
Member Spotlight
MARCH
Congratulations to Amanda M. Bettinelli
Spotlight Member Award
Amanda M. Bettinelli has worked for the U.S. Attorney's Office (Central District of California), Los Angeles, California as an Assistant United States Attorney since 2008. She is part of the Environmental Crimes and Community Safety Section and serves as the Environmental Justice Coordinator. She investigates and prosecutes federal crimes, secured convictions in jury trials, and handles appellate work. The excellence of her work is demonstrated not only by the depth and extensive record of her caseload, but also her impressive results, including a recent win in the matter of United States v. Willard, CR22-224-SVW. In Willard, Ms. Bettinelli successfully convicted a defendant charged with assaulting a victim within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, specifically Mexican waters, during a four-day cruise to Ensenada. The defendant was ultimately sentenced to 46 months custody and payment of restitution awarded to the victim to cover lost wages and out of pocket medical expenses.
Ms. Bettinelli has served on the U.S. Attorney's Office Diversity Committee and the Italian American Lawyers Association honored her last year with a Diversity and Inclusion Award for her work to promote diversity in the legal profession. Ms. Bettinelli was most recently a finalist for U.S. Attorney in the Central District of California, an honor for which she also appears to be the first and only African American woman. AUSA Bettinelli continues to serve as a prosecutor on the STAR Drug and Reentry Court and to serve in leadership roles in law enforcement task force initiatives both nationally and locally. She serves as Co-Chair for the Just the Beginning Summer Legal Institute in Los Angeles with high school students, is Co-Facilitator on Project Lead with 5th grade students, and does pro bono work on behalf of foster youth. Ms. Bettinelli currently serves on the executive board of the John M. Langston Bar Association.
FEBRUARY
Congratulations to Bernard Alexander
Spotlight Member Award
On January 28, 2023, Langston Bar Association Lifetime Member Bernard Alexander was honored as CAALA Trial Lawyer of the year. Mr. Alexander is a talented, well respected Employment Law attorney, and co-founder of Alexander Morrison and Fehr located in Los Angeles, California. In 2021, his advocacy and trial skills helped retain a $130 million punitive damage award for his client in an action against Tesla, Inc. for racial harassment. This verdict is recognized to be the largest racial harassment verdict ever obtained in the American court system. Congratulations Bernard on making history, keep shining!