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Editor's Note
By Genoveva Meza Talbott
 It is the aim of the newsletter to provide
information to the Orange County legal community, including activities,
publications, scholarships, and other issues of interest. I would like to thank those of you who
have sent me contributions for various issues of the newsletter. As we all
know, things are always happening in the O.C. legal community, so if you have
any news, please submit them to us. I also would like to thank our web
administrator "extraordinaire", Amelia Montgomery, for helping me and the Communications Committee revise the look and
content of our website and newsletter.
We sincerely hope you like the new look and have found that the layout
of content is more user friendly and accessible. Please remember
that all relevant information of interest to a wider legal audience is very
welcome. With your help, the newsletter can remain an important medium for HBA
members and supporters. Now, please continue reading below about
our fantastic Huatulco MCLE Trip on Memorial Day weekend, upcoming Bar Review/de Barranda on Cinco de Mayo, and other interesting news. |
HBA's HUATULCO BOUND ADVENTURE
 I travel your length, like a river,
I travel your body, like a forest,
like a mountain path that ends at a cliff
I travel along the edge of your thoughts,
and my shadow falls from your white forehead,
my shadow shatters, and I gather the pieces
and go with no body, groping my way
-- Octavio Paz
Piedra de Sol (The Sun Stone)
If you go with the HBA on its 27th
Annual MCLE travel seminar this year, you will end up at the place legend has
it that Quetzalcoatl is from and which Condé Nast Traveler describes as, "a
gorgeous stretch of Pacific coast that spans nine bays with rocky headlands
interspersed with golden, sandy beaches and hardwood forest." The luxury travel specialist describes
Huatulco with soaring words - "a
series of spectacular beaches: Playa Cacaluta, the idyllic cove used as the
setting for the end of the film Y Tu Mamá También, which is part of Huatulco National Park; the beautiful Playa Conejos,
where there is a single palapa restaurant serving excellent, simple seafood;
and Barra de la Cruz, a long, undeveloped stretch with one of the area's best
breaks for surfing, backed by coconut and palm trees and weathered boulders.
This is where locals hang out at weekends, with only a handful of tourists
around."
The lucky trekkers who visit
Huatulco with the HBA over Memorial Weekend this year will enjoy an
all-inclusive, five day and four night stay at the DREAMS Resort, for a
selective HBA price that will cover round-trip fare, ground transportation, and
all hotel expenses, including beverages and meals. The MCLE program will include panels on U.S. and Mexican
public policy issues, cross-border deals, and panels on family, criminal and
immigration law featuring an outstanding array of panelists that includes María
Echaveste, Lecturer in Residence, Berkeley Law / Boalt Hall, former Assistant
and Deputy Chief of Staff to President Bill Clinton; Mauro Morales, Policy
Counsel, Office of the General Counsel, Office of Personnel Management; Alfredo Sánchez, General Counsel,
Banamex USA (Citigroup); Alejandro Razo, Vice President, Legal Department,
Banamex USA (Citigroup) and Arturo Alvarado, Counsel, Coca Cola de México,
among others (see full details on the MCLE program below).
These panels will be set against a
breathtaking, but peaceful, backdrop. Located in the state of Oaxaca, approximately 300 miles south of
Acapulco, the idyllic beaches of Huatulco have been spared the recent crime
wave that has afflicted other parts of Mexico. A recent travel advisory by the Canadian government
specifically exempted Huatulco ("Beach resorts such as Huatulco have not been
affected by these events"). In
fact, according to the "The Mexico File" newsletter, the place is so tranquil
that you won't even have to worry about "fighting the crowds or hiding behind a
book to avoid time-share and trinket salesmen" - let alone, a greater threat.
The last time Huatulco was
dangerous was probably in the 1600s, when its hideaway bays and coves provided
cover for the most notorious pirates of the day, leading the Spanish Crown to
seek the destruction of its port, which had been the primary port of New Spain
the previous century. Its hustle
and bustle gave way to a sleepy, Rip Van Winkle destiny for the next few
centuries, until the location was identified as a resort development less than
thirty years ago.
