Laura and Jim Baratta share a longstanding commitment to helping others
Laura and Jim Baratta might never have met except for a blind date her roommate arranged. Jim was a confirmed bachelor living in Beverly Hills with a very successful law career at age 37 and Laura, living in Glendale, was separated after 12 years of marriage with three children. It was love at first sight.
“I fell in love with her right away,” Jim says. “And, from then on,” Laura says, “we celebrate August 30th, the day we met, every year.”
By Nov. 15th, Jim proposed, and that date is celebrated by the two annually. Laura was divorced in early 1984, and the two were married on July 20, 1984.
Thus, began a wonderful journey with Laura’s three children, Carlos, Josefina and Christina, and the two they would have together, Jamie and Jimmy. The journey highlighted Laura’s giving heart and Jim’s solid support of her philanthropic endeavors.
The two lived in Beverly Hills for 15 years before moving to Orange County. Jim, who graduated from UCLA cum laude with honors in 1969 and then graduated in the top 5% of his 1972 Loyola Law School class, continued his law career as founding partner of the Los Angeles firm of Daniels, Baratta and Fine during this time.
It didn’t take Laura long to start reaching out to those in need in Los Angeles. She joined the Assistance League of Los Angeles and got involved with its Operation School Bell program for young children.
“It was my favorite charity,” she says. “It gave me such joy to see the kids faces when we would give them clothes, toys, backpacks and school supplies.”
Laura reconnected with her friend Johnny Grant, known as the honorary Mayor of Hollywood, from when they were neighbors in Glendale in the late 1970s, He got her involved in volunteering with Toys for Tots and the Hollywood Christmas Parade.
“He taught me everything I know about giving back to the community,” Laura says.
With two small children, Laura was Parent Association President and Jim was on the board for Curtis School, a private school for children K-6, and for her pre-schooler, who attended the All Saints preschool in Beverly Hills, she chaired the school festival.
When the family moved to San Juan Capistrano in 1999, Jim reconnected with his former law review board classmate, David C. Grant, and with Michael J. Genovese to form Grant, Genovese & Baratta in Irvine. Jim continues to serve as lead counsel on cases throughout California at both the state and federal level. He has tried more than 100 cases with over 40 cases tried to jury verdict and is a distinguished Fellow in the American College of Trail Lawyers, Litigation Counsel of America and the American Board of Trial Advocates.
Laura, now with her older children in or out of college, reached out to Sage Hill School and St. Margaret’s Episcopal School to volunteer. It was Sage Hill’s first year, and they embraced her help. Laura helped found the PTA and was its first president, and she chaired the inaugural Multicultural Fair the first two years.
“We had no budget for the fair, so between one of the school’s counselors and my credit card, we put it together.”
Laura managed the student store, sales at the football games, and was the first chair of the school’s Spring Event.
“She was at the school more than the kids,” Jim jokes. “I always liked to be close to my kids education,” Laura says.
Once Jimmy attended USC, Laura jumped in as President of the Inter-Fraternity Council for two years (her son was a member of the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity), where they planned such events as Parents Day, etc. She loved giving the fraternity 60 burritos.
Now Laura had time to lend help to local nonprofits, which included Sound of Music, one of Segerstrom Center for the Arts’ Guilds chapters, where she served as president, gala co-chair, silent auction chair and ways and means chair in the 2000s.
She also supported and was on the board for a couple of years of the Community Courts Foundation, where she helped with the silent auction and a Christmas event.
“We took the young adults, who were troubled, to baseball games, bowling, the Getty Museum to take their minds off their problems,” she says.
Laura was also a volunteer for Girls, Inc. for six years, serving on the board and on the fundraising event committee in many capacities, including event co-chair.
She was a member of Court Appointed Special Advocates for several years, is currently a member of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and is ways & means chair for Segerstrom Center’s Pas de Deux chapter. She continues to support Children’s Hospital of Orange County, having volunteered for CHOC Follies in 2017.
One of her and Jim’s favorite nonprofits is Mission San Juan Capistrano, which they have supported since they moved to Orange County. They especially like the Mission’s Music Under the Stars Summer Concert Series. Laura was asked to energize the music series’ silent auction, which she did, and that money is delegated to Mission preservation. She and Jim always support the Romance of the Mission gala and next year, its 20th, they have asked Laura to be on the gala committee.
Last year, Laura joined Harvesters, a Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County support group, and assisted with the silent auction for its big fundraiser. Now on the Advisory Board, in early October she chaired this year’s annual luncheon/fashion show benefit, which is one of the hot tickets on the society circuit. The event netted more than $1 million to help feed the hungry in Orange County.
Women of Chapman, a support group of Chapman University, has also received the largesse of Laura and Jim. An eight-year member, Laura has served as chair of its “Christmas at The Ritz” holiday fundraiser and is the group’s incoming president.
On a monthly basis, Laura and Jim contribute to KIVA, SPCA, Smile Train, Habitat for Humanity, LA Mission and World Vision, for which they have supported six Nicaraguan (Laura’s nationality) children for 20 years. It goes without saying that whatever Jim and Laura support, they are financial contributors.
Laura’s giving spirit is a big part of their family life. Every holiday is celebrated by her amazing eye for decorating and her aptitude in the kitchen. She loves pleasing her family.
Jim says of Laura, “I’m very proud of her. I love it that her volunteer work fills her life. She works as hard as I do and doesn’t get paid! If I get to heaven, it will be on her wings.”
Laura concludes, “It gives me incredible joy to see someone receive a check or a basket, or anything I’ve contributed. I have been so blessed. There is no reason why Jim and I can’t help those in need.”