JUDGE JUDGE BRENDA HARBIN-FORTE WHEREAS the Honorable Brenda Harbin-Forte received her J.D. from Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California, in 1979 and was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1979; and WHEREAS the Honorable Brenda Harbin-Forte practiced law at the law firms of Harris, Alexander & Burris (Oakland) and Thelen, Marrin, Johnson & Bridges (Oakland and San Francisco); and WHEREAS the Honorable Brenda Harbin-Forte was appointed to the Oakland-Piedmont-Emeryville-Municipal Court in 1992 and was later elevated to the Superior Court of California, County of Alameda in 1998; and WHEREAS the Honorable Brenda Harbin-Forte has taught numerous judicial education courses for the California Center for Judicial Education and Research; and WHEREAS the Honorable Brenda Harbin-Forte has published legal articles, and consulted on articles, ranging from civil proceedings, media coverage and the law, to black women pioneers in the law; and WHEREAS the Honorable Brenda Harbin-Forte has participated in and supported countless bar associations, civic organizations and community groups; and WHEREAS the Honorable Brenda Harbin-Forte is a champion of judicial diversity, having made numerous presentations on the importance of judicial diversity, and strategies for improving diversity, at national, state, county and identity bar associations including the ; and WHEREAS the Honorable Brenda Harbin-Forte spearheaded the first statewide summit on diversity in the judiciary working with the State Bar of California and the Administrative Office of the Courts; and WHEREAS the Honorable Brenda Harbin-Forte served as the founding chair of the State Bar s Council on Access and Fairness, a 25-member body of attorneys, judges and other professionals focusing on strategic initiatives to achieve diversity in the legal profession; and WHEREAS the Honorable Brenda Harbin-Forte served as the first African-American woman president of the Alameda County Bar Association; and WHEREAS the Honorable Brenda Harbin-Forte brings kindness, patience and respect to all of her relationships and is a long-time friend of the ; Award for a Judge to the Honorable Brenda Harbin-Forte and thanks her for her grace, wisdom and vision.
LAWYER JAMES M. WOOD WHEREAS James M. Wood received his J.D. from the University of San Francisco in 1973 and was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1973; and WHEREAS James M. Wood has practiced law for more than 35 years, first at Crosby Heafy Roach & May and then at Reed Smith, and is a known expert in product liability litigation; and WHEREAS James M. Wood has written extensively on prescription product recalls, medical liability issues, pharmaceutical law and related topics; and WHEREAS James M. Wood s practice has given rise to several landmark decisions involving prescription products, medications, devices and vaccines, which have led to the increased health and well-being of countless individuals; and WHEREAS James M. Wood is a frequently called-upon speaker at professional gatherings of legal and medical experts; and WHEREAS James M. Wood has received numerous awards for his pro bono work, including being named as one of California s Top 20 Attorneys in 2011 by The Recorder, and, in 2007, being recognized as one of the State s outstanding pro bono attorneys by being awarded an Angel Award by California Lawyer; and WHEREAS James M. Wood s pro bono practice has had significant impact on providing access to justice and reflects positively on the legal profession in the Bay Area, including a case affecting the treatment of diabetic students in California schools, now pending before the California Supreme Court, and a Privacy Act action that was recently argued before the United States Supreme Court; and WHEREAS James M. Wood has served on the San Francisco AIDS Legal Referral Panel Board of Directors, and was named their Attorney of the Year in 2006; and WHEREAS James M. Wood has been a member of the ACBA and has served as co-chair of its Conference of Delegates Committee for two years and has been successful in turning resolutions into legislation; and WHEREAS James M. Wood has served on the ACBA Volunteer Legal Services Corporation Board of Directors since 2010, ably stepped into the Presidency when needed in 2011, and continues to lead and inspire VLSC; and WHEREAS James M. Wood brings leadership, enthusiasm, and intellect to the legal profession, the Alameda County Bar Association and the Volunteer Legal Services Corporation; Award for Lawyer to James M. Wood and thanks him for his grace and compassion.
