October 2016

Longtime BASF Staff Member Retires

Barbara Fanning, who joined BASF in 1975 retired in September. Serving under 42 presidents and several executive directors, Fanning held the titles of Director of Continuing Legal Education, Director of Special Events, Director of Publications, BASF Board Liaison, to name…

2017 BASF Board of Directors Announced; Stuart Plunkett Named Secretary

BASF recently announced its new board members for 2017 as well as its 2017 Secretary. President-Elect Merri Baldwin, Rogers Joseph & O’Donnell, will succeed to the office of the president in 2017; Malcolm Heinicke, Munger, Tolles & Olson, will serve…

Gala Celebrates Legal Community’s Committment to Pro Bono and Diversity Programs

More than five hundred attorneys and legal professionals, representing ninety-five firms and legal departments, were in attendance to celebrate the work of the Justice & Diversity Center (JDC) of The Bar Association of San Francisco on September 15 at JDC’s…

Law Firm Technology: Must-Read Resources at the San Francisco Law Library

The San Francisco Law Library maintains a comprehensive Law Practice Management Collection, with publications that detail all aspects of opening a practice—hanging your shingle, billing, marketing, finances, risk management, technology, and more. This post introduces the Law Library’s LPM resources…

Timothy Halloran Jumps Through Hoops to Make A Difference

In 2009, while talking to a parent from a public high school at a basketball tournament, BASF member Timothy Halloran, Murphy Pearson Bradley & Feeney, discovered that San Francisco’s Mission High School Girls Varsity Basketball team was without a…

Estate Planning Corner: Last Chance for Valuation Discount Planning and More

…………….. Valuation Discount Planning The U.S. Treasury Department has proposed regulations that will make it more difficult for families to engage in valuation discount planning as soon as January 1, 2017. This could potentially make this the last opportunity to…

Mediator’s Proposals — Not So Fast!

… When parties and their counsel get antsy early on in a mediation, they often want to cut to the chase. “Can’t you just make a mediator’s proposal?” they ask. This is generally a bad idea for several reasons. First,…

“Your Legal Rights” Podcast Features Two LRIS Panel Attorneys, Discusses On-Demand and Gig Economy

On August 17, San Francisco-Marin Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS) Panel attorneys Tad Devlin, Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck and Aaron Minnis, Minnis & Smallets, were the featured guests on the KALW radio show “Your Legal Rights.” Hosted by Chuck…

LinkedIn Endorsements: Potential Legal Ethics Problem?

If you are an active LinkedIn user, there’s a good chance that you have received an endorsement by someone without personal knowledge of whether you have the claimed skill. Well-meaning perhaps, but such endorsements of attorneys are potentially misleading…

Morgan Lewis Pro Bono Team Enables More Stable Housing for Family

As the housing crisis continues, pro bono attorneys from Morgan, Lewis & Bockius came to the aid of a family of four facing eviction after 14 years of living in a Mission District studio apartment. We thank the team of…

Summer Interns Gain Experience With HAP

The Homeless Advocacy Project (HAP) had three great summer legal interns in 2016: Jeffrey Pettibone, from University of San Francisco Law School; Jimmy Mulgannon, from Santa Clara University Law School; and Katie Blatter Nielson from Brigham Young University. Each intern…

Skyline College’s Paralegal Clinic: Inspiring Agents for Change

Access to justice for all is a serious issue. The American Bar Association acknowledges that the legal profession fails to adequately address the “major gap between the civil legal needs of low-income people and the legal help that they…

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