California Lawyers Association

Klinedinst is honored to shine a spotlight on the organizations making a difference in our community. One of those organizations that we are proud to feature is the California Lawyers Association (CLA).

In October of 2017, Governor Jerry Brown signed SB 36 into law, effectively separating some of the professional promotion activities of the State Bar of California into CLA, a private non-profit entity.

Effective January 1, 2018, San Francisco-based CLA became the new home of the Sections of the State Bar of California, as well as the California Young Lawyers Association (CYLA). From day one, CLA had over 64,000 members, ranking it in size second only to the American Bar Association. When factoring in the number of CYLA members, that membership number swelled to over 100,000 California attorneys.

The organization’s mission to promote professional advancement of attorneys practicing in California. The CLA strives in fostering excellence and fellowship throughout the entire California legal community. Their extensive membership represents the vast diversity of California’s legal community and the various areas of law practiced throughout the state.

When CLA was created, Klinedinst’s Heather Rosing was elected as the inaugural President, where her goal was for CLA to become the voice of the legal profession and offer cutting-edge content and opportunities for all California attorneys. Under Ms. Rosing’s stewardship, CLA quickly become recognized as the premier bar organization in California, as well as a nationwide leader. In addition to maintaining the critically important work of the Sections in education and programming, Ms. Rosing and the CLA team developed a vigorous advocacy program, launched initiatives in the areas of civics education and diversity, took over the Annual Meeting and Awards program, and established an Office of Bar Relations. Under her leadership, CLA established an ethics committee and working partnerships across the state.

Many attorneys at Klinedinst continue to contribute to CLA, including Tara Burd, who served as Vice-Chair and was elected 2024 Chair of the organization. Ms. Burd serves on the CLA Board of Representatives for her second term as the Real Property Law Section’s Representative, and previously served as the Co-Chair of the Real Property Law Section. She also served as Chair of the Membership Engagement Committee, which created new cross-sectional committees to serve practitioners in the areas of Cannabis, ESG, and Indian and Tribal Law.

California Bar Foundation 

The California Bar Foundation (CBF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to building a better justice system for all Californians. As the center of philanthropy for California’s legal community, CBF focuses on increasing the presence and viability of underrepresented communities in the legal profession. CBF is the only statewide foundation with deep ties in both the philanthropic and legal communities.

Heather Rosing was elected to President of the CBF in 2017, and has served as a member of the Scholarship Committee, as well as Secretary of the Board of Directors. Having served as Vice President of the State Bar of California, she provides a unique perspective in the makeup of the state’s legal community, and will continue to champion the CBF Diversity Scholarship Program.

Klinedinst Members 

• Dan S. Agle
• Kristin N. Blake
• Tara R. Burd
• Kurt U. Campbell
• Michael C. Carruth
• Lindsey N. Casillas
• Carey L. Cooper
• Thomas E. Daugherty
• Gregory A. Garbacz
• Frederick M. Heiser
• Douglas W. Lytle
• David M. Majchrzak
• Chris M. Milas
• Art Moreau, III
• Heather L. Rosing
• Robert M. Shaughnessy
• Samuel B. Strohbehn
• Ernest L. Weiss

To learn more about the California Lawyers Association, please visit calawyers.org.

Klinedinst PC is not affiliated with the California Lawyers Association and provides this information as a service to the community.