Renée J. Nordstrand-Black Recipient of Santa Barbara Women Lawyers Attorney of the Year Award
On Monday December 8, 2014, Santa Barbara Women Lawyers (SBWL) awarded Renée J. Nordstrand-Black the prestigious Deborah M. Talmage Attorney of the Year Award. Helene Schneider, Major of the City of Santa Barbara, Janet Wolf, Second District Supervisor of the County of Santa Barbara, as well as representatives of the office of Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson, Congresswoman Louis Capps, and Assembly Member Das Williams were present to present Ms. Nordstrand with certificates of Recognition of her achievements.
This award annually honors an outstanding legal professional who is dedicated to the advancement and success of women, mentors her colleagues and other women, personifies professional excellence and commitment to the highest level of ethics, has shown a commitment to the community, and has achieved professional excellence.
Renée J. Nordstrand-Black is in private practice as a trial lawyer with NordstrandBlack PC. Her practice emphasizes personal injury and criminal defense. She serves on the Board of Directors of Cottage Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation. She also serves as a County of Santa Barbara Civil Service Commissioner.
Renée J. Nordstrand-Black is a member of Consumer Attorneys of California, Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles, Santa Barbara Women Lawyers, California Women Lawyers and Santa Barbara Country Bar Association.
After graduating from UCSB, Ms. Nordstrand attended Whittier College School of Law. She began her legal career in Santa Barbara in 1990 and has been a constant presence in the legal community. She actively served on the SBWL Board of Directors for multiple years. She is responsible for creation of the Professional Advancement Committee, which initiated the Lawyer Compensation Survey and gave rise to SBWL Foundation, which raises money for pro bono purposes. During a 12 year period between 1998 and 2011, Ms. Nordstrand did the groundwork necessary for creation of the Children's Waiting Room at the Santa Barbara Courthouse, including obtaining funding for the project. She followed the project through to completion.
Renée J. Nordstrand-Black has actively mentored other lawyers in the community. She actively participated in one mentoring group since 2000, and established a second mentoring group in 2014.
In the past she served as Judge Pro Tem for Santa Barbara County Small Claims Court and as a child advocate for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA).