Ashley Torres and Elica M-Zadeh Recognized by Beverly Hills Bar Association
June 10, 2019 | Pepperdine Law rising third-year students, Ashley Denise Torres and Elica M-Zadeh were recognized by the Beverly Hills Bar Association and the Beverly Hills Bar Foundation at its 65th Annual Supreme Court Luncheon. Ashley was one of five California law students to receive a 2019 Beverly Hills Bar Foundation Scholarship for her commitment to public service.
Elica received an honorable mention award in the 10th Annual Rule of Law Writing Competition for her article, "A Beautiful Fork in the Familiar Road: Restorative Justice as Diverting the Path of Schools to Prisons."
Of the seven California law schools represented at the event, Pepperdine Law was the only school to have two student award winners. In attendance at the awards luncheon were all seven California Supreme Court Justices, including Chief Justice Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye, who presented the opening remarks. The event was held in at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills on June 4.
From the Beverly Hills Bar Association:
About Ashley Denise Torres - Scholarship recipient
Pepperdine University School of Law
Ashley Denise Torres learned about the importance of receiving a college education,
from her "Tito and Tita," at a very young age. Her grandparents were migrant farm
workers who came from Mexico to Ventura County to pick fruit in the 1970s. During
her time at California State University Long Beach, she volunteered as a JusticeCorps
member at the Long Beach Superior Court and helped self-represented litigants from
underrepresented communities with their legal paperwork. After graduating from CSULB,
Ashley served as a Capital Fellow, where she gained experience in the management of
California's courts, and earned a certificate in Applied Policy and Government. At
Pepperdine Law, Ashley externed for Judge Otis D. Wright II of the U.S. District Court
for the Central District of California and currently serves on the Executive Board
for the Dispute Resolution Law Journal and the National Latina/o Law Student Association.
Ashley hopes to pursue a career in public service to ensure marginalized communities
have access to justice. Ashley believes that her academic achievements are truly the
fruit of her Tito and Tita's labor.
Honorable Mention - BHBA Rule of Law Writing Competition
Elica Zadeh
Pepperdine University School of Law
"A Beautiful Fork in the Familiar Road: Restorative Justice as Diverting the Path
of Schools to Prisons: A fresh perspective of mass incarceration and the short-comings
of the criminal justice system, zeroing in on the cause of the problem, rather than
the symptoms."
Born and raised in London, I was blessed to be constantly submerged in culturally rich and dynamic experiences. As my awareness of the experience of others grew, so did my empathy for their plight. At the head of the black lives matter movement and other socio-political concerns that seemed to forecast injustice, I made the decision to move to California in 2017 to pursue my legal career. Since then, my goal has been to effectuate change for minorities, the underprivileged, the indigent, and those who have been the victim of a system that marginalizes them. As I move on into my final year of law school, I hope to be involved in criminal and civil litigation, as well as civil and human rights law. Ultimately, I plan to advocate for prison reform and work with those who have been wrongfully or unfairly convicted.
Beverly Hills Bar Association Honors Justices of the Supreme Court of California and Presents Scholarship Awards
Some 200 members of Southern California's legal community turned out to honor the Justices of the Supreme Court of California at the 65th Annual Supreme Court Luncheon hosted by the Beverly Hills Bar Association (BHBA) and the Beverly Hills Bar Foundation on June 4, 2019, at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills. Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye discussed the current state of California's judiciary and recognized Associate Justices Ming W. Chin, Carol A. Corrigan, Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar, Leondra R. Kruger, Goodwin H. Liu and Joshua P. Groban, who also attended. Guest speakers included UCLA Law School Dean Jennifer Mnookin and BHBA 2007 Scholarship recipient Joshua Bobrowsky, Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs in the Executive Office of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Proceeds from the event benefit the Beverly Hills Bar Foundation scholarship program.
California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye