Help Low-Income Taxpayers Reach Fair Resolutions with the IRS and Tax Court JDC helps low-income people with federal tax controversies before the IRS and U.S. Tax Court. Our clients rely on tax professionals’ pro bono services to access justice and…
12 Steps to a Healthier and Happier Law Firm
It is no secret that lawyers—and especially lawyers at law firms—have a reputation for unhealthy lifestyles. This includes being sedentary, staring at a screen all day, exhibiting high stress levels, over-caffeinating, eating unhealthy foods, and, in some cases, even abusing…
Say Yes to Pro Bono
If you had asked me ten years ago whether I would be doing pro bono work with any regularity, a candid answer would have begun with “no.” Law firm lawyers, particularly litigators, find it easy to say “no.” No you…
Corporate Counsel Eases Financial Worries for Underprivileged Community Members
As Senior Corporate Counsel at a technology company, Matt Sperling is particularly motivated to actively alleviate the struggles and challenges that others in the community are facing. He regularly volunteers to counsel low-income people who have been sued by creditors. …
The Justice & Diversity Center Welcomes 2018 Summer Interns
Meet the Justice & Diversity Center (JDC)’s 2018 summer interns, who are stepping up to provide crucial legal support to those in our community who need it most. Caroline Shen, our 2018 AT&T Fellow, is a rising 3L at UC…
Don’t Go It Alone: Leverage Business Advice from Experts and Colleagues
A law firm isn’t a “practice”: it’s a professional services business, and should be run like one. But when we start our small firms, most of us don’t put nearly enough thought into learning how to really run a business.…
Legal Community Raises Record Amount for Food Bank
San Francisco, July 2, 2018 — The 27th annual Food from the Bar (FFTB) campaign is in the books and we are pleased to announce that 2018 was a record-breaking year. When the dust settled, and the final tallies were…
LGBTQ Partners and Associates Summer Reception
On Wednesday, June 13, the Bar Association of San Francisco and the Justice and Diversity Center welcomed more than 30 partners, summer associates, and members of the legal community to its annual LGBTQ reception. The reception was hosted by Arnold…
David Goldstein Memorial Scholarship Fund Honors SF State’s Pat Medina
The sudden loss of San Francisco State’s Paralegal Studies’ (PLS) beloved Program Director Pat Medina was felt by the paralegal and legal community around the world. Palmira “Pat” Medina began her career as a high school English teacher but loved…
Train Your Brain: Resilience Tools for Lawyers
Do you remember the movie Groundhog Day? Bill Murray’s character wakes up each morning to his alarm clock playing “I Got You Babe” and he realizes, with dread, that he is about to re-live February 2, again. Have you ever…
Meet the Justice & Diversity Center's New Diversity Director
Please join us in welcoming Samantha Akwei as our new Diversity and Pipeline Programs Director. In this role, Samantha oversees JDC’s educational pipeline programs, including the School-to-College program, Law Academy, and the Bay Area Minority Law Student Scholarship program. She…
San Francisco Rapid Response Network Honored with Immigrant Leadership Award
The San Francisco Rapid Response Network, which is in part coordinated by the Justice & Diversity Center’s (JDC) immigration team, was honored at the 2018 Immigrant Leadership Awards on Monday, June 11. The event, held at San Francisco City Hall,…