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Thank you for your support!
Thank you to all who honored the HBA with their presence at the 30th Annual Installation and Scholarship Fundraiser on March 1st. If you missed it, you can catch a glimpse of the fun here.
A special thanks to our dinner committee members for their work in ensuring the first sell-out with record-breaking attendance, and the most dollars raised to date at our gala.
2007 Dinner Committee:
Azucena Chavarria, Ingram Micro
Fernando Chavarria, OCTA
Carlos X. Colorado, Jones Day
Carlos Dominguez, Rutan & Tucker
Olivia Carrillo Hickman, Hickman Mediation & ADR
Norma Garcia Guillen, Sheppard Mullin
Jacob Gonzales, Law Office of Jacob Gonzalez
Rafael Gutierrez, Smith Barney
Jacqueline Guzman, Office of the Orange County Counsel
Rashida Jaffer
Tamira Lopez, Hughes & Sullivan
Monica Lukoschek, Law Office of Monica E. Lukoschek
Genoveva Meza Talbott, Silent Auction Chair, CPT Group, Inc.
Lorena C. Penaloza, Office of General Counsel, CSU
Alex Polsky, JAMS
Lisa D. Ramirez, Law Office of Lisa D. Ramirez
Hon. Salvador Sarmiento, Orange County Superior Court
Michael Zarate Bayani, Barnes, Crosby, Fitzgerald, Zeman LLP
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| Become Member!
Dear Friend of the HBA:
This year the HBA continues its effort to bring innovative programs and benefits to its members, and we hope that you can take advantage of all of them!
How to become a member of the OCHBA:
To become a member of the Hispanic Bar Association of Orange County, please print, complete and send one of the Membership Applications below. You can send your membership dues with your application or pay online by clicking the appropriate button below.
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| HBA Travel Seminar
RSVP Today!
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
May 22, 2008 - May 26, 2008
5 Days/4 Nights at the CasaMagna Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa - ONLY $999!!
Join
the HBA in celebrating its 25th Anniversary Memorial Day weekend travel
seminar. This wonderful trip is being offered at the very low rate of
$999 (excluding tax, security, and fuel charges). Space on this exclusive
travel seminar is limited & subject to availability on a first
come, first serve basis. For complete itinerary & registration
details, please contact Robert White at Festival Travel & Tours, at 714.221.6381 or download the flyer.
If
you are interested in participating in the travel seminar as a speaker
or have questions about the travel seminar, please contact Travel
Committee Chair Monica Lukoschek at monica@busimmlaw.com. |
Invitation to April 23rd Symposium: "The Future of Access to Justice in California: Developing a Vision for the Next Decade"
The California Commission on Access to Justice is pleased to invite you to join it in San Francisco on Wednesday, April 23rd, for a Symposium entitled "The Future of Access to Justice in California: Developing a Vision for the Next Decade." There is no charge for the Symposium, and it is approved for 3 hours of MCLE credit. See details
Registration Form
The Symposium marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the California Commission on Access to Justice, and is designed for all statewide justice partners to discuss innovative ways to achieve access to justice. There will be a reception immediately following the Symposium, and an all-day planning session the next day for representatives of statewide organizations pursuing access to justice.
The Access Commission has an impressive list of accomplishments spanning the last ten years, and we hope that this Symposium and the special anniversary reception are a fitting celebration of the Commission's ongoing effort to pursue long-term fundamental improvements to our civil justice system.
Please respond by Friday, March 28th to let the Commission know whether you will be able to participate. FYI - there is a block of rooms listed for the "State Bar of California" at the Hotel Monaco off Union Square for those who are participating in both the Symposium and the all-day planning event on April 24th. The hotel reservations should be made by Friday, March 21st -- (415)351-7632 or (800) 351-7632.
This unusual symposium is an opportunity to consider both the challenges we will face and the opportunities we may have to truly expand access to our legal system over the next decade.
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Senator Lou Correa's
2008 Breakfast Club Meeting
Please join Senator Lou Correa and County Supervisor Janet Nguyen in welcoming  Hon. Ronald M. GeorgeChief Justice of California Friday, March 21, 2008 7:15 a.m. Registration 7:30 a.m. Breakfast 8:00 a.m. Program Old Orange County Courthouse 211 W. Santa Ana Blvd. Santa Ana, CA 92701 Seating is limited. Please RSVP to: senatorcorrea_d34@sbcglobal.net or at (714) 558-4400. Parking available at the Ross Street/ Santa Ana Boulevard Parking Lot or Limited Metered Parking Around the Courthouse. Suggested Contribution of $10.00. More information PDF |
Hard Times for Catholic Worker
"Hard time for the homeless - although the St. Thomas More Society rarely distributes requests for financial assistance, we have recently learned that Isaiah House, the homeless shelter operated by the Orange County Catholic Worker has been unable to serve the homeless and hungry for the last 10 weeks because Home Aid Orange County, an arm of the Building Industry Association, has been unable to complete needed rehab mprovements which were started by Home Aid but now are unfinished because of the real estate recession ( the rehab is incomplete and the house cannot be safely used).
