MABA Review. Chile Trip (continued) 56th Annual Installation Feature Commentary. Shades of Justice. Maria Ramirez. Gracias A La Vida!

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MABA Review My fellow Mabistas: Welcome to another exciting year at the Mexican American Bar Association!

their dreams of a successful legal career.

priority no matter what area of law we practice in. It is my hope that through the collaborative efforts and participation of all of you, we can make this another successful year for MABA.

In February, MABA held its 56th Annual Installation and Award s Gala at the beautiful Millenium Biltmore Hotel.

Chavez, Los Angeles Superior Court; Ana Guerrero, Mayor Garcetti s Chief of Staff; Tom Girardi, Girardi/Keese; and Motivating Our Students Through Experience (MOSTe).

1 MABA Review My fellow Mabistas: Welcome to another exciting year at the Mexican American Bar Association! I am very honored and proud to serve as your president as we strive to improve the lives of the Latino community through Maria Ramirez MABA President service and encourage Latino students to achieve their dreams of a successful legal career. This year s theme, Shades of Justice, is a reflection of the diversity of our membership and supporters and celebrates the achievements of all of us as we endeavor to make justice and fairness a priority no matter what area of law we practice in. It is my hope that through the collaborative efforts and participation of all of you, we can make this another successful year for MABA. We started out 2016 by co-sponsoring a fundraiser for the Teen Court Program with PESA and the Southeast Bar Association and hosting a Civil Rights MCLE at Loyola Law School. In February, MABA held its 56th Annual Installation and Award s Gala at the beautiful Millenium Biltmore Hotel. The evening was a great success as we honored Arturo Rodriguez from the UFW; the Honorable Victor E. Chavez, Los Angeles Superior Court; Ana Guerrero, Mayor Garcetti s Chief of Staff; Tom Girardi, Girardi/Keese; and Motivating Our Students Through Experience (MOSTe). A most sincere thank you to all of you who came out to support MABA and raise funds for our community and student programs. We could not do this without you! 2016 Volume 12 Issue 1 Gracias A La Vida! By: Cindy Pánuco For the first time in MABA history, seventy (70) Mabistas headed to Chile to cap off an incredible Our adventures began in the lush, vinecovered hills of the Casablanca Valley one of Chile s fastest-growing wine regions. There, we toured the William Cole Vineyards, a winery nestled deep in the Valley. As we tasted some of Chile s most famous wine varieties, MABA members Enrique Arevalo and Sonia Mercado provided our first MCLE of the trip. Enrique shared the history and basics of the country. Sonia serenaded us with spoken word readings of Gabriela Mistral and Pablo Neruda poems, and played excerpts of songs by Inti Illimani and also Violeta Parra s Gracias a la vida. Having learned about these treasures and their use of their artistic talent to spread the message of the civil rights movement in Chile through Looking forward, I invite all of you to join me in our upcoming events. At the Law Student, Attorney and Judge Mixer on April 14 at Loyola Law School you will have an opportunity to mingle with law students and encourage them on their journey. Grab a bat and glove and play against lawyers, judges and students at our Annual Softball Tournament on May 21. Stay tuned for our High School Visitation s and sign up to be a positive role model for high school and poem and la nueva cancion, we next set off to the beautiful coastal cities of Viña del Mar and Valparaiso. For the next three days, MABistas relaxed seaside. We took in the sights and mariscos, while some of us toured Pablo Neruda s (Continued on page) 2 Shades of Justice 56th Annual Installation Feature Commentary Maria Ramirez Page 3 Page 6 (Continued on page) 4 Chile Trip (continued) Page 4

(Editor s Note continued) college students in our communities. I encourage you to get involved with MABA in 2016 and make a difference in our communities!

