Resources for Legal Professionals
Below are resources by and for attorneys. I am an active member of several professional organizations. They are invaluable sources of substantive information about the law and networking opportunities. I urge anyone to become an active member of a professional organization, by joining a committee or taking office. This is a great way to develop your leadership skills, find opportunities to write and publish, and get to know both peers and potential mentors. No money, no problem: membership to professional organizations is often free or discounted to students, veterans and public employees.
National
American Bar Association: The ABA needs no introduction, but some clarification. It is a professional organization and membership is voluntary. Not every lawyer is a member, so if you are researching a lawyer and they are not an ABA member, that doesn’t mean that they are not a real attorney! If you have questions about a California lawyer’s credentials, contact that the California Bar Association at www.calbar.ca.gov. Also, while the ABA has oversight authority for credentialing law schools and certain other matters, it does not regulate attorneys. If you have a complaint about a CA lawyer contact the CA State Bar.
Federal Bar Association: You ever hear the expression, “don’t make a Federal case out of this?” Well, the members of the FBA do exactly that. The FBA provides advocacy, networking, leadership and education for members who practice in Federal court or for federal agencies. Members include judges as well as attorneys.
Association of Women in Water Energy & the Environment: “The Association of Women in Water, Energy and Environment (AWWEE) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our mission is to foster a community dedicated to the advancement of all women in the fields of water, energy and the environment. AWWEE’s educational events expand knowledge, build leadership skills and showcase the success of women in our fields. Most importantly, they serve as touch points for members to make valuable new connections, creating a sense of community within the organization.”
Since joining in 2020, I’ve met amazing, inspiring women professionals through AWWEE. In August 2020, I was proud to be promoted as the organization’s “Featured Member.”
MsheLE: Pronounced “M - She - LE” this business is the brainchild of Renee Stackhouse, a San Diego-based attorney. MsheLE delivers high-quality MCLE with a singular focus on issues facing women in the profession. MsheLE’s list of resources to issues of importance to women lawyers is enough of a reason to visit the website. She also has excellent merch. And a playlist. If you see me wearing a “Not the Court Reporter” or “Lady Justice” face mask, you know where I got it!
California
California Lawyers Association : Formerly part of the California Bar, the CLA spun off into its own organization in 2018. The CLA is where attorneys go to network and learn. A tremendous benefit of membership is free access to FastCase, a powerful Westlaw/LexisNexis competitor.
In 2021, I was proud to join the Board of CLA’s Environmental Law Section, where I co-host the bimonthly Book Club among other activities.
California Change Lawyers: Formerly the California Bar Foundation, CCC is a progressive legal organization, which supports social justice causes and also diversity in the legal community itself. They hold webinars and events on legal writing (from a petitioner/plaintiff perspective), networking for diverse lawyers, and on substantive updates in the field of social justice lawyering.
California Indian Law Association: CILA is the equivalent of the California Lawyers Association but for California Indigenous lawyers and law students. CILA hosts MCLE events, publishes a free, high quality journal on legal issues.
Sacramento
Sacramento County Bar Association: “The Sacramento County Bar Association [SCBA] is an active, vibrant community of dedicated lawyers serving as an advocate for the profession in leadership and service to the greater Sacramento community.”
I was the Vice President and then Co-Chair of SCBA’s Environmental Law Section from 2019 to 2021, and now serve as a member-at-large. In 2020, I joined the SCBA Board, where I head the Membership Committee.
The mission of the Leonard M. Friedman Bar Association “is to serve as an educational resource, voice, and forum for Jewish attorneys and judges on issues relating to the practice of law, the courts, and the community.”
The Capitol City Trial Lawyers Association “is the voice of and for Sacramento Trial Attorneys. Founded in the early 1950s to create a meaningful source of information about Sacramento juries, CCTLA has grown into an effective guild of trial advocates. CCTLA serves its members as liaison to the courts, as providers of meaningful continuing legal education, as a network of the exchange of ideas and experiences and as a representative to Consumer Attorneys of California.”
A relative newcomer to the Sacramento field of professional organizations the Cruz Reynoso Bar Association (CRBA), formed in 2016. The CRBA“has a strong, and diverse, membership in the greater Sacramento area. Our members include current and former judges, elected officials, law professors, public employees, private practice lawyers, and law students. Our purpose is inspired by Justice Cruz Reynoso, in whose honor we are named. We seek promote equality and justice in the greater Sacramento area. We are dedicated to promoting diversity on both the bench and bar, and to encourage the area's youth to pursue careers in the legal field.”
Sacramento St. Thomas More Society: “Founded in 1987, The Saint Thomas More Society, Sacramento (STMS) is an independent organization sponsored by Catholic lawyers, governed by a Board, with its membership open to attorneys and other legal professionals and legislative advocates of any religious persuasion who subscribe to its purposes.”
SacLEGAL, Sacramento’s LGBT Bar Association: SacLEGAL’s mission is promote equality for members of the LGBT community, through leadership, advocacy, education and civic participation.
Women Lawyers of Sacramento: “WLS is the leading women's bar association in Sacramento County. Founded in 1962, a small group of women attorneys recognized and filled the need for a bar association dedicated to the advancement of women in the legal profession. Today, WLS is a strong voice for Sacramento's women lawyers.”
South Asian Bar Association of Sacramento: SABA of Sacramento “promotes the professional advancement of attorneys and law students of South Asian descent and helps serve the legal needs of the South Asian community in the greater Sacramento region. The term South Asian includes people from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, among others.”
The Asian/Pacific Bar Association of Sacramento (ABAS) “fosters the exchange of ideas and promotes the professional growth of ABAS members; provides an opportunity for fellowship among its members; provides service to the general and local community; develops and encourages cooperation with other associations of minority attorneys; and provides a vehicle and forum for the unified expression of opinions and positions on current social, political, economic, legal or other matters or events of concern to ABAS members.”
California Lawyers for the Arts “empowers the creative community by providing education, representation, and dispute resolution for artists and creatives. “