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WLAC Women Lawyersof Alameda County page 1
A voice for Women in the Law since 1980
1-3 SpringReception
3 MinorityBarCoalitionMixer
4-5 Spotlight-DorothyChouProudfoot
5 SAVETHEDATE!
6-7 DismissalofConvictions
8 OutandAbout
Summer 2015
WLAC Spring Reception
OnThursday,March19,theWomenLawyersofAlamedaCountygatheredonawarmspringnightatthebeautifulhomeofJudgeJudithFord.Theannualeventprovidesarelaxedatmosphereformembersandgueststogatherandcelebratewomeninlaw.NestledinthefoothillsaboveOakland,theSpringReceptionbroughttogethermorethan40peopletosocializewithpeersandsupportersoftheWomenLawyersofAlamedaCounty.SeveraljudgesfromtheAlamedaCountySuperiorCourtwereonhandasweredistinguishedmembersofthelegalprofessionandenergeticlawstudentsalike.Participantsindulgedingoodwine
by Kevin Ikuma
andgoodcompany.Plentyofdeliciousfoodandinterestingconversationwashadbyall.
in this issue
EnjoyingthebuffetwithJudgeFord
WLAC Women Lawyersof Alameda County
page 2
Summer 2015
WLAC Spring Reception- Continued
Inadditiontotheopportunitytoreconnectwitholdfriendsandmakenewones,theWomenLawyersofAlamedaCountyalsotooktimetoawardtheannualMargaretGannonscholarshiptothreedynamic,talentedandexceptionallawstudents.AlexandraMedina,SonyaLaddonRahders,andHongT.Leeachreceived$500scholarships.
Theawardistobeusedtohelpeasetheburdenoftheirpreparationforthebarexam.Eachofthehonoredstudentsgaveheartfeltthanksandcouldfeelthesupportthatthisorganizationstrivestoprovideforallwomeninthelegalprofession.
Pleasecomejoinusnextyearatthisfunandinspiringevent!
Above:GinaBoer,KarenBovarnick,PaulaRasmussenandMargaretGannon
Below:BoardmembersAdetunjiOludeandKarenBovarnick
ScholarshiprecipientswithPresidingJudgeWinifredSmith,JudgeJudithFord,andMargaretGannon.
ThankyoutoalltheJudgeswhoattendedthereception!
WLAC Women Lawyersof Alameda County
page 3
Summer 2015
OnThursday,May14,2015,WLACco-hostedamixerwithMinorityBarCoalitionandotherlocalbarassociationsatEverett&Jones.Over200peopleattendedtheevent,wheretherewasplentyoftastyfood(ribs,chicken,greens,potatosalad)andcomplimentarytequilatastings.WLACwaswell-representedbyJudgeTaraDesautels,JudgeVictoriaKolakowski,WLACPresidentBrendaAguilar-Guerrero,BoardMemberAdetunjiOlude,BoardMemberDorothyChouProudfoot,BoardMemberSharonAlkire,LaurenYoungEpstein,andJaniceDow(1L,BerkeleyLaw),tonameafew.Everyoneappearedtohaveagoodtimeminglingwithcolleaguesandfriends.WLAClooksforwardtomoreco-hostingopportunitiesandmixersinthefuture.
by Heather ChangMinority Bar Coalition Mixer
WLAC Spring Reception- Continued
WLAC Women Lawyersof Alameda County
page 4
Summer 2015
DorothyChouProudfoothasthekindofresumethatmakesyouwonderwhateffectKryptonitemighthaveonher,asshegoesaboutherdailyrounds,protectingthepublicandgenerallydoinggoodintheworld.
Dorothybeganherlegalcareerinacivillitigationroleinatop-flightSanFranciscolawfirm,butafteraboutayearandahalf,knewshereallybelongedinpublicservice.“Luckily,mygrandparentshadbeenabletohelpenoughsothatIdidnotgraduatewithacrushingdebt.IknewIwantedtobeinapositionwheremyjobwasjusttodotherightthing—ok,Iknowthatsoundsalittlecorny,butareliablesourcetellsmethatCaliforniaSupremeCourtJusticeMingChinsaidthatitwasthe‘highestcalling,’andIagree.Myjobinvolvesrealissues,affectingpeoplewheretheylive.Iloveit.”
