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NEWSLETTER

April 2025

Greetings,

Please see the announcements and updates below:

100 Free Wills/POA Pledge

We pledged to provide the community with at least 100 free Wills and/or Power of Attorneys. If you are interested in volunteering your skills and resources to draft free wills or power of attorneys for the community, please sign up here today!

100 New Members Pledge

We pledged to obtain at least 100 new Langston Members this year. To date we have 56 new members and are fast approaching the fulfilling of this pledge! Thank you and Congratulations to our new members. If you have not yet joined, please visit our website and join us in sowing seeds by becoming a member, as membership fees are directly contributed to scholarship funds.  

Sowing Seeds - Community Service

We continue to sow seeds through community service. Last month Langston participated in the Los Angeles Sentinel Wildfire Recovery and Rebuild Conference with over 600 attendees, by providing seminars on legal matters involving the Wildfires. Numerous attendees expressed their heartfelt gratitude for the crucial information shared and the impact the conference had on them. We also served and participated in the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles Disaster Relief Legal Clinic and other legal clinics.

Joining Forces

Langston is intent on joining forces and further nurturing relationships with other Bar Organizations. This is to announce that Langston and the Mexican American Bar Association (MABA) will be hosting various legal clinics, adding an Immigration - Know Your Rights component. Stay tuned to our newsletters for opportunities to participate and serve at the clinics. 

Langston Awards Another $5,000 Scholarship

In addition to awarding over $112,500 in scholarships to 17 excellent law students at our 48th Annual Installation and Awards Gala, Langston has co-sponsored a scholarship with California Change Lawyers and will be awarding another $5,000 to another amazing law student.

Past Presidents Inducted into ABOTA

We are proud to announce that two of Langston’s Past Presidents, Honorable Rupert A. Byrdsong and Stephen King, Esq. have been inducted into the Los Angeles Chapter of ABOTA.

Please see the Newsletter for other announcements, upcoming events, past events, etc. 

Member/Sponsor Spotlight

If you are a Lifetime member or Sponsor you can be selected to be spotlighted on our periodic Newsletter. We thank you for your lifetime commitment and support and as a token of our appreciation we wish to share more about you with our members and subscribers. If you are considering becoming a Lifetime Member or Sponsor, now is the time to do it! If you are interested in sponsorship opportunities please contact me at info@langstonbar.org.

Have a blessed and impactful week!

Tatianna Metters Scurlock, Esq.

2025 President

John M. Langston Bar Association of Los Angeles

Sowing Seeds

Congratulations to Langston Past Presidents Hon. Rupert A. Byrdsong and Stephen King, Esq. for being inducted into the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)

Congratulations to Langston Board member Melinda Porter, on her election as a Commissioner for the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Formally serving as a Deputy Public Defender for almost two decades and the immediate past President of the Black Public Defender’s Association, Melinda vowed that she will continue to serve the community by providing equal access to justice at her investiture on 3/21/25.

Congratulations to Langston Officer Jennifer Fisher Golden for being honored by Association of Corporate Counsel (Acc) as they're 2025 Fairness and Equal Opportunity Award Winner.

(Read More)

This month's Member Spotlight features Langston's Member

— Chinonso Anokwute —

Congratulations to Chinonso Anokwute, who was recognized as Southwestern Law School Bison of the week!

Chinonso is the Alumni Relations Chair for the Black Law Students Association. He also serves as Chair of the Board for TAHP, Staff Editor for Law Journal, and he's a Certified Law Clerk in the Appellate Litigation Clinic. In the summer after his first year of law school, Chinonso served as a Federal Judicial Extern at the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Chinonso is currently completing his second Federal Judicial Externship at the United States District Court, Central District of California. Outside of school, Chinonso enjoys volunteering on the board of the John M. Langston Bar Association as a law student liaison, and the Thrive Scholars Alumni Board, where he helps underrepresented high school students with navigating the college application process. He plans to pursue a career in Civil Litigation. 

(read more)

Wildfire Recovery and

Rebuild Conference

March 29, 2025

Langston & Legal Aid Foundation of LA

"Disaster Relief Legal Clinic"

March 23, 2025

Langston Entertainment & Sports Law Committee "Put Me In Coach: Sports Law in Private, Agency & Beyond"

March 18, 2025

Beverly Hills Bar Association

"Civil Division Judges Night"

ATTN LAW STUDENTS: Be a part of 2025

Langston Bar Association Digital Yearbook

Attention Class of 2025: This is your moment—embrace it! Graduation is more than just crossing a stage; it’s a significant rite of passage. You’ve put in the effort, persevered through challenges, and now it’s time to celebrate and be recognized for all you’ve accomplished.

Click the link below, if you would like to be included in the 2025 Langston Digital Yearbook. Additionally, Langston will be having an in-person celebration in April/May.

More details to come. 

Co-sponsored

Co-Sponsored Event

Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

LGBT Public Interest Scholarship 2025 

ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS! Deadline: April 30, 2025 

The ABA SOGI Commission is now accepting applications for the 2025 LGBT Public Interest Scholarship through April 30, 2025.

The ABA LGBT Public Interest Scholarship provides multiple yearly scholarships that empower law students to pursue the promotion of civil and human rights of LGBTQ+ persons and help secure full and equal treatment in the legal profession and justice system.

One or more scholarships of up to $5000 each are awarded annually, subject to the availability of funds and the recommendation of the Commission’s Scholarship Committee. The objective is to award the first scholarship(s) in time for the recipient(s) to utilize the funds during Summer/Fall 2025.

To learn more about the Scholarship and to apply, click here.

Applicants:

• First, second or third year law students, or recent law graduates studying for the Bar.
• Should either be LGBTQ+, or work in the LGBTQ+ space doing public interest work. Public interest work may include working for community-based organizations, non-governmental organizations, policy work in a governmental and/or non-governmental setting, academic research or teaching, or any other work that helps to promote and protect the rule of law and the civil and human rights of LGBTQ+ persons.

LGBT Public Interest Scholarship Matching Challenge

An extremely generous anonymous donor has pledged $10,000 as a matching challenge. Help us achieve a match of $10,000 by April 30th for a collective $20,000 that will fund four (4) LGBT Public Interest Scholarships!

Your gift matters. Every dollar donated helps us fund the important work of these law students and recent law school graduates just beginning their careers and committed to fighting for LGBTQ+ rights!

If you'd like to help us meet the challenge, please make your gift here.

LASC LATEST NOTICE TO ATTORNEYS

03/19/2025 - SUPERIOR COURT OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY TO EXPAND ELECTRONIC SERVICE FOR PROBATE AND MENTAL HEALTH CASE DOCUMENTS STARTING APRIL 1, 2025

03/17/2025 - SUPERIOR COURT OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY ANNOUNCES CHANGES TO THE CIVIL COURT RESERVATION SYSTEM

03/14/2025 - REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN FOR THE NEXT VIRTUAL JUDICIAL MENTOR PROGRAM EVENT ON APRIL 16

03/03/2025 - MANDATORY ELECTRONIC FILING EFFECTIVE MARCH 17 FOR REPRESENTED PARTIES IN FAMILY LAW CASES WHERE CHILD SUPPORT IS ENFORCED BY THE CHILD SUPPORT AGENCY

Department of Justice

• Chief Assistant Attorney General, Civil Law Division (C.E.A. C)
• Chief Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Law Division (C.E.A. C)

ABA Commission on Disability Rights

• Law and Undergraduate Internship

Counts Law Firm

• Associate Attorney – Los Angeles, CA

Lionsgate

• Senior Director, Business and Legal Affairs

Federal Public Defender’s Office for the Central District of California

• Trial Attorney – Los Angeles, CA

Kutak Rock LLP

• Litigation Associate – Los Angeles, CA

Please visit our Job Posting page to view further!

To empower leadership, advance the professional development of its membership, and promote the administration of justice in the Black community and the community at large.

John M. Langston Bar Association

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