WLS Newsletter - Women Lawyers of Sacramento

WLS Newsletter
Women Lawyers of Sacramento
P.O. Box 936 • Sacramento, California 95812
January 2013
www.womenlawyers-
WLS 50th Anniversary Celebration
Honoring our Past, Celebrating our Present,
Embracing our Future
WHAT’S INSIDE
By: Joan Stone, Past President Liaison
50th Anniversary Celebration
- Joan Stone
1-6
50th Anniversary Photo Gallery 7-8
Message from the 50th Anniversary
Planning Committee
- Rebecca Dietzen
9
January Luncheon Details
10
Award to Justice Butz
11
November Luncheon Highlights
- Wendy Taylor
12
WLS Member Spotlight:
Corrie Erickson
- Kim Garner
13-14
President’s Corner
-Christine Jacob
15
Meet the 2013 WLS
Board Members
16 - 21
Announcements & News
22- 23
F
ollowing a year-long preparation, WLS held its 50th Anniversary Celebration
Dinner on December 4, 2012 in the historic Elks Tower Ballroom. Decked in
gold and purple, the ballroom provided a beautiful setting for the dinner, attended by over
300 members and friends of WLS. The venue was also nostalgic for some long-standing
WLS members who remembered attending WLS lunch meetings in rooms in the Elks
Building in the early days of the organization.
The theme for the dinner program was “Honoring our Past, Celebrating our Present, and Embracing our Future.” Thanks to the sterling efforts of committee co-chairs
Rebecca Dietzen and Megan Lewis, the energetic dinner committee and our many sponsors, we did so in style. There were many highlights during the evening. The purpose of
this article is to provide some historical perspective for the program.
Following opening remarks and introductions by 2012 WLS President,
Megan Lewis, we began the evening with the presentation of the inaugural WLS Lifetime Achievement Award to our founding mother and second president, Virginia S. Mueller.
To our great honor and
delight, Virginia was present
with her family to receive the
award. A member of the California bar since 1946, Virginia is
recognized as a trailblazer, pioneer and role model. She is
widely known throughout the
world for her efforts to protect
human rights, to end discrimination against women and to promote peace through the rule of
law and international understanding. At the local level, she
has provided mentoring for generations of women lawyers and
a myriad of pro bono services
for the indigent throughout her
career. We hope to see Virginia
at WLS lunches and events for
many years to come.
WLS
January 2013
Luncheon
Legal Malpractice
Pitfalls and Ethical
Conundrums
Featuring:
Hon. Kimberly Mueller,
Jason Sommer, &
Wendy Taylor
January 24, 2013
Lucca Restaurant
(See Page 10 )
photo by Charr Crail
(Cont. on pg. 2)
Page 2
WLS January 2013 Newsletter
WLS 50th Anniversary Celebration
(continued from page 1)
In honoring our past, a group of past presidents
and a Frances Newell Carr Achievement Award
recipient decided to perform a historical “skit.”
Jerilyn Paik (right and below), Jennifer Kaufman,
Susan Orton, Windie Scott (below center), Jamie
Errecart (below right) and Lilly Spitz (left) entertained guests with a brief and light-hearted anecdotal history of five decades of WLS.
photo by Charr Crail
WLS was founded in 1962 by a small
group of trail blazing women lawyers. At the
time, there were not many women lawyers in
Sacramento and their interests were not being
well represented in the mainstream bar associations. The SCBA DOCKET headline in December 1992 proclaimed "LADIES ORGANIZE," and continued "The fairer sex has organized". The stated purpose of the organization
was to "enable our lady lawyers to participate
more effectively with other professional and
photo by Charr Crail
civic organizations and to encourage women in the study and practice of law." The first president was
Frances Newell Carr, with Margaret A. (Peggy) Flynn as secretary, and Julie Egan as Treasurer. Membership was open to any
woman member of the bar who lived or worked in Sacramento. Other founding members were Virginia Mueller, Rita
Singer, Carolyn Kemmler, Elizabeth "Buff" Welsh, Lucy Amerson, Faye Swan, Elizabeth McGilvray, Doris Maier, and Mary
Mulcahey.
A major goal of WLS was to have women lawyers appointed as judges. In 1962, there were no women on the bench
in Sacramento County. The only woman who had ever sat on a court in the area was Annette Abbot Adams who served on
the Third District Court of Appeal from 1942 to 1952.
As an independent bar association, WLS could make its own recommendations to the Governor’s Office about judicial candidates. This proved crucial as women were not making much progress in the male-dominated professional organizations.
As early as the spring of 1963, Frances Newell Carr wrote a letter to the governor recommending the appointment
of Peggy Flynn as a judge. Ultimately, in 1964, Margaret A. Flynn was appointed to the municipal court by Governor Edmund
Brown. Judge Flynn was forced to run in a hotly contested election in 1966 which she won by a two to one majority. In
1966, Judge Flynn obtained the endorsement of SCBA as its official candidate which described her as a brilliant and diligent
judge in the highest tradition of the law who could be depended upon to dispense equal justice under law to all persons.
Forced to retire because of ill health, Judge Flynn did not seek re-election in 1972. (Cont. on pg. 3)
Page 3
WLS January 2013 Newsletter
WLS 50th Anniversary Celebration (Cont. from page 2)
The 1964 appointment opened no floodgates. It was not until 1975 that Frances Newell Carr was appointed to the
Sacramento Superior Court where she served until her elevation to the Third District Court of Appeal in 1980.
Frances Newell Carr was renowned for her quick wit. As illustrated in the skit, when asked by the State Bar Judicial
Nominees Evaluation (JNE) committee at her interview whether she was Miss or Mrs. Carr, she is reported to have responded, “Your Honor will do just fine.”
By the 1980s, over 40 per cent of law students were women. Rose Bird had been appointed in 1977 by Governor
Gerry Brown as the first woman Chief Justice of California. In 1982, Governor Brown also appointed Alice Lytle as the first
African American woman municipal judge in Sacramento. SCBA elected its first woman president in 1984. Yet, in the legal
profession being a mother was often the subject of a form of prejudice and discrimination. So naturally life - work balance
became a major issue for WLS. In her newsletter and SCBA Docket articles, 1986 president, Jeri Paik, bravely confronted
the issues long before most people in the profession were willing to deal with the disparate treatment of working mothers.
At the beginning of the 1990s, WLS was clearly establishing its identity, albeit with some growing pains. From its
inception, a major WLS goal was to encourage women in the study and practice of law. One of the first major tasks undertaken was the establishment of a scholarship fund. The very first WLS scholarship was awarded in 1966. The first recipient
was Barbara McCallum, a student at McGeorge School of Law. When Barbara graduated, she became very active in WLS.
She went on to be our seventh president.
By the 1990s, the tradition of fund-raising for scholarships was clearly established. Started in the mid-nineties, our
primary fundraiser, the Art Fest is now a well-established and extremely successful event whose proceeds this year were a
little under $20,000. However, over the years, WLS experimented with many different types of fundraisers, including the
extremely popular fashion show at the Pavilions.
