By Judge Linda Marks

I am honored to serve as president for the Orange County chapter of ABOTA in 2017, and I look forward to moving our Chapter forward in promoting and preserving the 7^th amendment.

Initially, I would like to thank our past president, Robert Gibson for his service in 2016.  I would also like to welcome William Haggerty our newest member on the OC ABOTA board. 

Our 2017 Board of Directors for the Orange County Chapter in 2017 are:

Hon. Linda S. Marks            President

Hon. Michael Strickroth        President Elect

Hon. Peter Polos (Ret.)        Treasurer

Hon. Nancy Zeltzer              Secretary

Jeff Braun                          Membership Chair

William Haggerty                Member at Large

I would also like to recognize Chris Wesierski who is on the Cal-ABOTA board as treasurer and Michael Maguire who is Vice President of National, and Douglas Degrave as Trustee for the National ABOTA Foundation for 2017!

As we move forward into the next quarter of 2017, please let me recap the events for the year ahead. 

Our Gala Installation was held at the Balboa Bay Resort on February 4, 2017.  It was a wonderful evening that brought together over 200 attendees.  A great turnout of Chapter members and our local judiciary reflected our Chapter’s special relationship between the bench and bar in the OC.  Also in attendance were National president for 2017, Dulin Kelly, CAL-ABOTA president, Denise Taylor, and Los Angeles Chapter president, Randolph Even.

As the year progresses, we have planned the following events, so mark your calendars.

Our next event is the annual Spring Dinner to be held at a new venue this year, RED-O on May 8, 2017!  Please RSVP using the OCABOTA website, and plan to attend.

The annual Golf Tournament is returning back to the Santa Ana Country Club on May 22, 2017.  We have a great committee putting together another wonderful yearly event.

This year our Chapter has created a new program entitled “Courthouse Steps.”  Our Chapter intends to reach out to new and more diverse lawyers to inform them of the benefits of joining ABOTA and to encourage them to work towards obtaining the necessary qualifications for admission.

We are identifying new and upcoming trial lawyers in our community for an evening reception in June at the Center Club.   If encourage all members to identify those newer lawyers in our legal community with a focus on diversity.  Please share that information with Sean Burke who is working on the committee

Judges Night will be held at the Pacific Club on October 18, 2017.

We will finish out the year with our annual Holiday Party on December 4, 2017, at Muldoon’s. 

This year we are not holding a MIT, but are planning our first Teachers Law School in October which is joint project with the ABOTA Foundation, Orange County Department of Education and our Chapter. 

Civics work and promoting civics in the classroom continue to be of paramount importance, and our Chapter is front row and center in this work.

I encourage all members, new and old to join the ABOTA Foundation.  It is through the work of the Foundation that so many projects are sponsored and supported that keep ABOTA alive and relevant.

 Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your President in 2017.  We have one of the best Chapters in the country and I am proud to serve as your 2017 President.