Attorney's group celebrates 54th annual installation of officers

The Southeast District Bar Association's 2017 board. Photos by Joan Day

The Southeast District Bar Association (SEDBA) celebrated its 54th annual Installation of Officers and Trustees Awards Gala on Jan. 21 at the Rio Hondo Event Center.  

State Senator Tony Mendoza presented certificates to the 2016 outgoing board and Mayor Fernando Vasquez and councilmember Blanca Pacheco presented awards to the Judicial Officer of the Year, the Honorable Lori Ann Fournier, Attorney of the Year, Laila Havre Jacobsma, and Judicial Clerk of the Year, Lenora Perri (a Downey resident).   

Since the State Bar of California first recognized the SEDBA in 1934, the association has been bringing attorneys, judicial officers, and the public together to promote the law. Its membership consists of prosecutors, public defenders, private sector attorneys, and the local judiciary.  

State Sen. Tony Mendoza with 2017 SEDBA President Mark Gibbons.

Its mission is to enhance and serve the educational and professional needs of its members, to promote the integrity of the profession, to encourage collegiality and interaction with the judiciary, and to provide access to legal services and the judicial system.  

This year, SEDBA will provide a free legal fair in March in the city of Bell with the office of California State Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (AD-63); celebrate Law Day with students from Downey, Warren, and Columbus High Schools at the Downey Superior Court; and provide scholarships to the Court-to-College Cerritos College Program.

“For the last 83 years, SEDBA has been in integral part of our legal community in the Southeast.  The non-profit association advocates for justice and assist its members achieve high levels of ethics and legal skills,” said Dennis Saab, 2017 Secretary/Treasurer.

State Sen. Tony Mendoza with 2017 SEDBA secretary and treasurer Dennis Saab.