Also in the 1990s, WLS established the WLS Foundation with a charitable purpose of donating to organizations that
support the interests of women and children as well as the giving of scholarships. Since its inception, the foundation has
given thousands of dollars to worthy organizations.
There are now five scholarships. The Margaret A. Flynn scholarship was established in 1983. Jennifer Kaufman, who
also went on to be WLS President, was the first recipient.
Justice Frances Newell Carr died unexpectedly on January 17, 1992 - just one month before she was to retire as an
associate justice of the Court of Appeal. WLS meant a great deal to Justice Carr and her family requested that any remembrances be made to the WLS scholarship. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that it was time to establish a new scholarship in honor of our founding mother and mentor who was so much loved and respected.
Justice Carr never lost her zeal for supporting women in the law and, right up to her death, she remained adamant
in her belief that more women should be appointed to the bench. When she decided to retire, she wrote immediately to
the governor urging that her replacement on the Third DCA should be a woman. Although not a direct replacement, Justice
Janice Rogers Brown was subsequently appointed. Justice Connie Callahan also sat on the court until her appointment to
the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Now, for the first time there are enough women on the Third DCA to form an allwoman panel. In 2012, Justice M. Kathleen Butz, Justice Elena Duarte and Justice Andrea Hoch became the first such panel.
In 1996, WLS established a scholarship in honor of Virginia Mueller on the 50th anniversary of her admission to the
bar. At Virginia’s request, the scholarship is awarded to help defray the expenses of taking the bar.
(Cont. on pg. 4)
Page 4
WLS January 2013 Newsletter
WLS 50th Anniversary Celebration (Cont. from page 3)
More recently, WLS established a scholarship in honor of Karen Pedersen Stevens. This is awarded annually to
someone has shown a commitment to services to women and children or who wishes to become a family law attorney.
From its inception, WLS has consistently been in the forefront of legal, legislative and social activism on topics such
as employment discrimination, reproductive health and domestic violence. WLS has also played a large role in the “no glass
ceiling initiative.” More recently, WLS has become active in legislative efforts to prevent human trafficking.
In the “remembering
our past” segment of the
program, Megan also
thanked all of the dignitaries
who sent letters of congratulations and resolutions to
WLS to mark the occasion.
Assembly member Roger
Dickinson (left) spoke fondly
of his association with WLS
and with Virginia Mueller in
his presentation of a letter of
congratulations. Presiding
photo by Charr Crail
Justice Vance Raye (right)
photo by Charr Crail
presented a proclamation signed by all of the justices of the
Third District Court of Appeal. Justice Raye shared with the audience that, to his knowledge, it was
the first-ever such proclamation.
In “celebrating
our present”, WLS
awarded the 2012
Frances Newell Carr
Achievement Award
to Justice M. Kathleen Butz. Introduced by Charity
Kenyon and Presiding Justice Vance
Raye, Justice Butz
gave a gracious acceptance speech.
photo by Charr Crail
photo by Charr Crail
Justice M. Kathleen Butz
Page 5
WLS January 2013 Newsletter
WLS 50th Anniversary Celebration
(continued from page 4)
Keynote speaker, Judge Consuelo
Marie Callahan, of the United
States Court of Appeals, Ninth
Circuit received a warm and enthusiastic welcome.
Introduced by close friend Morrison C. England, chief judge of the US
District Court, Eastern District of California, Judge Callahan gave a thoughtprovoking and inspiring talk. Unfortunately, the speech ended prematurely
when the fire alarm sounded. Showing
her usual wonderful sense of humor,
Judge Callahan has graciously promised
to save what she had to say until the
WLS 100th celebration.
photo by Charr Crail
Judge Consuelo Marie Callahan
After ascertaining that the fire
alarm was a false alarm and using their
considerable talents to deal with associated problems, Megan and Rebecca
determined to finish the final segment
of the program, “embracing our future.”
(Cont. on pg. 6)
Judge Morrison C. England
photo by Charr Crail
Page 6
WLS January 2013 Newsletter
WLS 50th Anniversary Celebration (cont. from page 5)
photo by Charr Crail
photo by Charr Crail
Against the considerable noise of the fire alarm
and with a call of “Si, se puede,” Judge Emily
Vasquez (above) administered the oath of office to
new president, Christine Jacob and the WLS officers and board for 2013. We wish them well.
2012 WLS President Megan Lewis and
2013 WLS President Christine Jacob
In closing, Megan thanked her parents, family and friends and her other family, Wilke, Fleury, Hoffelt, Gould and Birney, LLP, for their encouragement and support.
Along with the celebrations for the 10th, 20th, 30th and 40th Anniversary, this 50th celebration will become a landmark historical event that will live in our memories and archives.
Congratulations to the 2012 board on a spectacular year and best wishes to the 2013 board and its successors. WLS is under excellent stewardship as it goes from strength to strength.
WLS Past Presidents in attendance at the event
photo by Charr Crail
Page 7
WLS January 2013 Newsletter
PHOTO GALLERY FROM 50TH ANNIVERSARY
CELEBRATION
photo by Charr Crail
photo by Charr Crail
WLS 2012 President, Megan Lewis & WLS 2012
Treasurer, Rebecca Dietzen
photo by Charr Crail
Hon. Allen Sumner, Jennifer Hartman King, Hon. James Mize &
Hon. Robert Hight
photo by Charr Crail
Hon. Cecily Bond (Ret.) & Justice Vance Raye
photo by Charr Crail
Lillian Shek, Windie O. Scott & Pat Hart Jorgensen
Page 8
WLS January 2013 Newsletter
PHOTO GALLERY FROM 50TH ANNIVERSARY
CELEBRATION
photo by Charr Crail
WLS Past President, Joan Stone
photo by Charr Crail
Justice Consuelo Callahan & Rebecca Dietzen
photo by Charr Crail
Hon. Robert Hight, Hon. Allen Sumner, Steven Merksamer &
Hon. Arthur Scotland (Ret.)
Page 9
WLS January 2013 Newsletter
A Message from the 50th Anniversary Planning Committee
By: Rebecca Dietzen, Secretary and 50th Planning Committee Co-Chair
On behalf of the 50th Anniversary Planning Committee, thank you to all who attended our celebration on December 4, 2012. With a sold out crowd and many event highlights, the committee is
pleased with the outcome. However, after logging hundreds of hours, in our “free time,” we had hoped
for a seamless event and were disappointed our hopes did not come to fruition. Our caterer, Alexis Catering, experienced operational difficulties which caused delayed food service to many and, later, a fire
alarm. Luckily, there was no need to evacuate and we were able to finish our program; albeit, with a fire
alarm sounding in the background.
We met with Alexis Catering and truly appreciate the company’s efforts to make amends. In addition to returning to WLS a substantial portion of our food costs, the company is offering all attendees a
free tasting for two at the Rail Bridge Cellars Penthouse Lounge at the Elks Tower. Please contact
michelle@railbridgecellars.net to schedule your tasting. The company will also host a small reception for
those attendees who were most significantly impacted. Furthermore, the company provided a letter conveying their acceptance of responsibility and an apology; a copy is attached to this newsletter. We commend Alexis Catering’s response to these unfortunate circumstances.
