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Amber R. Hayes, an attorney with Hodson & Mullin in Vacaville, was
recently named Young Attorney of the Year by the Solano County Bar
Association. Hayes, a native of Napa, specializes in family law, but
also sits on two state boards, one being the Family Law Executive
Committee, which assists the state bar in working with the legislature
to develop family law legislation.
Ryan Chalk -- The Reporter
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A short time after entering the legal profession as a second career, a
local attorney has been recognized by her peers for her contributions
to the legal community.
Amber R. Hayes was recently named the
Solano County Bar Association’s Young Attorney of the Year during their
annual installation dinner in January. The state bar recognizes a young
lawyer as a member who is in his or her first five years of practice in
California or who is age 36 or under.
Hayes, a Napa native, is an attorney with the Vacaville law firm Hodson & Mullin and specializes in family law.
It was her first career as a juvenile probation officer in Napa
County that helped steer her in the direction of becoming a lawyer. It
was in Napa County that she was assigned to the juvenile probation
office’s court unit.
“I knew I wanted to go to law school when I became a probation officer,” Hayes said.
Already
holding a degree in psychology from University of California, Santa
Cruz, Hayes decided to enroll at Hamline University School of Law in St.
Paul, Minn., where the draw was to be involved with legislative work.
However, upon graduation, Hayes eventually followed a path to family law, an area of law that is often challenging.
“I enjoy the complexity. I enjoy that it really requires a higher level of analysis than some fields require,” Hayes said.
However,
Hayes still gets involved with the legislative side of things, as she
sits on two state Bar Association boards, notably the Family Law Section
and its Executive Committee (FLEXCOM), which, among its duties are
assisting the State Bar in working with the legislature to develop
family law legislation.
According to Hayes, receiving the Solano County Bar Association recognition, came as a surprise.
“It was a shock, honestly. I’m still a little floored,” she said.
However, Hayes is quick to point out the great work being done by other young attorneys in the area.
“A young attorney brings a fresh perspective to a practice,” she said.
Bernadette
Curry, president of the Solano County Bar Association, remembers the
first time she met Hayes and quickly became impressed with her work with
the California Young Lawyers Association in seeking to facilitate
mentoring opportunities for other young attorneys.
“She’s excited and is really trying to create opportunities for young attorneys to grow,” Curry said.
“When you have that type of energy you want to recognize it,” she added.
The Solano County Bar Association also recognizes a law firm of the year and attorney of the year.
Julie
Hilt, executive director, said that Young Attorney of the Year is
someone who goes above and beyond to raise the bar on standards for the
legal profession.
“I’ve always been impressed with her enthusiasm,” Hilt said.
“She gets involved to make a difference,” she added.
Article Source:
The Reporter
For more information about Hodson & Mullin, please visit
http://www.hodsonandmullin.net/