A to Z Law Partner Dennis LaRochelle received an Award of Appreciation in November for his nearly year-long service as President of CAL-ABOTA. LaRochelle’s duties as president will end Dec. 31, then he will remain a member of the Executive Committee as Past President.
CAL-ABOTA is the state chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), a national association of plaintiff and defense jury trial lawyers. ABOTA’s goals are to preserve the right to a jury trial in civil cases (guaranteed by the 7th Amendment) and to enhance civility, integrity and dignity among litigators. Members include judges and an equal number of attorneys for plaintiffs and defendants.
LaRochelle was installed as CAL-ABOTA president on Nov. 5, 2014, at the group’s annual conference held last November at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel on the Big Island of Hawaii. He received the Award of Appreciation at the same hotel this November during a week-long conference attended by over 200 people.
This November’s conference included LaRochelle’s last board meeting, legal education seminars, three gala dinners with entertainment, a presentation of the CAL-ABOTA Trial Lawyer of the Year Award, installation of new officers, the President’s Cocktail Party in the Presidential Suite, and a golf tournament. LaRochelle has one final meeting to attend – the San Francisco Chapter Gala Dinner at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco – before he passes the baton.
Membership in the prestigious American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) is limited to attorneys who meet the organization’s stringent jury trial criteria and are elected to join by their peers. To qualify, an attorney must have handled at least 10 civil jury trials in which a verdict was reached and be approved by 75 percent of their chapter’s membership. ABOTA has over 7,000 members nationwide in 97 chapters. In California, CAL-ABOTA represents eight chapters with 1,700 members.
LaRochelle was the first statewide president from Ventura County since the local California Coast Chapter, which covers Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, was formed in 1988. LaRochelle previously served as president of the California Coast chapter.