CAOC members took our case to the State Capitol on Justice Day

Helping legislators understand our legislative priorities

2025 May

“I had the best time at CAOC Justice Day. There’s nothing quite like directly participating in democracy and advocating to protect consumers, elders, and workers with my smart and passionate colleagues who work tirelessly for Californians every day. It recharges me for the fight ahead.” - Ji-In Houck, Los Angeles

Thank you to everyone who joined us for CAOC’s annual Justice Day! Your dedication to protecting consumer rights left a lasting impact on lawmakers, and your presence helped spotlight the real people behind our legislative priorities. For those who’ve never been to Justice Day, Alexis Gamliel says it best: “When we say ‘seeking justice for all,’ we mean it. And that’s precisely why we take the time to meet with lawmakers and explain why all Californians need key pieces of legislation to pass, so that justice is accessible and equitable for everyone.”

In a new element of Justice Day this year, CAOC Grassroots Manager Natalie Robertson hosted a training session to prepare attendees on April 7. That evening, CAOC’s Annual Legislative Reception took place at The California Museum, and guests were treated to a “night at the museum”-style reception while we mingled and heard from key lawmakers, including Senate Judiciary Chair Tom Umberg and Assembly Judiciary Chair Ash Kalra. A huge thanks to Greene Broillet & Wheeler, McNicholas & McNicholas, and Singleton Schreiber for hosting a truly awesome event! Following the reception, OCTLA and CCTLA hosted a vibrant nightcap to close out the Justice Day Eve festivities.

Justice Day kicked off bright and early on April 8. Members checked in for their schedules and received their event materials. This year we had beautiful materials, including journals embossed with Lady Justice and some very fun stickers that included one with CAOC President Geoff Wells’ face, and one with the tagline “live-laugh-litigate.” Thank you to our material sponsors: Aitken*Aitken*Cohn, Bisnar | Chase Personal Injury Attorneys, Capitol City Trial Lawyers Association, Compass, Dreyer Babich Buccola Wood Campora, Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger, and Doctors on Liens.

Members were welcomed to breakfast by our keynote speaker, Sacramento Assemblymember Maggy Krell. Special thanks to our breakfast sponsors Chang Klein and The Matiasic Firm. Our fierce CAOC advocates – Nancy Drabble, Nancy Peverini, Lea-Ann Tratten, Jacquie Serna, and Saveena Takhar – let everyone know what to look forward to in the day ahead.

Justice Day saw our members attend more than 65 meetings with legislators and their staff (thank you to Maria Jimenez for coordinating), and our members advocated for three key bills:

SB 82 (Umberg) – Infinite Arbitration targets overly broad terms and conditions requiring unsuspecting consumers to sign “infinite” arbitration clauses. These clauses extend beyond the immediate contract, covering all future disputes with any related party or affiliate.

SB 29 (Laird) – Pain and Suffering in Survival Actions removes the sunset provision from SB 447 (2021-Laird) and makes permanent the right for families to seek accountability for pain and suffering when their loved ones die before achieving justice in court.

AB 251 (Kalra) – Elder Abuse – Intentional Destruction of Evidence will allow access to justice for elderly and dependent adults who are physically abused and neglected in nursing homes.

At lunch, we took a break from legislative meetings and heard from our keynote speaker, Controller Malia Cohen, who left us feeling inspired to take action and fight the good fight. Our sincerest appreciation goes to Stebner Gertler & Guadagni and Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein for hosting a fantastic lunch program.

After our meetings concluded, members met up for food, refreshments, and a beautiful outdoor rooftop view of Sacramento at the Clayton Club. Thank you to Melissa Baldwin - Baldwin Settlements for sponsoring an incredible closing mixer to finish a phenomenal Justice Day.

Member Jamie-Mauhay Powers let us know that Justice Day reminds her why she “entered this profession in the first place – to fight for the voices that too often go unheard. Grateful to stand alongside colleagues and advocates who are passionate about protecting the rights of everyday Californians.”

If you have any Justice Day questions, or feedback, please contact Natalie Robertson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Lots of planning, intention, and love go into pulling off Justice Day each year – it’s a full team and community effort! Thank you to Deputy Legislative Director Jacquie Serna and our advocates for their incredible help, Program and Events Manager Katie Pebler for venue planning and logistics support, Senior Development Manager Caroline Andrews for taking care of our amazing sponsors, Katy Aguirre for registration lead, Liz Teves, Bev Johnson, and Chris Weaver for registration support, Julie Gossett for her strategic branding and communications, Ben Helton for the fresh designs, and Political Director Lea-Ann Tratten and COO Laurie Klimchock for always leading the way.

We hope you Geoff-initely had a great time! Keep your eyes out for a 2026 save-the-date coming soon, and we’ll leave you with closing words from one of our attendees this year:

“Every year I look forward to attending Justice Day! This year we lobbied on issues that impact my clients and their cases by preventing full access to justice. Can’t wait for next year!” – Carree Nahama, San Diego.