CPaCE News

Even though she had been practicing law as an attorney since 1997, Rebecca "Reba" Birmingham felt that something was missing from her career. As a specialist in the areas of estate planning, civil defense, and same-sex adoption, Birmingham had already achieved notable success when her 2008 published case, Ellis vs. Arriaga, established rights for Registered Domestic Partnerships. Despite that, she couldn’t help but notice what was left out of her achievements: a bachelor’s degree.

“It was a gap that needed filling,” she said. “Judges look at your educational background, and I felt perceptions about a lack of degree tilted them away from my arguments. It could be that I was the only one worried about it, but maybe that is the best reason to go back to school.”

Taking her own advice, Birmingham enrolled in CSULB’s Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts (BALA) degree completion program in 2011. As a full-time worker with a family, she found the evening classes to be a perfect alternative schedule for her needs. At the same time, lively class discussions and small study groups offered the type of positive engagement she expected from a traditional college experience.

“Dr. Maythee Rojas challenged all of us in a way that was real,” she said of the BALA program director and instructor. “The Women's Studies course was very eye-opening, and I was changed by it. The last time I went to college, I wasn't even aware it was a subject!”

Since graduating in 2013, Birmingham’s already-impressive career increased its upward trajectory. In 2017, she was named Best Lawyer by Long Beach Home and Living; and the following year, she was inducted into the city’s Harvey Milk Honor Wall for her work with the LGBTQ community. In 2019, her testimony helped pass SB 495, which prevents judges from considering gender, gender expression, or sexual orientation when deciding on the best interest of a child. This year, she became President of the Long Beach Bar Association for 2020, with the distinction of being the first openly LGBTQ person to hold that position in the organization’s 103-year history.

“Being of service is important to me,” said Birmingham of her position. “I care about professionalism.”

“BALA gave me more confidence,” she continued. “CSULB is very well-respected in our area, and it meant a lot to me to have a degree from that institution.” 

Click here to learn more about the BALA degree completion program at CSULB.