President Messages

Hello OCWLA Community!

I hope you are all keeping cool this summer! I am so excited for all the wonderful events planned for the second part of the year. We are especially looking forward to honoring women in our profession at the Women Judges Reception and Annual Gala. OCWLA’s mission to advance women in the legal profession is made possible because our members encourage and support each other. I am honored to be the President of this amazing organization that makes such a positive impact in the community. See you at the next OCWLA event!

Welcome New Board Members!

I am happy to announce that Shirin Forootan and Anne Nicholson have joined the 2022 OCWLA Board!

Upcoming Events

Women Judge’s Reception (SOLD OUT!): Join us for an event celebrating and encouraging the advancement of women on the bench. The event will take place at The Boardwalk on August 4, 2022 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Hosted appetizers, wine & beer will be served. Sitting Judges are complimentary! Sponsorships are available.

Connect With Other Book Lovers: This month, Shirin Forootan will lead the group as we read The Lost Man by Jane Harper. This thriller will be sure to enrapture you! Join us on August 22, 2022, at 5:30 p.m. at Mimi’s Café in Tustin.

Upcoming Affiliate Bar & OCBA Events

OCHBA End of Summer Mixer: Join us on August 18 at the Country Garden Facility in Santa Ana.

Gala Updates

Join Us at the Gala! 

Join us at the OCWLA Annual Gala on Wednesday, October 12, 2022 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. to promote the advancement of women in the legal profession and support our awardees. Our program includes a hosted bar and champagne reception, a silent auction, and a gorgeous plated meal, all while experiencing the beauty of Shady Canyon Golf Club. Register here!

Become A Gala Sponsor: Join us at the Gala on October 12, 2022, at Shady Canyon Golf Club from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. as OCWLA honors 2022 Judge of the Year Judge Deborah Servino, 2022 Attorney of the Year Antoinette Balta of Veterans Legal Institute, and the recipient of the Advancement of Women award Community Legal Aid SoCal. You can support these amazing honorees with a Gala Sponsorship.

Donate To The Silent Auction: Do you have a good or service that would be perfect for the Gala’s Silent Auction? The OCWLA Foundation is accepting donations! All donations to the OCWLA Foundation are tax deductible. Donors are recognized in the Gala program. Contact foundation@ocwla.org to donate today!

Our Exciting July

Book Club: Our group travelled to the Amalfi Coast! Lori Cheyne led the group as we read The Secret Love Letters of Olivia Moretti by Jennifer Probst.

Get Involved!

Make An Immediate Impact: You can advance women in the legal profession, raise awareness of discrimination and bias, and support charitable organizations by becoming an Annual Sponsor of OCWLA. Sponsors receive recognition and connect with OCWLA members at several events throughout the year. Thank you for your interest in supporting this amazing organization!

Share Your Recent Achievements: We love learning more about our members! Our Featured Member Series is a great way for members to introduce themselves to the membership and share their recent accomplishments. Nominate yourself or another spectacular OCWLA member today.

Let’s Celebrate Each Other!: OCWLA’s Everyday Hero Award recognizes members of our profession who have made a positive impact in the community through their hard work, generosity, and commitment to justice. To nominate an Everyday Hero, send the nominee’s contact information and a brief description of why they are a hero to info@ocwla.org. Or fill out the form here.

Utilize Our Discussion Forum: OCWLA continues to take action that will connect members in new ways. Members can access a Discussion Forum to share referrals, mentorship, and provide professional resources. Simply log in to your OCWLA account to access the Discussion Forum.

Join Us!: We would love to have you join OCWLA! Renew your membership today to become a part of this active and dynamic group! Discounted and/or complimentary membership rates are available for judges, government attorneys, attorneys with less than five years of practice, and law students.

Become A California Women Lawyers Member: Over forty years ago, OCWLA aligned with California Women Lawyers, which in 1974 established itself as the only statewide women lawyers organization. The mission of both OCWLA and CWL is the advancement of women in the legal profession through collaboration and leadership. Join today!

