During the first quarter of the new year, this column identifies strategies to minimize the risk of claims in 2021. The first strategy is to effectively terminate a representation once it concludes. In California, the statute of limitations for a…
Family Court Welcomes New Judges in 2021
The San Francisco Unified Family Court (UFC) is thrilled to welcome two new judges: Judge-elect Maria Evangelista Lopez Judge-elect Maria Evangelista Lopez will join UFC in January 2021 and replace Judge Sharon Reardon in Department 403. Since 2003, Evangelista Lopez…
Family Law Moving Forward
Let me wish you a Happy New Year 2021 and thank you for electing me Chair of the Bar Association of San Francisco’s (BASF) Family Law Section. Many are glad to see 2020 come to a close. The year proved…
Last Chance to Prevent Property Tax Reassessment for the Kids
Effective February 16, 2021, most parent-child gifts of real estate will be subject to reassessment thanks to Proposition 19. Subject to limitations, only the parent’s principal residence or farm will be excluded from reassessment if (and that’s a big if!)…
Can You Handle the Truth?
Attorneys must be honest for the justice system to work and for the system to have any credibility to the general public. To that end, attorneys had a duty of candor under the old California Rules of Professional Conduct (CRPC)…
Evolving ADR: Remote Mediations, Silver Linings and Adapting
As we approach a full year of pandemic-driven shutdown orders, it’s easy to focus on what we miss with online mediation – in-person get togethers. We don’t sit across the table, walk together down hallways, or share a cup of…
January 2021 CLE Bulletin and Webcast Replay
January 2021 CLE Bulletin Upcoming Conferences and Events from the Bar Association of San Francisco The Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Section presents PROPOSITION 19: Advanced Topics What Property Tax Laws it Changed, and What To Do Now Date Thursday,…
In Memoriam: Mary Jo Christensen Shartsis
Born August 10, 1942, died January 2, 2021, from Alzheimer’s. A woman of great intelligence, beauty, and style, Mary Jo’s life was a testament to the American Dream. Raised with two sisters by her single mother in South Gate, California,…
Trust Revocation Wordplay
There’s an old saying that remodeling a home is like pulling a loose string on a sweater—go too far, and it all unravels. Robert Cundall, John Martin, and Frances Diaz were neighbors and friends before things fell apart. In 2008,…
Barristers 2020: Year in Review
As I look back on 2020, it makes me think of how bar associations have always held a very special space in my heart. When I was growing up in Hawaii, my mom spent thirteen years as executive director of…
Pandemic Forces Courts and Lawyers to Reimagine Proceedings
San Francisco Superior Court Judge Anne-Christine Massullo had pre-qualified over two hundred prospective jurors in anticipation of the court’s first in-person civil jury trial since the coronavirus pandemic. She used a tape measure to make sure all twelve jurors and…
Checking in with Nemo
This year, with all its challenges, has also given us an opportunity to pause and look back on the many people and stories from San Francisco Attorney magazine that have inspired and engaged. In 2017, Kathleen Guthrie Woods introduced us to Nemo,…