President's Message — May 2026

REFLECTING FORWARD ON APRIL: A MONTH OF GOOD CITIZENSHIP

April brought several great RCBA programs that reminded me of the vital importance of good citizenship in our local community. From the practitioners and support staff to our judicial officers, a huge part of what makes the Riverside legal community so special is the people and their willingness to serve this community for the greater good.

April General Membership Meeting

On April 17, 2026, Presiding Judge Jacqueline Jackson provided membership with an update regarding State of the Court at the April General Membership Meeting. Thank you, Judge Jackson, for your thoughtful and informative presentation.

Past Presidents' Dinner

Over 20 RCBA past presidents of the RCBA gathered on April 22, 2026 for the annual Past Presidents' Dinner. It was a beautiful and inspiring evening filled with storytelling, reminiscing and connection. It provided me with an opportunity to reflect on the challenges and triumphs the RCBA has endured through our long history, due in large part to the leaders that have stepped up to serve (and continue to serve) our legal community.

Presiding Judge Jacqueline Jackson joined to give the attendees an update on the state of the Courts, and I updated the past presidents on the state of the RCBA.

Thank you to Robyn Lewis, Hon. Sophia Choi and Charlene Nelson for your hard work making the event a success.

RCBA Good Citizenship Awards

The RCBA hosted our annual Good Citizenship Awards on April 23, 2026 at the Historic Courthouse. These awards are given to one student, a junior, from each participating Riverside County high school. The recipients are chosen by the principals of their schools based on their exemplary good citizenship. The students receive a monetary award and a certificate commemorating the day from the RCBA and Lawyer Referral Service, as well as certificates from the Riverside Superior Court and various state and federal officials.

This year we had the privilege of honoring 28 students from Riverside County high schools. It was a joyous afternoon filled with a celebration of important impact of good citizenship in our community. It was inspiring to see the students' excitement to receive this meaningful recognition. I found it refreshing to celebrate an often-underrecognized accomplishment, especially in these increasingly divisive and challenging times.

Thank you Presiding Judge Jacqueline Jackson, Judge Dorothy McLaughlin and Judge Sophia Choi for attending and speaking with the students. Your presence was so appreciated and made the afternoon memorable.

Thank you Charlene Nelson for coordinating the program.

Join us!

On May 15, 2025, please join us for the May General Membership Meeting at noon in the Gabbert Gallery. The speakers will be Brooke Jimenez, David Robinett and David Rivera from Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Rudd and Romo will be discussing "Recent Supreme Court Decisions in Mahmoud v. Taylor and Mirabelli v. Bonta". In addition to the MCLE presentation, we will be celebrating our New Attorney Academy graduates. I hope to see you there.

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.