83.9 F
San Fernando
Friday, Mar 29, 2024

Valley Bar Association President Wants Members

Alan Kassan, a Valley native, was sworn in as the San Fernando Valley Bar Association’s 87th president at the SFVBA Installation Gala this month. Also sworn-in at the gala were president-elect Yi Sun Kim, secretary Barry Goldberg and treasurer David Jones, as well as six newly elected members of the board of trustees. Kassan, a partner at Kantor & Kantor in Northridge, has steadily taken on more responsibilities at SFVBA in the last few years, serving in the membership and marketing committee and as secretary. Kassan said the association’s biggest challenge and objective is to drive up the membership numbers. The association currently has around 2,000 members out of 7,000 attorneys in the Valley area, he said. “Membership is a fickle thing and it depends on outside factors like the economy,” said Kassan, “Rather than focus just on the numbers, our objective is to enhance the value proposition.” For example, members of SFVBA will have access to the association’s legal research program Fastcase, networking opportunities and continuing education seminars. The association also provides practice sessions where attorneys in similar fields can meet and share tools, he said. Kassan added that aside from access to services, attorneys can join the association to give back to the community, which was the main reason Kassan decided to pursue this leadership role. “My kids are grown adults now and I saw this as an opportunity to give a little back,” said Kassan. “The association does amazing amount of charitable work for the community, and over the years we have given more than $750,000 to charities and scholarships.” Kassan was also behind the creation of Valley Bar Network, a network of 70 or so attorneys who meet once a month for the purpose of expanding their network. In the coming months Kassan said the association will be spawning new professional networking opportunities and innovative social gatherings that will help attorneys gain more exposure and increase their potential client pool. Bar Exam Decision The California Supreme Court has decided the passing score for the state’s bar exam will not be lowered. In a statement released this month, the court said while it recognizes that the California has one of the highest cut scores – the requirement to pass the exam – it is not persuaded the score needs to be changed. California’s cut score is second highest in the nation, just behind Delaware. The news comes after the California bar exam pass rate reached a 32-year low in 2016. Some law school deans have argued that there is no evidence a high cut score produces better lawyers. The California Supreme Court said the review was also prompted by the rising costs of legal education and the potential financial hardship that aspiring lawyers may face resulting from non-admission to the bar. However, in its decision the court instead urged the State Bar and law schools to examine other factors that may play into low passing rates, such as curriculum and teaching techniques. “Examination of these matters could shed light on whether potential impartments in law school admission, education and graduating standards could raise bar exam pass rates,” the court said in a statement. Alan Kassan, president of San Fernando Valley Bar Association, said the court’s decision was fair and reasonable given their extensive evaluation. “Testing is and always will be an imperfect tool,” said Kassan. “It’s just the most efficient way we have come up with so far.” Japanese Seniors Nonprofit Lynn Miyamoto has been named chair of the board for Keiro, a nonprofit organization that focuses on improving the quality of life for older adults of Japanese descent. Miyamoto, an immigration attorney who started her own law firm in Sherman Oaks in 2005, has served on the board of Keiro for more than a decade. The nonprofit in the Little Tokyo district near downtown Los Angeles focuses on providing support for the elderly as well as caregivers. According to the organization, one third of Japanese American adults are caregivers. “Keiro has built a legacy of leadership through its board over five decades, and having Lynn take on this role ensures we can continue on this path,” Leona Hiraoka, Keiro’s chief executive, said in a statement. “Keiro’s work is evolving to meet the changing need of older adults and their caregivers in our community. Lynn will be an instrumental in helping us achieve our goals.” Staff Reporter Iris Lee can be reached at (818) 316-3130 or [email protected]

Featured Articles

Related Articles