Funky Credit Day XXIX- In Person ONLY- January 26

Friday, January 26, 2024
In Person ONLY from 8:00am-5:00pm
Location: Grand Bay Hotel
223 Twin Dolphin Drive
Redwood City, CA 94065

The Funky Credit Day Program is held each year for members of the State Bar of California who are actively practicing law. Attorneys are required to complete a total of 25 hours of approved credit every three years, which include credits on legal ethics as well as competence issues, such as substance abuse and mental health, and elimination of bias, which includes implicit bias.

Although everyone is welcome to attend this program, we would like to remind you that the MCLE Group 2 (H-M) has a deadline of 2/1/2024 to report their MCLE to the State Bar. MCLE Group 1 (A-G) must report their MCLE credits to the State Bar by 2/1/2025, and MCLE Group 3 (N-Z) must report their credits by 2/1/26.

This Special MCLE Program will feature a total of 8 hours:
4 hours of Legal Ethics
1 hour of Recognition & Elimination of Bias
1 hour of Implicit Bias
1 hour of General Law
1 hour of Competence Issues

Cost:
$260* Early Bird Special: Payment must be received by 10/31/23
$290* Pre-Registration: Payment must be received by 12/31/23
$399* Registration received after 1/1/2024

* Additional $100 for Non-SMCBA Members.

It’s never too early to meet your MCLE requirement!

Registration:
Please register online or complete the registration form and email to events@smcba.org. If you wish to pay by check, please send your check payable to SMCBA, to: 333 Bradford St., Ste. 150, Redwood City, CA 94063, Attn: Funky Credit Day.

Thank you to our 2024 Funky Credit Day Sponsors!

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Cancellations must be received no later than 01/13/2024 for a refund of registration.

SMCBA 2024 Installation of Officers and Annual Meeting- February 22

SMCBA 2024 Installation of Officers and Annual Meeting
Thursday, February 22, 2024
5:00-7:00 p.m.
San Mateo County History Museum “The Old Courthouse”
2200 Broadway
Redwood City, CA 94063

Join SMCBA for our Annual Meeting, Installation of Officers and Barristers, and Award Presentation on Thursday, February 22, 2024. 

The James M. Dennis Memorial Award, the William Nagle, Jr. Memorial Award, and the Dennis L. Woodman Memorial Award will be presented at this event. 

Cost:  $85 per person, Barristers at $65, and Judges attend for free but must register. 

Registration: To register, please log-in on the SMCBA member portal and register, or email events@smcba.org. Registration is limited to the first 165 attendees. 

If you wish to pay by check, please mail check payable to the SMCBA along with the registration form to SMCBA-Installation, 333 Bradford Street, Suite 150, Redwood City, 94063.

Sponsorship: To *sponsor this event, please complete and submit the registration form. Payment is due at the time of submission of your advertisement. 

Full page $600(Approx. 7.5 x 4 in.)Half Page $300(Approx. 3.5 x 4 in.) Business Card or Name Listing     $150

Advertising content information must be received by February 15, 2024.  All content is subject to editing and must be received in electronic Word format.  Materials can be sent to publications@smcba.org.  For more information contact Ahide Rodriguez (650) 298-4005 or ahider@smcba.org.

 *Contributions to the SMCBA are not deductible as charitable contributions but may be deductible under other sections of the Internal Revenue code.

Family Law Section- Holiday Luncheon 2023- December 5

Tuesday, December 5, 2023
In Person Event: Domenico Winery
1697 Industrial Road, San Carlos, CA 94070

THE SAN MATEO COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION FAMILY LAW SECTION

Cordially invites you to our

2023 ANNUAL HOLIDAY LUNCHEON

Honoring the Family Law Bench and Staff, Family Court Services, Facilitator’s Office, Alternative Dispute Resolution Program and Family Law Clerks

Tuesday, December 5, 2023, 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. Buffet Lunch Starts at 12:15 p.m. No host bar (cash only)

Domenico Winery 1697 Industrial Road, San Carlos, CA 94070

Please R.S.V.P. by Monday, November 13, 2023, $95.00 per person

Please note there is very limited parking onsite. A complimentary bus shuttle service from the San Mateo County Superior Court is available. First priority will be given to Court employees.

On behalf of the Family Law Section of the San Mateo County Bar Association, we are writing to request your financial support and sponsorship of the annual Holiday Luncheon scheduled for Tuesday, December 5, 2023, at the Domenico Winery in San Carlos. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to celebrate the season, enjoy each other’s company, and show our appreciation for the hard work and dedication of the family law judicial officers and Court staff who generously serve all of the family litigants of San Mateo County.

