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An Official Publication of
The Marin County Bar Association |
Marrianne Taleghani
Paul Burglin, Adrea Tencer |
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| Staying Connected |
READ NOW >
Open the magazine and then Click on Download for PDF of 2025 December Marin Lawyer |
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| Thu | Jan 08 | 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 Flores in Corte Madera's Town Center.
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: Flores |
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EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION |
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Marrianne Taleghani |
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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. More >
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December 2025 |
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President's Message |
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Kristine Fowler Cirby |
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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. More >
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Takeaways from California State Bar's 2025 Diversity Report |
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Marrianne Taleghani |
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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 More >
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Forty Years of Lawyering - A Solo Practitioner's Perspective |
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Paul Burglin |
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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. More >
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The State of DEI in the Legal Profession |
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Marrianne Taleghani |
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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. More >
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The Gemma Project: |
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A Gender-Responsive Reentry Program for Justice-Involved Women |
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The Gemma Project |
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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. More >
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JUDGE’S PROFILE |
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An Interview With Newly Appointed Judge Matthew Siroka |
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Paul Burglin |
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Filling the vacancy created by the retirement of the late Paul Haakenson, Marin County resident Matthew Siroka was recently appointed to serve as a Judge in the Marin County Superior Court. He received his law degree from U.C. Law San Francisco (formerly U.C. Hastings College of the Law). Though presently closing out his private practice as defense counsel in a homicide trial, Siroka graciously took the time to share his motivations to become a judge and the life experiences that led him to it. He is known to friends and colleagues as “Matt” and has been married to Alejandra Siroka of Argentina since 2005 (she is a relationship and communications coach with her company Language Alchemy). More >
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Marin County Bar Association Teams Up with Book Passage for a Special Book Talk |
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Kristine Fowler Cirby |
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The Marin County Bar Association kicked off November with an evening that brought together books, community, and great conversation. On November 6, 2025, MCBA members and guests met up at Book Passage for a private MCBA Book Talk that turned into the best kind of literary field trip. More >
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JUDGE’S PROFILE |
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Get to Know a Judge: Hon. Sheila Shah Lichtblau |
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Marin County Bar Association |
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Before we dive into the fun questions, here’s a quick introduction to Judge Sheila Shah Lichtblau— one of Marin County’s most versatile and community-minded judicial officers. Judge Lichtblau has served on the Marin Superior Court since January 2017, working in the criminal, family, and now civil divisions. She previously led the family division as its supervising judge, and since 2019 has also sat on the appellate division, where she has served as presiding judge since 2021. Additionally, she presides over Community Court in partnership with Legal Aid of Marin and serves as the court’s liaison to the Marin County Office of Education for both the mock trial competition and the Real DUI program in high schools. More >
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Reflecting on Two Days of Learning and Community: |
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The 2025 Bay Area MCLE Conference |
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Marin County Bar Association |
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The Marin County Bar Association's 2025 Bay Area MCLE Conference brought together attorneys from across the region on November 12–13 for a thoughtfully curated program that balanced substantive legal education with pressing conversations about the profession's evolving landscape. This year's conference offered not just continuing education credits, but a space for reflection on what it means to practice law in a moment of significant social, technological, and institutional change. More >
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A Conversation About Access to Justice in Marin County: Abby Frost Lucha |
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Adrea Tencer |
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When family law attorneys dedicate their careers to serving underrepresented communities, their paths often cross in meaningful ways. Abby Frost Lucha and Adrea Tencer met while working at the Family & Children's Law Center (FACLC), where they both worked to provide critical legal services to low-income families in Marin County. More >
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| Save the Date |
2026 MCBA Installation
Wednesday, February 11, 2026
Mill Valley Community Center
Stay tuned! |
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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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