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An Official Publication of
The Marin County Bar Association |
Robyn Christo
Scott Buell, Nestor Schnasse |
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| June 2025 - Marin Lawyer |
| THE RULE OF LAW ~ Defending Justice, Preserving Democracy |
READ NOW >
Open the magazine and then Click on Download for PDF of 2025 June Marin Lawyer |
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| Thu | Jul 03 | 5-6:30P |
General | General Membership Social (in person)
General
General Membership Social (in person) |
| Thirsty Thursday |
Calling All Marin Attorneys!
Ready to expand your network, catch up with colleagues, or just make new friends? Join us for Thirsty Thursday, with the Marin County Bar Association!
Here’s the deal:
When? The First Thursday of every month, starting at 5:00 PM
Where? A rotating lineup of restaurants and bars in Marin--this month we'll meet at Gaspare's Pizzeria Ristorante in Terra Linda.
No RSVP, No-Host, No Fuss—just show up, buy yourself a drink and an appetizer, and enjoy casual, face-to-face conversations with fellow attorneys who work or live in Marin County. Bring your business cards, your best stories, and let’s make Thursdays something to look forward to again!
Whether you're looking to grow your network or just unwind with a great group, Thirsty Thursday is the perfect way to mix business and pleasure.
See you there! |
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| Location: Gaspare's Pizzeria Ristorante |
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| Sun | Aug 24 | 11:30A-3P |
General | General Membership Social (in person)
General
General Membership Social (in person) |
| MCBA Annual End-of-Summer Members Picnic |
Join Us for the MCBA Annual End-of-Summer Members Picnic!
Location: Piper Park, Larkspur | Group Picnic Area A (Tables 1–4)
We’re excited to welcome you to our Annual In-Person End-of-Summer Members Picnic at beautiful Piper Park in Larkspur! This family-friendly event is a great opportunity to reconnect with colleagues, meet new members, and enjoy a relaxing afternoon outdoors.
MCBA will cover the cost of food and beverages, but registration is required. Please be sure to register yourself, your guests, and any children who will be attending, so we can plan appropriately.
Food & Drinks:
Enjoy a delicious taco bar provided by Taquicas El Cuñado, featuring a variety of mouth-watering taco selections.
Agua fresca and other non-alcoholic beverages will be served to keep you cool and refreshed.
What to Expect:
• A scenic location with sports fields, picnic tables, a playground, and a flower garden
• Classic family fun, including tug-o-war, three-legged races, egg toss, cornhole, and volleyball
• Plenty of food, drinks, and great company
Don’t forget: Bring your picnic blankets or comfy chairs for seating!
Directions to Piper Park:
-- From Highway 101 South, take exit 450A Lucky Drive/Doherty Drive
-- From Highway 101 North, take exit
MCBA has reserved Group Picnic Area A |
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| Location: Piper Park |
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Free
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| Wed | Oct 22 | 11:30-1P |
General | Annual Judges' Luncheon (in person)
General
Annual Judges' Luncheon (in person) |
| SAVE THE DATE--Honoring the Marin County Superior Court Judges and Commissioners |
SAVE THE DATE
Join your colleagues and friends as we honor our local bench and commissioners and receive a Court Update from Presiding Judge Mark Talamantes, the Marin County Superior Court Judges and Commissioner. This is a popular Annual event, sign up early to reserve your seat. Contact the MCBA office if you wish to purchase a Firm (reserved) table.
This meeting is also the MCBA annual General Membership meeting, at which the Directors and Officers shall be elected.
Schedule:
11:30 AM Registration and Networking
12:00 PM Program and Lunch
1:15 PM Adjournment
Note: This Event will not be Recorded. |
| 1.0 CLE | General |
| Location: Embassy Suites by Hilton San Rafael |
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Message from the Editor |
| By
Robyn B. Christo, Esq. |
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We chose "The Rule of Law" as our theme for this issue because it feels urgent and personal right now. The pieces in this issue reflect a legal profession grappling with challenges that feel different from anything we've faced before. Our contributors aren't just writing about abstract constitutional principles—they're wrestling with whether those principles will survive intact. More >
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE |
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The Rule of Law: The Quiet Framework That Holds Us All Together |
| By
Kristine Fowler Cirby |
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As attorneys, we invoke the Rule of Law often—sometimes as a rallying cry, other times as a shield. But what does it really mean? More >
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THE RULE OF LAW AS A CENTRAL "PILLAR" OF JUDICIAL CONDUCT |
| By
Judge James M. Schurz - Superior Court of California, County of Marin |
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The first package to arrive in the mail following my appointment to the Marin Superior Court was Judge David Rothman’s treatise, The California Judicial Conduct Handbook. Weighing in at 971 pages, it is a formidable piece of scholarship. It landed on
our doorstep two weeks before the judicial robe from academicapparel.com arrived and
posed a far more significant challenge in terms of preparing for my new job. More >
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What We Choose When We Choose Each Other |
| By
Elizabeth Bohannon, JD, PCC, CPCC |
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My grandparents stared out the window of their fourth-story apartment, looking down on
the streets of Budapest. Blood still stained the pavement. Bouquets marked the places
where the dead had fallen. Bullet holes pockmarked the buildings. The air hung heavy
with the smell of smashed hope. More >
