We Moved!
We have moved to a new suite!
We are excited to announce that our SMCBA team has moved to a new suite in the same building. Please make note of our new address below. Our phone numbers and email addresses remain the same.
New Address:
333 Bradford Street, Suite 150
Redwood City, CA 94063
Please note, only SMCBA team moved from suite 200 to suite 150. The Private Defender Program team will remain in suite 200.
If you have any questions, please email us at membership@smcba.org.
Prison Profiteering: How a Multi-Billion-Dollar Industry Drives Mass Incarceration – July 29th
Prison Profiteering: How a Multi-Billion-Dollar Industry Drives Mass Incarceration
Thursday, July 29, 2021
12:00 PM, PST
Live webinar
The San Mateo County Bar Association’s Race & Social Justice Committee invites you to attend a webinar on Prison Profiteering: How a multi-billion-dollar industry drives mass incarceration, with Sivani Babu.
Prison profiteers have made fortunes on mass incarceration, and, in doing so, have become an important factor driving the incarceration of adults and children in the U.S. In this presentation, Sivani Babu brings context to the conversation about the prison-industrial complex by drawing on existing research as well as her experiences as an assistant federal public defender in South Texas. From for-profit facilities to telecom and healthcare services, she sheds light on the impact of decades of privatization in our prison system and what we can do to effect change.
Sivani Babu is an award-winning conservation and exploration journalist and the co-founder and co-CEO of Hidden Compass — a women-led, exploration-focused media company. She is also a former assistant federal public defender for the Southern District of Texas. Working in one of the busiest districts in the nation, she represented defendants charged with a wide variety of federal felonies, from immigration to financial fraud and drug trafficking offenses. Part of that representation often included working to secure basic healthcare for clients held in for-profit facilities.
Cost of Attendance: FREE for SMCBA members and $20 for non-SMCBA members.
MCLE Credit: This event qualifies for 1-Hour of General Law MCLE Credit.
Registration: Please log in on the SMCBA website to register for this event. If you wish to pay by check, please still register online first and send your check payable to SMCBA, to: 333 Bradford St., Ste. 150, Redwood City, CA 94063. Attn: Events. *Please note for which event you are paying and the name of the attendee.
Logistics: Your Zoom credentials will automatically be emailed to you shortly after you register online, as well as the day and hour before the event. Please note that you’ll need to be logged into a Zoom account to join the webinar. The written materials for the webinar will be emailed to attendees the morning of the event.
Cancellations must be received at least 48 hours prior to the event for a full refund of the registration fee. If you do not cancel within 48 hours or do not show up to the event, you will be charged the full amount.
SMCBA Law Day 2021 Virtual Presentation – April 30
SMCBA Law Day 2021 Virtual Presentation
Friday, April 30, 2021
12:00 pm– 1:00 pm
Law Day is a national day set aside to celebrate the rule of law. Law Day underscores how law and the legal process contribute to the freedoms that all Americans share. Law Day also provides an opportunity to recognize the role of courts in this democracy and the importance of jury service to maintaining the integrity of the courts.
Presentation of Mock Trial Awards
The high school students and teacher-advisors who participated in this year’s Mock Trial Competition will be honored guests.
San Mateo County Trial Lawyers Association Scholarship Program Presentation
Each year, the San Mateo County Trial Lawyers Association presents scholarship awards to three high school seniors who wish to pursue a career in the law or criminal justice careers at this event. This year, the program will award $7,500 to the top three candidates. The San Mateo County Trial Lawyers Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of justice, preservation of the jury system, and the protection of the rights of the consumers and injury victims
This year, we would like for everyone to attend this popular event at no cost and offer our members the opportunity to “Sponsor a Team” and receive the following:
$200 Gold Sponsor will receive the Golden Package – 1 full-page ad in the Here-Say and Care Package which will include an SMCBA Tote, Journal, Pen, Hand Sanitizer, and Mask.
$150 Silver Sponsor will receive the Silver Package – ½ page ad in the Here-Say and Care Package which will include an SMCBA Journal, Pen, Hand Sanitizer, and Mask.
$100 Bronze Sponsor will receive the Bronze Package – Business Card size ad in the Here-Say and Care Package which will include SMCBA Pen, Hand Sanitizer, and Mask.
All proceeds will go to support the Mock Trial Competition Program.
Contributions to the SMCBA are not deductible as charitable contributions, but may be deductible under other sections of the Internal Revenue Code.
The Pruno Project: Exonerated Prisoners Webinar – April 29
THE PRUNO PROJECT: EXONERATED PRISONERS WEBINAR
Thursday, April 29, 2021
12:00-1:00 p.m.
