Last week I had the pleasure of volunteering with members of the bench and bar at the Senior Wellness Center to serve lunches to the seniors.
June 8, 2026
President's Message
Last week I had the pleasure of volunteering with members of the bench and bar at the Senior Wellness Center to serve lunches to the seniors. It is a long-running community service event headed by the San Diego Superior Court and its Bench Bar Committee, the SDCBA, and the District Attorney’s office, and which was originated by Judge Evan Kirvin and Jerri Malana.
Front Row: Judge Dwayne Moring, Judge Alana Robinson, Judge Evan Kirvin, and Judge John Pro
Back Row: Tim Williams, Bhashini Weerasinghe, Melissa Johnson, and Jerri Malana
Another SDCBA program seeking attorney volunteers (on which I am a panel attorney) is the Servicemember Civil Relief Act panel. The SCRA s a federal law that provides protections to individuals in the military and impacts a broad array of situations from payment of rent, mortgages and loans, to child custody matters. Since 2009, the SDCBA's SCRA panel has accepted appointments from the San Diego Superior Court to represent active-duty military service members in obtaining stays in their pending cases while they are serving our country. Our volunteers are appointed to represent the service members in civil, family, and unlawful detainer cases. We welcome all types of lawyers, and no experience is necessary. The next training session will be on June 18 from 5:30 pm-7:30 pm, and includes 1.5 CLE hours. We encourage lawyers of all practice areas and years of experience to attend and consider volunteering.
Over the next week, the pace of community events is picking back up. Starting tomorrow from 12:15 pm-1:15 pm, the Bar Center hosts the quarterly Probate Bench Bar meeting.
Tomorrow evening from 5pm-6:30pm, the San Diego Law Library hosts a celebration of its 135th anniversary with light refreshments and live entertainment. Come learn about the Law Library and its amazing volunteers and partnerships.
Wednesday evening from 6pm-8pm at Coasterra on Harbor Island, the CASD Past Presidents’ Reception honors Dwight Ritter as its newest inductee into the Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame.
Looking ahead to next Monday, June 15, from 10am-4pm the Wellness Subcommittee is partnering with American Red Cross to host an all-day blood drive at the Bar Center. Reservations and walk-ins are welcome. Donors will also receive a $15 E-Gift Card and a chance to win $7,500!
Your Seat at the Table - How & Why to Join the SDCBA Board
June 15 — 5:00 - 6:00 PM
Are you interested in shaping the future of the San Diego County Bar Association? Curious about what it takes to run for the SDCBA Board of Directors—now or in the future? Join us for an informal and informative webinar designed to help you explore this exciting leadership opportunity, answer your questions and receive candid guidance directly from those who've served.
Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) Pro Bono Training
June 18 — 5:30 - 7:30 PM
San Diego is the proud home to the nation’s largest concentration of military personnel and service members have unique and often complex legal issues. The SCRA is a federal law that provides protections to individuals in the military and impacts a broad array of situations from payment of rent, mortgages and loans, to child custody matters.
Nine different courts and legal organizations officially launched Justice 250: Celebrating Your Constitutional Rights. Justice 250 will take place on July 2, 2026 at 5:30 pm aboard the USS Midway Museum, and represents the largest collaboration of its kind in the history of San Diego’s legal community.
SDSU Mock Trial Team Seeks Coaches
The SDSU Mock Trial team is seeking attorneys and law students to coach their team for the upcoming season, and beyond! Please contact sdsumocktrialcommunications@gmail.com if you are interested.
See all upcoming events in the San Diego legal community at large here »
Volunteer Opportunities
Fee Arbitration
SDCBA members can volunteer to join the Fee Arbitration program as pro bono arbitrators and help resolve fee disputes as an alternative to taking disputes to court. Volunteer here »
Member Benefit Spotlight
Free! Subscription to San Diego Lawyer
Free annual subscription to the print edition of the award-winning San Diego Lawyer magazine, delivered right to your mailbox. SEE ALL ISSUES »
Enjoy a Free 1-Year Subscription San Diego Business Journal
As a valued member you are at the heart of everything we do. This May, we’re excited to offer you a special gift of knowledge: a free one-year subscription to the San Diego Business Journal! Stay informed on the latest business, legal, and community news impacting our region. It’s our way of saying thank you for being such an essential part of our legal community.
Effective July 1, 2026, the court’s Fee Schedule (SDSC Form #ADM-001), which may be found on the court’s website at www.sdcourt.ca.gov, will be amended and the fees charged for standard, rush, and emergency delivery of off-site retrieval of documents (Line 195) will increase as follows:
• Off-site Retrieval of Documents – Standard: $41
• Off-site Retrieval - Rush (same day if requested by 10:00 a.m.): $61
• Off-site Retrieval - Emergency (within three hours of request): $75
Court-approved certified interpreter in Azerbaijani, Russian, and Turkish with 18 years of legal experience. Available for depositions, EUOs, trials, hearings, QMEs, DMEs, psychological evaluations, attorney-client meetings and other events. Based in San Diego, CA. Available nationwide in person and remotely. 619-436-9660 | jamdmistro@gmail.comReliable, accurate, court-certified language services.
SDCBA members: Job seekers can use the Career Center for free. Job posters enjoy an SDCBA-member-exclusive 20% discount on select job posting packages!