The generosity of your sponsorship serves as a gift of thanks to our judicial officers and to Court staff by ensuring that they may attend these holiday festivities free of charge. Each level of sponsorship will be gratefully acknowledged at the luncheon as follows:

Type of SponsorshipAmountSponsorship Includes the Following:
Platinum Sponsorship$1,200• Firm logo on the luncheon poster board
• Firm name on one of the tables at the luncheon
• Firm name on the shuttle
• Firm name in event program
• Firm name acknowledged in Chair’s speech
Gold Sponsorship$1,000• Firm logo on the luncheon poster board
• Firm name on one of the tables at the luncheon
• Firm name in event program
• Firm name acknowledged in Chair’s speech
Silver Sponsorship$750• Firm logo on the luncheon poster board
• Firm name in event program
• Firm name acknowledged in Chair’s speech
Bronze Sponsorship$500• Firm name in event program
• Firm name acknowledged in Chair’s speech

Please send your selected sponsorship level and check made payable to the San Mateo County Bar Association (“SMCBA”) along with the sponsorship form, you may access the form HERE to Events Coordinator, San Mateo County Bar Association, 333 Bradford Street, Suite 150, Redwood City, CA 94063. Please send your sponsorship donation before Wednesday, October 4, 2023. In the note section of your check, indicate that the sponsorship is for the SCMBA – Family Law Section. For SMCBA accounting purposes, if you plan on sponsoring and attending the luncheon, please send in two separate checks (one for luncheon attendees and one for sponsorship).

Women Lawyers’ Section- Holiday Judges’ Luncheon- December 7

Thursday, December 7, 2023
In Person
Please arrive at Angelicas at 11:20am
863 Main St, Redwood City, CA 94063

The Women Lawyers’ Section is excited to invite you to the Holiday Judges’ Luncheon this year where we will honor the San Mateo County Bench on Thursday, December 7, 2023, at Angelica’s in Redwood City. At this event, the Women Lawyers’ Section will be presenting a donation to the Jackie Speier Foundation. EVENT UPDATE: We regret to inform our attendees that Ms. Speier will now be unable to attend this event. However, we are looking forward to welcoming Sheryl Young, San Mateo County Director of Program of the Jackie Speier Foundation, at this luncheon. We look forward to seeing you all there!

Please join us for some good food, holiday cheer, and to partake in the raffle benefitting the Women Lawyers’ Section Education Foundation, which provides scholarships to well deserving law students.

Date/Time:        Thursday, December 7, 2023

                        11:30 a.m.* – 1:30 p.m. 

*Program will begin promptly at noon. Attendees who wish to mingle and catch up with fellow attendees prior to the start of the program are encouraged to arrive at 11:30 a.m. 

Location: Angelica’s863 Main St., Redwood City, CA 94063 

Meal Options: 

  • Grilled New York Steak – with red wine reduction served with mashed potatoes, and baby carrots (gluten free) 
  • Snapper Veracruzano Style—rock cod fish served with cilantro rice, asparagus, and baby carrots (gluten and diary free) 
  • Penne Pasta Primavera—with asparagus, cherry tomatoes, spinach, onions, and fresh herbs (vegan and gluten free) 

Cost:  $75 for WLS members and $90 for non-members

If you would like to sponsor* this event, please select one of the following sponsorship opportunities as you register for this event:

  • $500 for Platinum
  • $300 for Gold 
  • $200 for Silver 
  • $125 for Bronze 

Your sponsorship will be recognized in our lunch program, form to download HERE.

*Contributions or gifts to the San Mateo County Bar Association are not deductible as charitable contributions for Federal income tax purposes. Sponsorships, gifts or other payments to the San Mateo County Bar Association may be deductible under other sections of the Internal Revenue Code, please consult your tax advisor.

Estate Planning and Probate Section- Annual Holiday Party With Guest, The Honorable Leland Davis, III- December 14

Thursday, December 14th, 2023
In Person ONLY at 12:00pm

Please arrive at Elks Lodge at 11:40am
229 W 20th Ave, San Mateo, CA 94403

The EP Section is pleased to announce its annual Judge’s luncheon and holiday event.