Because of its modern origins,
Huatulco is a forward-looking development that leaves many visitors deeply
impressed. "Seventy percent of the
land, including five of the nine bays, have been earmarked for ecological
preservation," reports Condé Nast. Canadian travel writer Michel Beaudry went there this month and came
away thoroughly impressed. "Huatulco is not your cliché'd all-inclusive resort destination," he
raved to readers of the Pisque News in Whistler, British Columbia. It is, he declared, "The newest - and
most progressive - of Mexico's many coastal holiday sites." Beaudry was most taken by the region's
green sense: "Did you know, for example, that the whole region operates on 100
per cent renewable energy? That's right. Forget burning gas and oil. These guys
have moved on." He quotes a local
consultant who confirms, "We get all our energy from the wind." The source also describes the local
water treatment program: "All the irrigation here is done with grey water ...
As far as pollutants - nothing goes back into the ocean."
Beadry concludes by querying, "A
third-world resort town that operates on 100 per cent renewable energy, that
features a local post-secondary institution focused on local professional
development and global tourism issues, and has a 6,500-hectare national park
cut out of prime coastal real estate right on its doorstep - what's not to
like?" The HBA hopes that its MCLE
travelers will agree that the town's tourist logo, "Close to Heaven," is a
fitting answer to that question.
JOIN
THE ADVENTURE!
If
you would like to go on the HBA's 27th Annual MCLE travel seminar to
Huatulco, please contact Robert White of Festival Travel at (714) 221-6381 or
robert@toursfestival.com.
If you would like to promote your
organization and sponsor
the seminar to herald your name to leading attorneys on both sides
of the border, please contact Carlos X. Colorado at (949) 553-7585 or
CXColorado@JonesDay.comor Norma García Guillén at (714) 424-2895 or
NGarciaGuillen@sheppardmullin.com.
The following is the working
agenda for the HBA's Huatulco MCLE seminars.
MCLE
PROGRAM
Seminar Day One
Roundtable with In-House Counsel: Cross-Border Deals & Best Practices - Alfredo Sánchez, General Counsel, Banamex USA (Citigroup)
- Alejandro Razo, Vice President, Legal Department, Banamex USA (Citigroup)
- Arturo Alvarado, Counsel, Coca Coca de México
- Luis Armando Leviaguirre, Corporate Counsel, TenarisTamsa, Tubos de Acero de Mexico, S.A.
- Jorge Uriza, Director Jurídico (General Counsel), Ocesa Entretenimiento, S.A. de C.V.
- TACA Airlines*
Moderators: Jerry Gumpel, Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton, LLP
Fradyn Suárez, Mayer Brown, LLP
The Proposed Reform to Mexican Antitrust Laws Policy and the Law: Current Challenges Facing the Obama Administration Moderators: Norma García Guillén, Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton, LLP
Jacqueline Guzmán, Orange County Counsel's Office
Seminar Day Two Benefits of Serving as an Attorney in a Federal Agency Moderator: Carlos X. Colorado, Jones Day
The Intersection Between Family Law, Criminal Law and Immigration Law - Felipe Plascencia, Law Office of Felipe Plascencia, President, Mexican American Bar Association, Political Action Committee
- Genoveva M. Talbott, Talbott & Kim, LLP
Moderator: Hon. Robert E. Thomas (Ret.)
Criminal Law for the Civil Practitioner (i.e., Criminal Law for Dummies) - Hon. Claudia Alvarez, Deputy District Attorney, Orange County District Attorney
- Felipe Plascencia, Law Office of Felipe Plascencia, President, Mexican American Bar Association, Political Action Committee
Moderator: Hon. Dennis Choate (Ret.)*
*To be confirmed Sponsored by:
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CINCO DE MAYO BAR REVIEW~DE BARRANDA
 At Taléo Grill
3309 Michelson Drive
Irvine, CA 92612
www.taleogrill.com
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Time: 5:30-10 PM
Hosted Appetizers!
