On Wednesday, June 13, the Bar Association of San Francisco and the Justice and Diversity Center welcomed more than 30 partners, summer associates, and members of the legal community to its annual LGBTQ reception. The reception was hosted by Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer and co-sponsored by Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom (BALIF). Caterers included Pennyroyal Farms (Sarah Cahn Bennett and Erika Scharfen), Giusti and Mazzocco Winery, all of whom are LGBTQ-owned businesses.

Justice Therese M. Stewart, First District Court of Appeal, was in attendance and provided opening remarks. Justice Stewart began by highlighting  the ten-year anniversary of the Marriage Amendment Bill of 2008 and spoke to the recent Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, to emphasize how far LGBTQ rights have come, as well as the need to continue to speak out for the equality of all people.

With June being LGBTQ Pride Month, this annual reception celebrates people who identify as LGBTQ while also welcoming other members of the legal community. Creating a welcoming, friendly and safe community where attorneys can meet, network and feel supported is and will continue to be a primary goal of these receptions. Please visit our website to see upcoming Summer Receptions – we hope to see you there!

Visit http://www.sfbar.org/summer-receptions or http://www.sfbar.org/calendar/to find out about upcoming summer receptions.

More photos are posted on the Bar Association of San Francisco’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/sfbar