Left to Right: Hon. Sherilyn P. Garnett swearing in the GBA’s 2016 officers and board, Arpa Stepanian, Andrew C. Rawcliffe, Sal A. Sciortino, Monica Molina, Gina Hogtanian, Sheldon J. Eskin, K.L. Myles, Arbella Azizian, Sarkis Jacob Babachanian, Gary Nelson, Candy Ross (standing in for Barry Ross), Robert D. Brugge, Daniel R. Kimbell and Michael Zuckerman. Not pictured: Sami I. Schilly.

Babachanian | Legal Counsel is pleased to announce that principal counsel Sarkis Jacob Babachanian has been re-appointed to the Glendale Bar Association’s Board of Directors for 2016. A long time Glendale trial lawyer and community activist, Babachanian will serve on the Board’s technology committee.

“2015 was a good year for the Glendale Bar. We got a lot done including reimplementing Law Day which I was proud to head and expand in 2015, and I’m looking forward to working with our 2016 Board including our new president, Mike Zuckerman, to make GBA and its programs even better. This is a great group of folks. I’m always looking forward to working – and playing – with them!”

The post Babachanian Joins 2016 GBA Board appeared first on Babachanian | Legal Counsel.

GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA – June 1, 2015

Babachanian | Legal Counsel is pleased to announce that principal counsel Sarkis Jacob Babachanian took the Glendale Bar Association’s 2015 Law Day program to a new level!

For many years, GBA conducted Law Day only at Glendale High School where volunteer judges and lawyers interactively lectured students on law’s critical social importance. This year, Babachanian, a 2015 member of GBA’s Board of Directors, took the Law Day mantle upon himself and expanded the program to two additional GUSD schools – CV and Hoover. With the invaluable assistance of GBA member Arpa Stepanian, Esq., Babachanian oversaw 55 session-lectures by 8 volunteer judges and 25 volunteer lawyers. Lecture topics included current legal affairs, the adversarial nature of our justice system, the world of intellectual property, law’s impact on young people (e.g. in cases of DUI), the criminal justice system, the Bill of Rights and the Magna Carta. Enthusiastic students asked career questions, heard war stories and learned what it’s like to be a lawyer or judge.

Says Babachanian, “The program was a resounding success! Every one of our volunteers had great fun; I’m sure we’ll have many repeat volunteers next year! And it was a real  pleasure working with dedicated professionals who helped take this worthy project to the next level. Honestly, I wish we could do Law Day more often than just once a year.”

The post Babachanian Heads 2015 Law Day appeared first on Babachanian | Legal Counsel.

ASA’s 2013 CRF Mock Trial team (partial, on the right) “ready for trial.”

GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA – February 8, 2015

Evan Shem stood in court, accused of grand theft. Prosecutors alleged Shem, an art student, used a position of trust to steal Fletcher Yazoo’s Treason, switching the valuable painting for his own expert copy. Evan’s good name, budding career and freedom were all on the line, entrusted to his defense team, an intrepid band of middle-schoolers from Armenian Sisters Academy in Montrose!

ASA’s 2014 CRF Mock Trial team (partial) with (L-R) attorney-coach Sarkis Jacob Babachanian, teacher-coach Will Bassett, and the Hon. Zaven Sinanian, judge of the Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Welcome to the Constitutional Rights Foundation California Mock Trial Program. Here, students from 6th through 12th grade spend countless hours prepping with detailed fact sheets, witness statements and real-world rules to zealously litigate criminal cases in actual courtrooms.

ASA’s 2014 CRF Mock Trial team (partial) with (L-R) the Hon. Gregory Keosian, judge of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, and attorney-coach S.J. Babachanian.

ASA’s 2014 Mock Trial team at Saturday practice.

Under the able supervision of teacher-coach Will Bassett, ASA has fielded a middle school Mock Trial team (the only Armenian middle school team in the program) for over six years now. Each autumn, teens and tweens become prosecutors, defense counsel, lay and expert witnesses, bailiffs, a clerk/ timekeeper and, often, courtroom artists. The team spends months in an elective class, after school practices – and on occasional weekends – honing their research, critical thinking, public speaking and pizza-eating skills.

ASA’s 2013 team in pretrial conference at the Coffee Bean.

In preparation for trial, students apply the advocacy techniques they’ve learned to principles of constitutional and criminal law, criminal procedure and evidence. In essence, the team learns how to create and deliver persuasive legal arguments.

“It’s an interesting transformation to see,” says Sarkis Jacob Babachanian, an ASA attorney-coach who volunteers along with Saro Kerkonian. “New team members come in enthusiastic but intimidated, find their comfort-spot, put their noses to the grindstone and work. Soon you see their metamorphosis into confident trial advocates in command of the law and facts. It makes me smile.”

