On December 12th, firms and members of the Bar Association of San Francisco gathered at the Hyatt Embarcadero for its Annual Membership Luncheon and Installation of Officers. This is not just to fulfill an annual membership meeting as stated by our bylaws, this is an opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of 2024, honor the outstanding individuals in San Francisco legal community, and look forward to what the next year will bring.
Yolanda Jackson, Executive Director and General Counsel of BASF and JDC, shared in her opening remarks that 2024 was an extremely productive year and that both organizations have made significant impact. BASF membership numbers bounced back from COVID, held over 300 social events and CLE programs, was funded in 2024 by a private foundation to handle Racial Justice Act violation cases in our post-conviction unit, hosted a delegation from the Paris Bar Association to share the Bay Area’s expertise in Artificial Intelligence, among many other day to day successes. In 2024, the JDC expanded its service to minors within San Francisco Unified School District in need of immigration assistance, and was the recipient of the American Bar Assocation's 2024 Harrison Tweed Award as the Legal Advice and Referral Clinic has seen exponential growth in the past two years. "One of the things that makes me so most proud of our team and org is that we can pivot really quickly. If the city comes to us and tells us there's a problem, they need help with something, we can build a program, we can staff it, we can fill the need very, very quickly.” Jackson added that through everything, we are proud to stay faithful to the missions of both organizations.
Teresa Johnson, 2024 President, first introduced the incoming BASF Board of Directors, Board Members, and thanked those who completed their full term. She then presented the 2024 Awards of Merit to five individuals who were nominated by BASF and JDC leadership as they have dedicated themselves to bettering the experience for all members and supporting the greater San Francisco community.
Awards of Merit Winners
Peter Felsenfeld, Hinshaw Culbertson
Peter Felsenfeld is a partner at Hinshaw Culbertson with a strong passion for mentoring. He reached out to JDC’s Diversity Pipeline Program director to volunteer his time to mentor law students and was introduced to USF 2L student William Jeffries, a Native American JDC scholarship recipient who has a vision impairment. Peter has been meeting with William weekly, providing invaluable guidance and helping him navigate academic challenges.
As their mentoring relationship continues to develop, Peter remains committed to empowering William to unlock his full potential. With targeted support and encouragement, Peter is confident that William will not only overcome his challenges but also thrive in his legal career, paving the way for future success and inspiring others along the way.
Emily Lane & Audrey Courson, BASF Family Law Section, Education Co-Chairs
Emily and Audrey have consistently upheld the highest standards of continuing legal education for BASF’s Family Law Section. They have elevated and enriched the programs by bringing in distinguished experts in the field and continually enhancing its quality. Throughout the pandemic, their exceptional leadership shone through as they expanded BASF’s educational initiatives, ensuring that the Family Law Section stayed connected and informed on critical practice topics. Their dedication to fostering engagement and collaboration within the organization exemplifies their outstanding leadership at BASF.
Matt Bove & Kiana Araghi, Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass
Matt Bove and Kiana Araghi with Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass are receiving the Award of Merit in recognition of their exceptional dedication and generosity to BASF through their outstanding pro bono work in 2023 and early 2024. They provided invaluable assistance with BASF’s real estate lease, dedicating countless hours collaborating with our internal lease team, external real estate brokers, and our landlord’s negotiation team. Their brilliance in navigating the complex and lengthy lease negotiations played a crucial role in securing a favorable outcome for BASF. Their legal expertise, patience, and generous commitment of time were instrumental in helping to secure a beautiful new space for our BASF and JDC teams, as well as for BASF members, clients and guests to visit.
Sarah Hoffman, 2024 Barristers President, additionally introduced the Barristers Board of Directors and Board Members for 2025 as well as the three recipients of the 2024 Outstanding Barristers Awards. The dedication and work shown by the three award recipients exemplify exactly why the Barristers are a vibrant and effective organization.
