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Trevor Carson SCBA President for 2021
Janden Ogsaen, an attorney, is a lifelong friend of Trevor Carson. He can be reached at janden@primelegalcenter.com.
Trevor Carson
SCBA PRESIDENT FOR 2021
By Janden Ogsaen
From virtually the moment he was sworn in as a member of the California Bar, Trevor Carson has been active in the SCBA. He has served on various committees including Lawyer Referral and E-Media, participated in the California Conference of Bar Delegates, and worked for three years on the SCBA’s Executive Committee. SCBA Presidents always come well prepared to take the helm, and Carson is no exception.
Carson is a Sacramento native, the youngest of Brenda and Vernon Carson’s three sons. He learned about hard work as a child, starting with neighborhood “jobs” mowing lawns and stacking firewood (he recalls earning five cents per log stacked). As he grew older, he helped in the family business, Carson Pool Service. His first “real” job was at the Old Spaghetti Factory, where he worked for six
Trevor, second from the right, in his school band, 1998
years. Other jobs followed during high school and college summers.
Carson was raised as a Seventh-Day Adventist and was educated through high school at the Sacramento Adventist Academy. He attended La Sierra University, a small Adventist college in Riverside, where he earned a B.A. in business administration. He then took a job as a workers’ compensation claims examiner for Sedgwick CMS. Carson always imagined that he would follow in his father’s footsteps and either take over the pool service company or start his own business. But he really enjoyed analyzing the merits of the workers’ compensation claims he investigated, and this led him to consider law school.
Once he paid off his student loans from college, Carson applied to Pacific McGeorge and began to study law. He excelled. He was a member of the legal honors fraternity, Phi Delta Phi, and of the Traynor Society. He received Witkin Awards, became the Chief Articles Editor for the Pacific McGeorge Global Business & Development Law Journal, and consistently made the Dean’s Honor List. He also interned at different organizations each semester to expand his practical knowledge. While Carson’s academic accomplishments are impressive, equally important to Carson is his top-level Capital Commendation for Public Service for completing over 150 hours of public service legal work. Carson credits his Adventist upbringing for his dedication to community service.
Over the past decade, Carson has operated two successful law firms and built an admirable reputation within the local community. He has worked closely with more than 100 businesses throughout California and has assisted businesses expand to California from Asia, Europe, Australia, and South America. He is the founder and principal attorney of Rooted Legal, P.C.
The SCBA is a 103-year-old organization. It was formed – ironically – during the flu pandemic of 1918. All SCBA Presidents step into big shoes left by their predecessors. Serving as President during a pandemic presents special challenges, as the practice of law changes and the SCBA adjusts to its members’ needs. SCBA Second Vice President Andi Liebenbaum worked with Carson on the California Conference of Bar Delegates and, in 2020, on the SCBA’s Executive Committee. Says Liebenbaum, “It was clear from his engagement during the height of the pandemic that Trevor is prepared to lead the
SCBA with focus and compassion, a rare combination that is perfect for the current time.” Adds retired SCBA Executive Director Mary Burroughs, “Over all the years I worked with Trevor, I saw that he is a very hard worker, and I believe he has the ethical composition to be a good association president. His moral compass is spot on, and he is willing to go the extra mile for the association.”
Carson understands that, although the SCBA is a non-profit organization, it must still operate as a financially sound business. He believes that a membership-based organization must focus on its members to create a solid, sustainable foundation. Hence, his primary focus for 2021 is on putting the SCBA on sound financial ground and on expanding the SCBA’s member benefits. If, as President, Carson can expand on what works and retool any trouble areas, he believes there is room to grow the SCBA membership.
In May 2020, Carson married his partner and best friend, Alicia,
Trevor and Alicia, with Todd and Bella, 2017 Trevor and Alicia, 2020
after eight years together. They live in Arden-Arcade with two dogs and five chickens. He credits the pandemic for just one thing: improvement in his golf game. Trevor and Alicia look forward to resuming their travels and other adventures when the pandemic abates. 2012 SCBA President June Coleman first met Carson when he was in law school. “I could tell immediately that he was forthright and full of energy to join the justice system and make his mark. He has always impressed me as someone who can get the job done with boundless energy.” Trevor Carson is honored to serve as the SCBA President this year and to devote his best effort and energy to serving the association and the community. As 2020 SCBA President Shane Buffington concludes, “The SCBA is in excellent hands with Trevor.”
OPERATION PROTECT & DEFEND’S 2021 LAW DAY VIRTUAL AWARD CEREMONY
Remarks by: California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley N. Weber
You are invited to Operation Protect & Defend’s 2021 Law Day Virtual Award Ceremony to recognize local high school student winners of OPD’s essay and art contests.
The ceremony will include a special presentation from OPD judges, attorneys, and teachers, as we support our commitment to civics.
