THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION CELEBRATES 125 YEARS OF SERVING THE LEGAL COMMUNITY AND THE PUBLIC

SAN DIEGO (April 22, 2024) – Today, the San Diego County Bar Association (SDCBA), the region’s largest law-related organization serving the needs of attorneys and the legal community in San Diego County, kicks off a year of celebrating its 125th Anniversary.

On April 22, 1899, the SDCBA was formed during an auspicious meeting at what was then the relatively new San Diego Superior Court. The venerated lawyer Eugene Daney Sr. was elected as the first president. From the beginning, the SDCBA has been committed to providing a home to the San Diego legal community and supporting legal professionals in their work to provide and ensure access to justice for all.

Now, exactly 125 years later, the SDCBA is kicking off a very special year commemorating this historical milestone, including producing an all-new retrospective book and video covering the past 25 years of the SDCBA’s history, picking up where a previous retrospective book and video produced in 1999 for the Bar’s centennial leave off. The SDCBA will also host a community celebration event highlighting the history of the SDCBA at its brand-new Bar Center this September.

"In a number of ways, the past 25 years have been every bit as momentous as the 100 years that preceded them," said Stacey Kartchner, 2024 SDCBA President. "With all that we've lived through, including 9/11, two major economic downturns, consequential decisions at the Supreme Court, the global COVID-19 pandemic, painful reminders that we have much work to do to achieve true Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility, and so much more, providing a bedrock from which to help our local legal community endure and thrive in the midst of change has underpinned the Bar’s mission since its inception. This year we're so excited to celebrate 125 years of fulfilling this role in the community.”

Todd Stevens, SDCBA member and past president, adds, “It was my great pleasure to serve as SDCBA President during the Bar’s centennial celebration in 1999. As we celebrate the SDCBA’s 125th birthday this year, I continue to take pride in this organization. The practice of law — indeed the legal community — has dramatically changed in the last 25 years. The SDCBA has responded by staying on the cutting edge of technology, diversity initiatives, professional growth, and educational opportunities — continuing to support the attorneys of San Diego. Equally important to me are the events, the camaraderie enjoyed with my fellow members, and opportunities to interact with the judiciary. I tell every new lawyer ’join the SDCBA’ — a wise decision I made 35 years ago.”

The San Diego County Bar Association (SDCBA) is home to thousands of legal professionals, including lawyers, judges, paralegals, law students, and more, across the San Diego region and beyond. Founded in 1899, the SDCBA is the largest and longest-running bar association in the region.

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