Sponsorship & Ticket Information:

Keynote Speaker:
Samuel Harbourt, California Solicitor General

THLA is delighted to announce that Samuel Harbourt (Sam), the Solicitor General of California, will be the Keynote Speaker at THLA’s 32nd Annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony on Thursday, June 25, 2026.

As the Solicitor General of California, Sam oversees litigation of California’s most consequential appeals in state and federal court. Prior to his appointment by Attorney General Rob Bonta, Sam served as a Supervising Deputy Solicitor General, representing California in state and federal appeals. Sam’s work has included handling the merits briefing and oral argument before the U.S. Supreme Court in Lange v. California, which addressed the scope of the Fourth Amendment’s warrant requirement, as well as briefing and strategy before the U.S. Supreme Court in National Pork Producers v. Ross, an important case about the limits on state regulatory authority under the dormant Commerce Clause. He also played a leading role in the litigation concerning the Trump Administration’s federalization of the National Guard in Los Angeles and Portland in 2025. In the California Supreme Court, Sam has briefed and argued cases involving LGBTQ+ rights, commercial bail regulation, and corporate liability for causing wildfires, among other issues.

Sam is a graduate of Harvard Law and clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and former Chief Judge Merrick Garland of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Prior roles included serving as a Bristow Fellow in the Office of the U.S. Solicitor General and working as a Managing Associate in the Supreme Court & Appellate Group at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe.

Call for Award Nominations

The Tom Homann LGBTQ+ Law Association is now soliciting nominations for awards to be presented at its 32nd Annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony, which will be held on Thursday, June 25, 2026, at Humphreys Half Moon Inn. Additional details regarding the 2026 Annual Dinner, including sponsorship opportunities and our dinner program, is available on THLA’s website here.

Awards are generally given to individuals or organizations who have made a significant contribution to the LGBTQ+ community, LGBTQ+ rights, the San Diego legal community, or to THLA as an organization.

Past award categories include (but are not limited to):

· Community Pioneer (community visionary or early leader)
· Friend of the LGBTQ+ Community (supporting the LGBTQ+ community or LGBTQ+ issues)
· Friend of the Organization (dedication to THLA and its mission)
· Service to the LGBTQ+ Community (dedicated service to the LGBTQ+ community)
· Service to the Organization (dedicated service to THLA and its mission)
· Lifetime Achievement (lifetime of service and dedication to LGBTQ+ issues and the LGBTQ+ community)

At last year’s Annual Dinner, THLA recognized Hon. Alex Calero (Service to the Community Award), Max Disposti of the North County LGBTQ Resource Center (Community Leader Award), Susanne de la Flor (Friend of the Community Award), and Lambda Archives of San Diego (Outstanding Organization Award). A listing of past award recipients can be found on THLA’s website here.

Award nominations close on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. Nominations should include the name of the individual/organization, the award(s) for which the nomination is given, and a summary of reasons why the award should be given.

To nominate someone for an award (including self-nomination), please email info@thla.org and copy THLA Co-Presidents Mark Simpliciano (markasimpliciano@gmail.com) and Julie O. Wolff (julie@jwolfflaw.com).