As a board member at large at large at the California System Involved Bar Association (CSIBA.ORG), I am proud to announce we are officially a non-profit.

Please consider donating, as we do a lot of good work for our youth. And it’s a tax write off, since we are a non-profit.

California System Involved Bar Association’s mission is to diversify California’s legal profession by increasing access to legal education and State Bar of California licensure for people with prior criminal justice system involvement. We seek to accomplish this mission through three core strategies: Public Education, Direct Services, and Policy Advocacy.

Jimmy Cha – Board Member at Large

Jimmy Cha – Board Member at Large

Jimmy Cha is a criminal defense attorney. His practice is located in Fullerton, CA. in the County of Orange. He has been selected as Southern California’s Outstanding Young Lawyers By Los Angeles Magazine, and as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers. He is also one of the very few attorneys who is also a certified gang expert. 

As much as he would like to say it’s been an easy journey, it has not. As a youth, he was constantly getting into trouble with the law. At the age of 24, at the advice of his brother, he enrolled in community college, received partial scholarships to both UCLA and law school. While in law school, he externed at both the Juvenile Defender’s Office and Public Defender’s Office. Because of his past, he faced many obstacles when applying for college, law school, the State Bar, and the moral character application. He was admitted to practice law in 2008. Jimmy continues to give back by guest speaking at juvenile halls, camps, mentors inner city youth and parolees, and does college admission counseling for high school students.

WHY CSIBA

I chose to be a part of the California System Involved Bar Association (CSIBA) for many reasons. I believe what we are doing is truly amazing. We work with a lot of inner city youth that people disregard, and at times don’t even look at as human beings. I became a criminal defense attorney, as I wanted to impact our youth. I wanted to make change in those who are most willing to change but don’t have the opportunity to do so. With no guidance or direction, many of our youth fall into despair and end up in the criminal system. Once in the system, it is a revolving door of going in and out. I wanted to help make a change. CSIBA gave me the opportunity to use my background, and my criminal defense practice as a lawyer to reach out to those who I have always wanted to help most, our youth.

As a troubled youth myself, I feel it would be selfish for me not to give back to those with a similar background. While many disregard those who have been in trouble. I know that given the opportunity, many of these youth will become outstanding members of society who will be able to contribute and give back to our community than most because they have been through the worst times themselves. It is these special youth when they grow up that take the time to give back to the community, as they know it makes a difference.

Please consider donating to CSIBA. It is tax write off but more importantly, it will help those who need it the most, our youth. For those who are interested in donating, you can go directly to https://www.csiba.org/donate or email casysteminvolvedbar@gmail.com with “DONATION” in the subject line.

Thank you

Jimmy Cha, Fullerton Criminal Defense Lawyer, at the Law Office of Jimmy Cha, ESQ.