This July 19 the Barristers Club will host its annual reception to honor San Francisco state and federal judges. The event provides attorneys and law students with a unique opportunity to meet and interact with members of the bench in…
San Francisco Legal Community: Good Allies
While 2017 is just getting started, it is already proving to be a very provocative year, especially for the legal community. This year, the Justice & Diversity Center (JDC) of The Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF) turns 40! JDC’s…
Advocate for Immigrants Retires from Homeless Advocacy Project
By Teresa Friend, Homeless Advocacy Project Ramona Holguin, long-time supervising attorney at the Homeless Advocacy Project (HAP) of the Justice & Diversity Center (JDC), retired at the end of February. She started at HAP in 1993, and created a key…
Members Reach Out to LGBT Youth
As part of the Justice & Diversity Center’s LGBT outreach to SFUSD schools, Kelly Matayoshi of Farella Braun + Martel and Rob Depew of Employment Law Resource Group, met with students from the Gay-Straight Alliance at a local school in…
Meet Justice & Diversity Center Board Member Holly Gaudreau
Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton Counsel Holly Gaudreau has served on the Justice & Diversity Center Board of Directors since 2015. Her practice focuses on commercial litigation, including antitrust, unfair competition, trademark and copyright. She serves on her firm’s Pro Bono…
Update to LRIS Legacy Business Status Case
In November 2015, this publication ran an article regarding a small business owner who had contacted BASF’s Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS) for help in fighting an eviction. The Navarro family owned the Academy of Martial Arts & Bodybuilding…
Homeless Advocacy Project Welcomes New Tenant Advocate
The Justice & Diversity Center’s (JDC) Homeless Advocacy Project (HAP) recently welcomed Alex Connolly as its new paralegal/tenant advocate. Connolly is responsible for providing support to HAP attorneys in eviction defense cases, including administrative support, preparation of documents, drafting discovery…
JDC Volunteer Shawn Matloob: Valuable Resource for the Immigrant Community
The Justice & Diversity Center (JDC) is pleased to recognize, Shawn Matloob, a dedicated immigration attorney who volunteers at our Legal Advice and Referral Clinic (LARC), a free community walk-in clinic that takes place twice a month on Saturdays. Matloob…
Paralegals and Legal Staff: Make a Difference Through Pro Bono
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 1960 Most nonprofit organizations are in need of lawyers but rarely ask specifically for assistance from legal support volunteers. While…
Real Housewife Has Real Problem with Estate Planning Attorney
Bethenny Frankel (famous for starring in “Real Housewives of New York” and for her SkinnyGirl cocktail company) and Jason Hoppy had an explosive divorce. While the couple was only married for two years, their divorce took twice as long while…
Legal Writing Tip: Make Your Headings and Subheadings Full Sentences
When writing your brief, craft the section and subsection headings in complete, informative sentences. It’s a good idea to do this early on, at the outlining stage. This practice allows the court to quickly scan your brief and get an…
Five Advantages of Having a Solo and Small Firm
I’ve had my own small firm for 15 years, my entire law career. While it’s easy to see the advantages of being employed by a large firm the benefits of owning a solo or small firm are tougher to identify.…