As many of you know, Isaiah House has been a special ministry of the St Thomas More Society and is the only private homeless facility in Orange County. On any given night dozens of women and children are sheltered at Isaiah House and during the day meals are served to hundreds of the needy every single day of the week. These folks are now on the streets!
If you can help with this financial need, please send a check payable to Home Aid Orange County. The check memo should read, Isaiah House Project. The address to send a check is Scott Larson, Executive Director, 17744 Sky Park Circle, Suite 170, Irvine, Calif. 92614. Home Aid is a 501 (c) (3) Corporation tax exempt corporation.
The St. Thomas More Society thanks you for your consideration to help this local Orange County need in light of Matthew 25 ("in so much as you did this for the least of our Brethren").
David L. Belz
Kuhn and Belz
30900 Rancho Viejo Road, Suite 230
San Juan Capistrano, Calif. 92675
949 218 6800
949 218 6500 fax
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Pathways to Justice
Dear Bar Association Leaders:
Every three years, the State Bar of California, along with the Legal Aid Association of California, sponsors a conference to provide training and networking opportunities to legal services, support centers, pro bono programs, court-based self-help programs, and other nonprofit organizations. This year, Pathways to Justice will take place in Los Angeles on June 5 - 7, 2008, at the Downtown Marriott Hotel.
Here is the link to the "Save the Date" information >
Attendees will include executive directors of non-profits, their legal staff, administrative staff, and Boards, consisting of private attorneys and community activists. Additionally, judges, administrative court staff and legal staff will be attending. While most of the legal training is geared towards legal services attorneys and delivery of legal services to the low and no income clientele, there are several sessions that could benefit attorneys who practice in these specific areas, such as elder law, public benefits and language access (and others). There is a pro bono "track" for private attorneys, as well as sessions devoted to organizational health and development, particularly focusing on executive directors' issues. Due to a concern that some programs, especially rural and very small budgeted organizations, will not be able to attend, the State Bar has received a grant from the State Bar Foundation to give scholarships to specificallly-targeted agencies.
If you are interested in applying for this scholarship, here is the State Bar link: http://calbar.ca.gov/state/calbar/calbar_generic.jsp?cid=12509&id=1087.
The scholarship application deadline is April 25
PDF version of this document
For those of you not interested or available to attend the full conference, the State Bar is convening a business meeting of all Certified Lawyer Referral Services to bring you up to date on the latest news at the State Bar and to discuss any pressing issues relevant to LRS's. This meeting is scheduled for Friday, June 6, 2008, and will be a lunchtime meeting, 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. Lunch will be provided, so please provide advance notice if you plan on attending. Also, please let the State Bar know if there are any specific items you would like to add to the agenda and discuss.
Rodney Low, Program Developer
The State Bar of California
180 Howard Street,
San Francisco, CA 94105
Tele: 415/538-2219
Fax: 415/538-2552
Email: rodney.low@calbar.ca.gov
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| Save The Date: 
OCAABA 15th Annual Installation
Dinner OCAABA will hold its 15th Annual Installation Dinner on April
17, 2008 at Furiwa Restaurant in Garden
Grove . Please be sure to mark your calendars and watch your
email/mail for full details. |
| PLC Pro Bono Opportunities
The PLC will be participating in the AIDS Walk OC held at the Angels Stadium on Saturday, May 10th. PLC is a beneficiary of the funds raised by the AIDS Walk OC and the proceeds help fund PLC's AIDS Legal Assistance Project. This year's 5K walk will culminate with a lap around the warning track, which will be projected on the JumboTron. Please consider donating to or joining PLC's walk team by going to http://www.aidswalk.org/oc/. For more information, please contact PLC's Director of Fund Development Charlotte Finklea at cfinklea@publiclawcenter.org.
Thank you again for all your help in providing access to justice for Orange County 's low income community.
Sample Cases:
Nonprofit Start-up, PLC 08-1012438.
