Message from 2025 La Jolla Bar Association President, Paul H. Neuharth, Jr.
Welcome to the La Jolla Bar Association
I am very pleased to be the 2025 President of what I have always viewed as the premier Bar Association in San Diego County. The LJBA was founded in 1984 and it has been my pleasure to have been an active member for almost 20 years, Past President in 2009, 2018 and having the opportunity to help shape the Association we have today. Our membership is for attorneys who live in La Jolla or have offices here with an emphasis on quality versus quantity. We have monthly lunch meetings at “The Living Room,” which provides for an intimate gathering place in which our members can order food and beverages while enjoying the MCLE presentations provided. We strive to provide our members with all MCLE’s, including the latest State Bar specialized requirements, through attendance at the 10 meetings held throughout the year. All monthly meetings are included in the membership fee (which is one of the most reasonable at $78 annually) and we are very fortunate to be able to provide a large number of expert presentations from our members who volunteer to lecture in their field of expertise. The meetings can always be attended in person but are available via ZOOM for our members unable to be physically present. I look forward to the camaraderie and connections with our membership each month, and try to ensure that I am always personally present, even if it involves flying back from my Oregon ranch a day or two early.
The La Jolla Bar Association has members in all stages of practice, from newer attorneys, active practitioners at the pinnacle of their careers and those that have retired but want to remain active in the legal community. Our Association is a living resource for our members, from newer attorneys wishing to ask questions about a specialized area, to seasoned attorneys, who wish for another member to review and strategize with them. There is also a mentorship program for newer attorneys who can ask to be paired with a senior member in the area of specialization that they are interested in. Because we have tried to keep our membership to 100 or less, as an active member of the LJBA you can experience the collegiality that goes along with quickly knowing everyone’s name when attending one of our functions and the lack of awkwardness that is inherit in very large gatherings.
Our Social Committee on the Board of Directors is tasked with coordinating the Summer Party in August held at the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club (RSVPs mandatory), the Holiday Party currently at the San Diego Yacht Club in December (courtesy of the immediate Past President George Fleming), to various impromptu wine and hors d’oeuvres evenings at a pleasant La Jolla venue. All members are encouraged to participate with Officers and Directors in particular being in attendance as part of their commitment to maintaining the excellence that this Association has been able to achieve through the active involvement of the membership. Volunteering to participate in the Social Committee as a general member is an excellent way to becoming involved more with the functioning of the LJBA, particularly for those who would like to be considered as a Director of the LJBA at some point in their membership.
2025 Officers
Directors:
Membership
We have a great group of members who have accomplished truly amazing educational, legal, and personal achievements. Although our membership is at a high, we still encourage new members to join. Invite your friends to one of our MCLE luncheons, which they can now attend virtually or in person! Our membership form can be accessed on our website. Please feel free to direct any prospective members to our website for more information about the La Jolla Bar Association. The general requirements for membership are that the member live or work in La Jolla, or have a significant personal or professional interest in La Jolla. La Jolla is not just the village, but also consists of the outlying areas, such as the UTC and UCSD areas.
Our website focuses on our members, their member pages, and our MCLE and social events. Each member receives a member page on our website and members can include on that member page a more detailed, personal description of the member’s practice. Please check the personal information on your member page and use the membership application to submit any corrections or updates. We would also like to include your personal photo. A special shout-out to our wonderful webmaster Mary Bean, of Mary Bean Graphic Design.
MCLE Luncheons
Our MCLE luncheons have returned in person at “The Living Room,” but are also continuing virtually at present, making it easier attend. We are grateful for the continued support of all our members attending our monthly MCLE luncheons and our two main social events—our Summer Beach Party and our Holiday Party. We have had excellent attendance at our luncheons and we will continue to present MCLE presentations of the highest quality.
By attending our monthly MCLE programs (ten MCLE programs per year), our members can satisfy most, and perhaps all of the State Bar’s 25-hour MCLE requirement every three years. As a priority, we endeavor to schedule programs that satisfy the State Bar’s three required MCLE programs—ethics, competence issues, and elimination of bias.
For our modest yearly membership fee of $78, this is quite a bargain. We encourage any ideas from our members for future speakers. Please give me any suggestions and I will pass them on to our Speakers Committee.
Social Events
Our Summer Beach Party is held at the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club in August. We start the party in the late afternoon to enable us to enjoy the beautiful sunset at La Jolla Shores. It has always provided a delightful afternoon and evening for our members to connect with each other and their significant others.
In December, our La Jolla Bar Association Holiday Party brings members together in a festive setting to share the joys of the holiday season. We enjoy a delicious catered meal, wonderful holiday beverages, and typically a song or two. This is an event where we express great camaraderie and friendship with our colleagues, spouses, and guests.
In addition to these events, we generally hold two or more early evening “social mixers” throughout the year, and encourage all of our members, new and longstanding, to attend and connect with one another.
