Committees and Sections of the RCBA

To join one or more of the committees and/or sections describe below, simply contact the Riverside County Bar Association (“RCBA”) office. All members are eligible — attorneys, judges, students, retired members, and affiliates.

COMMITTEES

Listed below are some of the committees established by the RCBA:

• Bar Publications – This committee is chaired by Jacqueline Carey-Wilson. It establishes editorial policy for the Riverside Lawyer magazine and assists in article development and web site content.
• Continuing Legal Education – (See updated description of this committee below.)
• Emergency/Disaster – This committee does not meet except in a disaster or upon call of the chair. It has the expertise and means to mobilize a group of attorneys to help the citizens of Riverside County in the event of a major emergency such as an earthquake, flood, fire, or other disaster.
• Fee Arbitration – The committee members serve as hearing officers arbitrating fee disputes between clients and lawyers as needed. The committee meets upon call of the chair. Don Inskeep is the chair.
• History – Responsible for the records and history of the RCBA. Chris Jensen is the chair.
• Membership – Recruits new members, researches new membership services, and promotes RCBA activities within the firms. The committee is chaired by the RCBA secretary.
• Mock Trial Steering – It is responsible for activities relating to the annual Mock Trial competitions. The committee meets monthly from September to March at the bar association or at the Riverside County Office of Education. Melissa Moore is the chair.
• Public Bar Relations – Responsible for activities relating to Law Day and Good Citizenship Awards for high school juniors.
• Special Events – Responsible for coordinating events such as the Wortz Distinguished Speaker Series, all fundraising activities, and social gatherings throughout the year.
• Committees with Restricted Memberships – Membership in the following committees is determined by either RCBA Board of Directors, Bylaws or both: Judicial Evaluation, Judicial Liaison, Krieger Meritorious Service Award, Law and Media, Nominations, and the Role of the Judiciary.

Continuing Legal Education

The Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Committee is responsible for overseeing the RCBA’s minimum continuing legal education programs. The RCBA is a State Bar-approved MCLE provider. The committee meets monthly (via telephone conference) to discuss ideas for upcoming programs that will be interesting and will help the members comply with State Bar educational requirements.

The CLE Committee holds a MCLE marathon annually, which consists of specialty (hard-to-get) topics: ethics, elimination of bias, implicit bias, competence, technology and civility.

If you are interested in joining the CLE Committee or have suggestions for programs, monthly meetings are typically held on the second Thursday of the month via telephone. The CLE committee is always looking for new members and ideas for future MCLE programs that RCBA members will enjoy. Please contact RCBA Executive Director Charlene Nelson if you are interested in joining, so you can be added to our email list when our meetings are scheduled

SECTIONS

The sections listed below are semi-autonomous from the RCBA, and are empowered to establish their own procedures subject only to compliance with the RCBA Bylaws and review by the Board of Directors. The activities of most of the sections are largely devoted to the presentation, discussion, and study of matters pertaining to the practice of a substantive area of the law. Most sections use monthly meetings as a means to acquire MCLE credit.

Appellate Law Section

A minimum of four MCLE presentations per year, which provide specialization credit. We are also currently working on a project to provide informational workshops and materials about civil appellate procedure to help self-represented civil appellate litigants navigate the treacherous waters of civil appeals. In addition, there will be regular meetings where we will discuss various matters of interest to the appellate bar, including proposed rule changes, trends in the Supreme Courts (both California’s and the United States), appellate procedures, and other matters of interest to local practitioners. Suggestions for meeting and MCLE topics are most welcome.

Business Law Section

The Business Law Section can use your help with ideas for presentations. We envision the section as providing valuable information regarding the practice of both transactional business law and business law litigation. In the past, we presented programs on issues such as e-discovery, state government aid available for businesses, business valuation, business formation, and liability insurance. But we would like your input on topics about which you would like to hear. Upcoming programs we are considering include marketing (the business side of law), managing an on-line reputation, and employment law for the small to mid-size business. Because we seek to serve the interests of our members, we would welcome any input you have regarding topics for future presentations and presenters.