Thank you to all attendees for your patience and understanding through the event’s challenges.
Organizing a once-a-decade party for 300 lawyers, judges and professionals is not an easy task! In all, we
accomplished our goal of “honoring our past, celebrating our present and embracing our future.” A special thank you to our planning committee without whom this event would not have been possible:
Megan Lewis
Joan Stone
Julia Reeves
Alissa Strong
Kim Kakavas Garner
Sonia Fernandes
Lisa Toucher
Shelley Farrsiar
Karen Marshall
Maralee Eriksen
Our event resulted in a profit (numbers to be finalized). When we have our final numbers, we
will propose a portion of the event proceeds be put towards the Foundation.
We hope you enjoy Joan Stone’s wonderful article highlighting WLS’ fantastic 50th celebration and
photos of the evening. We thank you for your continued support and hope to see you at the 60th!
Page 10
WLS January 2013 Newsletter
Please Join Us At The Women Lawyers of Sacramento January Luncheon
Featuring Hon. Kimberly J. Mueller, Jason J. Sommer and Wendy A.Taylor
DATE: January 24, 2013
TITLE: Legal Malpractice Pitfalls and Ethical Conundrums
Hon. Kimberly J. Mueller was appointed by President Barack Obama as a United States District Judge for the Eastern
District of California on December 21, 2010. Prior to her appointment, Judge Mueller served as a Magistrate Judge, in the
Eastern District, for seven years. Prior to becoming a judge, she was a sole practitioner specializing in intellectual property,
internet and art law from 2000-2003, and as an associate at the law firm of Orrick, Herrington and Sutcliffe from 1995-2000.
During law school, Judge Mueller served a judicial externship with United States District Judge David F. Levi. She served as
an elected member of the Sacramento City Council from 1987-1992, and as the Pubic Member of the Cal/OSHA Standards
Board from August 2001 to March 2003. Prior to becoming an attorney, she was Health and Safety Director for the California Firefighter Foundation from 1983-1992. Judge Mueller received her B.A. from Pomona College in 1981 and her J.D. from
Stanford Law School in 1995.
Jason J. Sommer engages in a civil litigation practice emphasizing professional liability defense, insurance bad faith and coverage, and business litigation as an equity partner of Hansen, Kohls, Jones, Sommer & Jacob, LLP. He has been certified as a
specialist in Legal Malpractice by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. In 2006, Mr. Sommer was appointed to serve on the Committee on Professional Liability Insurance for the State Bar of California and served in that capacity through 2012. While serving as a member of that committee, Mr. Sommer also served as Chair of the Education subcommittee, which was responsible for educating lawyers on issues involving professional malpractice. Mr. Sommer also consults with lawyers and lectures on legal ethics and on ways to avoid professional malpractice. He is a member of several local bar associations, as well as the American Bar Association National Legal Malpractice Data Center. Mr. Sommer obtained
his undergraduate degree from the University of California at San Diego, and received his J.D. from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law.
Wendy A. Taylor is an associate with Hansen, Kohls, Sommer & Jacob, LLP. Her practice focuses on legal and insurance
professional liability defense, business litigation, insurance bad faith defense and civil appeals. In 2012 Ms. Taylor was appointed to serve on the Committee on Administration of Justice of the State Bar of California. Prior to beginning her practice, Ms. Taylor clerked at Division I of the Arizona Court of Appeal for the Hon. Jefferson L. Lankford (Ret.). Ms. Taylor
obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of California at Irvine, and her J.D. from the University of the Pacific,
McGeorge School of Law.
WHERE: Lucca Restaurant and Bar
1615 J Street, Sacramento, CA
TIME:
12:00-1:15 p.m.
MENU: Stuffed Peppers, Gnocchi with Spicy Sausage, Patchwork Salad with Chicken, or Seared Salmon Salad.
Each menu item comes with the choice of soda or iced tea.
COST: $25.00 for current WLS members, past presidents of WLS, and judges; $30.00 for all others, except law students,
whose cost is $20.00. Without advance reservation, it may not be possible to get the entrée of your choice.
RSVP with menu choice and confirmation of mailed check by January 22 to Julia M. Reeves at (916) 781-2550
or jreeves@hansenkohls.com. Please mail your check, payable to WLS, with menu choice for receipt by January 23,
to WLS, Attn: Luncheon, P.O. Box 936, Sacramento, CA 95814. Please indicate if you are a current WLS member,
past president, or judge on the check. WLS is charged for cancellations. Payments must be received in advance and
are not refundable. Seating at the door is subject to availability. Please bring any unused toiletries and women's personal
items to the luncheon for donation to Maryhouse, a non-profit organization that helps homeless women and children.
Pending 1.0 MCLE Credit in Ethics
Page 11
WLS January 2013 Newsletter
WLS Awards 2012 Frances Newell Carr Achievement Award to
Justice M. Kathleen Butz
T
Associate Justice of the Court of Appeal,Third District
he 2012 Frances Newell
Carr Achievement Award
was presented to Justice M.
Kathleen Butz at Women Lawyers of
Sacramento 50th Anniversary Dinner on
December 4, 2012.
Justice Butz began her legal career as a University of California, Davis,
King Hall School of Law graduate and a
single parent. Her outstanding legal
skills in a Nevada City law firm led Justice Butz to run in an open election for
a position as a Nevada County Superior
Court Judge. She beat out nine other
candidates and began serving as Nevada
County’s only female judge. Eight years
later, Governor Gray Davis nominated Justice Butz for the Court of Appeal and she was unanimously confirmed
as the sole female justice on the Third District at that time. During her legal career, Justice Butz has served on
committees of the California Judicial Council, as an instructor and committee member for photo by Charr Crail
the California Center for Judicial Education and Research, and as an active participant in
programs of the local bar associations and the American Inns of Court.
Justice Butz is committed to mentoring and guiding young legal professionals. She generously gives of her
time to young lawyers seeking career advice and provides direction regarding the skills necessary to become an
outstanding attorney as well as to become a viable candidate for appointment for judicial positions. Justice Butz
has been a trail blazer and role model. By her example, and her mentoring, she has demonstrated that women
can succeed at the highest levels in law firms and on the bench.
The Frances Newell Carr Achievement Award is an annual award presented by Women Lawyers of Sacramento to an outstanding lawyer, judge, or scholar in the Sacramento area. The award celebrates professional
achievements, commitment to furthering legal opportunities for women in the law, and contribution to the lives
of women in our community. The Frances Newell Carr Achievement Award was established by WLS in 1994
to honor the late Justice Frances Newell Carr (October 27, 1923 – January 16,1992), who was a founder and first
president of WLS in 1962. Justice Carr was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown to the Sacramento County Superior Court as the first woman judge appointed in the County. In 1978, she was elected the Presiding Judge of
the Superior Court and in 1980, Justice Carr was appointed to the Court of Appeal, Third District, where she
served until her passing in 1992.
