OCLBA Statement Updated April 2024

Proudly moving forward in our 14th year, the Orange County Lavender Bar Association (OCLBA) is the official association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ+), and Allied attorneys, judges, and law students in the county. OCLBA provides networking, educational, and mentorship opportunities and resources to its membership and the community with the goal of increasing the county’s participation in the broader statewide LGBTQ+ community and the visibility of LGBTQ+ issues in the county.

Born in the shadow of Proposition 8, OCLBA launched on June 16, 2010, at a gala attended by over 200 attorneys, philanthropists, community leaders, judges, professors, and law students. The gala featured remarks by the attorneys who completed closing arguments in the landmark Perry v. Schwarzenegger case. Since then, our annual gala has provided the opportunity to celebrate advances in LGBTQ+ legal protections, both in California and across the nation.

OCLBA’s Board of Directors, which includes representatives from both private practice and academia, continues to implement a robust series of MCLE programs as well as regular opportunities for our members to meet and socialize. We have an unrivalled mentorship program where we help students navigate law school to their chosen area of practice and beyond.

For 2024, OCLBA has recommitted its focus on connecting with our community partners, including pro bono, and increasing its involvement with local law students and their OUTlaw chapters. Additionally, OCLBA members have opportunities to do pro bono work with the Transgender Legal Assistance Clinic (TLAC) each month.

Since its founding, each summer, the OCLBA hosts its annual Anniversary Gala honoring community and legal leaders in the fight for justice and equality. OCLBA also awards its M. Katherine B. Darmer Equality Scholarship to a law student committed to LGBTQ+ issues in Orange County. OCLBA looks forward to hosting its Fourteenth Anniversary Party on July 10th at the Park Plaza Commons in Irvine.

OCLBA will host its annual Harvey Milk Day MCLE Luncheon on May 22 and will be holding a National Coming Out Day event in October.

OCLBA seeks to serve and unite not just the LGBTQ+ community but our allies as well. For more information, please visit www.oclba.org or email OCLBA President, Gary Polston at gary@polstonlaw.com.