2 (Editor s Note continued) college students in our communities. I encourage you to get involved with MABA in 2016 and make a difference in our communities! Very truly yours, Maria Ramirez (2016 MABA President) Table of Contents President s Message 1 Gracias A La Vida! 1 Shade of Justice: Criminal 3 Editor s Note 5 56th Annual Installation 6 Judicial Appointment Mentors 7 Federal Judicial Mentorship Program Executive Board Maria Ramirez, President Los Angeles County District Attorney s Office Alejandro Becerra, President-Elect Law Office Of Alejandro G. Becerra Denisse Gastélum, Vice-President Casillas & Associates Ana Mendoza, Secretary Alexander, Krakow + Glick LLP Oscar R. Gutierrez, Treasurer Law Office of Oscar H. Gutierrez Noreen Barcena, Newsletter Editor Barcena Law Offices Cristal Cabrera, Membership Director Law Office of Cristal L. Cabrera Board of Trustees Araceli Campos Miguel Contreras Foundation Richard Chacon Law Office of Richard M. Chacon Ivan Hernandez Law Office of the Public Defender Marisa Hernandez-Stern Susana Juarez Law Offices of the Alternate Public Defender Juan Ramos Juan A. Ramos, Attorney at Law Salvador Salgado Law Office of the Public Defender Daniela Saspe Capstone Law MABA Annual Summer Golf Tournament Friday, July 29, :45am -7:00pm Celebrity host / special guest: Alysha del Valle Location: Downey Rio Hondo Country Club Old River School Road, Downey, CA Early Bird Fees & Deadline (June 24th): Foursome $650 Individual: $175 Awards Banquet Only: $35 Leonard Torrealba Los Angeles County District Attorney s Office Mario Trujillo Los Angeles County District Attorney s Office Aníbal Valdez-Ortega Student Trustee ---- Maria Torres Executive Administrator For more golf or sponsorship information, please contact Maria Torres, , mabalaco@sbcglobal.net 2

Shades of Justice: Criminal At the end of 2000, MABA Presidentelect Luis Rodriguez, a public defender, offered me an appointment as a trustee on the 2001 MABA Board.

In 2007 I became the first deputy district attorney to serve as Efrain Matthew Aceves 2007 MABA President MABA President, and now that I am on my 18th year of service at the Los Angeles County

Serving on the MABA Board for a total of ten years provided me the opportunity to work with many great attorneys.

3 Shades of Justice: Criminal At the end of 2000, MABA Presidentelect Luis Rodriguez, a public defender, offered me an appointment as a trustee on the 2001 MABA Board. At the time, I did not realize what a profound impact MABA would have in helping to shape the attorney I am today. In 2007 I became the first deputy district attorney to serve as Efrain Matthew Aceves 2007 MABA President MABA President, and now that I am on my 18th year of service at the Los Angeles County District s Attorney s Office I realize that MABA has greatly influenced my career as a public servant. Serving on the MABA Board for a total of ten years provided me the opportunity to work with many great attorneys. Through these relationships I learned to better appreciate other areas of the law such as Worker s Compensation, Immigration, Family Law, Civil Rights and many more areas that greatly impact the Latino Community. Further, it made me realize that working together made us stronger and more effective. For example, during my tenure on the board I saw firsthand how MABA was able to influence policy at the District Attorney s Office. By working closely with then District Attorney Steve Cooley, MABA was able to highlight the importance of addressing the unauthorized practice of law by notarios who were taking advantage of the Latino community. MABA also helped shape important policy in the area of collateral consequences in criminal cases, once again providing a great service to the Latino community. Calendar of Events February Commencement of the High School Visitation Program April 14 Annual Law Loyola Law School May 21 Annual Softball Whittier Narrows Park June Annual Community Legal Fair June 11 Mexican American Bar Foundation, Silver Jubilee 25th Anniversary Scholarship & Awards Biltmore Hotel June 16 Annual Spring Casillas & Associates July 13 Supreme Court Review MCLE July 29 Annual Golf Downey Rio Hondo Golf Course September Annual Fall Mixer October Annual Judges Night and Awards Dinner October Deadline for 2017 Board Candidacy October Career Expo November MABA Annual Trip: Cartagena, Colombia In 2009, I served as the co-chair of MABA s first free legal fair and I am proud that it has become a yearly event that has served thousands of LA County residents. Furthermore, that same year, I helped launch MABA s first international chapter, MABA Mexico, in my parent s hometown of Guadalajara, Mexico. Since then, many of us have had the privilege of lecturing and conducting mock trials in several Mexican State Supreme Courts. I feel honored to be an integral part of this great organization and look forward to working closely with MABA as we foster newer generations of Latino attorneys. 3

4 Gracias A La Vida! (continued) homes at Isla Negra and at Valparaiso. In Valparaiso, we took walking tours and experienced the impressive street murals that adorned many of the city s walls, and were entertained by a typical Chilean lunch complete with dance. After our time on Chile s coast, we headed inland towards Santiago, the country s capital. Before arriving in Santiago, MABistas were treated to an asado and typical Chilean Rodeo at the ranch and restaurant, Puro Caballo - meat and entertainment for days! After departing Puro Caballo, we made our way to Santiago where we experienced its breathtaking skyline set against snow-capped Andes mountains. In the capital, MABA was received by many gracious hosts during a day full of memorable MCLE s. We first visited the law school at Universidad Diego Portales where three members of the faculty presented our members an MCLE on the issues of immigration and human rights abuses by law enforcement that Chileans face. We next visited the chambers and courtrooms of Chilean judges. There, where we observed arraignments and learned about Chile s transition to a criminal justice system modeled after our own. Our day, and formal agenda for the trip, ended with a farewell reception at the residence of the Deputy Chief of Mission for the Embassy of the United States in Chile. We were welcomed by Chilean lawyers, judges, diplomats, and American officials in Chile. The trip was one for the books! It could not have been made possible without the help of many: the Chile Trip Committee (Robert White, Enrique Arevalo); our MCLE educators Sonia Mercado and Judge Shelly Torrealba; and Maria Ramirez who helped with many logistics in Chile! Thank you Chile, the planning committee, and all of the free-spirited travelers who made the trek south. We will forever have the memories and time we shared in Chile, as we truly embraced the message of the song with which we began our trip, Gracias a la vida. 4

It is you that make our organization a success.

Speaking of which, MABA s Judicial Endorsements for this year are: Javier Perez,

5 My fellow Mabistas: I look forward to serving as your Newsletter Editor for the 2016 year! This year, our active members will receive three newsletters, and our honorary members will receive two newsletters. This is the first newsletter. If you want to have the benefit of three Noreen Barcena Newsletter Editor newsletters, join the Mexican American Bar Association now! This year was kicked off with a great start, and we hope that you enjoy our new and improved newsletter! A big thanks to Stay Studio. Again, thank you to all of our supporters. It is you that make our organization a success. May we all continue to empower our Latino community, and support one another. Speaking of which, MABA s Judicial Endorsements for this year are: Javier Perez, Bradley Erdosi, Teresa Traber, Yvette Palazuelos, and Efrain Aceves. For more information contact the MABA Office and sign up to be a positive role model! Noreen Lysette Barcena For your newsletter questions, comments and ideas, please me at noreen@barcenalaw.com 5

56th Annual Installation By: Maria Ramirez Thank you to all of you who supported and attended MABA s 56th Annual Installation of Officers and Awards Gala on Saturday February 6th, 2016 at the

The theme for the night Shades of Justice, signifies the diversity of individuals who contribute to making sure that MABA s mission of empowering the Latino Community is achieved every day.

Yet, we come together because of our common desire to see that the justice system as a whole is a constant reflection of fairness and due process.