Page 12
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2009 Newsletter
WLS January
November Luncheon Highlight
By: Wendy A.Taylor, Co-Chair of Programs
I
trict in 2003. At the time of her appointment, Justice
n November, the first all-female panel of
Butz was the sole female on the court. She would rethe Third Appellate District - Justices M.
main the sole female for two years, until now-Chief
Kathleen Butz, Elena Duarte, and Andrea Lynn Hoch - Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye was elevated to the Court
shared their individual paths to the day when they
of Appeal by Governor Schwarzenegger in 2005.
made history on April 17, 2012. As became evident
Justice Duarte originally wanted to be a singer,
during the luncheon, their paths to history were as
but decided to attend Stanford Law School instead.
different as the women themselves.
She began her legal career as one of 12 graduating law
Justice Butz decided to attend law school be- students (nationwide!) to participate in the Attorney
cause she wanted a career that would provide her
General’s Honor Program, Criminal Division, in
with the financial resources to support her son. She Washington, D.C. Though she loved the trial experibegan her career as a civil litigator in a Nevada City
ence, she did not love Washington, D.C., so she refirm that allowed her the flexibility she needed to
turned to California within two years. She served as
raise him. She was a partner in the firm until Judge
an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Sacramento, prosecuting
Frank Francis convinced her to run for election to his a wide variety of federal crimes. After transferring to
seat after his retirement. Nine other candidates ran
the Los Angeles office, she was appointed Deputy
for the seat in a tough campaign, but Justice Butz
Chief and then Chief of the Cyber and Intellectual
eventually won the election. She was on the superior Property Crimes Section. Like Justice Butz, Justice
court bench for eight years and she loved it. She
Duarte did not originally plan to become a judge.
never considered moving up the judicial ranks, but
However, in 2007, she was appointed to the Los Anwhile serving as pregeles Superior Court.
siding judge of the
Later, after going
Nevada County Suthrough the complete
perior Court in
judicial appointments
2002, she received a
process a second time,
call from Justice
she was appointed to
Sims who asked her
the Sacramento County
to consider applying
Superior Court. She
for the appellate
joined Justice Butz on
bench because Justhe Court of Appeal in
tice Callahan was
late 2010 as Governor
about to be apSchwarzenegger was
pointed to the Ninth
preparing to leave ofCircuit Court of Apfice.
peals. Governor
(Cont. on pg. 14)
Davis appointed JusJustices Elena Duarte, M. Kathleen Butz, and
tice Butz to the
Andrea Lynn Hoch
Third Appellate Dis-
Page 13
WLS January 2013 Newsletter
***WLS MEMBER SPOTLIGHT***
CORRIE ERICKSON
By: Kim Garner, Judicial & Other Appointments
Committee Co-Chair
This month’s feature highlights WLS member and new Board member,
Corrie Erickson. Ms. Erickson is an associate at Kronick, Moskovitz,
Tiedemann & Girard. In her civil litigation practice, she provides advice
and counsel to both public and private sector employers across a broad
spectrum of employment law matters, as well as litigation support. She
found time in her busy schedule to answer a few questions about herself!
What do you enjoy most about your practice areas?
Besides the fact that working in labor and employment and litigation affords me the opportunity to collaborate
with clients and colleagues to strategize and solve problems, I also enjoy the subject matter of my practice –
people and relationships. As a sociology major in college, I’ve always been fascinated by people’s interactions.
Working in labor and employment and litigation allows me to pursue that passion.
Before you started private practice, you worked at the McGeorge Community Services Legal Clinic
during law school. How has that experience helped your private practice?
Working at the McGeorge Community Services Legal Clinic during law school helped enormously to prepare
me for the practice of law. In just two short semesters with the Community Legal Services Clinic, I drafted and
duly executed a will, attended mediation, appeared at a Social Security informal conference, and delivered
opening and closing arguments and conducted two direct examinations of witnesses during a hearing at the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review. Needless to say, my learning experiences with the Clinic were simply unparalleled in the classroom.
Next year, you will be serving as Vice Chair of the Membership Committee on the WLS Board. Why did
you get involved in WLS?
I got involved in WLS because of the organization’s admirable mission of promoting women in the legal profession. I believe that women lawyers face a unique set of challenges in today’s society and it excites me to be a
part of an organization that both embraces and addresses those issues.
Did you receive any cherished advice from a mentor?
I’ve been blessed to receive several pieces of cherished advice from several amazing mentors throughout my
life. Frankly, if it wasn’t for my mentor Gilbert Khachadourian, I would never have had the courage to pursue
my dream of becoming a lawyer. But if I had to pick one piece of cherished advice to share, I’d pick a piece of
advice I received from my mother. My mother once told me, “all you can do is the best you can do.” That simple piece of advice has carried me through many tough days throughout my life.
(Cont. on pg. 14)
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WLS January
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT — Corrie Erickson (Cont. from page 13)
Any advice you would give to other young attorneys?
The best advice I can give to other young attorneys is
simply, keep perspective. It’s a task that is much easier said than done as a young lawyer, but it’s an important one.
Where can we find you when you’re not in the
office?
You’ll likely find me watching sports (Go Chargers!),
traveling with my boyfriend Evan, or playing with our
schnauzer mix puppy, Violet.
Thank you for telling us more about yourself, Jennifer! If you know a WLS member who should be
highlighted in one of our future newsletters,
please send recommendations to Kim Kakavas
Garner at kkakavas@gmail.com.
November Luncheon Highlight
(Cont. from page 12)
Justice Hoch chose law school after taking a political science class in college and discovering that she
really was not interested in economics despite majoring in the subject. She began her career in public service at
the Agricultural Labor Relations Board in Sacramento where she “lost more cases than [she] won.” She worked
hard, however, and took on every assignment offered to her, even those assignments that others avoided. Her
extraordinary work ethic was noticed, which lead to her being selected as the Supervising Deputy Attorney General in the Tobacco Litigation Section. She represented the State of California in its historic litigation against the
tobacco industry, and later moved into the Government Law Section of the AG’s office, where she litigated more
high profile and historic cases. In 2005, a colleague suggested she meet with Governor Schwarzenegger, who
was looking for a Legal Affairs Secretary. She met with him, the meeting went well, and he named her his Legal
Affairs Secretary. As Legal Affairs Secretary, Justice Hoch provided confidential advice to the Governor and various state agencies on major policy and legal issues. Though it had not really occurred to her before, she learned
that an eventual appointment to the Court of Appeal was likely a foregone conclusion. She asked the Governor
if he was going to appoint her, and he said he would so long as she continued on as his Legal Affairs Secretary
through the end of his term, which she did. She joined Justices Butz and Duarte on the Court of Appeal in January of 2011.
After each of the Justices shared their story, Justice Butz explained how the appellate panels are assigned.
It is complicated, so I will not attempt to explain it here, but suffice it to say that with three women on the
Court at the same time for the first time in the Court of Appeal’s 107- year history, it was only a matter of time
before the three of them were appointed to a panel together. Though they were assigned to a panel together in
2011, they sat at oral argument as the first all-female panel on April 17, 2012.
