San Francisco Attorney Magazine

Fall 2024

Celebrating Advocacy in Action: Highlights from the 20th Annual JDC Gala

The evening of September 25th was a beautiful celebration, as nearly 300 supporters of the Justice & Diversity Center (JDC) gathered at the stunning Hibernia to celebrate and raise funds for the various programs that comprise the JDC. Now in its 20th year, this year's JDC Gala, themed "Advocacy in Action," featured delicious food and drinks, live music by the Manilatown Jazz Ensemble, videos showcasing the stories of two JDC clients, and dancing the night away with DJ DSharp. Special guests of the evening included board members, federal and superior court judges, San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu, visiting members of the Paris Bar Association, and many more. 

Keith McLane, the evening’s emcee, kicked off the program, which began with remarks from this year’s Gala Co-Chairs, Laura Hurtado and Matthew Gluck, both current BASF Board Members. Laura, a partner at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, shared her personal connection to the Justice & Diversity Center, tracing her early advocacy work for the unhoused and immigrants as the foundation for her commitment to the JDC’s mission. Matt, partner and co-founder of Gluck Daniel Atkinson, spoke about his involvement in several JDC educational initiatives, including Law Academy and Mock Trial, which have inspired young people to pursue careers in law. He stressed that the JDC’s mission is more critical now than ever. The program then shifted to a video message from BASF and JDC’s 111th President, Teresa Johnson, who shared key statistics from the JDC’s accomplishments over the past year. Reflecting on the organization's impact, she quoted Emily Dickinson: "Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul, and sings the tune without the words, and never stops at all." The Justice and Diversity Center continues its work, embodying the essence of hope for the people of San Francisco.  

This year, the JDC highlighted two of its clients in a video story: Ms. Brenda Ellis and Ms. Akayla Sellers. Ms. Ellis came to the Homeless Advocacy Project during the pandemic as she was receiving eviction notices with no source of income and battling a severe case of COVID. Ryan Fadden and the HAP staff were able to keep her housed and now thriving. Akayla shared in her video how determined she was to gain admission to the University of San Francisco School of Law but was challenged by the cost of living in the San Francisco Bay Area. Being a recipient of JDC's Bay Area Minority Law Student Scholarship, alongside the mentorship of Richard Zitrin, has helped her get one step closer to becoming the attorney she dreams of. It was powerful to have both individuals present at the gala to personally meet and thank the many supporters of the JDC. 

Yolanda Jackson, the Executive Director and General Counsel of the Bar Association of San Francisco and Executive Director of the Justice & Diversity Center, then spoke to thank the generous gala sponsors (all 100 of them!), shared the many services that the JDC offers, and encouraged everyone in attendance to help make a difference. The program concluded with a call to action, urging attendees to text donations of any amount to help hit the fundraising goal, with an incentive to receive an "I Donated!" sticker and a special edition JDC water bottle. 

Thank you to all who supported the 20th Annual Justice & Diversity Gala. Together, we raised over $450,000 through sponsorships and day of fundraising, and we are eager to assist some of the most vulnerable individuals in our community. We look forward to our next event in September 2025! 

See photos from the Gala below!

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