Message from the Chair

• Publication year: 2018
• Author: Avi Levy

Message from the Chair

Avi Levy

n my last message, I started off by introducing myself as the new Chair of the Executive Committee of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of California ("FLEXCOM"). I would like to officially re-introduce myself as Chair of the Executive Committee of the Family Law Section of the California Lawyers Association.

Last year, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 36, which allowed for the incorporation of the Sections and CYLA into a private, 501(c)(6) organization. The California Lawyers Association (CLA) officially launched on January 1, 2018, shifting oversight of the sixteen Sections and the California Young Lawyers Association (CYLA) from the State Bar of California to a voluntary association. The State Bar continues to operate as a regulatory entity, overseeing attorney admission and discipline throughout California.

As an independent, nonprofit organization, CLA will not face the restrictions on communications, operations, and policies that are required of government entities. CLA's mission is focused on providing educational and networking opportunities, including events and publications, for members of the Sections—whose topics cover various areas of law and types of practices, ranging from family law to intellectual property law to solo and small firms. More than 60,000 attorneys are enrolled in the Sections, nearly half of the State Bar of California members.

State Bar staff and the Council of Sections— the leadership...