As anyone who has paid for vegetables at the farmers’ market on a merchant’s smartphone knows, the use of credit cards as a form of payment has become a universal convenience. Credit cards can now be used for the purchase…
Four Steps to Maximizing the Effectiveness of Your Mediation
Mediation is an important component of the civil justice system. Mediation allows a neutral third party who is in a unique position of seeing both sides to explore the strengths and weaknesses of the parties’ arguments, and perhaps suggest creative…
Thank you to AT&T for 2014 Fellowship
Many thanks to AT&T for sponsoring a fellowship with the Justice & Diversity Center. Our 2014 AT&T Fellow was Felipe Garcia, a Golden Gate University Law student, pictured here with AT&T’s David Miller. Thanks to AT&T’s generosity, Garcia spent his…
Family Law Corner: $325K in Unpaid Spousal Support to Pay Leaves “Hustle & Flow” Star Strapped for Legal Options
Terrence Howard (“Iron Man” and “Hustle & Flow”) may be realizing that multiple marriages have a price to pay–spousal support. Howard has moved on to wife #3, but he continues to pay child support and spousal support to his first…
Barristers Club Annual Holiday Party Ends Successful Year
The Barristers Club and Board of Directors gathered for their annual Holiday Party on Friday, December 5. Law students, board members, and attorneys alike mingled and celebrated another successful year. To learn more about the activities of the Barristers Club,…
Circling Back: Mentors and Mentees Meet in 2014
As a follow-up to the Mind the Gap program started in 2013 by then President Chris Kearney, BASF established a pilot program of Mentoring Circles to continue to provide professional advice and guidance to new practitioners as they build their…
JDC Volunteer Uses Specialized Expertise to Navigate System on Behalf of Clients
The Justice & Diversity Center (JDC) is pleased to recognize Morgan, Lewis & Bockius associate Jennifer Tolkoff as our volunteer of the month for her work with JDC’s Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC). Tolkoff has been a volunteer with JDC…
Legal Leaders Dinner Draws Impressive Guest List
The 2014 Fall Legal Leaders of the Bay Area Dinner was held on Wednesday, December 3 at Lark Creek Steak House in San Francisco. The evening was a big success with one of the largest turnouts in the event’s history.…
JDC’s Federal Pro Bono Project Defends Against Student Loan Collection
Many attorneys in the local legal community know that JDC’s Federal Pro Bono Project arranges pro bono counsel for low-income litigants in federal court. But fewer people know the project also operates the Legal Help Centers in the Northern District…
A Big Part of BASF: Solo and Small Firm Attorneys
Did you know that solo and small firm attorneys (offices with 1 to 9 attorneys) make up close to 20% of the entire BASF membership? “Solos and Smalls” are incredibly active with our organization and participate in various areas throughout…
Presiding Judges Cynthia Ming Mei Lee and John Stewart: Reflections and Plans for the Future
Judge Cynthia Ming-mei Lee was named presiding judge in the midst of the court funding crisis and massive layoffs in our Superior Court – 200 court employees and 11 Commissioners. Daunting. She quickly identified “three big ticket” items: reducing the…
#Handsup: Bay Area Public Defenders Stand in Solidarity
On December 18, 2014, hundreds of public defenders around the Bay Area held “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” rallies in support of racial justice and in solidarity with protesters in Ferguson and around the nation. San Francisco’s rally, organized by the Public Defender’s Racial…