The Myer J. Sankary Lawyer of the Year Award
Helping Others Through Leadership
2011 Lawyer of the Year Douglas W. Otto
2010 Lawyer of the Year Russell S. Roeca
2009 Lawyer of the Year Patricia L. McCabe
2008 Lawyer of the Year Cheryl L. Hicks
2007 Lawyer of the Year Anne C. Adams
Myer J. Sankary Lawyer of the Year Award
How to Nominate
Douglas W. Otto -- Recipient of the 2011 Myer J. Sankary Lawyer of the Year Award
Douglas W. Otto is a civil and criminal trial lawyer in private practice in Long Beach, who has tried over 100 jury trials to verdict. He has served as President of the Long Beach Bar Association and as a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association Board of Trustees. In 1996-97, he co-chaired the American Bar Association’s Committee on Victims Rights and regularly provides pro bono representation to indigent defendants. He recently served a three-year term as a member of the California State Bar’s Access to Justice Commission. He received the Long Beach Bar Association Lawyer of the Year Award in 2005.
Russell S. Roeca -- Recipient of the 2010 Myer J. Sankary Lawyer of the Year Award
The Solo and Small Firm Section of the State Bar of California selected Russell S. Roeca for the 2010 Myer Sankary Lawyer of the Year Award. Presented annually to a sole practitioner or small firm lawyer who has demonstrated years of faithful service and leadership to the community or fellow attorneys, the Award recognizes those who have exercised notable leadership or made a contribution to the development of greater justice in a field of law. Mr. Roeca has earned the Award with a career of service, leadership and devotion to social justice. The Solo and Small Firm Section will present the Award to Mr. Roeca at a special reception during the State Bar Annual Meeting. Please join us in honoring him at the Stevenson Terrace of the Portola Hotel on Friday evening, September 24, 2010, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Mr. Roeca is the Past President of the Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF), having served as President in 2009. For more than 25 years, he has served his profession and the community, believing that “as lawyers, we’re obligated to do more than just make money.” Mr. Roeca also served on the State Bar’s Board of Governors from 2001 to 2004, representing District 4. He continues to serve on the State Bar's Council on Access & Fairness and chairs that Council’s Judiciary Committee and is an active member of BASF's Conference of Delegates Committee. He is serving his third term as a member of the State Bar’s Committee on Professional Responsibility Insurance and is a member of the American Bar Association's Standing Committee on Professional Liability.
In 2000, Mr. Roeca founded the three person law firm of Roeca Hass Hager LLP, in San Francisco, where he specializes in professional liability, real estate, health care, insurance and related commercial and business litigation. Though he had practiced in large defense firms for some 20 years before that, he says small firm practice "made me a better lawyer."
Mr. Roeca is a staunch advocate of diversity in the legal profession. A member of the BASF Diversity Task Force for almost20 years, he served on the BASF Board of Directors from 1994 to 1998, during which time BASF, in conjunction with the San Francisco Board of Education, established the Law Academy Classroom to Career program, and each summer Mr. Roeca's firm employs a Law Academy intern.
Mr. Roeca frequently serves as a judicial arbitrator appointed by the San Francisco Superior Court, as a panelist with BASF’s early settlement program and as a judge pro tem in the Superior Court of Alameda County.
In addition to his service to the profession, Mr. Roeca has been active in the San Francisco community. In 1996, then-Mayor Willie Brown appointed Mr. Roeca to the San Francisco Fire Commission, where he served for more than eight years, including a term as Vice President of the Commission. He has served on the board of the Bay Area Non-Partisan Alliance and on the Human Rights Campaign Board of Governors.
"I have personally witnessed Russ Roeca’s many contributions during his career," says James Donato, Mr. Roeca's predecessor as BASF President, "and have seen how they have made a positive difference in the lives of students and the legal community, all while balancing a successful law practice in a small firm."
Patricia L. McCabe -- 2009 Receipient of the Myer J. Sankary Lawyer of the Year Award
Formerly a partner in a personal injury litigation firm, Patricia L.McCabe has been a sole practitioner for the last 13 years, specializing in representing the disabled. She practices throughout California and other jurisdictions in United States District Court and before governmental agencies, handling Social Security claims, Medicare claims, Medi-Cal claims, litigation involving disability insurance policies, Veteran’s benefits, and California State disability and unemployment benefits. She handles matters at all levels of the administrative process from application through exhaustion of the administrative appeal and filing of litigation in United States District Court.
Her choice of practice suggests Ms. McCabe's compassion and devotion to public service. Her history of service is the proof.
A graduate of Franklin Pierce Law Center, Ms. McCabe has a Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology and a Bachelor's Degree in Microbiology. She is a Past President of the San Fernando Valley Bar Association. She has served on the Los Angeles County Bar Association Board of Trustees and is a member of LACBA's Social Security section executive committee. She is a Past Chair of the Executive Committee of the Solo and Small Firm Section of the State Bar of California.