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WLS January
President’s Corner
By: Christine Jacob, WLS President
Happy New Year! I feel honored to accept the role of President of Women Lawyers of Sacramento
for 2013, and am grateful to all of Women Lawyers of Sacramento’s founders, Past Presidents, and long-time supporters of this organization. By way of introduction, I am a partner with Hansen, Kohls, Sommer & Jacob, LLP,
where I practice legal malpractice defense and business litigation.
My involvement with Women Lawyers of Sacramento has been one of my most rewarding professional
and personal experiences. I joined the Women Lawyers of Sacramento Board of Directors in 2006 as a co-chair
of the Grants and Awards Committee - a year in which we were unable to award any student scholarships or
community grants based on the prior year’s ArtFest performance. This past year, in 2012, six years later, it was
rewarding to look at the fact that Women Lawyers of Sacramento raised over $18,000 through ArtFest for distribution this year in the form of student scholarships and community grants. This organization has clearly advanced
and become more influential over time due to the great leadership and support from our community.
In transitioning into my position as President, I have reflected on the past year and this upcoming year and
have asked myself exactly what I would like to achieve in 2013. After much reflection, I would like Women Lawyers of Sacramento to make getting out in the community and assisting in women’s advancement in the legal profession priorities for 2013. Although women have come a long way during Women Lawyers of Sacramento’s 50
year history, they have a long way to go. Currently, women hold 27% of all State and Federal Judicial positions
and women earn 77% of their male counterparts. We definitely have a lot of hard work ahead of us.
I am very excited about our Board of Directors this year. The committees have a lot of exciting projects
planned for this upcoming year. The Publicity and Community Relations Committee will be reaching out to and
will work closely with one of the local women’s organizations in order to assist in more specific areas that the
organization needs. Our Career Advancement and Retention Committee is already hard at work planning its
brown bag lunches for the year and will also be revamping its mentor-mentee program to make it more beneficial
for both mentors and mentees. Our Programs Committee is hard at work lining up a fantastic series of speakers
for the year, including members from the judiciary and legislature. Our Membership Committee has rolled out a
new membership category for 2013 - the lifetime membership! The Membership Committee is also working to
get WLS’ membership renewal and membership directory online for 2014. Our Newsletter Committee will continue to provide you with the monthly electronic newsletters. Our Judicial and Other Appointments Committee
will continue to evaluate judicial candidates and our Legislation and Bar Delegations Committee is busy preparing
for the 2013 Conference of Delegates and monitoring any legislation which is in line with Women Lawyers of Sacramento’s mission statement. Out Development Committee is already hard at work planning ArtFest for 2013,
which will be held at a different venue this year. Finally, our Grants and Awards Committee will begin soliciting
applications for the Virginia S. Mueller Scholarship very shortly.
I am very excited about 2013 and am grateful for the opportunity to serve Women Lawyers of Sacramento and to help advance the organization toward the next level of achievement. I look forward to working
with all of our members and supporters from the bench, bar and legislature to advance Women Lawyers of Sacramento’s mission even further.
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Meet the 2013 Board!
Stephanie Alford is co-chair of the Judicial and Other Appointments Committee. Originally from San Diego,
Stephanie moved north to attend UC Davis first as an undergraduate and then received her law degree from King
Hall. She is an associate with Cota Cole LLP where she focuses on public law and litigation. In her free time, she
enjoys running, hiking and exploring Midtown.
Ellen Arabian-Lee is co-chair of the Newsletter Committee, and this is her fifth year on the WLS Board.
Ellen’s practice focuses on civil litigation, with an emphasis on employment law, personal injury, and business
litigation. She also serves as a legal consultant to a number of non-profit organizations. Ellen has been practicing
law for twenty-two (22) years and she is a Martindale-Hubbell AV rated attorney at the law firm of Gurnee &
Daniels, LLP in Roseville. She is a graduate of Santa Clara University School of Law, and she enjoys playing competitive tennis and soccer, and spending time with her husband, children, and friends.
Melissa Borrelli is vice-chair of the Legislation and Bar Delegations Committee. She is happy to continue to be
involved with the WLS Board. She is a graduate of UC Davis for both her BS and JD. She also just earned an
LL.M. in Health Law at Loyola University, Chicago. She works for the California Department of Managed Health
Care in the Office of Health Plan Oversight. Her work at the DMHC includes serving as Licensing Counsel and
on implementation of both federal and state health care reform. She also teaches courses part time at the undergraduate and graduate levels. She has been married to her wonderful husband for fifteen years, and they have a
ten year-old son and an almost five year-old daughter.
Caitlin Urie Christian is the vice-chair of the Membership Committee. She has her own practice, the Law
Office of Caitlin Christian, which primarily focuses on appeals from dependency proceedings. She is proud to
provide quality representation to indigent persons on appeal. She also spends time volunteering at the Tommy
Clinkenbeard Legal Clinic, providing legal aid to Sacramento’s homeless community. Caitlin is a member of the
family law and dependency subcommittee of the Sacramento County Bar Association Delegation. In her free
time, Caitlin enjoys adventuring with her husband and their dog.
Miranda C. Dalju is co-chair of the Judicial/Other Appointments Committee. She is an associate attorney at
Cota Cole LLP, concentrating her practice in the areas of environmental law, business litigation, and estate planning. She served Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as Assistant Deputy Appointments Secretary, where she
facilitated appointments to more than one hundred legal, correctional and county boards and commissions. She is
a member of the Anthony M. Kennedy Inn of Court and the Legal Forum Against Human Trafficking. Miranda is
a graduate of McGeorge School of Law (JD) and UC Berkeley (BA).
Kresta Daly, co-chair of the Publicity and Community Relations Committee, is a partner at Barth Tozer &
Daly, LLP. For nearly 15 years, Kresta has defended individuals, corporations, corporate executives, public
officials and others in a wide range of federal and state criminal investigations and prosecutions. She lives on a
small farm outside of Winters with her husband and their son. She serves on the American Bar Association
Commission on Immigration Advisory Task Force as well as the California State Bar Commission on Access to
Justice.
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Rebecca Dietzen is the WLS Secretary and serves as California Women Lawyers Affiliate Governor. She works
for the State of California, Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board which oversees four programs that serve lower
income and high health risk individuals. This is Rebecca’s fourth year on the Board. She enjoys spending time with
her husband, their two young children (5 year old son and 4 year old daughter) and her extended family.
Corrie Erickson is vice-chair of the Membership Committee. This is her first year on the WLS Board and she
is excited to get involved. Corrie is an associate at Kronick Moskovitz Tiedemann & Girard where she practices
primarily in the areas of labor & employment and litigation. Corrie recently moved across the river to West
Sacramento and is enjoying exploring her new neighborhood with her boyfriend and their dog.
Maralee Eriksen, the WLS Vice President, is a shareholder at Boutin Jones Inc., where she handles businessrelated litigation, including intellectual property and trade secrets disputes. She is a past member of the State Bar
Board of Trustees and has been recognized as in Northern California Super Lawyer Magazine for the past three
years. Beyond the practice of law, Maralee enjoys gardening and wine tasting.
