Hispanic Bar Gala
Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the University of California, Irvine’s new law school, made his first major local public appearance on March 1 at the Orange County Hispanic Bar Association’s award and scholarship gala at the Westin South Coast Plaza. UC Irvine Chancellor Michael Drake also was on hand. The Hispanic Bar Association honored Juan Francisco Lara, UCI’s assistant vice chancellor emeritus; Miguel Ortiz Haro, immediate past consul general of Mexico in Orange County; John G. Cruz, appointments secretary for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger; and Wells Fargo & Co., which was represented by Armando de la Libertad, vice president of community development. The group also awarded scholarships to students at Chapman University Law School; Brigham Young University School of Law; Boalt Law School at the University of California, Berkeley; and Columbia University School of Law
Fight Night
A night of fighting, kickboxing and celebrity auction items raised $400,000 for the Freedom Writers Foundation, a nonprofit group for at-risk high school students. The event was held March 7 at the Marconi Automotive Museum in Tustin and featured six mixed martial arts bouts, including one women’s fight. Auctioned items included a trip to Rome, a trip to Las Vegas to sit front row at an Elton John concert and a guitar signed by Bob Dylan.
