Rebekah Punak
2014 Barristers Club Board Member
Keker & Van Nest

Interesting fact: When I was growing up, my mother worked for a time for a private investigator. Occasionally, I would tag along with her on investigations and I fancied myself quite the detective. To this day, I love the investigative aspects of my job – the process of finding, out of mountains of discovery, the few key documents and pieces of evidence that will shape the narrative at trial.

I became a BASF member because: I heard about BASF’s Mock Trial program from my colleagues at the firm and decided to participate. Coaching a group of high school students in a mock trial competition sounded like a great way to connect with the community and a fun change of pace from my ordinary routine. It was both! I had such a great experience with the Mock Trial program that it prompted me to become more involved with BASF and the Barristers Club.

I stay a BASF member because: Participating in BASF has allowed me to connect with a group of talented and diverse attorneys in the Bay Area. As just one example, in the course of organizing CLE events for the Intellectual Property and Internet Law Section, I was able to reach out to the professors, attorneys and jurists who participated on our panels and to hear their views on current legal topics.

It is important to me to find opportunities to volunteer in the broader bay area community, but it can be difficult to do so while balancing the demands of a busy case load. BASF has numerous programs aimed at providing legal services to underserved communities, and the range of available programs makes it easy to find opportunities to participate.

I wanted to join the Barristers Club Board of Directors because: After serving as Intellectual Property and Internet Law Section Chair, I wanted to become involved with the Barristers Club on a broader level. Serving as a board member provides an opportunity to learn about and support all of the different Barristers Club’s sections and committees.

Historically, BASF has been a major voice in responding to issues facing the legal profession. Participating on the Barristers Club Board provides an opportunity to engage with those issues in a meaningful way.

Rebekah has been a BASF member since 2008 and we thank her for her continued support.