56% of California citizens voted not to approve Proposition 16 that sought to repeal Proposition 209 that passed in 1996 by a 55%-45% margin. The repeal of Proposition 209 would have permitted “the use of gender and race as a ‘plus’ factor in college admissions, public employment, and public contracting. It would not have permitted the use of quotas or policies that broadly tailored and do not consider the totality of the individual college applicant, job applicant, or contract bidder.”

It isn’t possible to talk about the progress female lawyers and women in general have made without paying homage to Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Ginsburg’s recent passing begs reflection on how our lives have changed as women, how these changes have affected our financial freedom, and what still needs to be done for true financial equality.

The role of juries as guardian of justice in the legal system cannot be understated. The word jury appears five times in the U.S Constitution: Article III, section 2: “The trial of all crimes, except in cases of impeachment, shall be by Jury…”; Fifth Amendment: “No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury…”; Sixth Amendment: “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury…” and the Seventh Amendment: “In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury shall be otherwise reexamined …”

Good news for busy lawyers this year: You only need to purchase the top half of a Halloween costume for this year’s Fall Read-In! Every October, the Lawyers Club of San Diego’s Community Services Committee (CSC) teams up with Central Elementary School to hold a fun event where members of the legal community get to dress up in costume, meet local kids, promote literacy by sharing a favorite book, and leave behind much-needed supplies. Due to the pandemic, this year’s Fall Read-In will be held virtually, with lawyers able to throw a cape and witch’s hat on top of their pajama pants and read their selection to the students via Zoom.

“It’s a look that is more classically feminine — ladylike, even — than is usual in such situations, now that even movie stars tend to [wear] trouser suits and glasses. Notable in its consistency. But also noncontroversial and nonconfrontational.” The New York Times wrote this in an article on what a U.S. Supreme Court nominee—a woman—wore to the U.S. Senate Confirmation Hearings that began October 12, 2020.

In recent years the concepts of diversity and inclusion have been popping up like mushrooms as new concepts despite being first recorded in the United States in the 13th and 15th century, respectively. These concepts, however, continue to move at a snail’s pace in all aspects of our society. Consequently, people of color are under-represented across many aspects of our society including the legal community. This is troubling.