The Barristers Club of the Bar Association of San Francisco presented its Tara L. Riedley Barristers Choice Award at the 36th Annual Judges Reception on July 23 to Judge Harold E. Kahn, San Francisco Superior Court.
This award recognizes Judge Kahn’s commitment to the mission of the Barristers Club which includes continuing education and professional development of lawyers that are new to the practice of law and the courtroom. In addition, the award recognizes work done outside of the courtroom to support Barristers Club program.
The award was presented to Judge Kahn by Barristers President Kelly Matayoshi, Farella Braun + Martel, who praised Judge Kahn for his support of the Barristers Club as a frequent speaker at events and panels, including the 2019 Barristers Annual Meeting Courtroom & Career Tips panel, and most recently on a panel for those interested in becoming a judge, that featured Judicial Appointments Secretary Martin Jenkins.
During the planning of the program Judge Kahn requested the Barristers Club use the event to promote its newly created Racial Justice Initiative and suggested Eva Paterson, President and Co-founder of the Equal Justice Society, as keynote speaker. Paterson delivered inspiring remarks about the role attorneys must play in “bringing the existence of structural and systemic racism to the surface and more importantly doing something about it.”
Over the past 35 years, the Judges Reception has provided a unique opportunity for associates, summer associates and law students to meet judges in an informal setting. Despite the unusual circumstances this year, the Judges Reception Committee decided to proceed with the event in a virtual setting. The event is a major source of funding for Barristers programs which help new attorneys with professional and leadership skills development. Now more than ever, attorneys at the beginning of their careers need the support of the legal community and the structured programming provided by the Barristers Club. Despite the change in venue, the reception drew more than 100 members of the legal community, including twenty-five state and federal judges and their clerks.
The event was chaired by Cristina Piechocki, Littler Mendelson, along with a committee of eight attorneys from Bay Area firms and law schools. The event was made possible by the generous support of twenty-eight sponsoring firms, including event host Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein.
Judges Reception Committee Chair Cristina Piechocki. 
Keynote Speaker Eva Paterson. 
Barristers President Kelly Matayoshi, introducing Judge Kahn. 
Judges Reception honoree Judge Harold Kahn.
To view a recording of the program, visit https://www.sfbar.org/barristers/judges-reception.
