Jean Cha is an ethics practitioner based in Orange County, CA, representing clients throughout California, sister states and foreign jurisdictions.  Prior to creating Cha Law Ethics, Ms. Cha was with Pansky Markle Attorneys at Law in South Pasadena and Manning & Kass, Ellrod, Ramirez, Trester LLP in Los Angeles.  Ms. Cha is a Former State Bar Prosecutor who served in the Office of Chief Trial Counsel of the State Bar of California for 13 years in Los Angeles.  Ms. Cha has handled every type of case in the OCTC and regularly appears before the Los Angeles and San Francisco State Bar Court. Ms. Cha advises practitioners in Professional Liability, Legal Malpractice Defense, State Bar Discipline Defense and Reinstatements, Moral Character and Admissions Matters, Disqualifications and Conflicts, Risk Management and Legal Ethics Consultations.  Ms. Cha regularly tailors Continuing Legal Education Trainings and is a Legal Ethics Expert.

Ms. Cha is an active member in several trade organizations and is the Second Vice President of the Association of Discipline Defense Counsel (ADDC) where she is the Membership Chair and Co-Chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee, the Membership Chair of the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers (APRL),  a Member of the State Bar Board of Trustees newly formed Working Group on Closing the Justice Gap (CTJG Working Group), a Volunteer for the California Law Academies which benefits high school students and builds a diversity pipeline into the law, Liaison for the State Bar Court Bench Bar Committee Pro Bono Clinic Initiative to provide pro bono services to attorneys in need, and a Sustaining Member of the Junior League of Orange County, CA (JLOCC).  Ms. Cha also provides pro bono counsel in State Bar matters and is on a panel of Court-Appointed Counsel for the State Bar Court of California. 

Ms. Cha is licensed to practice law in California and The United States District Court, Central District of CA. She is a graduate of Syracuse University College of Law.  While attending Syracuse University in Upstate New York, Ms. Cha focused on intellectual property, licensing and technology commercialization and received her Certificate in Law, Technology & Management. She was the President of the Syracuse University College of Law Women’s Law Caucus, member of the National Women’s Law Student Association, Treasurer of the Asian Pacific American Law Students’ Association and member of the Moot Court and Advocacy Program.  Ms. Cha was an intern at Royston Rayzor and a federal clerk for United States District Court Judge Lynn N. Hughes in Houston, Texas.  Ms. Cha is a proud graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, TX with a Certificate in Business Foundations and a double major in Government and Political Science.

Ms. Cha is licensed to practice law in California, Texas and Washington. She has civil litigation experience in real estate, intellectual property, and legal malpractice and administrative law experience in professional licensure proceedings. While attending Syracuse University College of Law in Upstate New York, Ms. Cha focused on intellectual property, licensing and technology commercialization and received her Certificate in Law, Technology & Management. She was the President of the Syracuse University College of Law Women’s Law Caucus, member of the National Women’s Law Student Association, Treasurer of the Asian Pacific American Law Students’ Association, and lead teams in three moot court competitions to first place in regionals and second place in nationals as a Moot Court Coach. Ms. Cha participated in the summer intern program at Royston Rayzor, and held a federal clerkship for United States District Court Judge Lynn N. Hughes, in Houston, Texas. Thereafter, Ms. Cha was admitted to practice law in California in 2003, Texas in 2017, and Washington in 2019. Ms. Cha is a proud graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, TX with a Certificate in Business Foundations and a double major in Government and Political Science.

PRO BONO, MEMBERSHIP AND VOLUNTARISM

The State Bar of California, (2020), Member of the State Bar Board of Trustees newly formed Working Group on Closing the Justice Gap (CTJG Working Group)

The State Bar Court of the State Bar of California, Panel Member Attorney as Court-Appointed Counsel in pro bono State Bar matters (2018-Present)

Association of Discipline Defense Counsel, 2^nd Vice President (2018-Present) – The Association of Discipline Defense Counsel is the bar association for lawyers who represent lawyers and others in disciplinary, admissions, and regulatory proceedings before the State Bar of California and California Supreme Court.

ADDC, (2020) Liaison for the State Bar Court Bench Bar Committee Pro Bono Clinic Initiative to provide pro bono services to attorneys in need.

ADDC, (2018-Present) Membership Chair and Co-Chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee

Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers (APRL), (2018-2019) Member, (2020-Present) Membership Chair

Served on Committee to Evaluate Changes to Standards for Attorney Sanctions with the State Bar of California, (2018-2019)

American Bar Association

Orange County Bar Association

Los Angeles County Bar Association

California Lawyers Association

National Organization of Bar Counsel (2005-2017)

National Association of Women Lawyers

Orange County Women Lawyers Association

California Women Lawyers

Orange County Korean American Bar Association Mentor and Legal Aid Clinic Volunteer

Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Los Angeles County Mentor (2009-2011)

Syracuse University School of Law Alumni Association

Ex-Students’ Association of the University of Texas

Christian Legal Society, Member and Mentor Program, Mentor

Christian Legal Aid Los Angeles, Volunteer

California Law Academies Volunteer Coordinator (2012-2017), Volunteer (2017-Present). The California Law Academies benefits high school students and builds a diversity pipeline into the law.

Annual Food from the Bar Campaign State Bar Employee Facilitator benefiting the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank (2011-2016)

Annual Food from the Bar Campaign benefitting the Second Harvest Food Bank (2017-Present)

Association of Junior Leagues International and Junior League of Orange County Volunteer and Sustaining Member (2010-Present)

Chief of Police Advisory Board, Buena Park (2019-Present)

CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Civility Matters Panelist, CA American Board of Trial Advocates (CAL-ABOTA), December 2020

Legal Malpractice Risk Management Conference Panelist, Private Firm, Tentatively set for March 2021

Ethical Considerations in Intake and Beyond: Engagement and conflicts of Interest, Private Firm, November 2020

Thriving in Volatile Times and Growing Your Practice, Orange County Bar Association, November 2020

Getting the Business: Retooling with New Practice Areas, Competency and Mentoring, California Lawyers Association, November 2020

 Ethics Dos and Don’ts for Lawyer Marketing & Advertising in 2020, Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, October 2020

General Principles in Ethics, Orange County Bar Association, October 2020

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Toolkit, Private Firm, July 2020

Billing Compliance: Billing Techniques for Carrier Matters, Private Firm, May 18, 2020

Honest to Greatness: The Value of Honesty and Power of Ethics, Westlake Village Lawyers Affinity Group, January 17, 2020

Ethics of Billing: Tips and Tricks, Guest Speaker, The Los Angeles Paralegal Association, October 2019

Supervision and the Unauthorized Practice of Law, Private Firm, June 2019

Caution: Hard Hat Area, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Concerns, Fitness to Practice Law, Private Firm, January 22, 2019

State Bar Court Decisions: A Year in Review, Lessons Learned from the Defense, January 11, 2019

CA State Bar New Rules of Professional Conduct: Deep Dive into the Rules, January 11, 2019

The Amended California Rules of Professional Responsibility and What You Should Know, November 16, 2018

Professional Responsibility and the State Bar Act, Guest Speaker Loyola Law School, 2012-2016

Various Confidential MCLE Trainings for Internal Use at the State Bar of California, 2009-2014

State Bar Public Outreach Speaker and Mentor Training Program, 2008-2016