President's Message — June 2026

RCBA MEMBERS INVEST IN THE FUTURE OF OUR PROFESSION

by: Megan G. Demshki

RCBA/UCR Coffee Mentorship Chats

The RCBA teamed up with the UCR Presley Center of Crime & Justice Studies to offer Coffee Chats with UCR students to provide mentorship and build connections with students interested in the legal profession. The program facilitated over 110 one-on-one meetings between RCBA members and UCR students- ranging from first-years through graduate students and representing disciplines across the social sciences, humanities, public policy and STEM. The students provided overwhelmingly wonderful feedback who described the series as a uniquely valuable opportunity to engage candidly with practicing attorneys.

Thank you to each RCBA member who participated and so generously donated their time and insight to the students.

May General Membership Meeting

On May 15, 2026, Brooke E. Jimenez, David E. Robinett, and David P. Rivera from Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Rudd & Romo presented at the May General Membership Meeting. Brooke, David and David discussed “Recent Supreme Court Decisions in Mahmoud v. Taylor and Mirabelli v. Bonta.” Thank you, Brooke, David, and David, for your thought-provoking presentation on this developing area of law.

A special shout out to David and David for celebrating their birthdays with us as both gentlemen were celebrating their birthdays on the day of the meeting. We wish you a splendid year ahead!

New Attorney Academy Graduation

On May 15, 2026, we also had the opportunity to celebrate the graduation of the New Attorney Academy. This is the 11th year of the New Attorney Academy and the highest number of graduating participants of all time- a true testament to the value of the program and the tireless commitment of the planning committee. The Academy graduated 26 participants this year!

My most sincere gratitude to Robyn Lewis, Greg Rizio, and the entire planning committee for the many hours dedicated to this 10-month program. A special thank you to Judge John Vineyard for his years of service on the committee and founding vision as he will be retiring from the committee. We appreciate your service, Judge Vineyard!

Keep an eye out for applications for next year’s program in the weeks ahead and start thinking of bar waiters or young attorneys who might benefit from some encouragement to apply.

Congratulations to the Barristers

On May 14, 2026, the Barristers held their annual Judicial Reception at the Grier Pavilion. It was a beautiful spring evening celebrating two worthy award recipients: Judicial Officer of the Year Honorable. Sophia Choi and Attorney of the Year Steve Harmon. It was the kind of evening that makes me so proud to be a member of this legal community—the atmosphere was warm and inviting. Members were laughing and enjoying each other—handshakes and hugs and smiles. Nearly 200 people joined in to help the Barristers celebrate! Congratulations to the Barristers for a wonderful evening and thank you for all of your hard work in making this event a reality.

Get involved with the RCBA

I would love to hear from you! If you have any feedback or see an opportunity to grow the RCBA programming, please do not hesitate to reach out. I'm also happy to introduce you to new colleagues at any of our events. My email is megan@aitkenlaw.com and my phone number is (951) 534-4006.

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Megan G. Demshki is the president of the RCBA and a partner at Aitken Aitken Cohn.