6 56th Annual Installation By: Maria Ramirez Thank you to all of you who supported and attended MABA s 56th Annual Installation of Officers and Awards Gala on Saturday February 6th, 2016 at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel. What a great way to kick off what I believe will be an awesome year for our organization. The overwhelming attendance at our SOLDOUT event was a true testament to the loyalty of MABA Members that means YOU! I am truly grateful to all of you who attended the Installation, our largest fundraiser of the year. The theme for the night Shades of Justice, signifies the diversity of individuals who contribute to making sure that MABA s mission of empowering the Latino Community is achieved every day. The MABA board, membership and supporters are a tapestry of varying backgrounds, nationalities, races, sexual orientation, and job descriptions. Yet, we come together because of our common desire to see that the justice system as a whole is a constant reflection of fairness and due process. The honorees at this year s Installation, Tom Girardi, Founding Partner, Girardi and Keese, (Benito Juarez Attorney of the Year), the Honorable Victor E. Chavez, Superior Court of California, Los Angeles County (Frank E. Munoz Lifetime Achievement), Arturo Rodriguez, President, United Farm Workers (UFW) (Special Recognition Award) and Ana Guerrero, Chief of Staff, Office of Mayor Eric Garcetti (Edward Roybal Public Service) and Motivating Our Students Through Experience (MOSTE) (Justice Cruz Reynoso Community Service Award), were overwhelmed with appreciation. Even though we were bursting at the seams we have received overwhelmingly positive responses by those in attendance. Thank you again for your continued support. I am excited about our calendar of events for the remainder of 2016 and I look forward to what is sure to be an amazing MCLE trip to Colombia in November. 6

Judicial Appointment Mentors By: Richard Chacon The Los Angeles Chapter of the California Latino Judge s Association has created a new committee to provide support and mentorship to potential

The committee, entitled Judicial Appointment Support Committee (JAS), is committed to promoting judicial diversity within the Los Angeles Superior Court.

JAS will mentor applicants from any ethnic background, any area of practice, and even those individuals who have yet to meet the minimum requirements.

This can be particularly helpful to attorneys who are not in touch with bench officers and have little or no idea what the appointment process entails.

7 Judicial Appointment Mentors By: Richard Chacon The Los Angeles Chapter of the California Latino Judge s Association has created a new committee to provide support and mentorship to potential candidates who are thinking about applying for a judicial appointment or who are already going through the judicial appointment process. The committee, entitled Judicial Appointment Support Committee (JAS), is committed to promoting judicial diversity within the Los Angeles Superior Court. Their goal is to increase ethnic diversity and breadth of experience on the bench. JAS will mentor applicants from any ethnic background, any area of practice, and even those individuals who have yet to meet the minimum requirements. The goal of JAS is to take the mystery out of the appoint-ment process. This can be particularly helpful to attorneys who are not in touch with bench officers and have little or no idea what the appointment process entails. The JAS pairs each applicant with an individual mentor to guide them through the process. When possible, they will pair the applicant with a bench officer who came from the same area of legal practice. Guiding the applicant would likely consist of preparing the applicant to apply, reviewing judicial applications, and preparing applicants for the interviews with the Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluations (JNE), bar associations and the Governor s office. However, JAS will not endorse applicants. All applicants will be granted strict confidentiality of their information including their desire to become a judge. If anyone is interested in such a mentorship or interested in exposing their organization to this committee, please contact the JAS Co-Chairs, the Honorable Yolanda Orozco and the Honorable Paul Bacigalupo, or the JAS Outreach Liason, the Honorable Sergio Tapia at CLJA.JAS@gmail.com. 7

Federal Judicial Mentorship Program By: Marisa Hernandez-Stern MABA wishes to congratulate the following students on their selection to its Federal Judicial Externship Program ( FJEP ): Rosio Flores,

