LGBTQ+ Lawyers Association of Los Angeles

THE BIGGEST EVENT OF THE YEAR IS HERE

The LGBT Bar LA Annual Gala has historically been the largest event that the association holds each year. The event honors individuals and organizations that have made unselfish contributions to education, human rights, and equality for the LGBT community. For more than ten years the LGBT Bar LA Gala has been themed to spotlight important issues affecting the rights of the LGBT community including marriage equality, military service, adoption, and employment. The theme for the 2018 Gala is "Endeavor Together". LGBT Bar LA chose this theme as a celebration of our unity in spite of the many obstacles our community faces. The honorees at our event this year, Gavin Grimm, Bet Tzedek Legal Services, and O'Melveny & Myers, LLP, exemplify this spirit, as each has made significant contributions to the LGBT community as a whole through their trailblazing work promoting trans equality. As in years past, the 2018 Gala will also honor LGBT law school student(s) with scholarships and serve as the induction ceremony for the incoming LGBT Bar LA Board of Governors.

Co-President
Award

LGBT Bar LA is proud to honor Gavin Grimm as this year’s
Co-Presidents Awardee. As a high school student, Gavin Grimm filed a lawsuit against his local school board that ultimately led to a landmark trans rights ruling in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. He has been a powerful advocate for equity and inclusion in education at a time when these values are under attack at the highest levels of government, and his courageous battle for equality is an inspiration to a new generation of activists.

Community Service
Award

Bet Tzedek Legal Services, this year's Community Service Awardee, has provided free, comprehensive services to low-income individuals in the Los Angeles area for the last forty years. Bet Tzedek was recently selected to participate in the Communities Against Hate National Initiative, through which it will provide free legal name and gender marker change clinics to transgender and gender nonconforming individuals in Los Angeles. Bet Tzedek will receive the proceeds from the evening's silent auction.

Corporate/Government
Partner of the Year Award

This year, LGBT Bar LA is proud to present its inaugural Corporate/Government
Partner of the Year Award to O'Melveny & Myers LLP. This award
recognizes O'Melveny for exemplifying, supporting, and advancing the values and goals
of LGBT Bar LA.
These include advocacy for equal
rights of LGBT lawyers, support for
the LGBT community, and the
advancement of LGBT law students
and lawyers in the profession.

Board of Governors

Peter Pierce (Co-President), Meehan Rasch (Co-President),
Nancy Ashjian (Treasurer), Dimitri Portnoi (Secretary),
Eryk Escobar (Co-President Elect), Jordan Aiken, Michael Brophy,
Abigail Coursolle, Michael Dailey, Matthew Delgado, Robert Sanchez Dufour, Brittany Ellenberg, Cameron Faber, Katrina Fahey,
Madison Blu Fairchild, Lauren Greene, Carlos Hernandez, Tasha Hill,
James Holmes, Joseph F. Iniguez, Baine Kerr, Ajay Kusnoor,
Mark Lemke, Candace Matson, Kevin J. Minnick, Jason Pang,
Alexandra Peacock, Matthew Pond, Kenneth Sanchez, Christian Scali

Donald L. Snow Scholarship

The Donald L. Snow Scholarship will be awarded to this year's recipient(s). Each year, the Snow scholarship is awarded to one or two outstanding law students who are either a member of the LGBT community or have shown leadership and commitment to advancing the rights of LGBT people.

Event Details
Date: Friday April 13th, 2018
Time: 6:30PM - 10:30PM
Where: California Science Center
700 Exposition Park Dr.
Los Angeles, CA 90037
($15 Parking - Cash Only)
Food: Thank Goodness it's Sofia (TGIS)
Hosted Bars

Instructions Via the Metro Expo Line: Take exit Expo Park/USC station. Cross street toward Rose garden and make a right heading toward the Natural History Museum. Turn left at the corner of the NHM and Rose Garden and follow the sidewalk alongside the NHM and lawn. When you reach the end of the sidewalk (directly facing the Coliseum) the event entrance will be a few steps to your left.