Now serving her 14th year as a delegate to the Conference of California Bar Associations, Ms. McCabe is also a member of the House of Delegates to the American Bar Association. She has written resolutions which have passed the Conference of Delegates and been proposed to the California Legislature.
Ms. McCabe was a member of the editorial team and a contributing author to the California Guide to Opening and Managing a Law Office, published by the State Bar in 2008. And she frequently lectures for the State Bar, the National Organization of Social Security Claimant’s Representatives and other bar associations.
While some might get anxious just reading about all the things she does, Ms. McCabe views them as ways to reduce stress. "The practice of law is extremely stressful," she says, "and nothing good comes from trying to power through stress. Volunteering in the community, providing pro bono legal services and working with other lawyers to better the profession bring positive factors to your life and balance things out."
A firm believer in both the duties and the benefits of giving back to the community, Ms. McCabe provides pro bono legal services to low income individuals, the homeless, and veterans. She has received the American Bar Association’s 2008 Difference Makers Award for pro bono service and the National Organization of Social Security Claimant’s Representatives’ 2004 Annual Pro Bono Award. She volunteers her services for Public Counsel, the Disability Legal Rights Center, the National Organization of Social Security Claimant’s Representatives, Neighborhood Legal Services and HALSA, the HIV and AIDS Legal Services Alliance. She also serves on the Boards of Directors for San Fernando Valley Mental Health Clinics, Inc., the Valley Community Legal Foundation, and for Neighborhood Legal Services, which is among Los Angeles County's larges legal aid programs.
"Patty is a very giving, caring and concerned person," says Anne Adams, a professional colleauge and longtime friend of Ms. McCabe. "She has been extremely supportive of the charities and bar activities she's involved in.”
Patricia McCabe is the deserving recipient of the 2009 Myer Sankary Award and will be presented her award at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the State Bar of California in San Diego on Friday, September 11, 2009. For more information, see The State Bar Annual Meeting.
Cheryl L. Hicks -- 2008 Receipient of the Myer J. Sankary Lawyer of the Year Award
Cheryl L. Hicks, is a private practice attorney in Oakland, specializing in juvenile dependency, family law, and plaintiffs personal injury law. A graduate of Boalt Hall, she is a past chair of the Civil Court Appointed Attorneys Advisory Committee.
Cheryl Hicks believes in giving back. Back to her community. Back to her fellow attorneys. “[M]any of us still find the time, a few minutes here and an hour there, to give a little something back”. This award recognizes the fact that Ms. Hicks is a giver, not a taker. That despite her devotion to her own practice, she makes the time to recognize her colleagues and to ensure that her community is represented.
Ms. Hicks has achieved balance. She recognizes that the practice of law is a stressful profession. Which is understandable as she maintains a heavy caseload in juvenile dependency in addition to providing services on the Alameda County Bar Association (ACBA) Civil Court Appointed Attorney Program (CCAAP) and acting on the oversight committee for that program.. And while that would be enough for most, Ms. Hicks is also the immediate past president of the Alameda Bar Association (she is pictured above with other past presidents), she served on the ACBA’s Board of Directors for six years and she provides leadership on the ACBA’s Judicial Mentoring Project.
“Being active in your local bar association is a wonderful way for solo practitioners to connect with other lawyers and to help develop business.” When it comes to Ms. Hicks, being “active” is an understatement. In nominating her, Ann Wassam, Executive Director of the Alameda County Bar Association, highlights some of the many examples of Ms. Hicks’ service to the legal community. These include acting as an informal mentor to countless juvenile dependency lawyers which in turn improves the quality of representation available for low-income residents, and serving on the CCAAP oversight committee to deal with issues such as fee disputes, rule revisions and contract negotiations with the local court.
In 2007, in response to State Bar President Shelly Sloan’s focus on promoting civility, Ms. Hicks set forth guidelines for ACBA members in order to deal with what she recognized as a continuing problem. “When we lose our cool in court or with opposing counsel, we cannot be effective advocates. The Court and our colleagues will not be listening to our compelling legal arguments if we are presenting them in a demeaning and angry manner.” Balance is the key. Zealous advocacy must be tempered with professional decorum.
Cheryl Hicks sets a very high standard. In her words, “We have a responsibility to the communities we live in and to society as a whole to assist with shaping the world we want to live in, and use our knowledge and education to be leaders.”
Ms. Hicks is both an excellent lawyer and an example of the best a sole practitioner has to offer to the legal community.
Anne C. Adams -- 2007 Receipient of the Myer J. Sankary Lawyer of the Year Award
Anne C. Adams Integrates Big Business Practices Into Small Firm Section
By Nancy B. Goldstein
Anne C. Adams is a business and family law solo practitioner based in Canoga Park. She represents clients in the Los Angeles area courts who are sued for consumer debts. Her office provides legal services to clients including hardship payment plans and debt negotiation services statewide.