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THE LAWYER AS REVOLUTIONARY: PROTECTING THE INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY |
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David F. Feingold |
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The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary in the same hands … may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny. James Madison, Federalist Paper No. 47, 1778
Without an independent judiciary… all the reservations of particular rights or privileges would amount to nothing. Alexander Hamilton, the Federalist No. 78, 1778 More >
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A CALL TO ACTION TO CHAMPION THE RULE OF LAW AND TO SUPPORT AN INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY |
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Len Rifkind |
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President Trump and his administration through its policies and executive orders enacted in its first 100 days represent an unprecedented assault against the rule of law, an open attack on the foundational concept of an independent judiciary, resulting in a hemorrhage of our constitutional system by seeking to disembowel a co-equal branch of our constitutional republic--the judiciary-by reducing or eliminating due process and equal protection. More >
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A Legal Analysis |
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Why AI Training Should Fall Outside Copyright's Domain: A Legal Analysis |
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Marc Hoag, Attorney | marc@marchoag.com |
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The argument that training generative AI models necessarily infringes on copyright is the easy, default view to accept; arguing the alternative is neither trivial nor popular. (Fortunately, however, the views in this paper are in good scholarly company, as demonstrated throughout.) More >
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Is This Normal? |
| By
Molly Cohen Phipps |
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A fascinating detail about being a student is the awareness that one’s perspective is
widening. On one hand, you may know the shape of what lies ahead on your learning journey. You have a map. You’ve talked to other travelers. You’ve heard about the destination. There are enough reasons compelling you to go that you’ve packed and embarked on the journey. But no matter how prepared you are—or think you are—nothing is the same as actually walking that trail and finding your own personal understanding along the way. More >
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Spotlight |
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Canal Alliance: Supporting Latinos and Immigrants in Marin County Since 1982 |
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Nestor Schnasse |
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The current administration’s aggressive deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents across the country has resulted in thousands of people being detained in its facilities, unlawful deportations, overwhelming fear, and now massive protests in Los Angeles. Thousands of National Guard members have been ordered to LA to silence protesters, and over our governor’s objection. The situation seems to worsen each day and strikes at the core of what this great Nation has stood for. As the son of immigrants, I wanted to highlight the important work of local heroes supporting vulnerable members of our community right here in Marin. More >
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3 Poems by Karen Poppy |
| By
Karen Poppy |
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Karen Poppy (she/her; non-binary), local to Marin County, is an attorney licensed in California and Texas, and a librettist with work featured on a Grammy-nominated CD. She is a Senior Associate Attorney with the law firm Albert & Mackenzie. Additionally, she is currently commissioned by a composer to write the lyrics for a musical. Her debut full-length poetry collection, Diving at the Lip of the Water, is published by Beltway Editions (2023), and is lauded by the legendary Judy Grahn for its demonstration of "paradox and power." She has three published poetry chapbooks: Crack Open/Emergency, our own beautiful brutality, and Every Possible Thing. More >
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Avery Abel
The Abel Firm
Daniel Byers
Debbie Campas
Christy Chandler
Ehrlich & Craig LLP
Chloelynn Chartouni
Law Office of Chloelynn Chartouni
Hee Jae Chung
CHAPMAN LAW GROUP, A.P.C.
Justin Gazzaniga
Gaw Van Male LLP
Maxwell Granger
The Goldman Law Firm
Gurinder Jassar
Marin County Public Defender's Office
Kamin Kamali
Clark Hill, LLP
Tyler Larson
Corey Lopez
Tyson & Mendes, LLP
Reynold Martinez
Cosmich Simmons & Brown, LLP
Nicolette McIntosh
Madison Mitchell
Adriana Perera
Legal Aid of Marin
Jeffrey Pierce
Burger & Pierce LLP
Kirsty Scott
Lisette Sell
Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
Dea Sula
Tyson & Mendes, LLP
Francisco Vilela
Khaki Wade
Politicom Law LLP
Christina Wallis
Law Offices of Tina Wallis, Inc.
Abigayle Wilkins
Seren Legal
Kristen Williams
Compass Employment Law LLP
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Nicolette McIntosh
Madison Mitchell
Adriana Perera
Legal Aid of Marin
Jeffrey Pierce
Burger & Pierce LLP
Kirsty Scott
Lisette Sell
Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
Dea Sula
Tyson & Mendes, LLP
Francisco Vilela
Khaki Wade
Politicom Law LLP
Christina Wallis
Law Offices of Tina Wallis, Inc.
Abigayle Wilkins
Seren Legal
Kristen Williams
Compass Employment Law LLP
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Office Space, Employment Opportunities, Services and More... |
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| MCBA encourages submission of articles that may interest the legal community. The editor reserves the right to publish, decline to publish, edit, or otherwise modify any submission. Editorial material should be sent to Marin County Bar Association by email. |
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