San Francisco Attorney magazine Archives

Law Firms Get Creative To Combat Mental Health Challenges

When the law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman asked employees to share their wellness concerns in a confidential survey last year, lawyers and professional staff alike reported stress as the top issue by far. Yet few people were taking advantage…

Women in Trial, Part III: Seasoned Juvenile Court Attorneys Benefit From 2019 BASF President’s Trial Training Initiative

Doris Cheng concluded her year as 2019 Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF) board president by hosting the third installment of her Women in Trial initiative. Cheng, widely recognized as a trial lawyer advocacy skills trainer, devoted this last training…

A City View Inspires: Our San Francisco Values and a Pledge to Promote Wellness

The following are excerpts from Stuart Plunkett’s remarks at his December 17, 2019, installation as the 2020 president of the Bar Association of San Francisco. Lately, when I go outside, I try to feel the City beneath my feet—to renew…

Lawyers Find Strategies for Dealing with Secondary Trauma

Like many lawyers, Vicki Trapalis is called upon to deal with other people’s trauma on a daily basis. She works in San Francisco’s dependency court, representing children who have been through unimaginable horrors. Recently, she got a desperate call from…

Food from the Bar 2020: Join the competition!

According to the 2019 Missing Meals research, 35 million meals are still “missing” in San Francisco and Marin. Food from the Bar is an annual campaign where the legal community comes together to raise funds for the San Francisco-Marin Food…

Will a clean desk make you a better lawyer?

You get to the firm on a Monday morning. Several important clients are waiting for your email response. But you can’t reach your keyboard because the files from last week are still scattered around your desk. In honor of National…

Shaping Criminal Justice Reform Locally: BASF Focuses On Building Relationships While Fighting For Justice

It’s been just over five years since Michael Brown’s death in Ferguson, Missouri, drew nationwide attention to issues of fairness in the criminal justice system, and in particular the treatment of African Americans. In the wake of those emotionally charged…

San Francisco’s Niche Businesses: Small Stores, Big Legal Issues?

From handmade jewelry and artisanal baked goods to dining tables made from reclaimed wood, craft goods are having a moment. Craft brewing—probably the most famous niche industry—has grown from a curiosity of local hobbyists into a booming national juggernaut…

Barristers Club Report: We Are Barristers

It can be hard to read about the state of the law today and not conclude that lawyers are some of the most miserable creatures walking the earth. It is true that, as a profession, we need to do…

Sponsors Are the New Mentors, Especially for Women

This article was originally published by Attorney at Work and is reprinted here with permission. Women have been told for years that having a mentor is critical for career success, and today many can readily find mentors or be matched…

Happy International Women's Day!

In honor of International Women’s Day on March 8, we highlight the following trailblazers from our Spring 2019 San Francisco Attorney magazine, out now: Justice Therese Stewart Reflects On Her Pioneering Career Growing up, San Francisco native Justice…

Q&A with Senator Kamala Harris

California Senator Kamala Harris is a trailblazer among women attorneys. Before she began her service in the U.S. Senate in 2017, Harris served as the first female District Attorney of the City and County of San Francisco and…

Blog Category

San Francisco Attorney magazine