We are pleased to have the Honorable Leland Davis, III  Probate Judge for the San Mateo County Superior Court, join us at our annual holiday party. Judge Davis will speak to our section regarding this past year on the Probate Bench and what to expect in 2023. This is a program you will not want to miss. Please arrive early as we expect this event to be well attended.

If you have questions for Judge Davis, please email them to Joe Gruber at jgruber@arcr.com, or to Jim Griffiths at smcba@gryphonevents.com, and type “Judge Davis” in the subject line.

Cost: Cost is $50 per person for members of the SMCBA Estate Planning Section for the luncheon and $65 for non-members for the luncheon. Cost includes lunch and 1.0 hour of General Law MCLE for event attendees. 

For questions about this event, please email smcba@gryphonevents.com.

Directions:

San Mateo Elks Lodge, 229 West 20th Avenue, San Mateo, CA 94403

From Highway 92, Exit El Camino Real South. Turn right (west) at the first traffic light onto 20th Avenue. The Elks Lodge is three blocks west on 20th Avenue on your left.

For in person cancellations, the cancellation must be received ONE WEEK BEFORE the event. If you do not cancel within one week prior to the event or do not show up to the event, you will be charged the full amount.

SMCBAs Race and Social Justice Committee is hosting “What Does Woke Mean“- November 30

Thursday, November 30, 2023
Via Zoom ONLY at 12:00pm

Speaker: Felicia A. Smith, MLIS., is the inaugural Racial Justice and Social Equity Librarian, at Stanford Libraries. As an African American Librarian, Felicia is charged with the awesome responsibility of being a keeper of the light and a protector of our shared memories. Felicia was the visionary for the libraries’ popular exhibit titled, Say Their Names – No More Names, which has been translated into Chinese, Spanish and German. To access the translations, simply click the drop-down menu under “English” in the header. Felicia hopes that this allows people in more communities to read these stories. This is Stanford Libraries’ most translated exhibit. 

Event Info: She will discuss some of the efforts nationwide to whitewash (literally) American history by censoring the teaching of events in Black history as well as other subjects such as the movement for Diversity and Equity in all aspects of our public life.

Cost: Free for SMCBA members, $15 for non-members. Cost includes 1.0 hour of Recognition and Elimination of Bias MCLE credit.

Registration and Information: Please click on the button below to register for this event. If you wish to pay by check, please still register online first and send your check payable to SMCBA, to: 333 Bradford St., Ste. 150, Redwood City, CA 94063. Attn: Events. *Please note for which event you are paying and the name of the attendee.

Logistics: Your Zoom credentials will automatically be emailed to you shortly after you register online, as well as the day and hour before the event. Please note that you’ll need to be logged into a Zoom account to join the webinar. The written materials for the webinar will be emailed to attendees the morning of the event. 

Contact Info for this Event: For questions about this event, please email events@smcba.org.

Cancellations must be received at least 48 hours prior to the event for a full refund of the registration fee. If you do not cancel within 48 hours or do not show up to the event, you will be charged the full amount.

Estate Planning and Probate Section- Supported Decision Making: An Alternative to Conservatorships – A Review of AB 1663 (Live Webinar) – November 16

Friday, November 16, 2023
Via Zoom ONLY at 12:00pm

Please note that this is a virtual presentation only.

Description:

In September, 2022, Governor Newsom signed AB 1663, which reforms California’s probate conservatorship system to enable disabled people needing support to pursue supported decision-making as a less restrictive alternative to conservatorship. The bill also makes it easier to end a conservatorship. What does this mean for conservatorship attorneys? Ms. Cookman will discuss this and supported decision-making in general.

Our presenters will be Ellen Cookman who is principal of Cookman Law in Palo Alto, California. She is passionate about helping families of all shapes and sizes plan for the future and utilize available resources. Ellen is a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law from the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization. She received her J.D. from UC Berkeley School of Law and her LL.M. in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate from Golden Gate University. Ellen lives in East Palo Alto with her husband, two cute and very active boys (her older son has high-functioning autism), a puppy named Aspen and a kitty named Skittles..

Please note that this is a virtual presentation only.

Speakers:  Ellen Cookman

Cost: Cost is $20 per person for members of the SMCBA Estate Planning Section and $30 for others. Cost includes 1.0 hour of General Law MCLE.

Registration and Information: Please click on the button above to register for this event. If you wish to pay by check, please still register online first and send your check payable to SMCBA, to 333 Bradford St., Ste. 150, Redwood City, CA 94063. Attn: Events. *Please note for which event you are paying and the name of the attendee.

