Contra Costa County Bar Association

05/05/2026

The Contra Costa County Bar Association and BALIF are excited to host our Second Annual Pride Kickoff Celebration, at Club 1220 in Walnut Creek—Contra Costa County’s only gay bar. Tickets include delicious catering from Havana and one drink ticket, so come ready to enjoy great food and even better company! Sign up here: https://buff.ly/lJantbH

04/20/2026

Did you know superior court judges appointed by the Governor must stand for re-election every six years? Most run unopposed, so their races rarely show up on the ballot. Well in the June primary, in Contra Costa County Superior Court, there is a challenge for a judicial seat. Judge Jesse Hsieh is being challenged by Valery Polyakov. Hear from both candidates at the Judicial Candidates Forum on April 30 at Diablo Valley College. This is an exceedingly rare opportunity to see our judicial system in action. The event is free but reservations are requested. Register here. https://www.cccba.org/?pg=events&evAction=showDetail&eid=346301&evSubAction=viewMonth&calmonth=202604
Did you know that after the Governor appoints superior court judges, they must run for re-election every six years? Most run unopposed, so their races rarely appear on the ballot. In the June primary in Contra Costa County, however, a judicial seat is contested: Judge Jesse Hsieh is being challenged by Valery Polyakov. Hear both candidates at the Judicial Candidates Forum on April 30 at Diablo Valley College — a rare opportunity to see our judicial system in action. The event is free; reservations requested. Register: https://www.cccba.org/?pg=events&evAction=showDetail&eid=346301&evSubAction=viewMonth&calmonth=202604

03/31/2026

FREE Lunch and FREE MCLE! https://buff.ly/R0OJaSj

From Impact to Insight: Vehicle Accident Reconstruction in Litigation (HYBRID)
April 8th - 11:45 AM Check-in - 12:00 PM Program Starts

Free Lunch from Chipotle for in-person attendees!
Address: 2300 Clayton Road, Concord, CA

~ 1 hour of General MCLE Credit ~

This presentation provides a practical overview of vehicle accident reconstruction and its role in modern litigation. Attendees will gain an understanding of what vehicle accident reconstruction is, the qualifications and responsibilities of a reconstructionist, and how physical evidence is analyzed to determine how and why a crash occurred. The session will cover commonly used reconstruction tools and technologies, including scene documentation methods, vehicle inspections, event data recorders, computer simulations, and other analytical techniques.

Emphasis will be placed on how these tools are applied to develop defensible opinions grounded in engineering principles and scientific methodology. Through selected case studies, the presentation will illustrate how accident reconstruction analyses are used in real-world matters, from early case evaluation through expert testimony. Attendees will learn how reconstruction findings can impact liability determinations, causation analysis, and litigation strategy, as well as key considerations for working effectively with reconstruction experts.

This presentation provides a practical overview of vehicle accident reconstruction and its role in modern litigation. Attendees will gain an understanding of what vehicle accident reconstruction is, the qualifications and responsibilities of a reconstructionist, and how physical evidence is analyzed...

03/31/2026

In family law, few roles carry more weight — or more meaning — than that of Minors Counsel. When families are at their most fractured, children often have no one in their corner.

You Can Change That.

Sign up here: https://buff.ly/AhCeV5X

03/30/2026

Congratulations to the newest judges in the Contra Costa County Superior Court who were appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday March 27, 2026.
Hanni Fakhoury worked as a Partner of Moeel Lah Fakhoury since 2021. He served as an Assistant Federal Public Defender at the Federal Public Defender for Northern District of California from 2015 to 2021. Fakhoury worked as a Staff Attorney and Senior Staff Attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation from 2011 to 2015. He worked as a Trial Attorney at the Federal Defenders of San Diego from 2007 to 2011. Fakhoury received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Charles S. Treat.

Amanda Karl worked as a Partner at Gibbs Mura since 2022, where she also worked as an Associate from 2016 to 2021. She served as a Law Clerk at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California from 2015 to 2016 and at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 2014 to 2015. Karl received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Charles B. Burch.

Welcome to the bench!

03/07/2026

Congratulations to Judge Carole Bosch, who was appointed to the Contra Costa County Superior Court today, by Governor Gavin Newsom.

Since 2021, Judge Bosch has served as an administrative law judge with the
California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board, an independent administrative
judicial agency charged with resolving disputed unemployment, disability, and
employment tax determinations from the Employment Development
Department. She was Vice President and Training Committee Co-Chair for the
Administrative Law Judge Association. Simultaneously, she taught as an adjunct
professor of legal writing and research at Golden Gate University.

Before serving as administrative law judge, Judge Bosch worked as a civil trial
lawyer, including as a managing attorney at Hildebrand, McLeod, and Nelson, a
partner at Paul & Hanley, and an attorney at Kazan McClain Satterley & Greenwood,
in cases involving complex product liability litigation and catastrophic injury. Early
in her legal career, she was an annual attorney with the California Supreme Court.

Judge Bosch is graduate of Golden Gate University School of Law and received her
undergraduate degree from the University of California at Santa Cruz. She also
holds a master’s degree from the University of Birmingham in Great Britain. Judge
Bosch fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Patricia Scanlon.

03/06/2026

Sign up now for this important topic! https://buff.ly/SogV59C

Attorneys will leave the course with a practical, actionable understanding of how to help California employers remain compliant with both ICE enforcement expectations and state employment‑based immigration laws.

02/20/2026

Please join us for our Second Annual West County Judges Meet and Greet Social as we highlight and show our support for our Richmond courthouse judges.

Multiple judicial officers will be joining us for this special evening. This is a valuable opportunity to connect with members of the bench in a relaxed setting and strengthen our West County legal community.

SIGN UP HERE: https://buff.ly/20GPIOJ

02/13/2026

Join us for the unique chance to have lunch with our Civil Judges!
Sign up here: https://buff.ly/gLORo7o

Topics Include:

Recent Ex Parte procedures

New protocols for scheduling Motions for Summary Judgment

Emerging topics, including:

New arbitration rules for Song-Beverly cases

New discovery rules

Feedback from Judges and Bench Officers on preferences and pet peeves

Introduction of Research Attorneys and the Court Operations Manager

Q&A with attendees

02/11/2026

Join us next week for our Annual Lunar New Year Celebration!
Sign up here: https://buff.ly/JPEFlHf