March 2017

Retirement from Active Practice, but Not Pro Bono

The Justice & Diversity Center (JDC) honors Sheldon Balman as Volunteer of the Month for his hard work defending vulnerable ten-ants from eviction with JDC’s Housing Negotiation Project (HNP). At HNP, volunteer attorneys provide limited-scope representation in eviction cases at…

Court Reporting Ethics Panel Takes On Controversial Topics

During the recent CLE program “Can You Say That? Legal Ethics of Working with Court Reporters,” put on by the Paralegal Section, these questions were addressed: • Do you know what Assembly Bill 1197 requires in Notices of Deposition? •…

Political Drama No Match for Biden Family Domestic Drama

For Joe Biden, there may actually be an upside to the Trump election: the ongoing political drama draws attention away from his family’s ongoing domestic drama. Joe’s son, Hunter Biden, is embroiled in a nasty divorce with his estranged wife,…

Legal Writing Tip: Write Your Statement of Facts in the Form of a Narrative

The first step in writing a compelling statement of facts for your brief or motion is to prepare a chronology of events in the case. That will help you identify the crucial elements, e.g., who did what to whom when,…

2017 Delegation to the California Conference of Bar Associations

Registration is open for The Bar Association of San Francisco’s Delegation to the 2017 California Conference of Bar Associations (CCBA). The CCBA is California’s foremost attorney-run legislative body that has for over 70 years provided unparalleled opportunities to create and…

Risk Management Tip: Keep Invoices Bland

For generations California attorneys have understood the attorney-client privilege is an absolute shield against discovery. Case after case has broadly interpreted and reinforced the strength of the privilege. Three cases in 2016 demonstrated the continued force of this shield. In…

Are You an Attorney Seeking Legal Advice? Call the Attorney-to-Attorney Advice Program

The Bar Association of San Francisco’s Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS) has operated an Attorney-to-Attorney Advice Program (ATAA) since 1975. From brief advice to long-term mentorship, this free service matches newer attorneys with experienced practitioners willing to advise them.…

Networking: Why Your Upside Down Laminated Name-Tag Holds the Key to Your Eternal Happiness

Networking is a word that strikes fear in the soul of introverts and challenges extroverts to compare imagery of a beach in Mexico with a reality of laminated name tags. What is networking? Students are told it will help a…

BASF Welcomes Polsinelli to Leaders Circle

The Bar Association of San Francisco welcomes its newest Leaders Circle firm – Polsinelli. Polsinelli is an Am Law 100 firm with approximately 800 attorneys in 20 offices, serving corporations, institutions, and entrepreneurs nationally. Polsinelli attorneys provide practical legal counsel…

New Solo Attorneys Wanted: Fight for Justice and Build a Sustainable Practice!

Are you or someone you know interested in starting a solo practice? The Justice & Diversity Center and The Bar Association of San Francisco are seeking new applicants for its Community Law Practice Incubator (CLPI). CLPI is seeking new attorneys who…

Think Twice Before You File That Exhibit

Think of that moment when someone else’s mistake becomes your problem. For example, opposing counsel inadvertently attaches a confidential settlement agreement between his client and yours to a declaration filed in an unrelated matter. You know how it happens –…

BASF/JDC Executive Director Honored at Women’s History Month Ceremony

Yolanda Jackson, Executive Director of The Bar Association of San Francisco and the Justice & Diversity Center, was honored with 19 other women in March at the Women’s History Month Awards Ceremony at city hall. The ceremony honored “Trailblazing Women…

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