DorothyhasbeenaDeputyDistrictAttorneyinMarinCountysince2001,andwasjustrecentlypromotedtothetopstepoftrialattorneysintheoffice.SheleadsaFelonyTrialTeam,andhasprosecutedthegamutofcases,includingeverythingfromDUIandFishandGamecases,toviolentfeloniesandsexcrimes.Dorothyalsoservedastheoffice’sdesignatedGangDeputyforeightyears,andcompletedaone-yearassignmentasaSpecialAssistantUnitedStatesAttorney,toprosecuteProjectSafeChildhoodandProjectSafeNeighborhoodcasesintheNorthernDistrict.Whenaskedwhatlessonsshehastakenawayfromtheserichexperiences,Dorothysays:“Ihaveasingingbackground,andIhavealwayshadanextremelyloudvoice.”Shelaughs,“HaveyoueverseenthemovieDune?Likethat.Iliketothinkofmyselfthatwayasanadvocate,usingmyvoicetogivepeopletheirvoice.”
Dorothystaysbusy.ShegraduatedfromUCBerkeleyinthreeyearswithabachelor’sdegreeinEnglish
(Seniorseminar,Shakespeare.“Theprofessorchallengedusto‘saywhatyoumean,andifyouhavenothingtosay,saynothingatall.’Ifeelthatmademeamuchbetterwriter.”)Shakespearestillcomesinhandy—fortheInnsofCourt,herteamdidapresentationonsamesexmarriageiniambicpentameter,are-engineeredversionofRomeoandJuliet(completewithafencingsceneinperiodcostume)
featuring“RuthBaderCapulet”and“AntoninScaliaMontague”expoundingupontheSupremeCourt’srulingsasthematriarchandpatriarchofthetwofeudingfamilies.Dorothypointsoutthiswasnotonlygoodfun,butaneducationalpresentation—andsinceitinvolvedlawstudentsaswellasjudges,therewasamentoringcomponent.
DorothyearnedherJ.D.fromUCBerkeleyin1999,whereshewastheExecutiveEditorofAsianLawJournal(nowAALJ).Dorothyisdriventoincreasethediversityoftheprofession.Inparticular—therepresentationofwomenandpeopleofAsiandescentinleadershipandkeydecision-makingpositions,isapassionthatdrivesher.“Atfirst,joiningminoritybargroupswasmoresocial,findingacomfortzoneamongpeoplewithwhomIobviouslysharedsomethingincommon,butwhenIgottobeaboutmid-level,Icouldseeweneededtohearmorevoiceswhentalkingaboutjustice.Continuingtostriveforgenderequalityandethnicdiversityareimportant.We’renotdone,andwedon’thavetobelimitedtowhatwentbefore.”saysDorothy.ThisiscomingfromawomanwhocoachesMockTrialatTamalpaisHighSchool,forfun.Talkaboutwalkingyourtalk!
Dorothyisveryexperiencedwithboardserviceandwhatittakestobuildasuccessfulorganization.DorothyisthecurrentTreasureroftheMarinCountyBarAssociation,andservesontheboardsofCaliforniaWomenLawyersaswellasWomenLawyersof
Board Member Profile—Dorothy Chou Proudfootby Mary S. Cain Simon
WLAC Women Lawyersof Alameda County
page 5
Summer 2015
AlamedaCounty.WhatdrewDorothytoWLAC?“I’vebeencalledabarassociationjunkie,butIhaverealizedthatbyworkingwithotherpeople,youcangetalotofstuffdone;youdon’thavetodoitallyourself.Whenweworktogether,thatisthewaytomovethingsforward.Ireallywanttoencourageotherpeopletotryboardservice.Everyonehasskillsandstrengthstooffer,somethingtocontribute.ForWLAC,weareontherighttrack.“Shewrappedupwiththisthought,“Wehaveagoodorganization,wesupporteachother,andwecareaboutsupportingotherwomenlawyers
todowell,andencouragingthementobelike-minded.Itisreallyimportanttoworkwithotherbarorganizationsaswell,buildingcoalitionstoaccomplishthemission.”
