Meet Ben Bien-Kahn

When both of your parents are attorneys, you learn about the law around the dinner table. In Ben Bien-Kahn’s family, some of the topics up for discussion included the legal rights of people who struggle with mental illness and/or disabilities and are also incarcerated. That crossover intrigued him and inspired his career path. Today Ben is senior counsel at Rosen Bien Galvan & Grunfeld, where he has litigated class action lawsuits on behalf of people with disabilities as well as wrongful death cases on behalf of families of incarcerated individuals.

“The Bay Area has been in the forefront in disability law,” he says. “It’s an area I’ve always been interested in,” and he has devoted his time and talents to getting other attorneys interested. A long-time member of BASF, he first learned about BASF’s Equality Committee on Disability Rights when he attended a panel and learned about the committee’s mission to break down barriers for attorneys with disabilities as well as sponsor educational programs for attorneys practicing disability law. “We want to give experts another place to engage,” he says, as well as professional growth opportunities for new and younger attorneys, through panels, presentations, and CLEs.

We’re celebrating Ben’s revitalization of this committee by featuring him in this column. If you haven’t already met Ben, here’s your introduction.

BASF: What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?

BBK: The best way to develop your legal skills is to use them. Jump at opportunities to write a brief, take a deposition, negotiate with opposing counsel, and argue a motion, as early in your career as you can. There is no better way to learn.

BASF: Can you share a little-known fact about you?

BBK: I’m a voracious reader. I read a lot of nonfiction, novels, and short stories. I am particularly fond of well-written and thoughtful works in genres not typically considered high literature: John Le Carré’s progressive and brilliantly written spy novels, the perfectly constructed sentences of Raymond Chandler’s classic noir and the staccato experimentation of James Ellroy’s neo-noir, Tana French’s deep character dives into the detectives on the Dublin police squad, and the fascinating explorations of our world and values through the prism of science fiction. Recent favorites include This is How You Lose the Time War (by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone), Stories of Your Life (by Ted Chiang), and Exit West (by Mohsin Hamid).

BASF: What are your favorite spots in San Francisco?

BBK: I grew up in the Sunset District and moved back there two years ago after living in the Richmond District for nearly a decade. To me, the southwest is the most underrated part of the City, retaining much of that San Francisco spirit and attitude that so many of us natives and long-time residents feel has been changing elsewhere in the City. My happy places are Fort Funston and Ocean Beach, where I walk with my wife and our baby while our rescue puppy (a 60-pound mutt) romps in the water.

BASF: What was your last great adventure?

BBK: I went backpacking by myself for about two months in South America, primarily in Bolivia. It was an incredible experience meeting so many other travelers and locals, remembering my high school Spanish, and exploring wonderful cities and beautiful regions—from La Paz and Potosí to Tupiza and Lago Titicaca.

BASF: When was the last time you laughed really hard?

BBK: Nothing makes me laugh like our seventeen-month-old son. He has so much fun exploring the world and interacting with people. He loves playing peekaboo, and recently started saying “I see you!” when he jumps out of his hiding places, bursting out laughing like the Kool-Aid Man.