Swami’s Will a Testament to His Spiritual Values As a monk and the founder of the Ananda Church of Self-Realization, Swami Kriyananda had renounced most of his material goods long before his death in April 2013. His will focused on…
Our Members Make a Difference… BASF Makes It Easier!
BASF’s 2014 membership theme is “You Make a Difference. We Make It Easier.” Kirsten Mickelson, a BASF member and barrister, is a young in-house attorney making a difference in the lives of those in our community. Leonard Lun, BASF’s Director…
Legal Marketing: Using Client Feedback for Competitive Advantage and Content Marketing
The Legal Marketing Association – Bay Area Chapter, at its January educational program, saw some “Big Ideas Brought to Life.” In a “TED-format” of four 15–20 minute presentations, speakers explored motivating reluctant lawyers, leveraging client feedback for competitive intelligence, content…
Judge Harbin-Forte Honored with Spirit of Excellence Award
Judge Brenda Harbin-Forte of the Alameda County Superior Court was recently honored with the ABA’s Spirit of Excellence Award at its Annual Meeting in Chicago in early February. BASF nominated Judge Harbin-Forte for the award because of her efforts in…
Bulletin Board: Our Members and Leaders Circle Firms Making Headlines
International Arbitration Forum Appoints Maria Chedid Its New President The Northern California International Arbitration Club has appointed BASF member Maria Chedid of Arnold & Porter’s San Francisco office its new president. Established in 2003, the club is dedicated to promoting,…
The Benefit of Expert Witness Testimony
Given the technical and complex nature of modern litigation, expert witness testimony is becoming increasingly important. Experts apply their experience and subject matter expertise to help the trier-of-fact understand industry-specific terms and processes. Experts can be an extremely valuable asset…
Food from the Bar: Help End Hunger in San Francisco and Marin
Registration is open for the 23rd Annual Food from the Bar campaign. Food from the Bar is an annual competitive fundraiser among legal professionals where participating firms earn points by raising funds, food, and volunteering time to benefit the SF-Marin…
Diverse Students Look to Destination Law School Program in Endeavor to Attend Law School
On January 22 as part of its Destination Law School Program, the Justice & Diversity Center (JDC) hosted a panel presentation for diverse undergraduate students from UC Santa Cruz. The students are part of a student organization called Legal Education…
BASF Because…
Nicholas Larson Murphy Pearson Bradley & Feeney Twitter: @larson_nicholas Interesting fact: I was initially skeptical of pursuing a legal career, so I attended law school at night while continuing to work full-time as a federal public policy consultant. It took…
What a Mediator Would Like to See in a Mediation Brief
In many cases mediation is the most cost-efficient and effective method of resolving a case. Often, litigants can save a lot of money and time when mediation is held after first tier discovery has been completed, once the core facts…
Legal Writing Tip: Learning to Convey Your Expertise
You’re a lawyer, not an academic. In briefs, opinion letters and client communications, you must convey your expertise simply, even when describing something complex. Consider yourself a technical writer, a knowledge expert just like a software manual writer, whose job…
It Started with a Day! 2014 Volunteer Initiative Launched January 25
The Justice & Diversity Center (JDC) of The Bar Association of San Francisco kicked off the 2014 “It Starts With a Day” community service campaign on January 25 with its monthly Legal Advice and Referral Clinic (LARC) in Bayview-Hunters Point.…