Logistics: Your Zoom credentials will automatically be emailed to you shortly after you register online, as well as the day and hour before the event. Please note that you’ll need to be logged into a Zoom account to join the webinar. The written materials for the webinar will be emailed to attendees the morning of the event. 

Contact Info for this Event: For questions about this event, please email events@smcba.org.

Cancellations must be received at least 48 hours prior to the event for a full refund of the registration fee. If you do not cancel within 48 hours or do not show up to the event, you will be charged the full amount.

Family Law Section- Ins and Outs of DissoMaster with Katie Sims, CPA of Magnolia Group, LLP- November 10

Friday, November 10, 2023
Via Zoom ONLY at 12:00pm

SMCBA will be closed the day of November 10, 2023. Please use the contact information below for your zoom logistics.

Description: Walking through all aspects of guideline support calculations – from reading a tax return and paystubs to understanding the impact of various DissoMaster inputs, as well as tips and tricks for how to use a variety of reports.

Speakers: Katie Sims, CPA of Magnolia Group, LLP

Cost: Cost is $35 per person for members of the SMCBA Family Law Section and $50 for Non-Section Members. Cost includes 1.0 hour of General Law MCLE.

Registration and Information: Please click on the button above to register for this event. If you wish to pay by check, please still register online first and send your check payable to SMCBA, to 333 Bradford St., Ste. 150, Redwood City, CA 94063. Attn: Events. *Please note for which event you are paying and the name of the attendee.

SMCBA will be closed the day of November 10, 2023. Please use the contact information below for your zoom logistics.

Contact Info for this Event: For questions about this event, please email Joanna Wald at jwald@violaw.com.

Cancellations must be received at least 48 hours prior to the event for a full refund of the registration fee. If you do not cancel within 48 hours or do not show up to the event, you will be charged the full amount.

SMCBAs Race and Social Justice Committee is hosting “State of the D.A.’s Office”- November 9

Thursday, November 9th, 2023
Via Zoom Only

Speaker: Stephen Wagstaffe

Event Info:

This event will feature District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe who will speak about the efforts and to what extent the Office of the District Attorney has been able to put in place new practices and policies, in response to recent events and resulting legislation pertaining to issues of racial and social justice, and to assure the community that facially neutral penal laws are a reality. He will report to the legal community and community at large how those laws are not employed in a manner that in effect discriminate against members of minority community. The office of the District Attorney has conducted trainings to avoid any such discriminatory practices and he will discuss those, as well as other steps that office has taken with regard ensuring cultural and racial fairness in the courtroom. Participants hopefully will be able to ask Mr. Wagstaffe about such matters particularly as they affect public perception of the criminal justice system in this County.

Cost: Free to all!

Registration and Information: Please click on the button below to register for this event. If you wish to pay by check, please still register online first and send your check payable to SMCBA, to: 333 Bradford St., Ste. 150, Redwood City, CA 94063. Attn: Events. *Please note for which event you are paying and the name of the attendee.

Logistics: Your Zoom credentials will automatically be emailed to you shortly after you register online, as well as the day and hour before the event. Please note that you’ll need to be logged into a Zoom account to join the webinar. The written materials for the webinar will be emailed to attendees the morning of the event. 

Contact Info for this Event: For questions about this event, please email events@smcba.org.

Cancellations must be received at least 48 hours prior to the event for a full refund of the registration fee. If you do not cancel within 48 hours or do not show up to the event, you will be charged the full amount.

Estate Planning and Probate Section- Incapacity and Death in Family Law Proceedings (In Person – Brown Bag Lunch)- November 9

Thursday, November 9, 2023
This is an in-person event ONLY:

Please arrive at:
San Mateo County Superior Court at 11:40am
400 County Center Department 1
Redwood City, CA 94063

Description: The seminar will provide an overview of issues that arise when a litigant dies or becomes incapacitated in the midst of a family law action. The speaker will describe the nuances between the Family Code and Probate Code and help practitioners understand which law applies following a death. The seminar will also provide practical tips to address issues that frequently arise in death and divorce cases, including estate planning, property division, and reimbursements.

Speakers: Sarah A. Brooks of Aaron Riechert Carpol & Riffle, APC

Where: Department 1 of the San Mateo County Superior Court, 400 County Center, Redwood City, CA

For in person cancellations, the cancellation must be received ONE WEEK BEFORE the event. If you do not cancel within one week prior to the event or do not show up to the event, you will be charged the full amount.