Blog
2019 JRCLS-OC Annual Dinner
Friday, September 13th, 2019
The 2019 JRCLS-OC annual dinner was held on September 13, 2019. The annual dinner was held at The Pacific Club. 
2019 J. Reuben Clark Award
The 2019 J. Reuben Clark Award was presented to Daniel L. Rasmussen.
Dan Rasmussen graduated from Brigham Young University, magna cum laude, with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting in 1982. He received his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law, in 1985. Mr. Rasmussen passed the California bar and began his law practice in the Orange County office of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker. He later formed two smaller firms before joining Payne & Fears LLP in 1994, where he also served as its managing partner from 2007 to 2010. Mr. Rasmussen is an experienced and respected trial lawyer who advises clients in every aspect of litigation, providing strategic counsel on pre-trial tactics, approach to trial and any subsequent appeals. For three years, he also served as the outside General Counsel of Stronghold Engineering, Inc. and its affiliates. He has consistently been named to the Best Lawyers in America, California Super Lawyers and has an AV rating with Martindale-Hubbell. He has also served as a judge pro tem in the Orange County Superior Court. He has served as a Bishop and as President of the Irvine California Stake. From 2015-2018 he served as President of the Piura, Peru mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Mr. Rasmussen was born and raised in Orange County. He and his wife Shauna are the parents of four adult children and they have eight grandchildren.
Keynote Speaker
Honorable Jay Bybee, Circuit Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit was the keynote speaker.
Judge Bybee's remarks were titled "War and Crime in a Time of Terror: Some Lessons from History." He spoke about the challenges associated with deciding whether to treat terrorism as acts of war or as crimes. He discussed how similar issues were raised during other events in history, such as the American Civil War.
Chapter Business
Jennifer H. Wilsom was honored as the outgoing chair of the J. Reuben Clark Law Society - Orange County Chapter, and Daniel M. Livingston was announced as the chair for the 2019-2020 year.
Gratitude was expressed to the outgoing board members Jonathan Guynn, Boyd Johnson, Brett G. London, Carrie Teasdale, and Sarah Gubler Winn. New board members Michael R. Christensen, Douglas James Dixon, Sara Kerrane, Kipp Muir, Desiree J. Nordstrom, and Matthew Sessions were recognized. Joseph Welch was annouced as the new Secretary on the Executive Committee.