Rebecca P. (Becky) Feil is vice-chair of the Judicial and Other Appointments Committee. She is an associate in the Sacramento office of Fagen Friedman & Fulfrost, LLP. In this capacity, Ms. Feil represents and advises
school districts, county offices of education, and special education local plan areas statewide with respect to all
aspects of special education law and practice. Prior to attending law school, Ms. Feil worked with both elementary and high school students as a special education teacher in New Hampshire, working closely with adolescents in the juvenile justice system in an educational capacity. Ms. Feil earned her J.D. from the Georgetown
University Law Center, her M.Ed. from the University of New Hampshire, and her B.A., magna cum laude, from
California State University, Sacramento.
Sonia Fernandes is co-chair of the Legislation & Bar Delegations Committee. She is a Senior Counsel at the
California Department of Managed Health Care, Office of Health Plan Oversight, where she serves as licensing
counsel and assists with the implementation of federal and state health care reform. Sonia, a graduate of University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, is also a Member-at-Large for the Sacramento County Bar Association, and an advisory board member of the Law and Public Policy Academy at C.K. McClatchy High School
(LPPA.) In addition to mentoring an LPPA student, she serves on the advisory board of My Sister’s House, and is
a member of the Sacramento Metropolitan Lions Club. Outside of the office and volunteer activities, Sonia enjoys spending time with her family, and is kept on her toes by her one-year old daughter.
Shelley Ganaway is co-chair of the Membership Committee. She is a Supervising Attorney Advisor with the
Social Security Administration. Her areas of expertise include issues of disability (pre and post entitlement) and
Administrative Law. Prior to her employment with Social Security, she worked for the Sacramento Public Defender’s Office, Juvenile Division. She is a mock trial coach for Jesuit High School and a member of the
Schwartz-Levi Inn of Court. She enjoys spending time with her husband and two step-daughters (4&10). They
enjoy traveling, reading, playing board games, and attending gymnastics /dance. She is looking forward to serving
on the WLS board.
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Kim Garner, co-chair of the Development Committee, returns for her third year on the WLS Board of Directors. She specializes in civil litigation. Kim received her B.A. in Sociology from University of California, Berkeley
and her J.D. from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. Kim also serves on the Board of Directors for the McGeorge Alumni Association. She is also very active in the Metro Chamber of Commerce’s group
for young professionals, Metro Edge, and serves on its Events and Networking Committee. In her spare time,
she enjoys running, wine tasting, dining out locally, and cheering for Cal football.
Amy Halloran is co-chair of the Grants & Awards Committee. She has been an estate, trust, and
tax planning attorney for over 12 years and is currently an attorney at Williams & Associates. She lives in the
Arden Park area with her husband and two daughters,. They spend falls on the soccer field, summers with the
swim team, and the in-between time bike riding, traveling, and hanging-out with their extended family and
friends.
Susan C. Hill is co-chair of the Publicity and Community Relations Committee. She is the founder and President of Hill Law Offices, PC. Susan practices in all areas of the Probate Court, including estate planning, probate,
trust administration, conservatorships and guardianships. Susan enjoys working with clients on family trusts, special needs trusts, pet trusts, and long-term planning for families and the elderly. This is the 6th year Susan has
been on the Board of Directors for the Women Lawyers of Sacramento. Susan also serves as Vice President of
the Board of Directors for the Sacramento County Bar Association, Probate and Estate Planning Section, and a
Director on the Sacramento County Bar Association, Board of Directors. She enjoys community service in support of women, children, animals, the elderly and the arts.
Stacy Hunter, vice-chair of the Publicity and Community Relations Committee, is an attorney with the law
firm of Wilke, Fleury, Hoffelt, Gould & Birney, LLP. Her practice focuses on employment law, business transactions, and business litigation. She graduated from the University of California, Davis with a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. Stacy then received her Juris Doctorate from the University of California, Davis School of Law. While in law school, Stacy served as a member
and Associate Articles Editor of the U.C. Davis Law Review and as a member of the Jewish Law Students Association. In her spare time, Stacy enjoys keeping active by participating in Olympic weight lifting and Crossfit.
Christine E. Jacob, the WLS President, is a partner at Hansen, Kohls, Sommer & Jacob, LLP, where she engages in a civil litigation practice emphasizing professional liability defense of attorneys and insurance brokers
and business litigation. Christine also serves as a Sacramento County delegate for the Conference of Delegates
of California Bar Associations. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family.
Melissa Jones, co-chair of the Career Advancement and Retention Committee, is Of Counsel at Stoel Rives
LLP. She specializes in complex commercial litigation and Proposition 65 compliance and defense. Recently,
Melissa served as the President of the Sacramento Chapter of the Federal Bar Association and a Ninth Circuit
Lawyer Representative. She is currently on the Alumni Board of Directors for U.C. Davis School of Law, where
she graduated in 1999. Melissa enjoys spending her free time with her husband and two young daughters (ages
6 and 3).
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Jennifer Hartman King, is excited to join the WLS Executive Committee as Treasurer, after co-chairing the
Judicial & Other Appointments Committee for the past three years. Jennifer is a Partner with the law firm Cota
Cole LLP, serving as Managing Partner of the Roseville office and Chair of the Environmental Practice Group. Her
practice focuses on environmental law, including complex multi-party litigation, administrative enforcement defense, and transactional matters. She is a former Deputy Legal Affairs Secretary to Governor Gray Davis and the
busy mother of three young boys. In her spare time, Jennifer enjoys participating in extreme fitness programs,
traveling and various outdoor activities. Jennifer received her Bachelor of Arts degree from UC Davis and her law
degree from UCLA.
Kim Lucia, co-chair of the Career Advancement/Retention, is an attorney with the law firm of Boutin Jones
where she practices labor and employment law. Kim received her bachelor's degree from Shippensburg University
in Pennsylvania where she double majored in Psychology and Sociology. She received her master's degree in Forensic Psychology from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. Prior to attending law school,
she worked for eleven years in the financial industry as a securities trader. She received her J.D. from the University of California, Davis School of Law. Kim enjoys whitewater rafting, hiking and spending time with family and
friends.
Elizabeth Dietzen Olsen is co-chair of the Development Committee. She is a consultant to the California
Senate Office of Research. Her areas of expertise include public safety issues as well as banking and financial institutions. She previously was counsel for the California Senate Judiciary Committee handling civil rights and family law bills. Prior to that, she was an Assistant Public Defender for Sacramento County in the misdemeanor intake, juvenile and conservatorships divisions. Her husband, Dan Olsen, is a private criminal defense attorney in
Sacramento. She is looking forward to working with all the WLS board members, most especially her sister Rebecca Dietzen.
Amy O’Neill, the vice-chair of the Career Advancement and Retention Committee, is in her third and final
year at McGeorge School of Law. After sitting for the July bar, Amy has accepted a position at Boutin Jones Inc.
in the area of general litigation. Amy is active in many on-campus organizations, such as the Women’s Caucus,
the Environmental Law Society, and the Water Law Society. Amy is also an editor for the McGeorge Law Review and looks forward to having her Comment published this summer. Amy lives with her husband in Sacramento and likes to spend her free time doing anything outdoors.
