Dear Members of the Cruz Reynoso Bar Association, 

We hope that you all are safe and well during this time when so many have been affected in various ways by the COVID-19 pandemic.  We are writing to check in with all of you and update you about developments with the organization and what lies ahead for the CRBA given the current coronavirus situation, including information about online elections, membership renewals, and our mentorship program. 

We want to first thank you all for your individual commitment and continuing support of the Cruz Reynoso Bar Association.  The CRBA has been able to grow and thrive to increase its community engagement and presence by, among other things, hosting recognition and public service events here in Sacramento and in surrounding areas. For example, in 2019, CRBA participated in the following notable achievements and endeavors with the help and support of our members:

• Nomination of Hon. Emily Vazquez who was ultimately selected as Sacramento County Bar Association’s 2019 Judge of the Year;
• Hosting a ceremony to celebrate Hon. Cathryn Rivera-Hernandez as Appointments Secretary for Governor Newsom;
• Supporting the Unity Bar Dinner, wherein we honored the Dreamer Resource Center at Sacramento State with our Community Service Award, and Victoria Fernandez of Lincoln Law School with this year’s Unity Bar Scholarship;
• Co-hosting with various allies the annual Latino Leaders on the Move event at the Mexican Consulate to honor various up and coming as well as established leaders in our community;
• Engaging students and young adults about the law, immigration and other topics at both the UC Davis Cesar Chavez Youth Leadership Conference as well as the annual Chicano Youth Leadership Project conference held at CSU Sacramento in 2019; and,
• Working with California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation (CRLAF), the Sac City Unified School District, and the CTA teacher’s union to offer in-depth trainings for teachers and faculty to bring Sacramento schools in compliance with Attorney General Becerra’s model Safe Haven policies pursuant to the California Values Act (SB54).

Membership Renewal
None of the above would be possible without your continuing participation, support, and membership. To that end, for those of you who have not done so, we would kindly ask that you please submit your annual renewal application for 2020 to provide us with your most up to date information.  Also, because many have been impacted financially, if one is not able to pay the full amount for their annual membership dues, we are announcing a “pay what you can” option selectable on this year’s membership application form.  We would like to remind everyone that, per our bylaws, only current CRBA members are eligible to vote during CRBA elections. Our updated membership application is provided below, along with an electronic communication consent form which we would also like to update/receive from all members. You may pay your dues by check or credit card, or online at: http://www.crbasacramento.com/membership-levels.html. 
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As mentioned above, membership dues can be reduced upon request if financially impacted by the pandemic, as indicated on this year’s updated membership application.  Please send completed applications and any questions relating to membership to Board member Laura Neacato ([email protected]). 

Annual Meeting and Board of Director Nominations/Elections
With that, we would like to switch topics and discuss the CRBA’s annual meeting for 2020.  In addition to other events which have been postponed, we will be forced to delay our annual meeting out of concern for the public health risk a gathering could entail for our members, their families, and our community.  This is unfortunate because many of you know that our annual meeting is a great opportunity to catch up with familiar faces and meet new members, stay informed about CRBA business, as well as participate in the election of Board members and/or Officers whose terms are ending.  Because it is uncertain when we will be able to meet in the future, we have decided to hold the election of Board members via e-mail. 

As such, if anyone is interested in running for a Board position (or nominating an individual to run) please reach out to President Brian López ([email protected]) to discuss more.  For those interested,  any attorney who is a member in good standing of the State Bar of California and a current member of the CRBA is eligible to run, nominate, and/or vote for a Board position per our by-laws.  We ask that all individuals communicate their interest or nomination for a position on the Board AND also submit their membership application renewal by May 15, 2020.  Shortly following that date, instructions will be sent to then-currently registered CRBA members only in order to provide more information and instructions about the e-mail voting process. 

What’s ahead in 2020?
Before we close, we also want to let you all know that despite the complications with the coronavirus restrictions we face, we are committed to continuing the mission of the CRBA and our service to our community and its improvement.  For the time being, we will hold off on in-person events as mentioned, but programs such as our Mentor-Mentee program will not only proceed, but will also be opened up to recent grads who are in need of mentorship, as well.  If you or someone you know may be interested in being a mentor or mentee (or both), please reach out to Board member Cecilia Guevara Zamora ([email protected]) and also look out for the application materials we will be sending out soon.  We also strongly hope that things will improve enough to allow us to hold our Defensor de Justicia event this fall/winter.  Other initiatives we will be exploring are video conference CLE events and other novel ways to connect professionally and socially.    

In closing, we hope that you and your loved ones are and continue to remain healthy and safe and that we will have a chance to get together once the danger has passed.  Many thanks for your understanding and your continued commitment not only to the CRBA, but to our community.     

Best wishes,
CRBA Board of Directors

Brian Lopez, President
Erandi Zamora-Graziano, Vice President
Santiago Avila Gomez, Treasurer
Cecilia Guevara Zamora, Secretary
George Acero, Chair
Luis Cespedes, Director
Laura Neacato, Director
Alberto Rosas, Director
Noemi Esparza, Director

The scholarship application for this year’s CRBA Unity Bar Scholarship can be found below.  The application deadline has been extended to October 11, 2019.  Please distribute to your networks. 
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To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must be currently enrolled and in good standing in any year of law school at: Lincoln Law School, McGeorge School of Law, or U.C. Davis’ King Hall. The CRBA UNITY Bar scholarship will be awarded at the UNITY Bar Dinner, which will take place on October 30, 2019 in Sacramento.  The winner of the scholarship will be provided a ticket to attend the Unity Bar Dinner and is encouraged to attend. 

On March 16, 2018, CRBA members presented at Cesar Chavez Youth Leadership Conference at UC Davis. The presentation, "You can be a Lawyer? Se se Puede" was given by CRBA President Brian Lopez, Secretary Cecilia Guevara Zamora, Board Member George Acero and CRBA members Judge Sonia Cortes and Matthew Martinez.  Thank you to our panelists. 

The new Cruz Reynoso Bar Association Board had its elections for the 2019 executive officer positions.  Please join me in congratulating the new CRBA executive team:

President – Brian López (Immigration attorney, Carson & Kyung)
Vice President – Erandi Zamora (CRLAF Staff Attorney, Labor & Civil Rights Litigation)
Secretary – Cecilia Guevarra (CRLAF Staff Attorney, Rural Housing Project)
Treasurer – Santiago Avila-Gomez (Executive Secretary, ALRB)