At the 2014 Volunteers for Justice Dinner, the Public Law Center (PLC) will pay tribute to one of Orange County’s greatest legal champions of the poor and underserved—Grace E. Emery, who passed away last November. Serving on the PLC board of directors for nearly 20 years, Grace was a dear friend to the Public Law Center and tremendous leader in the Orange County legal community.
“Grace embodied everything right about the legal profession,” said Kenneth Babcock, PLC’s executive director and general counsel. “And although she was diminutive in physical stature, she towered above others in her pursuit of justice for those less fortunate.”
Grace’s commitment to justice continued after her passing on November 23, 2013. She left the entirety of her estate to the Public Law Center and the ACLU.
Grace sat on many boards over her long and distinguished legal career. After sitting on California Women Lawyers’ board of governors from 1990-1997, she served as president from 1997-1998. She was also a long-time member of Orange County Women Lawyers, beginning in 1980 and remaining until the time of her death. She was president in 1988 and the organization recognized her in 1993 as “attorney of the year.”
She was also a long-time board member of the Orange County Bar Association (OCBA). When she stepped down in 2009–after first taking a seat in 1992–the bar marked her service with a commendation. In addition to being recognized for the many committees and sections on which she sat and led, the bar noted her “formal and informal” mentoring of younger members and knowledge sharing.
“Grace showed all of us–female and male attorneys alike–how to break down barriers and achieve success as a lawyer and as a person,” said Julie M. McCoy, PLC’s Board President.
Grace was also the recipient of the OCBA’s 2005 Harmon G. Scoville Award. And she didn’t just help the less fortunate through advocacy and representation. She was cited in her OCBA commendation for being a generous supporter of its charitable fund. Even her solo practice was aimed at rectifying injustice as she specialized in representing victims of employment discrimination.
Please join PLC and the Orange County legal community in paying tribute to the life and outsized achievements of Grace E. Emery at the 2014 Volunteers for Justice Dinner, which will be held on Monday, June 16 at Hotel Irvine (formerly Hyatt Regency Irvine).
PLC will also honor the Orange County office of Manatt, Phelps, and Phillips, LLP as the Law Firm of the Year and CHOC Children’s as the Community Partner of the Year. To see pictures from the 2013 Dinner, which drew 1,000 attendees and raised over $700,000, please click here.