Class of 1991
Rayma Church, like each of our other 2018 Hall of Fame Inductees, attended Fresno State before enrolling in law school at SJCL. Rayma credits her involvement in a YMCA Youth-in-Government program and mock state legislature for bringing out her knack for advocacy.
Rayma has been the managing partner of Emerson Church Law since 2016, with the retirement of its founder James D. Emerson. As one of the first women inducted into the San Joaquin Valley ABOTA Chapter, Rayma made a big splash early in her legal career with a victory in the 1993 election law case of Gooch v. Hendrix. It was her first ever trial out of law school, and the verdict still stands as law today!Rayma says her aim has always been to help people who have problems. Regardless of what side of the “v” the client is on, if they are in litigation, they need help, she says. Her commitment to advocating on behalf of others is her driving force – and for Rayma, it’s fun. As managing partner of her firm, Rayma says she struggles with the philosophical aspect of charging people who need assistance, but she is quick to add that the business end of things is equally vital. Rayma says her philosophy mirrors that of her firm, Emerson Church. In dispute resolution either an agreement has gone bad, someone has gotten hurt, or something was damaged, and her aim is to use the law to make it right.
Rayma is admitted to practice in California before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Northern, Central and Eastern Districts of the U.S. District Courts of California, and the Western District of Missouri. She is a member of the National Women’s Political Caucus of Fresno County and serves as an arbitrator for the Fresno County Bar Association. She is currently the treasurer for the San Joaquin Valley Chapter of ABOTA. An early adopter of the iPad, this year she became a certified Trial Technology Master through the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel.
On a personal level, there is no substitute for time with a loving family and friends (including four-leggeds!) and Rayma considers herself disproportionately lucky in this. For the last ten years she has been fortunate enough to have some great adventures hiking and rafting through the Grand Canyon – twice, going on safari in Africa, climbing Half Dome, as well as a couple of trips to Australia with a side trip for diving in Papua, New Guinea. Rayma also makes sure to gallery hop during her travels. And then there’s politics and athletics! Rayma is trying to avoid her mother’s adage: “There are no boring times, only boring people.” To that end, Rayma’s bucket list grows longer every year!