Happy Hour Pricing on Drinks!
Judges: FREE
Members: $10.00
Non-Members: $20.00
The OC HBA and it's guests will enjoy a reserved outside patio.
Come get some sun while you celebrate Cinco De Mayo!
To pre-pay online or for more information click here
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Upcoming Orange County Bar Association Events
Thursday, May 6, 2010 - Law Day Luncheon
Doubletree Hotel, Orange
Wednesday, June 16, 2010 - 26th Anniversary Judge Kenneth Lae Charity Golf Tournament
Pelican Hill Golf Club
Thursday, June 3, 2010 - Summer Member Mixer
Thursday, August 19, 2010 - New Member Reception
Thursday, September 30, 2010 - Fall Member Mixer
Saturday, November 6, 2010 - OCBA Charitable Fund Annual Fall Fundraiser
Celebrations by Turnip Rose, Costa Mesa
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OCBA seminar "Special Education Law 101"
Thursday, April 22, 2010; 5:30 p.m. Registration/Dinner, 6:00p.m. Program - 3.0 CLE Credits
At Radisson Hotel, 4545 MacArthur Blvd., Newport Beach 92660
Register Online @ www.ocbar.org
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NALS of OC Spring Educational Seminar
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Technology seminar from The National Association of Legal Professionals' Orange County Chapter At Hotel Hanford, 3131 S. Bristol Street, Costa Mesa, California Topics include: Excel, Tables of Contents and Authorities (Word), Outlook, and Adobe Acrobat. Download registration form > |
OCAABA 17th Annual Installation Dinner
May 13
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Community Lawyers, Inc. 5th Year Anniversary "Celebrating Our Tradition of Advocacy."
Saturday, May 22, 2010
At 1216 East Compton Blvd., Compton, CA Proceeds from the celebration will help support Community Lawyers Access Center and CLI's 2010 Law Student Summer Internship Program. More Information > |
Gift of Literacy Luncheon featuring Maria Amparo Escandon and Sonia Nazario
Friday, April 30, 11:30am - 2:30pm
Radisson Hotel, 4545 MacArthur Blvd., Newport Beach (registration opens at 11:15am)
$75 per person; $100 for a seat at one of the Authors' Tables
To purchase tickets online click here.
Books will be available for purchase and signing. A silent auction and raffle prizes will be held.
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Applications Available For The 2011 Commission On Judicial Nominees Evaluation
The State Bar seeks active members of the State Bar, former
members of the judiciary, and members of the public who are interested
in volunteering to serve on the 2011 Commission on Judicial Nominees
Evaluation (JNE Commission). Information on the commission, time commitment and the application are available from the Web site at www.calbar.ca.gov (select
links to Attorney Resources/ Committees and Commissions/ Other Entity
Appointments) or from the State Bar's Appointments Office:
415/538-2318; fax 415/538-2255. The application deadline is June 1, 2010.
The
JNE Commission, established pursuant to Government Code Section
12011.5, evaluates all candidates who are under consideration for a
judicial appointment by the governor. It is composed of lawyers and
public members (i.e., those who are not lawyers or who are not admitted
to practice in California) who represent a broad cross-section of
California's diverse legal profession and general population. Appointed
by the State Bar's Board of Governors, the volunteer commission cannot
nominate or appoint judges; it does, however, thoroughly investigate
candidates for judicial appointment while maintaining a code of strict
confidentiality. Commissioners serve terms of approximately one-year
and may serve up to three consecutive terms. Each commission member is
also subject to a criminal history clearance by the California
Department of Justice and the FBI.
The State Bar's Board of Governors will make the appointments at its July 2010 meeting. Terms commence February 1, 2011.
For more information contact: State Bar of California, Appointments Office, TEL: 415/538-2318 |
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Job/Volunteer Opportunities
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Job Opportunities for Attorneys - New opportunities posted!
View current job opportunities for OC HBA members here > |
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