Women Lawyers Association
Presents
Voting Rights
The year 2020 will undoubtedly be remembered as the year of the coronavirus pandemic, but it is also a Presidential election year. Our nation’s response to the health and economic impacts of the current crisis is going to require democratic engagement by all of us and nothing is more critical to the democratic process than access to the vote. On June 3, 2020, local civil rights attorney and constitutional law professor Erica Flores Baltodano will provide an engaging overview of voting rights to help put the 2020 election in context. This Zoom-presented event will qualify for one hour of participatory MCLE and will include an historical overview of the fundamental right to vote, the status of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965 and other key legislation, important recent Supreme Court cases, the myth of voter fraud and examples of modern-day voter suppression, impacts of COVID-19, and what California and other states are doing to ensure access to the ballot in November. Join WLASLO to learn why Ms. Baltodano believes attorneys (and parents) have a heightened duty to safeguard the right to vote by staying engaged and educated, and taking action.
This program qualifies for one (1.0) hour MCLE credit. Please Join Us!
OUR SPEAKER:
Erica Flores Baltodano Esq. | The Baltodano Firm
Erica Flores Baltodano has nearly 20 years of experience as an attorney, policy advocate, writer, and teacher in the areas of civil rights, environmental justice, employment law, and non-profit/private law firm management. She is President of The Baltodano Firm, a San Luis Obispo-based law firm committed to workers’ rights and social justice and has served as a Civil Service Commissioner for the County of San Luis Obispo since November 2019. In January 2019, Ms. Baltodano joined the faculty of San Luis Obispo College of Law where she teaches Constitutional Law with an emphasis on individual rights, including reproductive rights, voting rights, and free speech. A passionate advocate for education, Ms. Baltodano is a frequent speaker in local elementary, high school, and college classrooms and leads field trips for elementary school children focused on democracy and civic engagement.
After graduating from UCLA with a degree in Sociology and Public Policy and obtaining her law degree from UC Berkeley School of Law in 2002, Ms. Baltodano advocated for low-income children and communities of color at the Center for Law in the Public Interest in Los Angeles, one of the nation’s first public interest law firms. She co-founded The City Project, a Los Angeles-based civil rights and environmental justice organization that works to achieve equal justice, democracy, and livability for all. Her cutting-edge work at The City Project continues to impact the investment of public resources and guide local, state, and national policy-making today.
In 2010, Ms. Baltodano relocated to San Luis Obispo with her family, co-founding and becoming Managing Partner of Baltodano & Baltodano LLP, an employment law firm representing employees in state and federal courts throughout California. The firm received the Access to Justice Advocate award from San Luis Obispo Legal Assistance Foundation in 2017 for its commitment to social justice, public service, and education. In November 2017, Ms. Baltodano’s law partner-husband was appointed to serve as a San Luis Obispo County Superior Court Judge and Ms. Baltodano became president of The Baltodano Firm.
In 2016, Ms. Baltodano received the Frank J. Pentangelo Award from the San Luis Obispo County Bar Association for an 11-part series of social justice-themed essays she wrote called Mommy Esquire, merging lessons in the law with lessons in parenting. Ms. Baltodano delivered the keynote address at the First Annual Women’s March in San Luis Obispo, which attracted 10,000 participants in January 2017 and in February 2018 she was recognized by the San Luis Obispo County Commission on the Status of Women. In March 2019 Ms. Baltodano received the 2018 Outstanding Woman Lawyer Award from the Women Lawyers Association of San Luis Obispo County.
Ms. Baltodano is currently Board President of San Luis Obispo Legal Assistance Foundation, where she has served as a board member since February 2017. For the past three years she has also advised the Superintendent of San Luis Coastal Unified School District as a member of the Common Ground Advisory Task Force, with an emphasis on equity and inclusivity in education. She is a founding Board Member of the San Luis Coastal Education Foundation, which provides resources and opportunities for excellence in teaching, promotes innovation in learning, and partners with the community to enhance the quality of education for all students. Recently, Ms. Baltodano played a leading role in establishing the Foundation’s successful School Closure Impact Fund to support the district’s most vulnerable students during the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis.
Ms. Baltodano lives in San Luis Obispo with her husband, Hon. Hernaldo J. Baltodano, and their two children. She enjoys reading non-fiction and hiking in Yosemite and she takes great delight in cooking and baking regularly for family and loved ones.
Via Zoom
The day before the event (June 2), the WLA will email all registered attendees the Zoom conference information, password, and CLE handouts.
Payment Information:
$15.00 per attendee, regardless of whether you are a WLA member. All proceeds will go toward the WLA scholarship fund and the other worthy events hosted by the WLA.
If you are experiencing a financial hardship and unable to pay for this event, please email the WLA at womenlawyersslo@gmail.com.
There are two (2) ways to make a reservation for this event.
(1) Pay Online Using the Reservation Link below
(2) Send a check to:
Women Lawyers Association
P.O. Box 3918
San Luis Obispo, CA 93403-3918
*If you are having difficulty registering online, please try using a different internet browser or email Elizabeth Culley at the email listed below to reserve your spot.
**Please include the name(s) of the attendee(s) on your check.
*** Please email Elizabeth Culley at eculley@amblaw.com stating that you've mailed your check and the names of those who will be attending.
Please RSVP one week in advance.