Via Zoom
The San Mateo County Bar Association’s Race & Social Justice Committee and the Private Defender Program invite you to attend The Pruno Project: Exonerated Prisoners webinar. The Pruno Fund is a non-profit dedicated to helping exonerees transition from prison to life on the outside. The thousands of men and women who have been exonerated of their wrongful convictions have a lot to teach us about perseverance, patience, and hope. Join us and listen to two amazing men, Zavion Johnson and Obie Anthony, who will share their unbelievable life experiences!
Obie Anthony was sentenced to life without parole for a murder he did not commit when he was 19 years old. California incarcerated him for 17 years. Upon exoneration, Obie dedicated himself to supporting other exonerees to meet their basic needs after release. Obie was instrumental in the passage of California Assembly Bill No. 672 (nicknamed and cited as “Obie’s Law”). The bill requires the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to assist exonerees with transitional services, including housing assistance, job training, and mental health services. In 2016, Obie founded Exonerated Nation, and is committed to transforming the experiences of exonerees after release and building a community that can provide safety, stability, and healing to wrongfully convicted Californians.
Zavion Johnson is an exoneree who served half his life falsely accused after being imprisoned at the age of 19. Losing his trial, Zavion was convicted of the false charges, sentenced to double life and sent off to serve his sentence at the most deadly maximum security level IV facilities. Being an innocent man, Zavion fought tirelessly to regain his freedom by filing numerous court documents and wrote to many organizations he felt could help him gain his freedom. Since his exoneration in late 2017, Zavion has spent time adjusting to life outside and educating California state legislators, attorneys, college students, and law school student to ensure that no one else suffers the injustice he endured. Zavion sits on the advisory board of Exonerated Nation, a nonprofit organization which helps exonerees like him with after care and re-entry services.
This event qualifies for 1 hour of Elimination of Bias MCLE credit.
This event is co-sponsored by the Alameda County Bar Association and the California Lawyers Association.
Cost of Attendance: FREE for SMCBA members and $15 for non-SMCBA members. MCLE Credit is available for an additional $15.
Registration: Please log in on the SMCBA website to register for this event. If you wish to pay by check, please still register online first and send your check payable to SMCBA, to: 333 Bradford St., Ste. 200, Redwood City, CA 94063. Attn: Events. *Please note for which event you are paying and the name of the attendee.
Logistics: Your Zoom credentials will automatically be emailed to you shortly after you register online, as well as the day and hour before the event. Please note that you’ll need to be logged into a Zoom account to join the webinar. The written materials for the webinar will be emailed to attendees the morning of the event.
Cancellations must be received at least 48 hours prior to the event for a full refund of the registration fee. If you do not cancel within 48 hours or do not show up to the event, you will be charged the full amount.
Message from Executive Director
Dear San Mateo County Bar Association members,
Effective immediately, the San Mateo County Bar Association (SMCBA) is cancelling all non-essential meetings. Committee Chairs will be provided with virtual meeting platform software to conduct meetings on behalf of the Association. Section Chairs will also be provided with software and should use their discretion when planning meetings. Please stay tuned for more information regarding Law Day (May 1st) and Judges’ Night (June 4th).
The Lawyer Referral Service (LRS) Program will not accept walk-in clients this month. If you are part of the LRS panel, we will continue to make referrals online and over the phone. We urge our members to meet with the LRS referrals by phone only until further notice.
Likewise, walk-in members are encouraged to do business by phone (650-298-4030), email (membership@smcba.org) or by fax (650-368-3892).
Thank you for your patience and for helping us keep SMCBA a healthy and safe place for all.
Deborah Kemper
Executive Director
Status Conference Volunteers Needed
Calling all Family Law Attorneys:
Department 15 always needs status conference volunteers.
Volunteering at the Status Conferences is a great way to give back and learn or refresh your skills.
This is a great opportunity to feel a real sense of accomplishment as you help pro per litigants with their disclosures, answer their family law questions, help them resolve disputes and reach settlement, and assist them with their judgment packages. If this is your first time volunteering, Judge Franchi or other volunteers will be there to assist you.
Also, if you are planning on being at Court for a Status Conference in another Department, they will try to get you in towards the beginning of their calendars if you inform their Clerks that you are scheduled to volunteer in Department 15.
Snacks will be provided.
Please click on this link to sign-up.
Cybersecurity and IT Made Easy – March 4
CYBERSECURITY AND IT MADE EASY
Thursday, March 4, 2021
12:00-1:00 p.m.
Via Zoom
Description: The webinar will outline the significance of having strong cybersecurity practices to secure your firm and how to properly manage your information technology. We will cover current cyber threats, risks, and possible vulnerabilities. We will also cover who the hackers are, common myths, and cybersecurity fundamentals. Following the webinar, attendees will be able to secure their firm following the NIST Cybersecurity Framework.