Barbara Pickles, vice-chair of the Newsletter Committee, is a senior associate at Jackson Lewis LLP in Sacramento. Erika’s practice focuses on the defense of employers in state and federal litigation involving a range of workplace-related claims. Erika received her B.A. from the University of California, Santa Barbara and her J.D. from the
University of San Francisco, where she met her husband Todd, who is a lawyer with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Erika also serves on the Board of Directors for the Sexual Abuse and Domestic Violence Center of Yolo
County, and is the proud mom of three young children.
Kelly Pope, co-chair of the Membership Committee, is counsel in Downey Brand’s litigation practice group. She
specializes in business bankruptcy, business litigation and eminent domain. In her free time, she enjoys reading and
spending time with her husband and two children.
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Julia Reeves, co-chair of the Programs Committee, is currently an associate at Hansen, Kohls, Sommer & Jacob,
LLP in Roseville. Her practice areas include professional liability defense, including legal malpractice defense, as
well as general civil litigation.
Mia Rosenfeld, vice-chair of the Programs Committee, is a senior attorney with Adams & Corzine. Her litigation
background and current practice include handling of general civil litigation in the areas of personal injury, premises
liability, product liability, professional malpractice, and employment law matters. She enjoys spending time with
family and friends and fills any spare time with international travel.
Meghan Covert Russell is co-chair of the Grants & Awards Committee. This is her second year on the WLS
Board. She is an associate with Kronick, Moskovitz, Tiedemann & Girard. She practices education law and
represents school districts and county offices of education throughout California on a variety of matters. She
also serves as a mentor for the SCBA's Law & Public Policy program at McClatchy High School. She enjoys cooking, traveling, competing in triathlons, and spending time with her husband and their dog.
Maria A. Sanders, co-chair of the Legislation & Bar Delegations, Committee, has been a senior staff attorney
at Legislative Intent Service, Inc. since 1998. She currently serves as chief operating officer. She received her
law degree from Southwestern University School of Law in 1979, where she served as Editor-in Chief of the
Law Review. Maria entered private practice in Los Angeles and later San Francisco, specializing in civil litigation,
business law, and estate planning. Maria wrote for Barclays Law Publishers from 1987 through 1998. She has
written articles published by the firm on state and federal research. Each year, Maria produces a Compendium of
notable legislation from the current California legislative session and also writes a quarterly newsletter, Engrossment, addressing federal and state legislative issues.
Latika Sharma, the co-chair of the Publicity & Community Relations Committee, is an attorney with the law firm
of Wilke, Fleury, Hoffelt, Gould & Birney, LLP. Latika’s practice focuses on health care and insurance regulatory
matters, medical negligence, hospital liability, and business litigation. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, hiking,
reading, and sports.
Nichole Rapier is vice-chair of the Publicity/Community Relations Committee. She is also the WLS board
representative to the Sacramento County Bar Association. Nichole is counsel and consultant to the California
Senate Judiciary Committee. Her areas of expertise include juvenile dependency law, family law, administrative
law, and the ADA. In her spare time, Nichole enjoys cooking, knitting, and spending time outdoors with her
fiancé and two dogs.
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Alissa J. Strong, is co-chair of the Newsletter Committee. She is an associate with Hansen, Kohls, Sommer
& Jacob, LLP, where her civil litigation practice centers around professional liability defense, bad faith insurance
defense, and business litigation. She is excited to serve a third year on the 2013 board for Women Lawyers of
Sacramento.
Wendy A. Taylor, co-chair of the Programs Committee, is an associate with Hansen, Kohls, Sommer &
Jacob, LLP. Her practice focuses on legal and insurance professional liability defense, business litigation, insurance bad faith defense and civil appeals. Wendy is also a member of the Committee on Administration of
Justice for the State Bar of California.
2013 Liaisons with the Board
JUDICIAL LIAISON
Justice Hoch joined the California Court of Appeal in January 2011. She previously served as the Governor’s Legal Affairs Secretary. Born and raised in California, she is a graduate of Stanford University
and received her law degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. After law
school, she worked in private practice, and then began her 23-year career in state public service. She
worked on labor law issues at two state boards before joining the California Attorney General’s Office. Next, she was appointed as Administrative Director of the Division of Workers’ Compensation,
and then appointed as Legal Affairs Secretary.
PAST-PRESIDENT LIAISON
Windie O. Scott is a Past President of WLS, and additionally, is a Past President of Wiley Manuel Bar
Association, Sacramento County Bar and Past District Two Representative to the State Bar Board of
Trustees. She is a recipient of the County Bar’s “Lawyer of the Year” Award and WLS’ “Frances Newell Carr Achievement Award”. She is currently employed as Tax Counsel to the State Board of Equalization.
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Save the Date — 2013 WLS Luncheon Schedule
All Luncheons will be held at Lucca Restaurant and Bar,
located at 1615 J Street, Sacramento
January 24
July 25
February 21 (third Thursday)
August 22
March 28
September 26
April 25
October 24
May 23
November 21 (third Thursday)
June 27
December 12 (second Thursday)
Palmer Kazanjian Wohl Hodson is hiring for a full time associate. The ideal candidate
will have some subject matter expertise in traditional labor and/or employment law,
including harassment, discrimination and wage and hour litigation. Applicants must
demonstrate a quick analytical ability and the facility to accurately and precisely articulate the critical issues in a case; must demonstrate superior oral and writing skills
as well as strong research and interpersonal skills, and good judgment; must possess
excellent communication and courtroom skills and exhibit the ability to work in a
supportive and professional manner with other attorneys, support staff, and clients;
and, applicants must have a demonstrated capacity to function, with minimal guidance, in a highly demanding environment.
Applicants must possess a J.D. degree, be an active member of the California bar, and have at least 3-5 years post-J.D.
experience. Qualifying legal experience may include work as an attorney, or a judicial law clerk in either federal or
state court and/or litigation experience in either the private or public sector. Please mail or e-mail resume and cover
letter to Jennifer Duggan, PALMER KAZANJIAN WOHL HODSON, 520 Capitol Mall, Suite 600, Sacramento, CA
95814, jduggan@pkwhlaw.com.
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WLS January 2013 Newsletter
Greenberg Traurig Of Counsel Alyson Lewis Huber Appointed to the Sacramento County
Superior Court by Governor Brown
Sacramento, California (December, 27, 2012) -- The international law firm Greenberg Traurig LLP announced today
that Alyson Lewis Huber, of counsel in its Sacramento office, has been appointed to the Sacramento County Superior
Court by California Governor Jerry Brown.
“Although we are sad to see Alyson go, we are so thrilled that she has received this prestigious appointment,” said Jeff
Leacox, co-managing shareholder of Greenberg Traurig’s Sacramento office. “The Governor has made an excellent
choice. Alyson was a great asset to our litigation team, and she will be an excellent addition to the Sacramento County Superior Court. We wish her the best in what will surely be a long and distinguished judicial career.”
