MCBA held its first-ever virtual installation celebration and scholarship fundraiser on February 11, 2021. We hope it will also be the last virtual installation celebration and scholarship fundraiser. That said, as much as we all look forward to being together in person, this year’s gala was still a resounding success. Mistress of Ceremonies Wanden Treanor superbly guided us through our virtual journey, with swift transitions and succinct speaker introductions. Nathan Lucrezio, from Sing for Hope, set an exuberant tone for the evening with several beautiful songs, inspiring some of us to sing along behind our muted Zoom microphones.

Assemblyman Marc Levine presented outgoing President Susan Feder with a proclamation and plaque of appreciation. MCBA is deeply indebted to Susan for leading the organization with grace, poise, vision and many seamless pivots during the unprecedented challenges of 2020. The Honorable Andrew Sweet presided over the virtual swearing-in of incoming President Timothy Nardell, as well as the rest of MCBA’s 2021 officers and directors. This year we had a special treat with CEO James Kim and the members of the Marin bench offering video tributes to Susan, Tim and the board as well as congratulatory remarks to our scholarship recipients.

All three of this year’s MCBA legal scholarship recipients—Jorge Lopez-Espindola, Samantha Zurcher, and Samantha Cox-Parra—delivered inspiring speeches, reminding all of us of the potential of the next generation of rising Marin lawyers and the impact your generosity can have. And generous you were. President Tim Nardell and Director Karthik Raju kicked off the fundraising with great humor and creativity. If anyone had any doubt about the value of education in changing lives, Tim told a moving story of his father not seeing any value for himself in studying algebra in high school but going on to a career teaching high school algebra. The fundraiser exceeded expectations by raising well over $30,000, the most ever raised since the seed money that started the scholarship fund. An enormous thank-you to all our donors: These scholarships significantly improve the lives of law students embarking on their legal careers.

And finally, a big thank-you to all those who gave so many hours to make this event a success. The indefatigable Mee Mee Wong worked tirelessly to produce the event, with tremendous help from Tim Nardell and valuable contributions from the remaining members of the event committee: Susan Feder, Ann Munene, Karthik Raju, Kris Cirby, Ahtossa Fullerton, and Rob Rosborough.

A special thank you to the Virtual Table Sponsors for their generous support. 100% of the proceeds from this year's event sponsorships went directly to the MCBA Legal Education Scholarship Fund.

Epstein + Holtzapple LLP
Farella Braun + Martel LLP
Hanson Bridgett LLP
Jones Clifford LLP
Luizzi Murphy Solomon Churton Hale & Winnett LLP
Ragghianti Freitas LLP
Monica & Richard Schoenberger

We are truly grateful for your support of this event and the Marin County Bar Association.