8 Federal Judicial Mentorship Program By: Marisa Hernandez-Stern MABA wishes to congratulate the following students on their selection to its Federal Judicial Externship Program ( FJEP ): Rosio Flores, a first year student at Southwestern Law School, will extern for Judge Harry Pregerson; Jesenia Martinez, a SCALE first year student at Southwestern Law School, will extern for Judge Dean Pregerson; Amy Lopez, a first year student at George Washington Law School, will extern for Judge S. James Otero; Eduardo Osorio a first year student at UC Davis King School of Law, will extern for Judge Philip Gutierrez; Domonique Alcaraz, a first year student at Loyola Law School, will extern for Judge Jesus Bernal; Katherine Figueroa, a second year student at Loyola Law School, will extern for Judge Fernando Olguin; and Vivian Martin, a first year student at UCLA School of Law, will extern for Judge Rozella Oliver. MABA also wishes to thank the California Community Foundation and the Law Office of Girardi & Keese for their generous support of the program. If you are interested in learning more about the FJEP, please contact MABA Trustee Marisa Hernandez-Stern at marisahs@gmail.com. If you are not already a MABA member, please take five minutes to join this dynamic organization. Joining is simple and can be accomplished by calling the MABA office at , or visiting us online at: MABA Past-Presidents Manuel S. Martinez* 1963 Herman Sillas 1964 Honorable Ray Cardenas* 1965 Martin Castillo 1966 Manuel Valenzuela* 1967 Manuel Aranda (resigned) 1968 Lorenzo Pereyda* 1969 Oscar Munguia* 1970 Honorable Victor Chavez 1971 Ernest Gallego 1972 Honorable Joseph Armijo* 1973 Stanley Delnick 1974 Frank Munoz* 1975 Lawrence De Fuentes* 1976 Honorable Ben Aranda* 1977 Honorable John Martinez 1978 Daniel Garcia 1979 Oscar Parra 1980 Esther Valadez 1981 Justice Carlos Moreno Excellency 1982 James E. Blancarte 1983 Jaime Cervantes* 1984 Carlos Zaragoza 1985 Armando Duron 1986 Gustavo Barcena 1987 Monica Jimenez 1988 Debra Gonzales 1989 Marcia Gonzales-Kimbrough 1990 Raul Ayala 1991 Raul Granados 1992 Martha Romero 1993 Martha Melendez 1994 Enrique Arevalo 1995 Yvonne Magdalena Flores 1996 Maria Villa 1997 M. Leslie Stearns 1998 Arnoldo Casillas 1999 James E. Blancarte 2000 Luis Rodriguez 2001 Cristina Perez-Gonzalez 2002 Maribel Medina 2003 Edward Ortega 2004 Alan R. Diamante 2005 Claire Cifuents 2006 Efrain Matthew Aceves 2007 Pete Navarro 2008 Mario Trujillo 2009 Judy Perez 2010 Victor Acevedo 2011 Rigoberto Arrechiga 2012 Elizabeth P. Uribe 2013 Erick Solares 2014 Cindy Panuco 2015 Thank you in advance for your generous support and we hope to see you at our upcoming events! 8

9 Mexican American Bar Association Main Office Mexican American Bar Association of Los Angeles 714 West Olympic Blvd., Suite 450 Los Angeles, CA Tel: Fax: MABA is committed to the advancement of Latinos in the legal profession and the empowerment of the Latino community through service and advocacy. 9

Latino youth are America s fastest growing population.

Centennial Legacy Campaign Member What will your legacy be?

10 Latino youth are America s fastest growing population. With the support of CCF, I believe we can prepare them to compete and contribute as never before. -Steve Moya Founder, The Great Potential Latino Initiative & Centennial Legacy Campaign Member What will your legacy be? Transform the future of L.A. County through CCF s Centennial Legacy Campaign. MyLALegacy.org

11 11

YOU ARE A HERO. You understand the power of togetherness.

You use your boundless energy to enrich the lives of those

Union Bank is proud to sponsor the Mexican American Bar

com Manhattan Village Branch Sabina Randhawa Director,

Sepulveda Boulevard Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 310-545-7365

Manhattan Village Branch Emanuel Jimenez Sr.

12 YOU ARE A HERO. You understand the power of togetherness. You help strengthen the ties of community. You use your boundless energy to enrich the lives of those around you. For your selfless dedication, we salute you. Union Bank is proud to sponsor the Mexican American Bar Association. unionbank.com Manhattan Village Branch Sabina Randhawa Director, Branch Manager 2910 N. Sepulveda Boulevard Manhattan Beach, CA Manhattan Village Branch Frank Ruiz VP, Branch Service Manager 2910 N. Sepulveda Boulevard Manhattan Beach, CA Manhattan Village Branch Emanuel Jimenez Sr. Relationship Banker 2910 N. Sepulveda Boulevard Manhattan Beach, CA MUFG Union Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. Union Bank is a registered trademark and brand name of MUFG Union Bank, N.A. 12

IJDP Executive Committee Members

IJDP Executive Committee Members Arthur Bowie, Esq. Arthur Bowie s tenure as a trial and appellate court attorney includes the successful litigation of sixteen California Court of Appeal and California