YOUNG LAWYER JEFFREY S. TACHIKI WHEREAS Jeffrey S. Tachiki earned his J.D. from S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah in 2002 and was admitted to the State Bar of California in 2004; and WHEREAS Jeffrey S. Tachiki, as a law student, served as an editor of the Utah Law Review, was a Leary Scholar Award recipient, and President of the Minority Law Caucus; and WHEREAS Jeffrey S. Tachiki was a judicial clerk for Judge John S. W. Lim (late) of the Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals, practiced civil litigation at Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman & Dicker in San Francisco, and was a senior associate at, and managed, the Berkeley office of The Myers Law Firm; and WHEREAS Jeffrey S. Tachiki is a partner and managing attorney at Tachiki Arnold LLP, where his practice includes estate planning, trust administration, probate, conservatorships and guardianships; and WHEREAS Jeffrey S. Tachiki was recognized in 2009 and 2010 as a Northern California Super Lawyers Rising Star ; and WHEREAS Jeffrey S. Tachiki is a regular lecturer for the National Business Institute on various estate planning and administration topics and has presented for PENSCO Trust Company on exit and distribution strategies for retirement plans, the Berkeley Association of Realtors, and the Professional Fiduciary Association of California on the administration of special needs trusts; and WHEREAS Jeffrey S. Tachiki serves as the Vice-Chair of the ACBA Trusts and Estates Section, is a member of the State Bar of California Trusts and Estates Section and the Bay Area Chapter of the Asian American Bar Association; and WHEREAS Jeffrey S. Tachiki developed and co-presented an estate planning training with the Volunteer Legal Services Corporation and ACBA Trusts and Estates Section that encouraged more than 40 attorneys to participate in meaningful pro bono activities; and WHEREAS Jeffrey S. Tachiki is a dedicated and caring lawyer concerned with enhancing the professional development of lawyers and increasing access to justice; Award for Young Lawyer to Jeffrey S. Tachiki and thanks him for his dedication and service to the legal profession and the community.
COMMUNITY SERVICE CHARLES HOUSTON BAR ASSOCIATION WHEREAS the Charles Houston Bar Association (CHBA) was founded in 1955 as the Charles Houston Law Club to provide a forum in which African American lawyers could address issues that affected their practice; and WHEREAS the Charles Houston Bar Association was recognized as a formal bar association in 1975, and CHBA is an affiliate member of the National Bar Association; and WHEREAS the Charles Houston Bar Association, a nonprofit organization comprised of lawyers, judges and law students throughout northern California, seeks to address unique challenges facing the African American community; and WHEREAS the Charles Houston Bar Association has always been fundamentally concerned with civil rights and promoting diversity in the legal profession; and WHEREAS the Charles Houston Bar Association has endeavored to provide access to justice in the community in numerous ways including holding monthly legal clinics in substantive areas of law, including debt collection defense, bankruptcy, foreclosures and family law; and WHEREAS the Charles Houston Bar Association encourages its members to participate in meaningful pro bono work to help bridge the justice gap in Alameda County; and WHEREAS the Charles Houston Bar Association and the Volunteer Legal Services Corporation (VLSC) have a Memorandum of Understanding to coordinate and provide such services utilizing CHBA members expertise and VLSC administrative resources, including malpractice insurance for clinic volunteers, and as such are partners in increasing access to legal services in Alameda County; and WHEREAS the Charles Houston Bar Association brings resources, legal skills, compassion and caring to those less fortunate in Alameda County; Award for Community Service to the Charles Houston Bar Association and thanks CHBA for its dedication and service to the legal profession and the community.
LAW FIRM SUNDEEN SALINAS & PYLE WHEREAS the law firm of Sundeen Salinas & Pyle was founded in Oakland in 1998; and WHEREAS the law firm of Sundeen Salinas & Pyle is an eightc v -attorney firm offering services in employee rights, housing rights, class actions, personal injury, police misconduct, probate, estate planning, probate litigation, real property and business transactions; and WHEREAS the firm s attorneys have been members of the for several years, and actively participate in ACBA activities; and WHEREAS name partner Ruben Sundeen served as President of the East Bay La Raza Lawyers Association in 2004, 2007, and 2008 and participated in the East Bay Diversity Bar Coalition, and currently serves as a member of the ACBA Board of Directors; and WHEREAS name partner Robert Salinas regularly provides pro bono legal service in the community and served on the ACBA Lawyer Referral Service Governing Committee for seven years; and WHEREAS name partner Hunter Pyle served on the ACBA Labor & Employment Section for seven years, including serving as Chair in 2010 and Vice-Chair in 2011, and spear-headed that Section s creation of the annual Employment Law Symposium that attracts 100 participants annually; and WHEREAS firm associate Pamela Kong served on the ACBA Barristers Section Executive Committee for four years, including as Chair in 2010 and Vice Chair in 2011, and received the Distinguished Service Award for Young Lawyer in 2011; and WHEREAS firm associate Alberto T. Rosas will be serving on the ACBA Barristers Section Executive Committee in 2012; and WHEREAS the firm of Sundeen Salinas & Pyle has a dynamic, diverse staff and is committed to creating a fair and inclusive legal profession; WHEREAS the firm of Sundeen Salinas & Pyle strives to improve the professional development of lawyers in Alameda County through its leadership in ACBA sections and its development of MCLE programs; Award for Law Firm to Sundeen Salinas & Pyle and thanks the firm for their dedicated service to the ACBA and the legal community.