Recognizing OCWLA’s Members

Welcome New Members!: Welcome David Berkovitz, September Cervera, Jae-Min Cho, Martha Geisler Patterson, Tuaku Hijarunguru, Jilana Jordi, Kaelyn Keller, Linda Miller, Brittany Milrot, Sara Montazeri Aliabadi, Mai Moua, Melody Mulligan, Michelle Norris, Nina Safi, Shama Mehta, Yalda Satar, Marisa Scalzo, Michelle Strowhiro, and Kim Valentine. We are thrilled that you joined OCWLA! We look forward to meeting you at the next event.

Dana Heyde, OCWLA President

Cottle Keen Lopiccolo & Heyde, LLP

dana@cklhlaw.com

Book Club: Bette Robin led our book club in reading Thrive by Arianna Huffington. This empowering book motivated us!  

June MCLE: An amazing In-House Counsel Panel discussed career options, insights, and inspiration. - Remove “Presentation: In-House Insights”. This engaging conversation was appreciated by all who attended! 

Gala Updates

Become A Gala Sponsor: Join us at the Gala on October 12, 2022, at Shady Canyon Golf Club from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. as OCWLA honors 2022 Judge of the Year Judge Debra Servino, 2022 Attorney of the Year Antoinette Balta of Veterans Legal Institute, and the recipient of the Advancement of Women award Community Legal Aid SoCal. You can support these amazing honorees with a Gala Sponsorship.

Donate To The Silent Auction: Do you have a good or service that would be perfect for the Gala’s Silent Auction? The OCWLA Foundation is accepting donations! All donations to the OCWLA Foundation are tax deductible. Donors are recognized in the Gala program. Contact info@ocwla.org to donate today! 

Get Involved!

Make An Immediate Impact: You can advance women in the legal profession, raise awareness of discrimination and bias, and support charitable organizations by becoming an Annual Sponsor of OCWLA. Sponsors receive recognition and connect with OCWLA members at several events throughout the year. Thank you for your interest in supporting this amazing organization! 

Share Your Recent Achievements: We love learning more about our members! Our Featured Member Series is a great way for members to introduce themselves to the membership and share their recent accomplishments. Nominate yourself or another spectacular OCWLA member today. 

Let’s Celebrate Each Other!: OCWLA’s Everyday Hero Award recognizes members of our profession who have made a positive impact in the community through their hard work, generosity, and commitment to justice. To nominate an Everyday Hero, send the nominee’s contact information and a brief description of why they are a hero to Executive Director Kaity Van Amersfort at info@ocwla.org.

Utilize Our Discussion Forum: OCWLA continues to take action that will connect members in new ways. Members can access a Discussion Forum to share referrals, mentorship, and provide professional resources. Simply log in to your OCWLA account to access the Discussion Forum. Once logged in, you can start a discussion but hovering over membership and then by clicking on the Discussion Forum/List Serve link. 

Join Us!: We would love to have you join OCWLA! Renew your membership today to become a part of this active and dynamic group! Discounted and/or complimentary membership rates are available for judges, government attorneys, attorneys with less than five years of practice, and law students. 

Become A California Women Lawyers Member: Over forty years ago, OCWLA aligned with California Women Lawyers, which in 1974 established itself as the only statewide women lawyers organization. The mission of both OCWLA and CWL is the advancement of women in the legal profession through collaboration and leadership. Join today!

Recognizing OCWLA’s Members

Welcome New Members!: Welcome Jae-Min Cho and Kaelyn Keller. We are thrilled that you joined OCWLA! We look forward to meeting you at the next event. 

Dana Heyde, OCWLA President
Cottle Keen Lopiccolo & Heyde, LLP
dana@cklhlaw.com

Hello OCWLA Community!

The June gloom gives way to the first day of summer! The board of directors have worked hard to plan some amazing events! I am so excited for these opportunities to connect with each of you as we all work together to advance women everywhere. 

Gala Updates

Become A Gala Sponsor: Join us at the Gala on October 12, 2022, at Shady Canyon Golf Club from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. as OCWLA honors 2022 Judge of the Year Judge Debra Servino, 2022 Attorney of the Year Antoinette Balta of Veterans Legal Institute, and the recipient of the Advancement of Women award Community Legal Aid SoCal. You can support these amazing honorees with a Gala Sponsorship.

