As I begin my tenure as the new president of the Beverly Hills Bar Association on October 1, I find myself reflecting on the journey that led me here—both my personal journey and that of this historic organization. It is an honor and a privilege to step into this role, and I do so with immense gratitude for the people who have helped shape my path.

I am the daughter of immigrants of Indian descent, both of whom came from Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean. My father, in pursuit of education, chose to study in the United States instead of the United Kingdom. He attended school in New York, and while working as an actuary for New York Life, I was born. My mother, who initially came to the U.S. on vacation, loved it so much she decided to stay. She secured a job with the United Nations, becoming a secretary to one of the ambassadors. She often tells me that my passion for the law makes sense—after all, I was right there with her in the United Nations General Assembly while she was pregnant with me.

It may seem like I was born with every advantage, living the quintessential American dream. When I was seven months old, we moved to California. My siblings were born, and our future looked bright.

However, life had other plans. When I was just four years old, my father suffered a massive heart attack and died at the age of 41. My mother, still in her late twenties, became the bedrock of our family, raising three young children while working, with the help of my grandparents in the after school hours. Nine years later, she remarried, and I gained a wonderful stepfather—a man who bravely took on the challenge of raising three tweens.

Through all of this, my parents and grandparents instilled in me the values of hard work, resilience, and community. They taught me that with dedication and determination, anything is possible. As I step into this new role, I carry their lessons with me. I am here not just because of my own efforts but because of the sacrifices they made and the foundation they built for me. This moment reflects not just my success but the realization of their dreams.

The Beverly Hills Bar Association has a similarly rich history, one that speaks to the power of community and resilience. Founded in 1931 as an inclusive space for attorneys who were not accepted elsewhere, it began with just 22 members. Over the decades, we have grown into a pillar of the legal community, recognized for our commitment to excellence, ethics, and professional development.

Today, I am proud to say that our Association remains financially sound despite the post-pandemic challenges faced by organizations across the globe. This financial stability is a testament to the careful stewardship of our administration and leadership, and the dedication of our members.

But financial stability is only one aspect of our success. Our Bar Association has always been driven by the values of education, service, and community. As our membership continues to grow, so does our ability to serve both our members and the broader community.

A cornerstone of our mission is Continuing Legal Education (CLE). Our CLE programming ensures that our members remain at the forefront of legal knowledge and practice. We recently developed an On-Demand platform— a cutting-edge, custom-built CLE streaming and compliance platform —which is available for free to our Sustainer and above levels of membership. We are now accredited in 46 states, with the four exceptions being states that do not require continuing legal education. As we move forward, we will continue to expand and refine our offerings to meet the diverse needs of our members, from seasoned attorneys to those just beginning their legal careers.

Looking to the future, I see an opportunity for our Association to become an even more dynamic and inclusive community. One of my key focuses will be strengthening our Barristers Section, which will provide more opportunities for young and emerging lawyers to connect, learn, and grow within our Association. I also believe that small, intimate social gatherings can complement our larger networking events, fostering deeper relationships and a stronger sense of community among our members.

Some of the events I am particularly excited about include our Hollywood Bowl friends and family gathering, wine tastings, high tea, artistic and sporting activities, and weekend trips—just a few of the many ways we will continue to build connections within our community.

Giving back has always been a core value of our Association, and I am committed to deepening our involvement in charitable efforts that make a meaningful difference. In keeping with our vision of “a world in which there is justice for everyone,” we have reinstated our Roxbury Park free Legal Clinic. We will also continue to support Inner City Visions, a charity you may recognize from our Barristers Holiday gift drive. Inner City Visions provides solutions to protect at-risk and exploited youth, working to combat human trafficking.

The statistics are alarming: according to Inner City Visions, one out of three runaway children will be approached by a trafficker within 48 hours of leaving home. This is an unacceptable reality, and we will continue to support efforts to keep kids off the streets and out of the hands of predators and traffickers.

As I take on this new role, I am deeply grateful for the support and encouragement I have received from so many people—my friends, family, the dedicated administration and employees of this Association, and each of our members. I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to my colleagues, mentors, and friends who have been with me on this journey.

As we look forward to this new chapter, I invite each of you to join me in working together to continue building on the legacy of the Beverly Hills Bar Association. Let’s not only work together but celebrate together as we embrace both tradition and innovation in our efforts to serve our members and our community.