Of all punctuation marks, the comma is the one most often debated in courthouses; its presence or absence in statutes and other legal texts has determined the outcome of cases—going back in U.S. history to at least 1872, when the…
Attracting the Right Clients Through Effective Branding
Of particular importance to solo and small firm attorneys is the idea of effective branding. If you are just starting out, or you feel like your brand needs a makeover, there are three scary things you must do to ensure…
Senior District Judge Thelton Henderson Set to Retire
Senior District Judge Thelton E. Henderson has informed the Court that he will step down from the bench and assume inactive status in August 2017. Judge Henderson was nominated by President Jimmy Carter to a seat vacated by Judge Cecil…
Legal Leaders Dinner Draws More than 40 Bay Area Corporate Counsel
The Spring 2017 General Counsel Dinner was held on Thursday, April 20 at Wayfare Tavern. The event was sponsored by Baker & McKenzie and was a huge success. Over 40 in-house counsel were in attendance making it the largest turnout…
Seyfarth Shaw Helps Client Gain Freedom
Congratulations to Seyfarth Shaw for settling a case on behalf of a client with the Justice & Diversity Center’s Federal Pro Bono Project. The client, “Mr. M,” was incarcerated when he filed suit against the Department of Corrections. After reporting…
Homeless Advocacy Project, Orrick and UC Hastings Team Up For Homeless San Franciscans
The Justice & Diversity Center (JDC) thanks the law firm and law school volunteers of a unique pro bono collaboration. Every week, JDC’s Homeless Advocacy Project (HAP) runs a clinic at a shelter with Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe and UC…
Staff Attorneys Talk Equal Justice at ABA Conference
JDC’s Cary Gold, Katie Danielson and Mairi McKeever (pictured above) were featured panelists at the American Bar Association’s Equal Justice Conference held in early May. Gold and Danielson were speakers on the “Holistic Legal Services: Model and Uses” panel. McKeever…
Justice & Diversity Center Announces Honorary Co-Chairs of 2017 Gala
The Justice & Diversity Center (JDC) of The Bar Association of San Francisco is delighted to announce the honorary co-chairs for the 2017 Annual Gala. David Kelly, General Counsel and Vice President, Basketball Legal Affairs for the Golden State Warriors…
Northern California Rapid Immigration Response Network Survey
In anticipation of increased enforcement actions by the current administration, a Northern California Rapid Immigration Response Network has been created and has been taking steps to prepare our legal community. Members of this network include the ACLU, AILA, NLG, the Justice & Diversity Center…
San Francisco Superior Court Launches Pilot Judicial Settlement Program to Settle Larger, High-Exposure Cases
The San Francisco Superior Court is offering litigants a new Judicial Settlement Conference (JSC) program aimed at cases with an estimated 20 or more trial days, Presiding Judge Teri L. Jackson announced today. Presiding Judge Jackson has selected Judge Angela…
San Francisco Superior Court Launches Pilot Judicial Settlement Program to Settle Larger, High-Exposure Cases
The San Francisco Superior Court is offering litigants a new Judicial Settlement Conference (JSC) program aimed at cases with an estimated 20 or more trial days, Presiding Judge Teri L. Jackson announced today. Presiding Judge Jackson has selected Judge…
Risk Management Tip: Retainer Agreements Manage Client Expectations
In the competition to land a case it is tempting to overstate the value of a claim, or understate the cost of litigation, setting client expectations at an unrealistic level. Some attorneys fear that being up front about potential case…