Marin County Bar Association Statement in Support of the Rule of Law and the Legal Profession

As I write my final President’s Message, I am struck by how quickly this year has passed. It has truly been one of the great privileges of my career to serve as President of the Marin County Bar Association. This year gave me the opportunity to meet more of our wonderful members, to deepen my appreciation for our legal community, and to be reminded, again and again, of the vital role we play as lawyers in upholding the rule of law.

According to the State Bar of California's 2024-2025 Biennial Report on Access, Fairness, and Diversity, while recent trends show promise, the overall picture reveals a profession that remains predominantly white and male. White attorneys comprise 65 percent of California's licensed attorneys, despite representing only 38 percent of the state's adult population. In contrast, Latino attorneys make up just 6 percent of licensed attorneys while constituting 37 percent of California's population—a disparity of more than six-fold. Black attorneys represent 3 percent of the profession compared to 6 percent of the state's population, while women account for 44 percent of attorneys versus 50 percent of California's adult population.1

This edition of the Marin Lawyer reflects the critical issues currently affecting our community, with a particular focus on diversity and the state of representation at local and national levels. While we navigate challenging and ever-changing landscapes, we find a silver lining in the dedicated contributions and activism of our Marin community members, including our judges and public service providers.

In 1985 we were using IBM typewriters for legal briefs and the U.S. mail for communication. We did our legal research in the stacks with the aid of Shepard’s maroon volumes.

In 2025, the Trump administration issued multiple executive orders and implemented various measures to eliminate DEI initiatives in federal agencies and curtail such programs in the private sector. The legal profession has not been exempt from this sweeping change. Law firms across the country have found themselves navigating a dramatically altered landscape, with many reevaluating their DEI commitments amid increased scrutiny and potential legal risks. This shift has fundamentally reshaped discussions surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion in the profession, forcing firms to balance longstanding commitments to workplace diversity with compliance concerns and evolving legal interpretations of permissible DEI practices.

Across California and the nation, justice-involved women represent the fastest-growing population within the criminal legal system. Despite recent declines in men’s incarceration, women’s incarceration continues to rise, revealing a significant gap in how systems respond to women’s needs. Over the past 35 years, arrests of women have increased by 25%, while arrests of men have decreased by 33%. Between 2009 and 2018, men’s jail populations fell by 8%, but women’s jail populations grew by 23%. These statistics make clear that gender-neutral services are not effective for women, and that counties must adopt specialized, gender- and trauma-responsive approaches if they hope to improve outcomes.