Speaker: Tom Kirkham, founder and CEO of IronTech Security & Kirkham.IT, provides cybersecurity defense systems and focuses on educating and encouraging organizations to establish a security-first environment with cyber security training programs for all workers to prevent successful attacks. Kirkham brings more than three decades of software design, network administration, computer security, and cybersecurity knowledge to organizations around the country. During his career, Kirkham has received multiple software design awards and founded other acclaimed technology businesses. Kirkham once had a software company that sold retail management software to the NSA, Sprint, AT&T and various premier golf clubs like Firestone and Pebble Beach. He is an active member of the FBI’s Arkansas InfraGard Chapter and frequently speaks about the latest in security threats.
Cost: Free for SMCBA members and $15 for non-SMCBA members.
Registration: Please log in on the SMCBA website to register for this event. If you wish to pay by check, please still register online first and send your check payable to SMCBA, to: 333 Bradford St., Ste. 200, Redwood City, CA 94063. Attn: Events. *Please note for which event you are paying and the name of the attendee.
Logistics: Your Zoom credentials will automatically be emailed to you shortly after you register online, as well as the hour before the event. Please note that you’ll need to be logged into a Zoom account to join the webinar. The written materials for the webinar will be emailed to attendees the morning of the event.
Cancellations must be received at least 48 hours prior to the event for a full refund of the registration fee. If you do not cancel within 48 hours or do not show up to the event, you will be charged the full amount.
MCLE Reporting Deadline
How do I report my compliance for the 2018-2021 Reporting Period?
If you are in Group 2 (H-M), the deadline to submit your report of compliance is February 01, 2021. To submit your report of compliance, log into My State Bar Profile on the State Bar of California website and complete the Online Summary Log.
All active attorneys practicing law in California are required to complete a total of 25 hours every three years. If you are in Group 2, your 25 hours must be completed between February 1, 2018 through January 31, 2021.
- At least 12.5 MCLE hours must be “participatory” CLE credit.
- As part of the 25 hour requirement, attorneys must complete the following:
- Legal Ethics: 4 hours (required)
- Competence Issues (formerly known as Prevention, Detection and Treatment of Substance Abuse or Mental Illness): 1 hour (required)
- Recognition and Elimination of Bias in the Legal Profession and Society: 1 hour (required)
Attorneys are responsible for tracking their own hours and must report compliance to the State Bar of California. The State Bar of California provides a Personal MCLE Log Form that can be downloaded and used to track MCLE hours. SMCBA members can view and download MCLE certificates by logging into their SMCBA profiles. View the Instructions on How to Print MCLE Certificates.
For more information on credit details, exemptions and modified requirements, please visit the State Bar of California’s website.
SMCBA 2021 Installation of Officers and Annual Meeting – Feb 5
SMCBA 2021 Installation of Officers and Annual Meeting
Friday, February 5, 2021
12:00 pm– 1:00 pm
Join SMCBA for our Annual Meeting, Installation of Officers and Barristers, and Award Presentation on Friday, February 5, 2021.
The James M. Dennis Memorial Award, the William Nagle, Jr. Memorial Award, and the Dennis L. Woodman Memorial Award will be presented at this event.
Cost: FREE for members of SMCBA.
Registration: To register, please log-in on the SMCBA website or complete the registration form and fax to 650.368.3892 or email to events@smcba.org.
Sponsorship: To *sponsor this event, please complete and submit the registration form. Payment is due at the time of submission of your advertisement.
Advertising content information must be received by January 29, 2021. All content is subject to editing and must be received in electronic Word format. Materials can be sent to almar@smcba.org. For more information contact Alma Robles (650) 298-4003 or almar@smcba.org.
*Contributions to the SMCBA are not deductible as charitable contributions, but may be deductible under other sections of the Internal Revenue code.
Quarantini: Happy Hour with Deborah!
QUARANTINI: HAPPY HOUR WITH DEBORAH!
OCTOBER DATES:
Tuesday, October 13, 2020
&
Tuesday, October 27, 2020
5:30-6:00 p.m.
Via Zoom
The San Mateo County Bar Association is excited to introduce a new social event, QUARANTINI: HAPPY HOUR WITH DEBORAH!
Life during Covid-19 has been stressful, to say the least. We want to gather together (virtually, of course!) and build our community. What better way to get to know each other than a BYOB happy hour!
So pour yourself some of your favorite drink and join us on Zoom! We’ll talk about anything and everything. There really is no requirement for attending except for being 21+ years of age and open to chat. We look forward to seeing you there!
Zoom meeting number: 940-3997-7645
Zoom Passcode: 874571