Women’s History Month Spotlight – Dianne Bogart
Meet Dianne Bogart
Dianne Bogart is a Senior Trusts and Estates Specialist. Dianne has more than 40 years of experience as a trust and estate paralegal in California, and during her career, she has worked at small and large law firms throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Dianne has been a member of Hoge Fenton’s Trusts and Estates team since 1995, supporting a team of high-level professionals in practice areas including estate planning, probate and trust administration, taxation, and estate litigation.
What made you decide to get into the legal profession and your practice area?
I took some “business college” courses to enhance my typing and grammar abilities in preparation for working my way through college. The program included two months of supplementary training designed specifically for law firms. With a vague intention of attending law school, I figured why not, and found those classes extremely interesting. Working in the business college placement office was one of my two part-time jobs at the time. I met with a Palo Alto law firm after finishing the program and was hired in the estate and trust department at the age of 21. That was my “meal ticket” to college and, later, paralegal training. I became a paralegal specializing in trusts and estates and have been doing so for 43 years.
Who is/was the most influential woman you know/knew? How does/did she inspire you?
My mother, Elizabeth Morin (1928 – 2019), was the most influential woman I knew. She loved with her whole heart and served others her entire life, all while never complaining. In her younger years, she raised her family and volunteered locally in schools and local government. Our house was always filled with friends and neighborhood kids. Hosting foreign exchange students—who lived with us for 6 months or a year–was a favorite family endeavor. Later my mother worked in the editorial department at Lane Publishing in Menlo Park (remember Sunset Magazine?) and was fondly called the “den mother”. She championed underdogs and gave generously of her time. A stark realist at heart, she encouraged others to live their dreams. Her founding principles included serving others and leaving/making things better than you found them. My mother’s memory continues to inspire me.
Do you think a woman will be president in the next decade? Why or why not?
I do believe a woman will be president of the United States in the next decade. Women have broken through the political glass ceiling. It’s just a matter of the right person/woman at the right time.