Outstanding Barrister Awards
Leah Vulić, Kronenberger Rosenfeld
Leah has been a driven and valuable member of the Solo-Small Firm Executive Committee. Since she began her role, she has consistently committed her time and efforts to assist the committee in planning numerous continuing education and networking events. Leah also spearheaded a cross-section networking event to help bridge the gap between the Barristers and larger Solo-Small Firm sections. Leah is relentless in her dedication to helping others through her role in the Solo-Small Firm Executive Committee, as well as those she meets during the numerous networking events she attends.
Michael H. Hewitt, Sideman Bancroft
Michael has been heavily involved in Barristers Intellectual Property & Internet Law Executive Committee, serving as its co-chair for the past two years. During his time in leadership, he has played a key role in envisioning and launching the Barristers Intellectual Property and Internet Law Symposium, now in its second year, which has been a vibrant and well attended addition to Barristers Club programming. His steady and collaborative leadership has contributed to increasing engagement and enthusiasm among members of the Barristers Intellectual Property and Internet Law Section.
Courtney Brown, Law Offices of Mary Catherine Wiederhold
Courtney has exhibited exceptional leadership and dedication to the Barristers Club. She has held multiple leadership roles, including serving on three Section Executive Committees, Chairing the Judges Reception Committee, and leading the Annual Meeting Committee for multiple years. As the 2023 Barristers Club President, she demonstrated exceptional planning skills, and a warm, inclusive leadership style, driving her vision to bring members back together post-pandemic. Her efforts have significantly strengthened the Barristers Club community and its mission.
The Barristers 2024 calendar was full. Jumping from 26 to 40 programs in 2024, Sarah reassured that the Barristers Club of BASF will continue to provide excellent personal and professional opportunities for its members. The club has been hosting well-attended events since pre-pandemic times, and she expressed gratitude to all law firms and organizations that have supported the club with their sponsorship and mentorship. "I am seriously just in awe of the driven and community minded Barristers who have made this all happen. The future of the legal profession is indeed bright" Hoffman closed out.
In her farewell address, Terry shared a reflection on the visit from the Paris Bar Association. She noted that sometimes it takes seeing the city through the eyes of a visitor to help one recognize just how extraordinary San Francisco is. She viewed this as a metaphor for her presidency: "It's been about recognizing the power of perspective, connection, and collaboration which helps us meet familiar challenges and opportunities in new ways.” She was most proud of the Truth & Power: Distinguished Speakers' Series, as it "illustrated our dedication to fostering thoughtful dialogue on some of the most pressing issues of our day [...] Looking back on all of this, I felt really privileged that we had access to these kinds of thought leaders, and that folks from our communities chose to contribute their time, talents, and expertise to help us understand these issues." She reiterated that the legal community is much larger than we think and expressed great pride in being part of a global community that fosters mutual support and collaboration.
In his inaugural address, Charles took the stage first, wanting to acknowledge all those who were in attendance: those from his personal and professional relationships, representatives from local bar associations, affinity bar associations, and all members of the Bar Association of San Francisco. "You're all welcome here, and you belong here." Belonging is the theme that Charles emphasized in his speech, using a brief anecdote from early in his career about questioning whether he belonged. He continued with his idea of what makes a great organization, "We have these concentric circles or overlapping circles of belonging. And having someone to extend a hand and to make you feel like you are welcome is the difference between being a member and feeling like you belong to an organization, belong to a community." Charles has found it imperative to focus on what members want from the organization to which they belong and has been working diligently with the Membership Task Force to ensure that member needs and values can come to fruition. Drawing from Membership Survey feedback, Charles shared that the common finding was, "People want to belong to an organization that sees them, that resonates with their values, and that engages with them in important work" — the BASF Circles project for 2025. He aims to make BASF an important and more relevant organization for everyone it encounters.
The Bar Association of San Francisco and its Justice & Diversity Center, extends its immense appreciation to all those who made 2024 such a successful year.
See photos from the luncheon below!