YoumayalsofindDorothyatmeetingsoftheAsianAmericanBarAssociation’sCivilRightsandPublicLawCommittees,ontheboardoftheAsianAmericanProsecutorsAssociationandparticipatingintheEarlWarrenAmericanInnofCourt.
PleasejoinusinwelcomingDorothyChouProudfoot!
Board Member Profile—Dorothy Chou Proudfoot - continued
DID YOU KNOW?ThattheStateBarwebsitehas24/7mentorshipavailableonline?Checkitoutatcalbar.ca.gov!
FebruaryCABarpasserswillbesworninJune2attheOaklandConventionCenter!Congratulationstoall-andWLACwillbetheretosupportournewestlawyers!
SAVE THE DATE!
MinorityBarColalitionThirdAnnualLGBTLadiesSalon&TalkShow, June 4atFarellaBraun&Martel
EqualRightsAdvocatesGala;ForgingAheadMakingourFuture withkeynotespeakerPatriciaArquette,
June 11, 2015attheSanFranciscoMarriotMarquis,noon.WLACSoYouWanttoBeAPartnereventJune2015
PostBarExamMixerJuly2015SummerNetworkingMixer
AnnualJudges’DinnerOctober2015
WLAC Women Lawyersof Alameda County
page 6
Summer 2015
Nomatterwhatyourpracticearea,youmayhaveaclientwhosecriminalrecordiswreakinghavocintheirlives.Acriminalconvictionisoneofthegreatestbarrierstoemployment,housing,evenstudentloans.Thestudy,“LandlordAttitudesTowardRentingtoReleasedOffenders,”(LynnM.Clark)foundthat66%oflandlordswouldnotknowinglyrenttoapersonwithacriminalhistory.Publichousingdoorsareclosedtopeopleconvictedofnon-violentcrimes,evenaftertheyhave“donethetime.”Clientstryingtobuildafruitfulnewlifeforthemselvesandtheirfamiliesarecontinuallyheldtoanswerforthepast.
Whatmostpeopledon’trealizeisthatmanymisdemeanorandfelony“wobbler”(thosethatcanbechargedasafelonyormisdemeanor)convictionscanbejudiciallydismissedunderPC§§1203.4,1203.4a,and1203.41.Oncedismissed,theindividualcantruthfullysaythatshedoesnothaveaconviction,andcancheckthe“No”boxonapplicationsaskingaboutpriorconvictions.
“Expungement” as a Misnomer
Itisimportanttounderstandthataconvictiondismissal,alsoknownasanexpungement,doesnoterasetheconvictionfromtheperson’srecord.Allrecordsofthearrestandprosecutionremaininthefileandareaccessibleaspublicrecords.Theconvictionitselfwillbenotatedas“DismissedintheInterestofJustice.”UnderCalif.LaborCode§432.7(a),“[n]o employer,whetherapublicagencyorprivateindividualorcorporation,shallaskanapplicantforemploymenttodisclose...information...concerningaconvictionthathasbeenjudiciallydismissedororderedsealedpursuanttolaw,including,butnotlimitedto,Sections1203.4,[and]1203.4aofthePenalCode....”
Additionally,employersarebarredfrom“seekingfromanysourcewhatsoever,orutilize,asafactorindetermininganyconditionofemployment...”aconvictionthathasbeenjudiciallydismissed.Consideringtheeasewithwhichpublicrecordscanbeaccessedonline,thisisatremendousprotectionstemmingfromtherelativelysimpleprocessofpetitioningforadismissal.
