Pioneer in ADR Helped Spread Mediation

Ester Soriano 1946-2008

By Greg Katz

Daily Journal Staff Writer

LOS ANGELES - Ester Soriano, pioneering manager for the Los Angeles County Dispute Resolution Program and jury foreperson for the Rodney King civil trial, has died.
Soriano died Wednesday at a Kaiser Permanente hospital in Los Angeles of complications from surgery for liver cancer. She was 61.
"She was an outstanding manager of the Dispute Resolution Program for the county," said Avis Ridley-Thomas, administrator for the Los Angeles city attorney's Dispute Resolution Program. "She really had the heart of a champion in her advocacy for dispute resolution over the years."
Soriano worked for Los Angeles County for 35 years, including 20 years with its dispute resolution program.
A nonlawyer, Soriano worked most recently as the program's grant administrator. Her duties included allocating funding for alternate dispute resolution programs throughout the county, including those overseen by the Superior Court, the Los Angeles County Bar Association and community mediation centers.
Soriano was instrumental in making mediation possible "not only in the community and not just in the court but also in schools that received the funds to build and develop mediation programs," said Los Angeles County Superior Court ADR administrator Julie Bronson.
In 1994, Soriano served as foreperson in the civil damages trial of King, a black man who was beaten by four white Los Angeles police officers after being stopped on a traffic violation.
Acting as the jury's mediator, Soriano was able to facilitate a discussion between a small faction of jurors who believed King deserved a large punitive award and a majority of white jurors who believed he did not.
"She's the one that kept the jury together," fellow juror Gail Sanders said after the trial.
The jury awarded King $3.8 million in compensatory damages from the city but no punitive damages.
Soriano said later that she had favored punitive damages.
"It was difficult for me not to be an advocate, not wanting to be in the position of railroading or pushing my point," she said after the trial.
Recently, Soriano traveled the country to help facilitate discussions stemming from the tragedies of Sept. 11 and Hurricane Katrina.
In 2007, Soriano received the Association for Conflict Resolution's Diversity and Equity Leadership Award.
She founded several activist groups in the 1970s, including the Asian American Drug Abuse Program and the Pacific Asian Consortium in Employment. In March, Soriano, a Filipino-American, told the American Bar Association that the ADR field should focus on diversity.
"Diversity and inclusiveness is not an accident or a gesture. It is a conscientious effort to make it a reality," she said. Soriano who was born in 1946, was married to Raymond "Masai" Hewitt, a member of the Black Panthers. He died in 1988 of a heart attack. She is survived by their sons, Robert, Eduardo and Eric Soriano-Hewitt.
The family has not set a date for a memorial service but said details would be posted at Caringbridge.org/visit/estersoriano.

To RSVP, please send attached Reservation Form, before March 21, 2008, to CWL, 650 Howe Avenue, Suite 555, Sacramento, CA 95825

Thelton Henderson's American Journey is a timely and unforgettable story about one person's commitment to integrity and human rights and his profound effect on the lives of millions. Award-winning director Abby Ginzberg's riveting and thought-provoking new film transports viewers through the inspiring life and work of one of the first African-American federal judges in the United States.

As the first black attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the Kennedy Justice Department in the 1960s, Henderson confronted the complex challenges of being a black man in authority in the largely all-white world of the American legal system. With rare and powerful archival footage, SOUL OF JUSTICE puts the viewer in Henderson's shoes as he grapples with myriad tough choices over a span of four decades, including the decision to loan a car to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a crucial act for which he was ultimately fired.

Beginning with his 1980 judicial appointment by President Jimmy Carter until the present day, Henderson's tenacity in seeing that his rulings are implemented has made him a uniquely effective and brave jurist, setting the bar high for others who have followed in his footsteps. From the inhumane conditions at Pelican Bay California State Prison to the slaughter of dolphins by tuna-fishing fleets, to the elimination of affirmative action, SOUL OF JUSTICE reverberates with the heartrending and dynamic issues that have placed Judge Henderson on the front lines throughout the last 25 years.

