San Diego FBA January Update
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Trivia: Who was the first woman Magistrate Judge in the Southern District of California?
President's Welcome Message
“One of my earliest memories of living in the United States was being in a grand auditorium with many other immigrants taking the oath at our naturalization ceremony. I was a kid then, but I could just tell that something very special was happening. This was my very first encounter with the federal legal system. Who knew that I would one day be leading an organization of federal attorneys and judges—what an honor!”
San Diego FBA 2025 President Kim Gregg previews a year of educational programming, opportunities to learn from our federal bench, and ways to get involved with San Diego FBA. Read Kim's full welcome message here.
Upcoming San Diego FBA Events
Thursday, January 16, from 12 to 1 p.m.
Zoom Webinar
Join us for an MCLE on Competence (Substance Abuse) featuring Greg Dorst, J.D., from the organization The Other Bar. Members of San Diego FBA or Imperial County Lawyers Association attend for free. Non-members can purchase tickets for $40. Zoom credentials and written materials will be sent via email one day prior to the event.
Co-Sponsored
Tuesday, January 21, from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m.
In-Person at the Carter-Keep Courthouse & Virtual
Join us for this free MCLE program focusing on federal appellate practice and effective advocacy in the Ninth Circuit. The program will feature Ninth Circuit Judges McKeown, Owens, Lee, and Bumatay, court staff, and experienced federal appellate practitioners. In-person attendance qualifies for 2.5 General or Appellate Practice Specialization MCLE Credit.
Program Topics:
Preparing for oral argument
Handling questions from the bench
Conference and decision writing
Deciding whether to seek rehearing
Overview of the panel and en banc rehearing process
En banc decision writing
Wednesday, February 12, from 5 to 6:30 p.m.
Carter–Keep Courthouse Enright Conference Room
FBA members newly admitted to the state bar are invited to connect with the local federal bench and seasoned practitioners in this mentorship mixer.
Friday, February 28, from 9 to 10 a.m.
Zoom Webinar
Please join U.S. Magistrate Judge Allison Goddard and the authors of the recently published book, A Short & Happy Guide to Artificial Intelligence, for a wide-ranging discussion of artificial intelligence and the law. The panel will provide a grounding in current regulation and technology, as well as surveying trends in how artificial intelligence is impacting many different legal fields, including intellectual property law, corporate law, and criminal law.
Rewind: Event Highlights
A Festive Evening of Connection and Celebration
The FBA’s annual holiday party and judicial law clerk reception at Athens Market Taverna was a resounding success, bringing together 119 professionals for an evening of connection, celebration, and recognition. The event highlighted the FBA’s strong relationship with the judiciary.
The evening featured heartfelt remarks by Chief Judge Dana M. Sabraw, who thanked the law clerks for their invaluable contributions to the court and underscored the vital collaboration between the bench and our Chapter. A key moment of the evening was the presentation of awards to outgoing FBA board members: Jenn French, Sanjay Bhandari, Courtney Strange, and Mary Cile Glover-Rogers. Blake Currey acknowledged their dedicated service and contributions to the organization, and handed the presidency off to 2025 President Kim Gregg. Guests left inspired, energized, and full—reinforcing the sense of community that defines the FBA. This event not only celebrated the season but also strengthened professional ties, making it a memorable night for all who attended.
Did You Know? Garibaldi is the official marine fish of the state of California. You can find these bright orange fish near the La Jolla Caves.
Community & National Updates:
The 2025 Ninth Circuit Civics Contest prompt challenges high school students to dive into the rights and responsibilities of being a U.S. citizen. Students may submit an essay or video or both addressing the prompt: "When Duty Calls: Why Exercising the Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship is Important to Me." The deadline for entries is March 7. The winners of the Southern District of California contest will have their essays or videos submitted to the circuit-wide contest, as well as winning prizes up to $1,000.
In what the Solicitor General predicted would be a “convulsive shock to the legal system,” in late June 2024 the U.S. Supreme Court overruled the Chevron doctrine in the case of Loper Bright v. Raimondo. In the six months since, lower courts and litigants have been left to wrestle with the unanswered questions on what exactly comes next. This webinar on January 16 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. will explore what those unanswered questions are, how the lower courts have approached the issues so far, and what Loper Bright and the changed landscape on agency deference is likely to mean for the future of environmental law.
This panel on January 22 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. will discuss factors and considerations to keep in mind when using translation and interpretation services with clients inside and outside of the courtroom. These include how to access and choose a translator or interpreter, when to get a certified translator or interpreter involved, and how to ensure that the individual is certified to work within your state’s courtroom. All attorneys should be interested in how to incorporate these resources into their practice.
Presenters will provide a primer on the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) and its strategic advantages over district courts in this webinar on January 29 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. This is against the backdrop of the agency’s increasingly central role in protecting U.S. industry from unfairly traded imported products. This webinar will cover the unique procedural aspects of ITC litigation, benefits of the ITC venue over district court, exclusion of infringing imports from the U.S. market and potentially elevated role of the ITC during the coming presidential administration.
Webinar: Rest Assured: The Critical Legal Role of Sleep in Wellness and Attorney Competency
This webinar on February 5 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. explores the neuroscience of sleep, its impact on cognitive function, decision-making, and emotional regulation in legal practice. This course highlights how sleep influences attorney wellness, ethical practice, and the ability to meet professional standards in client representation.
Panelists will provide an overview of the Pregnant Workers’ Fairness Act on February 12 from 10 to 11 a.m. This will include a discussion of how the regulations issued in June 2023 have been implemented in the private workforce and some difficulties and challenges that employers and employees have faced in doing so. Panelists will also discuss employees’ rights and responsibilities under the new regulations.
Answer: Hon. Irma Elsa Gonzalez. Judge Gonzalez served as a Magistrate Judge from 1984 to 1991.
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