Ms. Adams served as president of the Valley Community Legal Foundation of the San Fernando Valley Bar Association, which provides scholarships to students who intend to pursue careers in law enforcement, firefighting, public safety or a legal profession. The Foundation funds lawrelated projects including providing legal information to the public, court advocates to domestic violence victims and legal clinics for low-income valley residents.
“I’ve known and worked with Anne in numerous professional contexts throughout the past years,” Solo and Small Firm Section Chair Roberta Burnette says. “She is selfless in her dedication to her clients – she brings an energy and a focus that any client would be lucky to have in counsel.”
Ms. Adams is a former chair of the Executive Committee of the Solo and Small Firm Section of the State Bar of California. She has always given her time selflessly to make the lives of California small firm practitioners easier.
“Anne is unfailingly innovative in her approach to the small firm practice sector in California,” Ms. Burnette, principal of Thousand Oak’s Burnette Law Firm, says. “No one pushes forward with new ideas and new programs to benefit California small firm practitioners the way Anne has demonstrated again and again.”
Several years ago, Ms. Adams negotiated and implemented a joint venture program of discounts for small firm lawyers at the Continuing Education of the Bar office. Attorneys who use the discount program save significant money and earn necessary continuing legal education credits.
“The CEB program is easy to use and the educational seminars are outstanding,” Richard Kaplan, past chair of the Section, says. “Anne is outstanding at figuring out what smaller firm lawyers need and making it happen.”
In recognizing the difficulties that face solos and small firm practitioners, Ms. Adams, who holds both Juris Doctorate and Masters in Business Administration degrees, has spearheaded efforts to make information available to attorneys in the Section. She is a frequent speaker on law office management processes.
“Anne’s presentations at the State Bar Annual Meeting are always mobbed,” Lisa Miller, Section chair-elect and editor of BIG NEWS, says. “I frequently share the dais with Anne, and the audiences always clamor for her unique handouts on law office processes and managing the bottom line.”
True to her signature cutting-edge approach to volunteer service, Anne is currently working on an exciting project that will bring educational Webinars to the legal profession at very reasonable prices. Her committee has three Webinars in the pipeline at the moment, including the three-part presentation “Business Development Boot Camp.”
“Boot Camp” will address strategic marketing techniques for smaller firms, securing free media exposure through public relations, and paid media placements through free and low-cost advertising. The Webinar includes practical handouts and worksheets to help guide any sole practitioner or small firm through a year of developing a useable business development plan.
“Anne has always exhibited the highest degree of commitment to the best interests of the Section’s constituents,” Myer J. Sankary, a full-time neutral in Los Angels and the attorney after whom the award was named, says. “Her energy and insight has made a huge difference in the ability of the Solo Section to grow.”
Mr. Sankary was the inaugural recipient of the Myer J. Sankary Lawyer of the Year award. Mr. Sankary is credited with revitalizing the Solo and Small Firm Section, growing it from less than a half-dozen members to it current ranks of almost 2,000 members. He continues to provide significant leadership to the Section through his membership on the executive committee in advisor status.
Immediate past Section Chair Patricia McCabe has worked with Ms. Adams in many capacities over many years. Ms. McCabe has held leadership posts with both the Solo Section of the State Bar and the San Fernando Valley Bar Association.
“Anne has been a constant source of support and advice to me throughout my chairwomanship of the Section,” Ms. McCabe says. “She has a tremendous body of knowledge regarding serving our legal community as well as the larger community in California.”
One cannot think of faithful service and not think of Anne C. Adams. She embodies all of the attributes that the Myer J. Sankary Lawyer of the Year award is intended to honor.
Myer J. Sankary Lawyer of the Year Award
The Myer J. Sankary Attorney of the Year Award is presented to an individual who has exercised notable leadership or shown a contribution to the development of greater justice in a field of law. The award is presented annually to an individual who is a sole practitioner or a member of a small firm and who has demonstrated years of faithful service and leadership to the community or his or her fellow attorneys.
How to Nominate
Nominations for the Myer J. Sankary Lawyer of the Year Award are accepted year-round, with a final deadline of May 31 for consideration in the current year.
Submissions must include:
- Name and complete contact information for both the nominee and the nominating party
- Nominee’s short CV, resume, or bio, and e-photo
- Three paragraphs detailing the nominee’s activities embodying the tenets of the Myer J. Sankary Lawyer of the Year Award, including, inter alia, service to the legal profession, service to the larger community, leadership posts, special projects, and any other activities that the nominating party believes exhibit the qualities encompassed in the award.
Forward nominations to Kristina Robledo, Section Coordinator for the Solo and Small Firm Section. All nominations are kept confidential.