Donate To The Silent Auction: Do you have a good or service that would be perfect for the Gala’s Silent Auction? The OCWLA Foundation is accepting donations! All donations to the OCWLA Foundation are tax deductible. Donors are recognized in the Gala program. Contact info@ocwla.org to donate today!

Upcoming Events

Summer Membership Mixer: We look forward to mingling with OCWLA members at the Summer Membership Mixer. This event will take place on the evening of June 14, 2022 at 5:30 p.m. at Zov’s in Tustin. This members only event is $25 per person. 

Connect With Other Book Lovers: This month, Bette Robin will lead the group as we read Thrive by Arianna Huffington. This empowering book is destined to motivate you! Join us on June 27, 2022, at 5:30 p.m. at Mimi’s Café in Tustin. 

OCWLA Supports OCBA DEI Summer Social: OCWLA is proud to be a sponsor of the OCBA’s DEI Summer Social Mixer, Celebrating Diversity event, which will be held at the Boardwalk in Irvine on Tuesday, June 28th from 5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. We are especially excited that this event will also commemorate the Inaugural Lei Lei Wang Ekvall Award, who was a recipient of OCWLA’s 2019 Attorney Of The Year Award. Register today!

Our Empowering May

Cinco De Mayo Coffee Meetup: OCWLA members kicked off the summer at the Cinco De Mayo Coffee Meetup. It was a great way for the gals of OCWLA to network and get to know each other better.

OCWLA Foursome Wins At ABOTA Golf Tournament: The women of OCWLA made a mark at the annual ABOTA golf tournament by winning the female category for best team!

Thank You Blood Donors!: Thank you to everyone who participated in OCWLA’s Blood Drive. You can be proud to be a part of an event that made a huge difference in the community.

Book Club: Retired Judge Linda Miller lead a fantastic Book Club in May on The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis.

Get Involved!

Make An Immediate Impact: You can advance women in the legal profession, raise awareness of discrimination and bias, and support charitable organizations by becoming an Annual Sponsor of OCWLA. Sponsors receive recognition and connect with OCWLA members at several events throughout the year. Thank you for your interest in supporting this amazing organization!

Share Your Recent Achievements: We love learning more about our members! Our Featured Member Series is a great way for members to introduce themselves to the membership and share their recent accomplishments. Nominate yourself or another spectacular OCWLA member today.

Let’s Celebrate Each Other!: OCWLA’s Everyday Hero Award recognizes members of our profession who have made a positive impact in the community through their hard work, generosity, and commitment to justice. To nominate an Everyday Hero, send the nominee’s contact information and a brief description of why they are a hero to Executive Director Kaity Van Amersfort at info@ocwla.org.

Utilize Our Discussion Forum: OCWLA continues to take action that will connect members in new ways. Members can access a Discussion Forum to share referrals, mentorship, and provide professional resources. Simply log in to your OCWLA account to access the Discussion Forum.

Join Us!: We would love to have you join OCWLA! Renew your membership today to become a part of this active and dynamic group! Discounted and/or complimentary membership rates are available for judges, government attorneys, attorneys with less than five years of practice, and law students.

Become A California Women Lawyers Member: Over forty years ago, OCWLA aligned with California Women Lawyers, which in 1974 established itself as the only statewide women lawyers organization. The mission of both OCWLA and CWL is the advancement of women in the legal profession through collaboration and leadership. Join today!

Recognizing OCWLA’s Members

Welcome New Members!: Welcome Julie Ault, Suzanne Rehmani, Kaylee Sauvey, Alexandra Menninger, Krista Hemming, Isaiah Leslie, Rosemary Amezcua-Moll, Erica Galvan, Jayna Bosse, Lindsey Martinez, Livia Espiritu, Calyn Hadlock, Michael Bock, and Nahal Bahri.

We are thrilled that you joined OCWLA! We look forward to meeting you at the next event. 

Dana Heyde, OCWLA President

Cottle Keen Lopiccolo & Heyde, LLP

dana@cklhlaw.com