Barbara Hannah

Barbara Hannah is Chief Counsel for the San Bernardino County Employees’ Retirement Association (SBCERA).  Ms. Hannah provides legal advice to the SBCERA Board, Division Chiefs and staff regarding retirement related issues.   Ms. Hannah oversees the Legal Services Department including the Disability Retirement Unit. 

Ms. Hannah is a long-term employee of SBCERA. Before becoming Chief Counsel, Ms. Hannah started in 2005 in the Legal Services Department while attending the University Of La Verne, College of Law.  Upon passing the California Bar Exam, SBCERA hired Ms. Hannah as Staff Attorney, where she was instrumental in implementing several procedures, as well as responsible for litigating appeals.  In 2014, Ms. Hannah promoted to Senior Staff Counsel, and in 2018, SBCERA hired Ms. Hannah as Chief Counsel. 

A native of San Bernardino County, Ms. Hannah is active in her community.  In 2010, Ms. Hannah became a founding member of the Inland Empire Legal Association of Women, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting women lawyers and judges in the Inland Empire and advocating for the concerns of all women in the community. Ms. Hannah served as the chair of the By-Laws committee  and drafted the organizations first By-Laws. Ms. Hannah also served on the Board of Directors for the Inland Empire Legal Association of Women. 

Since 2008, Ms. Hannah dedicates time during the week as a volunteer attorney for the Inland Empire Latino Lawyers Association (IELLA), a nonprofit organization that provides free legal aid services to low income residents of San Bernardino and Riverside counties.  IELLA has honored Ms. Hannah for her volunteer service by awarding her with the “Outstanding Pro Bono Attorney of the Year” award.  Outside of receiving this award, throughout the years, Ms. Hannah has been recognized for her pro bono service of 50 hours or more in a year.  For over a decade now, Ms. Hannah continues to serve her community by volunteering with IELLA. 

Ms. Hannah graduated from the University of California Santa Barbara with a Bachelors of Art in Political Science with an emphasis in International Relations and obtained her Juris Doctor from the University of La Verne, College of Law.