Lawyers Club Blog (ARCHIVE)

As the Memorial Day holiday approaches, let us recognize the contributions of women to our military. Women have been serving, unofficially, since the Revolutionary War and continue to be an important, if unrecognized, part of our military.  As we honor those members of the military that have passed away protecting our country and its values, please remember that those members include women.   The sacrifice of our women in uniform is just as important as the sacrifice of our men.  For those of you who serve or have served in the past, thank you for your service.   

Completing our daily obligations can be difficult during these trying times.  By now, you probably have tried many techniques to cope with the stress and anxiety caused by the “new normal” and the seemingly unending uncertainty.  This week, I was reminded that sometimes the best technique to cope and move forward is to look for inspiration from others.  As you continue to tackle your responsibilities and find time to support our mission, I provide the following inspirational quote.  “Do all the good you can, for all the people you can, in all the ways you can, for as long as you can.”  -- Former U.S. Secretary of State and Senator Hillary Clinton.

I would like to congratulate our new board members, Vaani Chawla, Deborah Cumba, Tristan Higgins, Kara Siegel, and Audrey Surridge. All of these women are leaders in our community and we are thrilled that they are joining the board.  Combined they have many years of legal experience, many with over 10 years of experience, and are all accomplished attorneys.  All have been active contributing members to Lawyers Club, including committee co-chairs. They have also been active in the legal community, including past presidents of specialty bars.  Please join me in congratulating them as we all look forward to the great work these women will do for Lawyers Club.

During this time of crisis, it is important to recognize the many brave women who have sacrificed and risked their lives to help the sick during this pandemic, including the countless doctors, nurses, medical staff, and first responders. We are equally grateful to those women who continue to work at essential businesses, including, but not limited to, grocery store works, janitors, and transportation workers. These women have stepped up for the good of society.

We would like to congratulate the Honorable M. Margaret McKeown who was elected to the prestigious American Academy of Arts and Sciences.  Founded in 1780 by John Adams, John Hancock, and 60 other scholars, the academy is both an honorary society and an independent research center.  Academy members include individuals such as Professor Anita Hill, former Attorney General Eric Holder, and the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. 
 

This year you have an opportunity to participate in an event that only occurs once in decade.  However, a recent article in The New York Times highlighted that a recent survey found that fewer women than men intended to participate in this year’s census. This is concerning because the census count determines how valuable federal funds get distributed to the states.  This federal funding is vital to many services that women depend on, including, but not limited to, funding for childcare, programs to protect women and children from domestic violence, and healthcare.  The study also found that women of color were even less likely to express an intention to participate.  This is equally concerning because women of color tend to live in communities most in need of these vital services for women.  
 

As you know, Lawyers Club is currently hosting elections for the new board positions for next year.  If you have not voted for any of the fantastic candidates, you still have time.  While COVID-19 has prevented many of you from meeting our candidates in person, you still have an opportunity to meet the candidates virtually.  Each of the candidates has prepared a video to provide you that opportunity.  You can see the videos on our LinkedIn, IG and FB even without an account.  I encourage you to take time to view the videos to obtain insight on each of the candidates’ qualifications and vision for next year’s board.
 

At this point, I am sure that many of you are starting to feel the effects of cabin fever.  There are several ways you can ease the tension of being constrained at home, which include maintaining a routine, staying physically and mentally active, and connecting with others.  Seriously, take some time away from the news and your work to walk outside in the fresh air and in the sun.  You will be surprised how effective this can be to combat the dreariness of being indoors.  
 

You are no doubt reeling from the recent events attributed to COVID-19. The stress of uncertainty weighs heavy on all of us. Many of you are now faced with the challenges of balancing working from home with caring for children whose schools have closed, travel plans that have been cancelled, the vulnerability of our elderly parents, and more. Life as we know it has changed, for now.

When we began this year, none us fathomed that three months into the year a grand majority of San Diegans would be working from home. Tragically, our nation is currently facing a
pandemic, and we have been asked to do our part to “flatten the curve” of the spread of the virus by staying home and practicing social distancing.