San Francisco Superior Court Judge Harold E. Kahn is a well-respected judge, who has used his knowledge and passion for the law to make a difference in our community. He has been a strong supporter of the Barristers Club and…
Conflict Intervention Service: Transforming Lives, Transforming Affordable Housing, Transforming Community in Times of COVID-19
The voice on the helpline message for the Bar Association of San Francisco’s (BASF) Conflict Intervention Service quaked with fear: “Please help me. I’m an elderly gay man with HIV. My roommate brings a stranger home every night. He laughs…
San Francisco Court Officials Balance Access to Justice With Public Health Concerns
Long lines to get through security. Courtrooms and jury assembly rooms reconfigured so people can stay six feet apart. Staggered schedules allowing fewer people to be in the building at the same time. Face masks and hand sanitizer everywhere. These…
The Pandemic’s Impact on Regulatory Enforcement
Confusion and Conflict Created by COVID-19 and Shelter-in-Place Orders Environmental investigations and remedial actions in the Bay Area were upended by COVID-19—not by the virus itself, but by the shelter-in-place orders and the various regulatory guidance directing what work could…
The Pandemic’s Impact On Junior Attorneys And Diversity
COVID-19 has turned 2020 on its head—and with no end in sight, all of us are settling into the “new normal” that many predict will change how lawyers work not just temporarily, but forever. As all of us adjust to…
Tools for Lawyer Resilience
The shadow of stress inevitably hovers over work in any profession. That is especially true in the practice of law, an endeavor in which lawyers must solve challenging and high-stakes problems, often within extremely tight deadlines. So, what does it…
How Mindfulness Practices Can Benefit Lawyers
Burnout is a phenomenon that many lawyers are all too familiar with. You’re working long hours, sleep has become elusive, you’re chronically exhausted, overly cynical, and you may feel ineffective in your career. Even your subconscious thoughts are constantly ruminating…
Self Care: Learning to Read Your Bodily Navigation Stars
There is an analogy that has been passed down through the years involving a woodcutter going about the task of cutting wood. In the story, the woodcutter is asked by an observer why they don’t stop to sharpen their saw.…
Develop Your Work Mindset
Take a moment to think about your typical workday. If you look closely, every workday is simply a series of hundreds of mini-situations you must think through in order to make it through the day: How do I deal with…
Getting Sworn In: Taking the Oath on Your Own Terms
Huzzah, you’ve finally passed the bar exam! It’s time to take your lawyer’s oath. Would you like to A) Line up with hundreds or maybe thousands of other newbies, right hand raised to repeat the words en masse in an…
Self Care is Community Care
As we neared press time for the Spring issue of San Francisco Attorney magazine, we found ourselves in uncharted territory. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is forcing us to examine how we live, work, and connect with each other. As a…
Barristers: The Next Generation of Leaders
Graduating from law school and entering the legal profession is exciting, but also terrifying. Even the most seasoned attorneys can still remember the first time someone turned to them expecting them to know the answer because they were The Lawyer.…