And as much as winning is important, so, too, is the experience. Says Babachanian, “A couple of years back, a key witness overcome with stage fright hid out in a phone booth at Mosk. With gentle encouragement, she went forward, played her role well and signed up again the next year. The program builds confidence.”

When trial time comes, students gather at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse to make opening statements, conduct direct and cross-examinations, and deliver closing arguments. Time limits are strict and coaches are relegated to the role of spectators as the team goes it alone. Volunteer judges – California jurists and lawyers – render judgment and keep score. What ultimately counts isn’t so much a decision of guilty or not guilty, but the numbers – how well the team performed.  And they’re all aiming to make it to the finals.

ASA team at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse

ASA’s team has always performed valiantly, often competing against large schools with student populations in the thousands. This year, two students – Rita Bedrosian and Elizabeth Hovakimyan – won first place awards as the best witnesses for their roles in the competition. Both girls received awards form the Constitutional Rights Foundation and were recognized by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. Unfortunately, ASA’s 2014 team didn’t advance as far as they hoped, but there’s always next year!

ASA’s 2014 CRF Mock Trial team with the Hon. Thomas L. Willhite, Jr., justice of the California Court of Appeal.

The post Babachanian Coaches Mock Trial appeared first on Babachanian | Legal Counsel.

Installation of 2015 Glendale Bar Association Board of Directors

Babachanian | Legal Counsel is pleased to announce that principal counsel Sarkis Jacob Babachanian has been appointed to the Glendale Bar Association’s Board of Directors for 2015. A long time Glendale trial lawyer and community activist, Babachanian will serve on the Board’s technology and social committees.

“I’m really excited to serve on GBA’s 2015 Board, and to be able to work with Gary and the team to strengthen our bar, protect our justice system and enjoy ourselves in the process. Some of the finest lawyers I know are GBA members who do great work in our community every day, and I’m proud to be in their company” said Babachanian.

Judge Doyle Installing GBA 2015 Officers and Directors

Glendale Superior Court Judge John P. Doyle installed the officers and Board at the Association’s January 8 meeting at The Smokehouse Restaurant in Burbank. Dignitaries present included Glendale Mayor Zareh Sinanyan, Esq., a practicing Glendale lawyer who addressed a full house of lawyers on the California Voting Rights Act, and Glendale City Clerk (and 43rd Assembly District candidate) Ardashes “Ardy” Kassakhian who spoke on electoral law and elections.

The post Babachanian Joins 2015 GBA Board appeared first on Babachanian | Legal Counsel.

Babachanian | Legal Counsel is pleased to announce that principal counsel Sarkis Jacob Babachanian has been invited to joint the The National Trial Lawyers Top 100, an invitation-only organization composed of the premier trial lawyers from each state in the nation who meet stringent qualifications as civil plaintiff and/or criminal defense trial lawyers. Selection is based on a thorough multi-phase process which includes peer nominations combined with third-party research. Membership is extended solely to the select few of the most qualified attorneys from each state who demonstrate superior qualifications of leadership, reputation, influence, stature and public profile.

“It’s a privilege to be recognized in this way by the National Trial Lawyers. Together we’ll keep fighting the good fight,” said Babachanian.

The post Babachanian Invited to NTL’s Top 100 appeared first on Babachanian | Legal Counsel.

GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA – May 21, 2014

Babachanian | Legal Counsel is pleased to announce that principal counsel Sarkis Jacob Babachanian has once again volunteered as a Law Day guest lecturer at Glendale High School. Babachanian served along with local judges and fellow lawyers in the community under the auspices of the Glendale Bar Association.

Officially celebrated in the United States on May 1 of each year, Law Day recognizes law’s role in the foundation of our country and its critical importance for society.

Says Babachanian, “My civic responsibility as a lawyer aside, it’s so much fun teaching kids about the law. In the first few minutes it’s a challenge to capture their interest, but once I do it’s a pleasure to see their eyes light up with enthusiasm as they jump in to passionate discussions on the Bill of Rights, drug policy, war stories…all kinds of interesting things. I really do love it and look forward to doing it every year.”

The post Babachanian Lectures at Law Day appeared first on Babachanian | Legal Counsel.

Babachanian | Legal Counsel is pleased to announce that principal counsel Sarkis Jacob Babachanian was interviewed by KNBC-4’s Colleen Williams in this KNBC NonStop piece in which Babachanian discussed how southern Californians in financial distress might consider using bankruptcy as an option to take some of the crushing weight of debt off of their shoulders. In 2010-11, the Greater Los Angeles area was second in the nation in bankruptcy filings after south Florida.

The post Babachanian on KNBC-4’s NonStop appeared first on Babachanian | Legal Counsel.