Blog - Page 81 of 174 - The Bar Association of San Francisco

Mock Trial Volunteers Needed

Mock Trial is now accepting volunteer coaches for its 2017-2018 academic year. Help under-served students in San Francisco’s public high schools learn the fundamentals of debate: mastering critical reading; practicing effective thinking and verbalizing; and participating in a team effort…

Representing Consumers Facing Debt Collection Clears “Insurmountable Obstacles”

Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass scored another win for a JDC client facing questionable debt collection efforts with no means to fight back. The National Collegiate Student Loan Trusts (NCSLT) had sued the client and alleged he owed $115,000 on…

Fenwick & West Achieves a First in JDC Pro Bono Cases

Congratulations to Fenwick & West attorneys Lynn Pasahow; Amy Hayden and Abby Wald who won actual and punitive damages for a prison inmate assaulted by correctional officers:. For the Justice & Diversity Center, this is the first trial of a…

Risk Management Tip: Beware of Broad Subject Matter Waivers of the Attorney-Client Privilege

We have been examining the role attorney-client privileged information played in Sanford Wadler’s trial victory over his former employer, Bio-Rad. Bio-Rad engaged in actions the court concluded were express waivers of attorney-client privilege under federal law, allowing Wadler to use…

Small Firm, Big Leaves – A Planning Guide

An attorney taking an extended leave of absence or sabbatical can be difficult for any law firm to manage, and particular challenges arise for small firms where there may only be a few—or even no—other attorneys to cover the caseload…

10 Red Flags of Potentially Difficult Clients

Paralegals and other non-attorney professionals are often tasked with the initial potential client intake interview. The first consideration is to determine if there is any conflict of interest in communicating with the potential client. All legal practices should have a…

Compensation From One Other Than Your Client, The Bank of Mom and Dad and Others, Beware

The California Rules of Professional Conduct (CRPC) generally prohibit representation of adverse interests without a conflict waiver. Subparagraph (F) of CRPC 3-310 imposes disclosure and consent requirements when attorneys are compensated by someone other than the attorney’s client. (For California…

BASF Honors Gap’s Marie Ma and Adobe at Annual In-House Counsel Diversity Awards

More than 60 people attended The Bar Association of San Francisco’s annual In-House Counsel Diversity Awards reception on July 12 at the law firm of Polsinelli. BASF Executive Director Yolanda Jackson presented the individual award to Marie J. Ma, Senior…

Annual Food From the Bar Campaign Sets Record by Raising $726,000 in Six Weeks

BASF and the SF-Marin Food Bank celebrated the results of the annual Food From the Bar (FFTB) campaign at an awards ceremony at the Merchants Exchange Club on June 20. FFTB is the legal community’s annual fundraising drive to benefit…

Summer Interns Assist Most Vulnerable

This summer JDC’s Homeless Advocacy Project (HAP) was fortunate to have two full-time summer interns from local law schools. Brigette Latno-Mosunic is going into her third year of law school at the University of San Francisco and Ian Jacobster is…

Pro Bono Lawyer Jumps Into Advocacy With JDC Mentorship

The Justice & Diversity Center (JDC) applauds Lara Palanjian’s enthusiasm for her pro bono case. Palanjian is defending a low-income tenant against eviction. Her client’s landlord had been harassing him until Palanjian won a mini-trial for a civil harassment restraining…

Housing Cases: How Lawyers Change Lives Through Limited-Scope Representation

Pro bono lawyers represent tenants facing eviction on a limited-scope basis at pre-trial settlement conferences. For many vulnerable San Francisco residents, this assistance is the last defense against homelessness. The Justice & Diversity Center thanks these firms whose attorneys have…

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