Message from 2024 La Jolla Bar Association President, George E. Fleming
Welcome to the La Jolla Bar Association
I have the honor of being the 2024 President. Founded in 1984, the LJBA is comprised of many of the lawyers who practice or reside in the La Jolla community. They include numerous established and successful attorneys in all practice areas.
We offer monthly luncheon MCLE programs presented by leading experts on the topics. Members can gather at Hennessey’s Tavern in downtown La Jolla for lunch and to hear these lectures in person or take advantage of the program conveniently being aired live online via ZOOM.
In addition we occasionally schedule casual cocktail hours after work. The LJBA hosts a summer beach party and December holiday party for the membership. These all provide a great chance to meet and mingle with La Jolla colleagues.
For newer lawyers, there is a mentorship program. It offers an opportunity to be paired with a leading lawyer who shares the same specialty in the law. This affords the mentee a relationship from which to learn and receive advice in all aspects of an early practice.
I have the luxury of inheriting a well-oiled machine due to the dedicated work of Past President Aaron Schu and his fine Board of Directors. The Board for this year is also of the first order, and I look forward to working with it to give our members another great year of camaraderie, socialization, and education. I hope to see all our members at the various functions, and encourage involvement in one of our committees.
2024 Officers
President: George E. Fleming
Vice President: Theo Gianulis
Treasurer: Donald Lincoln
Secretary: Robert Moldenhauer
Immediately Past President: Aaron Schu
2024 Directors
2024 Committees:
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.
Website
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 Hennessey’s, 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.