BB&K Partner Ruben Duran Profiled by Law360
Duran Discusses Goals as California State Bar Board of Trustees Chair, Latino Heritage, Access to Justice and More
Best Best & Krieger LLP Partner Ruben Duran, who was recently sworn in as chair of the State Bar of California Board of Trustees for a one-year term, was featured in a Law360 Pulse profile on Oct. 27. The Q&A piece highlights Duran’s goals as chair, Latino heritage and work to improve Californians’ access to legal services.
Duran told Law360 that it’s an honor and a challenge to serve as the second-ever Latino in this role, and an opportunity to serve the greater good.
“It's a big deal for me and my family, and quite frankly, I wish my parents were still alive to see this. They've always taught me that being Mexican-American shouldn't handicap you ... Unfortunately, there's not a lot of us who make it to law school, so I'm proud to be in this position and extremely grateful for the support that my family has given me.”
When asked about his primary goals for the upcoming year, Duran told Law360 that the main focus is to ensure public protection and access to justice. “That means we discipline lawyers in the right way, make sure the lawyers coming into the profession are well-prepared and of solid moral character. It's a big system and we're lucky to have a very well-qualified staff that works on various moving parts. The trustees have to always take a big-picture view…”
“I hope to leave the bar in a better place than I found it. It's one of those life goals, trying to always leave places better than you found them. My time on the board isn't very long, but it's intense. There's a lot of work that's going on and I'm surrounded by really smart people, so I hope to bring good energy and the right sort of leadership to work on those issues and make significant changes,” he said
Law360 Pulse subscribers can access Duran’s full profile here. Learn more about Duran’s service as chair here.
