Earlier this month, Brandeis Center General Counsel L. Rachel Lerman, a nationally prominent appellate litigator, was asked to join the prestigious State Appellate Judicial Evaluation Committee (SAJEC) of the Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA). . The LACBA is a voluntary bar association founded in 1878, and it is one of the largest in the country, with over 18,000 members. Besides being the “voice of the legal community in Southern California,” the association provides counsel to “juvenile and indigent criminal defendants,” and it offers pro bono legal services. . Ms. Lerman was asked to participate in the SAJEC, which evaluates those nominated by the Governor to the California Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal. The committee goes through a lengthy vetting procedure to ensure that each candidate is qualified to serve in this position. Lerman joins 15 committee members, along with Chair Alana H. Rotter. . Before joining the Brandeis Center, Ms. Lerman was a partner at Barnes & Thornburg LLP, where she co-chaired the firm’s national appellate law practice. She is a member of the California Academy of Appellate Lawyers and has served on the Appellate Courts Committee of the LACBA. Ms. Lerman did pro bono work for many individuals and non-profit organizations before joining the Brandeis Center. She has been a part of the Brandeis Center for many years even before her recent appointment as General Counsel, serving as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors, a position she continues to hold.