April 25, 2018 Meeting
On this date, Team John Morton presented on the community service projects that they participated in throughout the Inn year. The title of their MCLE is "Combating Human Trafficking: The Human and Legal Dimensions of the Crisis."
Team John Morton is comprised of Judicial Master Sherri Pym, Judicial Master Jennifer Gerard, Attorney Master Marlene Allen, Attorney Master Yoginee Braslaw, Attorney Master Abram Feuerstein, Attorney Master Nicholas Firetag, Attorney Master L. Alexandra Fong, Barrister Kelly Moran, Barrister Dani Mouri, and Associate Rebecca McKee.
Team Morton began their presentation with a tribute to their team namesake, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Attorney Master L. Alexandra Fong produced a slide show of the team namesake and provided his biography, set to the instrumental version of My Country Tis of Thee (America), recorded by the Boston Pops Orchestra, led by conductor Arthur Fiedler, circa 1938.
During the dinner, the team showed a slide show of their community service project - Human Trafficking. Attorney Master L. Alexandra Fong produced the slide show, which showcased Rebirth Homes, the only home in the Inland Empire dedicated to adult survivors of human trafficking. The slide show also included information concerning the schools in Riverside and San Bernardino counties where the team presented on Human Trafficking with Nancy Aguirre, Criminal Intelligence Analyst from the Riverside County Sheriff's Department and Opal Singleton, CEO of Million Kids, an organization devoted to stopping human trafficking. The slide show was set to George Gershwin's "Summertime" as performed by Simon Gale and the Vienna Symphonic Rock Orchestra, circa 2012 and set on a loop to play during dinner.
Four guest speakers assisted with the team's presentation. Ms. Aguirre provided information concerning human trafficking in Riverside County, which included both aspects of human trafficking - labor trafficking and sex trafficking. Ms. Singleton discussed the impacts of social media on human trafficking.
Debbie Martis, CEO and founder of Rebirth Homes, and a human trafficking survivor currently living at Rebirth Homes, gave inspirational speeches that had the audience in tears.