Date posted: February 15, 2008

Date posted: February 15, 2008

For specific program or admissions questions, please contact Dr. Cynthia

Date posted: February 14, 2008

Date posted: February 14, 2008

Date posted: January 31, 2008

Date posted: January 31, 2008

Date posted: January 31, 2008

Date posted: January 29, 2008

Date posted: January 29, 2008

Dear ABAS Supporter/Member,

If you wish to renew your ABAS membership for the 2008 calendar year, or wish to join ABAS, please fill out the attached ABAS membership application. Please make your check payable to "ABAS" and send your completed application and check to:

Thank you for your continued support and involvement in ABAS.

Sincerely,

Dee Brown,
President

Date posted: January 29, 2008

Date posted: September 18, 2007

Date posted: May 24, 2007

What is the Prize?

First Prize

• Ages 16 to 18 = $500
• Ages 13 to 15 = $400
• Ages 9 to 12 = $300
• Ages 5 to 8 = $200

Second Prize

• Ages 16 to 18 = $250
• Ages 13 to 15 = $200
• Ages 9 to 12 = $150
• Ages 5 to 8 = $100

A panel of judges will evaluate the essays based on the following criteria:

1. Creativity = 20%
2. Relevance to theme = 80%

February 23, 2007

Employment has a significant positive impact on a young person’s life. It often helps increase self-esteem, academic success, leadership skills, and a positive work ethic. Further, employment serves as an essential deterrent to gang membership, substance abuse, and unlawful activity. For these reasons, we are committed to providing such opportunities for our youth.

Please join Dave Jones, Assemblymember, 9th District for breakfast at Vallejo’s Mexican Restaurant (1100 O Street) on Tuesday, March 6th, 2007 from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m., to discuss how you can get involved in this wonderful community project! At this meeting, we hope to discuss with you and other area leaders how this partnership can benefit your organization and the community. We also want to learn how we can enhance our project to fit your needs.

Please contact me or Melanie Ramil of my office at (916) 324-4676 or Melanie.Ramil@asm.ca.gov with any questions you may have or to RSVP by Tuesday, February 27th. Thank you for your time and consideration of this important project.

The entire letter from Dave Jones is available for download.

The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is undertaking a project to compile a database of APA owned law firms. If you wish to be included in this national database, please e-mail Andy Le at nlfstaff@napaba.org. Solo practitioners are also encouraged to register

Judicial Evaluations Committee Extends Deadline for Federal District Court Applications to March 23, 2007

The Judicial Evaluations Committee for the Eastern District of California is seeking applicants for the position of Federal District Court Judge in anticipation of the vacancy that will occur when Chief Judge David Levi leaves his position to become Dean of the Duke Law School.

The Committee has announced that it has extended the deadline for submitting applications from February 15, 2007 to March 23, 2007.

The application form is available for pick-up at the Sac Bar office (901 H St. #101) or can be emailed in Word format by contacting Chuck Bell, the Chairman of the Committee for the Eastern District of California. The completed original application and 8 copies should be sent to him. His contact information is included below.

The committee will interview applicants for the position and make its recommendations to Hon. Gerald L. Parsky, of Los Angeles, California, who is the Chairman of the California Judicial Evaluation Committees on behalf of President Bush.

Donna S. Tamanaha
...has been made the permanent Assistant U.S. Trustee for the San Francisco field office. Congratulations Donna!

Donna S. Tamanaha - Born and raised on the island of Molokai in Hawaii. Attended the University of Wisconsin - Madison -- obtained a B.A. and J.D. from UW-Madison. Past president of ABAS (2000); has served on many ABAS committees; recipient of Unity Award. [Retired] Nota Bene editor but is working on the 25th anniversary edition. Currently employed as the Assistant U.S. Trustee - San Francisco field office.

Pacific McGeorge APALSA Culture Night
APALSA is hosting their 11th Annual Culture Night "Remembering Our Past, and Shaping Our Future" on Wednesday, April 5, 2006, at Ming Garden, located at 5675 Freeport Blvd., Sacramento.

The event begins at 6 pm with cocktails (no host bar), and the festivities officially start at 7 pm. City Councilmember Rob Fong is our keynote speaker this year, and as always, there will be a wonderful dinner, a raffle, and entertainment.

Tickets are $30; please email Lee No at lee@leesno.org to reserve yours! We hope to see you there!

This is the first event of its kind for the UC Davis APALSA and La Raza. In addition to being APALSA's biggest fundraiser ever, this event as an opportunity for students to interact with ABAS members and other attorneys in an informal setting.