On Oct. 24 the Western San Bernardino County Bar Association held its annual awards dinner at the DoubleTree in Ontario.
At my table there was a married couple, one of whom was a criminal defender and the other was a prosecutor. They were friendly and funny and sitting with them was a delight.
My favorite thing about these award presentations is that they tell the stories of the people the awards are named after. They keep the honor alive and they do it in front of the namesakes’ families.
Presiding Judge Lisa Rogan swore in the 2024-25 board of directors and Angelique Bonanno was installed as the new president.
A couple of fun facts: Dean McVay is president elect. This pairing with Bonanno is a repeat. Matt Taylor, the treasurer, has served since 2009.
Aja Culberson was named Legal Assistant of the Year. “I come from a family of strong women, and I stand here who I am today because of them,” she said.
Jeffrey Walker presented the Charles Althouse Lifetime Achievement Award to Patricia Law. This award is not always given—only when someone stands out as a good recipient.
Walker said Law could trash talk like an athlete. He said when he and Law had their first case together he asked, “What’s this case about?” and she answered, “It’s about me kicking your butt.”
Finally, McVay gave a speech to introduce the Jennifer Brooks Lawyer of the Year recipient, John Lowenthal. He talked about Lowenthal’s diverse intellect and his commitment to mentorship.
“If you are ever on a game show and you are given an opportunity to call a friend, call John Lowenthal,” McVay said.
Brooks was a 33-year-old deputy district attorney for San Bernardino County in 2005 when she was in a fatal car accident. She was described as having the five C’s – compassion, civility, courage, confidence and candor – which are the criteria for honoring a lawyer in her memory.
“I’m here because of the Inland Empire legal community: the lawyers, the judges, the court staff, everybody that makes it up. All of you at one time or another taught me something valuable,” Lowenthal said. “You taught me to accept my victories and my defeats with dignity, to treat everyone with respect, how to be a lawyer, how to be a zealous advocate while maintaining civility and integrity. You taught me how to be a lawyer and just how to be.”
He got choked up and I got teary and it was a beautiful speech from start to finish.
Best wishes to new and returning board members, and congratulations to the awardees.