Client seeks assistance in starting a nonprofit organization that provides support, education and community referrals to teenage mothers. Client has been operating the program since 2003 out of a church, but would now like to incorporate and expand. Client seeks assistance with incorporating, creating corporate governance policies and procedures, and in applying for federal tax exemption. PLC can provide sample nonprofit documents if necessary. For more information regarding this case, please contact PLC Community Organization Legal Assistance Project Attorney Diamond Tran at dtran@publiclawcenter.org.
Nonprofit Dissolution, PLC 08-1012419.
Local nonprofit organization has been in operation for over 33 years and needs to cease operations due to lack of funding. Organization seeks an attorney to provide advice and guidance on the dissolution process. Organization's mission is to provide therapeutic treatment and counseling for depression, family violence, sexual abuse, and other problems. For more information regarding this case, please contact PLC Community Organization Legal Assistance Project Attorney Diamond Tran at dtran@publiclawcenter.org.
Landlord/Tenant - Mold, PLC 08-1012445.
Client rented a room in a house for over a year for $600 per month. After 3 months, Client noticed mold growing in her room. When she told her landlord, he told her to use bleach to wash it off, which she did. A month later, the mold reappeared on her bed sheets, in her room and on the cabinets. Client notified the landlord again; however, the landlord was abusive to her and demanded her to leave. She moved out at the end of January 2008. Client would like to be reimbursed for rent, personal property and sick leave associated with the molds problem she suffered. For more information regarding this case, please contact PLC Housing & Homelessness Attorney Laura Shpiro at lshpiro@publiclawcenter.org
U Visa, PLC 07-1011542.
Client is a bilingual Latina woman who seeks assistance in self-petitioning for residency by filing a U visa. Client has been the victim of physical and emotional domestic violence by her ex-boyfriend and the father of her three year-old child. In the last incident of domestic violence between client and ex-boyfriend, ex-boyfriend physically assaulted client with a knife. The police were called and client cooperated in their investigation. Client now has a restraining order protecting her and her child from ex-boyfriend. For more information regarding this case, please contact PLC Immigration Law Attorney Kirsten Kreymann at kkreymann@publiclawcenter.org.
Custody/Visitation, PLC 08-1012415.
Client seeks a 50/50 timeshare with mother of his child. Mother filed a Temporary Restraining Order against client, but then dismissed it. In mediation, client won visitation on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th weekends of every month from Friday to Sunday. Client had a recent hearing at which mother's attorney tried to get client to sign a stipulation reducing client's visitation. Client refused to sign the stipulation, and the custody/visitation issue is set for a hearing on March 17, 2008. Client has a job and lives with his mother. He claims, however, that the minor's mother does not object to the child staying with the paternal grandmother. For more information regarding this case, please contact PLC Family Law Attorney Cynthia Holton at cholton@publiclawcenter.org.
Guardianship, PLC 08-1012443.
Client seeks guardianship of her 12 year-old niece and 16 year-old nephew. Nine years ago, the children's mother passed away. Early February 2008, father and paternal grandmother also passed away. The children are presently living with the client and her husband. The guardianship will not be contested by any other family members. For more information regarding this case, please contact PLC Family Law Attorney Cynthia Holton at cholton@publiclawcenter.org.
Identity Theft, PLC 07-1012105.
Client claims she is a victim of identity theft. She claims that she never owned nor opened a specific credit card. Client became aware of a problem in November 2007 when the credit card company sent her a letter stating that her account was seriously past due. In December 2007, she sent a debt validation letter to the credit card company to inquire about the outstanding balance. A similar incident happened to her in 2002 when someone used one of her credit cards without her authorization. Client has disputed the charges and filed a security alert and police report. For more information regarding this case, please contact PLC Consumer Law Attorney Quyen Tu atqtu@publiclawcenter.org.
Bankruptcy, PLC 08-1012416.
Client works for a non-profit organization and needs assistance with his bankruptcy. As a result of medical issues he suffered over two years ago, Client is having credit problems. He cannot afford his monthly payments and all accounts are currently in collections. For more information regarding this case, please contact PLC Consumer Law Attorney Quyen Tu at qtu@publiclawcenter.org.
For additional information, please contact:
Peri Doshi-O'Neill
Pro Bono Managing Attorney
Public Law Center
601 Civic Center Drive West
Santa Ana , CA 92701
Phone: 714-541-1010 ext. 263
Fax: 714-541-5157
Email: pdoshioneill@publiclawcenter.org | |
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