Howdoesthisplayoutinreality,though?Interstateandinternationalcompaniesregularlydobackgroundchecksonapplicants.Peoplemaymovetoastatewithoutsuchemploymentprotections.Inthatcase,youcanexpectafranticphonecallfromaclientwhodoesn’tunderstandwhyadismissedconvictionkeepscominguponbackgroundchecks.Understandingthatthedismissedconvictionisnoterasedfromyourclient’sfile,itisimportanttoconsiderwhetheritismoreprudenttoacknowledgethedismissedconvictiononajobapplicationbycheckingthe“No”boxandadding,“Dismissed.”Thisprovidestheapplicanttheopportunitytoexplainthecircumstancesfacetofaceratherthandefendherselfafterabackgroundcheckturnsupacriminalhistory.
What a Dismissal Can and Cannot Do
Inadditiontoimprovingchancesofemployment,qualifyingforloans,findingdecenthousingandbringinghighereducationbackintoreach,somepeoplefindthatitallowsthemtocloseadifficultchapterintheirlives,expungingthestigmaofacriminalconviction,ifyouwill.
Dismissal of Convictions:
The Overlooked, Underutilized Judicial Tool
By Sharon Alkire
WLAC Women Lawyersof Alameda County
page 7
Summer 2015
Keepinmind,however,thataconvictiondismissaldoesnot:
1. Reinstatetherighttopossessorownfirearms;
2. Sealthecasefileorremovetheconvictionfroma“rapsheet”;
3. Reinstateasuspendedorrevokeddriver’slicense;
4. Relieveonefromregisteringasasexoffender.
Theconviction,althoughdismissed,canstillbeusedasapriorcriminalconvictionforfuturecriminalproceedings.Itmustalsobedisclosedonapplicationsforagovernmentjoborgovernment-issuedlicenseifthereisadirectquestionaboutconvictions.
Quick Guide to Dismissal of Conviction Petitions
Apetitionfordismissalalsorequiresthatyourclientisnotservingasentenceforanyotheroffense,isnotonprobationforanyotheroffense,isnotcurrentlychargedwithanyotheroffense,andmusthavepaidallcourtorderedfinesandrestitution.(Don’ttakeyourclient’swordthateverythinghasbeenpaidinfull.There’snothinglikefindingouttoolatethatyourclientstillowesmoney—asingleappearancecanquicklyturnintomultipletripstocourt.)
In the Next Issue: Expungement as a Tool for Women’s Rights
Whiletherearelimitationsastoprotectionsandbenefitsofferedthroughaconvictiondismissal,thisstraight-forward(comparedtomanylegalprocesses)procedurecanopendoorsforclientsstuckinthestruggletomoveforwardwhilebeingpinneddownbytheirpast.Thisisespeciallytrueforwomen,whoaredisproportionatelylikelytobeincarceratedfornon-violent,poverty-basedoffensessuchasdrugpossession,fraud,solicitation,andpettytheft.Thesearepreciselythetypesofconvictionsthatcanbedismissedaftercompletionofprobationand/orcountyjailtime.Helpyourclientthrowoffthevestigesofpastmistakesinordertosucceedinthepresent.
Dismissal of Convictions: - continued
Convicted of misdemeanor and completed
probation
File PC 1203.4 petition for dismissal
Convicted of misdemeanor and still on probation File PC 1203.3 petition to have probation terminated
early and file PC 1203.4 petition for dismissal
Convicted of misdemeanor but not placed on
probation
After one year has passed since judgment entered,
file PC 1203.4a petition for dismissal
Convicted of felony wobbler and completed
probation and/or county jail time
File PC 17 (b) petition to get the felony reduced, and
file PC 1203.4 petition for dismissal
Convicted of felony wobbler and still on probation File PC 1203.3 petition to have probation terminated
early, file PC 17 (b) petition to get felony reduced,
and file PC 1203.4 petition for dismissal
WLAC Women Lawyersof Alameda County
page 8
Summer 2015
Boalt Hall Women’s Association: Women Advancing the Law
BoaltHallWomen’sAssociation(BHWA)helditsWomenAdvancingtheLawAwardsDinnerattheBancroftHotelinApril.Thiseventistheorganization’sfundraiserfortheHermaHillKayFellowships,offeringgrantstofemalestudentsatBerkeleyLawtoassisttheminadvancinggenderequalityandwomen’srights.
