Webinar: America at 250: Defending the Rule of Law and Judicial Independence — A Call to Action for the Legal Profession

Heather L. Rosing is a Founding Partner at Rosing Pott & Strohbehn, where she leads both the Complex Litigation and Professional Liability Department and the Discipline Defense, Ethics, and Risk Management Department. Ms. Rosing is a Certified Specialist in Legal Malpractice Law, recognized nationally for her expertise in complex and multiparty litigation involving fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, professional negligence, malicious prosecution, civil conspiracy, RICO, and aiding and abetting. She also practices administrative law, representing professionals before disciplinary agencies, including attorneys in proceedings with the State Bar of California and judges in proceedings with the Commission on Judicial Performance.

From 2018 to 2019, Ms. Rosing was the inaugural President of the California Lawyers Association (CLA) and later served as the first President of its philanthropic sister organization, the California Lawyers Foundation (CLF). She regularly provides pro bono presentations on malpractice, ethics, and risk management throughout California and nationally. Ms. Rosing is co-vice chair of the Civility Task Force—a collaboration among CLA, the State Bar, and the California Judges Association (CJA).  In addition, Ms. Rosing is the current co-chair of the CJA’s Judicial Fairness Coalition, which focuses on civic education about the judicial branch and the importance of judicial independence.

Judge Dana Makoto Sabraw was appointed to the United States District Court in 2003.  He served as Chief Judge from 2021 to 2025.  He received his undergraduate degree with distinction from San Diego State University, and thereafter attended McGeorge School of Law at the University of the Pacific.  Before his appointment, Judge Sabraw practiced law as a commercial litigator with Baker & McKenzie in San Diego, becoming a partner in 1992.  In 1995, he was appointed to San Diego’s North County Municipal Court.  He served as Presiding Judge of the Municipal Court until his elevation to the Superior Court in 1998, where he served as Criminal Supervising Judge and as a criminal and civil trial judge until his appointment to the federal bench. 

Judge Sabraw was appointed by the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court to serve as a member of the U.S. Judicial Conference Committee on the Judicial Branch.  He has been active in several professional organizations.  Among these, he is a founding member and past president of two American Inns of Court (Lopardo and Wallace Inn Chapters).  Judge Sabraw is a frequent speaker at law and community events on judicial independence and the rule of law. 

Judge Curtis E.A. Karnow (Ret.) served on the San Francisco County Superior Court for over 20 years and retired in April 2025. He is past Presiding Judge of the court’s Appellate Division, and was a member of California’s Judicial Council task forces and working groups on appellate division rules, temporary judges, electronic discovery, e-filing, and electronic access.

Judge Karnow was a member of the California Supreme Court Committee on Judicial Ethics Opinions, and of the Judicial Council’s Committee on Civil & Small Claims, chairing the subcommittee on discovery and rules reform. Judge Karnow graduated from Harvard College and received his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, where he was an editor of the Law Review. He clerked for U.S. District Judge Louis Pollak (E.D.PA.), was an assistant U.S. Attorney, and is author of or contributor to 16 books in the legal field, including his Litigation In Practice and is co-author of the California’s leading treatise on civil procedure, Rutter Guide-Civil Procedure Before Trial, as well as other books and articles including on the legal process, discovery, experts, settlement, class actions, summary judgment, statistics, implicit bias, bail, and artificial intelligence. Judge Karnow is a member of the American Law Institute (ALI).

Jerrilyn Malana serves as President of the California Lawyers Foundation (CLF), the charitable arm of the California Lawyers Association (CLA). She is a Chief Deputy District Attorney with the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, where she holds the roles of chief of human resources and special counsel. Prior to joining the DA’s Office, Jerrilyn was an employment law attorney and shareholder at Littler Mendelson, PC. Jerrilyn currently serves on the Board of the Public Policy Institute of California, and as a Trustee on the University of California San Diego Foundation Board. She is a past President of the San Diego County Bar Association, and was the first Asian Pacific American attorney to lead the bar. She is also a past President of the UC San Diego Alumni Association. Jerrilyn was the inaugural Chair of CLA’s Civic Engagement & Outreach Committee. Over the course of her career, Jerrilyn has served on a diverse array of nonprofit boards, including those focused on the legal profession, educational access and advancement, health and human services, domestic violence prevention, and the creative arts. She remains active in promoting the importance of civic education and civic engagement as essential to a healthy and vibrant democracy.