Prior to joining Greenberg Traurig, Huber was a California legislator for the 10th Assembly District from 2008 to 2012.
Prior to serving in the Legislature, Huber practiced law for nine years. She has represented clients in a variety of cases involving patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret, defamation, bad faith, fraudulent transfers, joint ventures, insurance bad
faith, breach of contract and elder abuse claims.
Huber holds a J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of Law and a B.S. in Communications, with honors, from Cornell University. Huber is active in the Sacramento community and serves on several non-profit boards.
About Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Greenberg Traurig has more than 200 attorneys in California. In addition to Sacramento, the firm has California offices
in Los Angeles, Orange County, San Francisco, and Silicon Valley.
Greenberg Traurig, LLP is an international, full-service law firm with approximately 1750 attorneys serving clients from
35 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. In the U.S., the firm has more offices than
any other among the Top 10 on The National Law Journal's 2012 NLJ 250. For additional information, please visit
www.gtlaw.com.
ARE YOU A MEMBER OF WLS? HAVE
YOU RENEWED YOUR WLS
MEMBERSHIP?
Please remember to return your
membership application or renewal form
and check to WLS.
There is a form conveniently located
near the end of this newsletter.
WLS Is Accepting & Publishing
Readers’ Announcements
Do you have an announcement that you would like to
share with the WLS members? If so, please email Ellen
Arabian-Lee at ellen@gurneelaw.com and Alissa Strong
at astrong@hansenkohls.com. We will make an effort to
print your announcement in a future edition of the WLS
Newsletter (depending upon available space). The deadline to submit announcements is the 1st of each month.
Please attach any digital photos or other art that you
would like to share with your email.
WOMEN LAWYERS OF SACRAMENTO
Mission Statement: Women Lawyers of Sacramento supports and encourages every woman lawyer in her career aspirations and helps promote a society that places no limits on where a woman’s skills and talent can take
her. Women Lawyers of Sacramento dedicates itself to (1) promoting the full and equal participation of women lawyers and judges in the legal profession, (2) maintaining the integrity of our legal system by advocating principles of
fairness and equal access to justice, (3) improving the status of women in our society and (4) advocating for equal
rights, reproductive choice, equal opportunity and pay for women, and current social, political, economic, or legal
issues of concern to the members of Women Lawyers of Sacramento.
Foundation Mission Statement: Women Lawyers of Sacramento Foundation is the charitable arm of
Women Lawyers of Sacramento. This charitable organization seeks to address the unmet needs of women and children and raises funds to support legal educational opportunities and community programs that satisfy these needs.
Principles:
Women Lawyers of Sacramento is premised on the belief that women deserve equal rights, respect
and opportunities in the workplace and in society at large. Women Lawyers of Sacramento endeavors to support
and enhance the participation and representation of women in significant leadership and management positions in the
legal profession. Women Lawyers of Sacramento also strives to eliminate all forms of bias, discrimination, and harassment, including all forms of violence against women and children, and supports diversity in the legal profession, in
legal education, and in society in general. We work toward these goals through mentoring, legislative and administrative advocacy, community service, networking, educational seminars, and open forums of discussion focused on advancing and supporting women.
2013 WLS BOARD
PRESIDENT
Christine E. Jacob
Hansen Kohls Sommer &
Jacob, LLP
cjacob@hansenkohls.com
VICE PRESIDENT
Maralee Eriksen
Boutin Jones, Inc.
meriksen@boutinjones.com
SECRETARY
Kim Garner
kkakavas@gmail.com
Kim Lucia
Boutin Jones, Inc.
klucia@boutinjones.com
GRANTS & AWARDS
Amy Halloran
Law Offices of Williams & Associates
amy@WilliamsLawAssociates.com
Rebecca Dietzen
Managed Risk Medical Ins. Board
rad@rdietzen.com
Meghan Covert Russell
Kronick, Moskovitz, Tiedmann & Girard
mrussell@kmtg.com
TREASURER
JUDICIAL & OTHER APPOINTMENTS
Sonia Fernandes
Department of Managed Health Care
sfernandes@dmhc.ca.gov
Mia Rosenfeld
Adams & Corzine
mrosenfeld@aclawyers.com
MEMBERSHIP
Kerri Ruzicka
kerlynnjd@yahoo.com
Caitlin Urie Christian
Law Office of Caitlin Christian
CUChristianEsq.@gmail.com
Corrie Erickson
Kronick, Moskovitz, Tiedmann & Girard
cerickson@kmtg.com
Shelley Ganaway
Social Security Administration
shelley.ganaway@ssa.gov
Wendy Taylor
Hansen, Kohls, Sommer & Jacob
wtaylor@hansenkohls.com
PUBLICITY & COMMUNITY
RELATIONS
Kresta Daly
Barth, Tozer & Daly, LLP
kdaly@btdlegal.com
Jennifer Hartman King
Cota Cole LLP
jhartmanking@cotalawfirm.com
Stephanie Alford
Cota Cole, LLP
salford@cotalawfirm.com
Kelly Pope
Downey Brand
kpope@downeybrand.com
Susan C. Hill
Hill Law Offices, PC
SusanHill@HLO-PC.com
CAREER ADVANCEMENT AND
RETENTION
Miranda Carroll Dalju
Cota Cole LLP
mcarrolldalju@cotalawfirm.com
NEWSLETTER
Stacy Hunter
Wilke Fleury
shunter@wilkefleury.com
Melissa Jones
Stoel Rives, LLP
majones@stoel.com
Amy O’Neill
UC Davis King Hall
famousamos52@msn.com
DEVELOPMENT
Elizabeth Dietzen Olsen
Senate Office of Research
Elizabeth.dietzenolsen@sen.ca.gov
Brianna Lierman Hintze
Nielsen Merksamer, et al.
blhintze@nmgovlaw.com
Rebecca Feil
Fagen Friedman & Fulfrost
rfeil@fagenfriedman.com
LEGISLATION & BAR DELEGATION
Ellen C. Arabian-Lee
Gurnee & Daniels LLP
ellen@gurneelaw.com
Erika Barbara Pickles
Jackson Lewis LLP
picklese@jacksonlewis.com
Julia Blair
California Energy Commission
jblair@energy.state.ca.us
Alissa Strong
Hansen, Kohls, Sommer & Jacob
astrong@hansenkohls.com
Melissa Borrelli
Department of Managed Health Care
maborrelli@aol.com
PROGRAMS
Carmen-Nicole Cox
Downey Brand, LLP
ccox@downeybrand.com
Julia Reeves
Hansen Kohls Sommer &
Jacob, LLP
jreeves@hansenkohls.com
P.O. Box 936, Sacramento, CA 95812
www.womenlawyers-sacramento.org
Nichole Rapier
Senate Judiciary Committee
nichole.rapier@sen.ca.gov
Latika Sharma
Wilke, Fleury, Hoffelt, Gould & Birney
lsharma@wilkefleury.com