ThisyearBHWAhonoredProfessorAndreaRothandProfessorKristinHolmquistfortheirworkmentoringwomenlawstudents.NancyNewman,founderoftheInternationalActionNetworkforGenderEquity&Law(IANGEL),washonoredforcreatinganinternationalnetworkoflawyerspromotingandprotectingtherightsofwomen.
2015 California Women Lawyers Annual Conference: Pathways to Equality and Success
WLACwaswellrepresentedbypanelistsSuperiorCourtJudgeVictoriaKolakowskiandmediatorBarbaraBryantattheCWLConferenceheldMay8thinBurlingame.
JudgeKolakowskiwasjoinedbySashaBuchertoftheTransgenderLawCenterandElizabethGill,fromtheNationalACLU’sLesbianGayBisexualTransgender&HIVProject,inpresenting“TransgenderIssues:DiscriminationBasedonGenderIdentityandExpression.”
BarbaraBryanttookpartinalivelydiscussionon“SexualHarassmentandImplicitBiasTowardFemaleAttorneys,”wherepanelistsexaminedcasestudiesinvolvingexplicitandimplicitbiasandharassment,andofferedconstructiveideasonhowtomanagethesituations.
Theoverarchingthemeoftheconference,asexemplifiedbykeynotespeakerMicheleColemanMayes,wasthatofgrit,courageandcamaraderie.MayesisChairoftheABA’sCommissiononWomenintheProfessionandVicePresident,GeneralCounselandSecretary,NewYorkPublicLibrary,aswellasformergeneralcounseltoaFortune500company.
Mayesspokeaboutthefiveguidingprinciplessheusestoassessherlifeandcareer:Takestock,takecredit,takerisks,takeastandandtakeahand.Canyoubeyourauthenticselfinyourcurrentposition?Howdoestheorganizationactuallyperceiveyou?Supervisorsmaybemakingassumptionsaboutyou,yourworkandyourfuturethatmayneedtobeaddressed.Takerisksbasedonanhonestassessmentofyourgoals,strengthsandweaknesses,andpassionforyourwork.Areyousellingyourselfshortbecauseyoudon’tfeel100%confidentaboutyourexperienceorabilities?Sheprovidedafabulousexampleofthedifferencebetweenwomenandmenwhenitcomestoevaluatingyourabilities.Awomanandamanapplyforajobthatrequiresexperiencewithbreast-feeding.Thewomanthinks,“Well,I’vebreast-fedmythreekids,butit’sbeenyears,Ihaven’tkeptupwithdevelopmentsinbreast-feeding,Ididn’treallyenjoyit,I’mjustnotsureI’mqualifiedenough.”Themanthinks,“Iwasaroundwhenmywifebreast-fedourkids,IcanalwaysGoogleit,I’mtotallyrightforthejob!”Valueyourexperienceandyourabilitytolearnandadapt.Also,reachouttoothers,suchasmentorsandallies,tohelpyouprepareforrisk-taking.Theycanhelpyoulearntheinformalrulesinnewenvironmentsaswellaspromoteyourworkandideastosuperiorsandpotentialemployers.
Personally,Icameawayfromtheconferenceunderstandingthatourcareerstakecourageeverystepoftheway.Asathird-yearattorneywithayoungsolopractice,dauntingsituationsariseconstantly,anditisimperativethatIusemyhardcoregrit,determinationandmentorresourcestoengageandgrowbeyondeachnewchallenge.WLACandCWLhavealwaysofferedwonderfulsupportandencouragement,andthisconferenceupheldthosestandards.
By Sharon Alkire
WLAC - Out and About