission is to serve its members, to lead the legal profession and to advocate for justice in the community. For information on the BHBA, please call (310) 601-2422 or visit www.bhba.org.
About UC Irvine School of Law
UCI Law is a visionary law school focused on training talented and passionate lawyers and driven by professional excellence, intellectual rigor, and a commitment to enrich our communities through public service. UCI Law is a collegial environment, and our faculty comprises accomplished, nationally ranked thought leaders from around the country with a broad range of expertise. More about the Law School is available at law.uci.edu.