Former ‘Latina of the Year’ appointed president of the San Diego County Bar Association

A prosecutor who’s been with the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office for eight years will serve as president of the San Diego County Bar Association for 2013, making her the first Latino to hold the position, it was announced today.

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Marcella McLaughlin is currently assigned to the District Attorney’s Juvenile Division.

“I am honored and humbled to be the first Latino to lead our county’s largest and oldest Bar Association,” McLaughlin said. “San Diego has a significant Latino population and I am so proud that our Bar leadership reflects the diversity of our community.”

McLaughlin’s community involvement includes serving as president of the California Western School of Law Alumni Association Board, as a board member of the San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association and vice president of the National Latino Peace Officers Association.

In 2004, she was named “Latina of the Year” by the National Latino Peace Officers Association.

Deputy District Attorney Patrick Ojeil also sits on the Bar Association board as a vice president, and Deputy District Attorney Danielle Hickman is a board director.

The San Diego County Bar Association, billed as the region’s oldest and largest law-related organization, aims to support and inform the county’s lawyers, as well as the public.

Its programs help clients find qualified lawyers, resolve disputes and educate San Diegans on their legal rights and responsibilities.