January 9, 2025

 

Dear LACBA members and friends -

Like all of you, I have been witnessing the impact of the devastating fires on Los Angeles County with sadness and shock. The loss is immeasurable. While these tragic events are beyond our control and leave us feeling powerless, there are things each of us can do to make a difference.

I speak often of LACBA being first and foremost a community. It is in times like this that having the support of a community is most needed and can make the most difference. The fires have impacted some in our community more than others. Some have lost their homes, had to leave their homes, are taking care of others impacted by the fire, or are unable to work for any number of reasons including closure of schools and law offices and interrupted electric and internet service. For these folks, business cannot proceed as usual — in some cases this will last for some time after the last of the fires is extinguished and life returns to “normal”. For the rest of us, this is an opportunity to come together in the legal community and display the highest standards of our noble profession by acting with civility, understanding, and grace. In our individual legal practices, for example, we can agree to extensions and continuances due to exigencies caused by the fires and work collaboratively with opposing counsel and parties to get cases back on track.

For its part, LACBA has taken the following steps to assist persons harmed by the fires:

(1) We have set up a tab on our home page where we post up to date information regarding court closures, legal resources for persons impacted by the fires, and other useful information (see here). In recognition of the importance of maintaining access to justice for Los Angeles County residents, court leaders have decided to keep courthouses open wherever possible despite these difficult times.

(2) To help LACBA members communicate regarding any requests for assistance or to exchange information, LACBA has created a special members-only listserve for use during this emergency. Please contact our Member Services Team at msd@lacba.org or (213) 896-6560 to join.

(3) I and other LACBA leaders are planning to meet via zoom next week with section and committee leaders and other interested parties to explore ways in which we can harness the broad and deep legal knowledge and expertise of our members to assist persons impacted by the fires. Please stay tuned for more information about this meeting. We also will be looking into ways in which LACBA can collaborate with sister bar organizations to provide this assistance. Several bar organizations from throughout California and, indeed, the country have reached out to offer their good wishes, support and assistance. If you have any suggestion for how LACBA can help in these circumstances or would like to offer your expertise and time in this effort, please email Stan Bissey, LACBA’s Executive Director and CEO, at sbissey@lacba.org.

The recent fires undoubtedly will further strain our courts and impact the delivery of justice to the residents of Los Angeles County. It is my hope that we emerge from this difficult experience with stronger ties with each other, a greater appreciation of our shared fates, and an understanding of the challenges facing our legal system. It is also my hope that each of you gets involved and helps in whatever way that works for you to address these challenges.

 

With best wishes,

 

 

Sarvenaz Bahar
President (2024-2025)
Los Angeles County Bar Association