Civil Litigation Section

The Civil Litigation Section meets at noon on the second Tuesday of the month in the John Gabbert Gallery of the RCBA Building. Programs will feature a bench-and-bar format, aimed at providing our local practitioners with helpful tips and guidance regarding everyday litigation topics. The goal is to make the Civil Litigation Section an invaluable resource for educational programs, networking opportunities, and the enjoyment of our wonderful profession. The Civil Litigation Section Chair is Andrew Saghian who can be reached at andrew.saghian@bbklaw.com).

Criminal Law Section

The Criminal Law Section sponsors meetings with speakers relevant to criminal law practitioners. Topics relevant to both prosecutors and defense attorneys are discussed at each meeting, featuring noted speakers of distinction in an area touching upon criminal law. Past speakers include superior court judges, justices of the appellate courts, experts in various disciplines, deputy district attorneys, and others with interesting information on exciting topic to RCBA members. The section co-chairs are Paul Grech (he can be reached at 951-682-9311) and Lori Myers (she can be reached at loriamyers@me.com).

Environmental & Land Use Law Section

The joint Environmental & Land Use Law Sections of the Riverside and San Bernardino County Bar Associations provide local-area attorneys with both MCLE and a forum for discussion of topical issues related to the environment. Whether these issues relate to CEQA, CERCLA or natural resources, clean air or water, the sections strive to provide a place where environmental issues that are of local as well as state and national interest can be discussed. Guest speakers are often used to present a talk on areas of interest to all environmental attorneys, and we are always open to suggestions on how the section can grow and be more responsive to the needs of practicing environmental attorneys in the local area.

Estate Planning, Probate and Elder Law Section

The Estate Planning, Probate and Elder Law Section provides topical presentations, usually at noon on the third Wednesday of each month (excepting summer months). In the upcoming year we are looking forward to providing speakers on estate planning issues, both transactional and litigation-related, as well as on elder law issues. The section co-chairs are Shane Duncombe (shane@dlawfirmpa.com) or Aiskell Roman (aroman@brownwhitelaw.com).

Family Law Section

The Family Law Section usually meets at noon on the third Tuesday of the month. Attorneys who practice family law and the judicial officers from the Riverside Family Law Court are often guest speakers, discussing the latest developments in family law, evidence, civil procedure, and how family law interrelates with criminal law, bankruptcy, and probate issues. Suggestions for topics are always welcome. It is the goal of the Family Law Section to provide educational programs, encourage thoughtful discussion, and create civility and camaraderie among its members. The Family Law Section co-chairs are Goushia Farook (goushia@brattonrazo.com) and Michelanne Hrubic (mh@hrubiclaw.com).

Human Rights Section

The Human Rights Section focuses on issues pertaining to human rights in our modern society. The goal of the Human Rights Section is to educate lawyers and others about such matters as human trafficking, child slavery, civil rights, political incarceration, and related topics, and to provide an opportunity for attorneys to become involved. DW Duke is the section chair and he can be reached at dwduke@spile-siegal.com.

Immigration Law Section

The goal of the section is to supply practical information and to develop agency contacts, so that the practitioner will not only know how to solve a client’s problem, but have the contacts to make it happen quickly. The section chair is Ednna Ibarra and she can be reached at eibarra@rhlaw.com.

Juvenile Law Section

The Juvenile Law Section is chaired by Deputy County Counsel L. Alexandra Fong (lafong@rivco.org) and Deputy County Counsel Joelle Moore (joellemoore@rivco.org). The section welcomes ideas as to which topics its members would be interested in learning.

Landlord & Tenant Law Section

The Landlord & The Landlord & Tenant Law Section meets eight times a year as a joint section with the San Bernardino County Bar Association. The meetings are on the second Tuesday of the month, January through May and September through November. About 25 members attend each meeting, with an equal amount from the tenant side and the landlord side. Meetings start at 6:00 p.m., alternating between Riverside and San Bernardino. Speakers have included various federal judges, state court judges, and commissioners. There are various topics that cross over into landlord-tenant issues, and new experts come to the meetings to speak. Contact the section chair, Barry O’Connor, at 951-689-9644 or udlaw2@aol.com for further information and to be added to the section’s email list.

Solo & Small Firm Section

The Solo Practitioner/Small Firm Section focuses on topics and speakers that cater to the unique needs and interests of the solo practitioner and those in small firms. The section meets the third Thursday of the month. For more information about the section please contact the chair Kenny Ramirez (kramirez@kennysramirezlaw.com).