Harvard Club of Southern California

Partner Club Event (HLSA): Bruce's Beach-An Inside View

The Harvard Law School Association of Los Angeles and Foley & Lardner, LLP cordially invite you to  a presentation by Byron J. McLain (HLS Class of 2007) of the Historic case involving Bruce’s Beach.

Wednesday, May 17, 2023 @ 6:00PM
Foley & Lardner's Los Angeles Office, 555 South Flower Street, Suite 3300, Los Angeles, CA 90071

Cost: No charge
Register: Click here to register through the HLSA website

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED by May 11, 2023.

Bruce’s Beach has been national headline news over the last two years after the LA County Board of Supervisors and the California Legislature acted to return the beachfront property in Manhattan Beach, California to the descendants of Willa and Charles Bruce, whose land and resort business had been seized in 1924 through eminent domain. In 1912 the Bruces had established a resort, café and beach lodge which became a popular gathering spot for Black families during a time of segregation and restricted access. Although Manhattan Beach alleged at the time of the seizure that the public purpose for taking the land was for use as a public park, the California legislature in voting to return the land in 2021 found that the “true purpose of the Manhattan Beach Board of Trustees in condemning Bruce’s Beach . . . was to shut down the Bruce’s Beach resort because the Bruces and their Patrons were Black.”

Mr. McLain represented the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in the legal process of returning the land to the Bruce Family descendants.

We hope you will join us for an interesting and informative presentation by Mr. McLain, with the opportunity for questions and discussion of the use of eminent domain, reparations, racial equity in real estate, and the possible precedential value of the Bruce’s Beach case.

The HLSA-LA is grateful to the Foley & Lardner firm for its generosity and hospitality in underwriting this event.

Byron J. McLain (HLS 2007; Harvard College 2000) is a litigation partner at the Los Angeles office of Foley & Lardner LLP. He specializes in government enforcement defense and investigations, white collar criminal defense and securities litigation. He is a member of Foley’s Environmental, Social & Governance Team. Byron is the Recipient of the 2023 California Lawyer of the Year (“CLAY”) Award from the Daily Journal in recognition of his work on the Bruce’s Beach case.

Angela M. Sousa (HLS 1980) is a Co-Vice-President and Diversity Co-Chair of the HLSA-LA. Angela also holds a Master’s in City & Regional Planning from MIT, received in a joint degree with her law degree.

Light appetizers and beverages will be provided, and parking will be validated. This event will be photographed, and may be recorded.

For general inquiries, and to submit questions for the discussion, contact Angela Sousa, angsousa80@gmail.com;  310-650-0293

For information regarding directions or parking, contact Deborah Feliciano, DFeliciano@foley.com
 
The views expressed by each panelist are solely the views of such panelist, and do not reflect the views of Harvard Law School, the Harvard Law School Association of Los Angeles, or any of its Board Members.