Highlights of upcoming alumni events. Access the full event calendar and register online, email [email protected] or call 510.643.6673

February 10, 2009
San Francisco Alumni Reception with Dean Edley
Boalt's Dean Christopher Edley will be providing a Campaign for Boalt Hall update. Thanks to Chris Chavez '97, Noel Nellis '66 and their firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe for hosting this event.
6 to 8 p.m.
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, The Orrick Building, 405 Howard Street, San Francisco
This event is sold out! If you would like to be added to the wait list, contact the Alumni Center at 510.643.6673 or [email protected].

February 18, 2009
Haas Los Angeles Alumni Chapter Presents: "The Challenges of the Current Economy"
The Los Angeles Haas Alumni Chapter invites all LA Cal graduates to the panel presentation, "The Challenges of the Current Economy: The Impact of Obama's Proposals on the Economy and You," moderated by Conan Nolan, with former Haas Dean Tom Campbell and Professor Barry Eichengreen.
6:15-9:00 pm
The Luxe Hotel Sunset, 11461 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles
For more information and to register, click here.

February 24, 2009
West Los Angeles Alumni Luncheon with Dean Edley
Boalt's Dean Christopher Edley will be providing an update about the Campaign for Boalt Hall. Thanks to our hosts Kenneth Goldman '67, Gregory Pimstone '90, and Allan Schare '86, and to Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP, McDermott Will & Emery, and Reed Smith LLP for sponsoring this event.
Noon to 1:30 pm
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP, 11355 W. Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles
To RSVP, register online here, call 510.643.6673 or email [email protected].



February 24, 2009
Downtown Los Angeles Alumni Reception with Dean Edley
Join Boalt alums for an evening with Dean Edley as he discusses the Campaign for Boalt Hall. Special thanks to Mark P�check '84 and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP for hosting this event, and to Andrew Demetriou '79, Debra Fischer '89, Yury Kapgan '01, Jay Shafran '63, and Matthew Kline '99 for their support.
6 to 8 p.m.
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, 333 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles.

April 4, 2009
Charter Gala 2009, presented by the California Alumni Association
Save the date for the California Alumni Association's annual event celebrating the University of California. This year, Boalt alumna Nicole Harris '95, Corporate Counsel for the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, will be the recipient of the Bradford King Award, which recognizes volunteer service by alumni within the first ten years following graduation.

6 pm - Midnight
Festival Pavilion, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco
For more information, click here, call 510.643.5658 or email [email protected].

May 1, 2009
Citation Award Dinner
Save the date for the Boalt Hall Alumni Association's annual gala. Catch up with faculty and fellow graduates and celebrate the recipients of the Citation, Young Alumnus and Faculty Lifetime Achievement Awards.
The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco, 600 Stockton Street at California Street, San Francisco

October 8-11, 2009
All-Alumni Reunion
Four days. Two cities. 18 events. We couldn't pack this year's All-Alumni Reunion into one weekend on campus. So we're taking the bold step of offering a four-day program that spans both sides of the Bay.  Save the dates for a moveable feast of good food, fine wine, old friends, and intellectual stimulation. Special reunion events for classes ending in 4 and 9 will also be held.


 
February 2009
Main News

Boalt Hall Alumni Association Awards
Citation Award DinnerThe Boalt Hall Alumni Association will honor Stuart Gordon '65, Richard Buxbaum '53, and Laura Parsky '95 at the 2009 Citation Award Dinner on Friday, May 1 in San Francisco. Check out more information on the annual celebration of the Boalt community here.

Stuart Gordon, partner at Gordon & Rees, is the recipient of BHAA's 2009 Citation Award, the highest honor bestowed upon Boalt alumni, for his dedication to public service, his contributions to the legal profession, and his support of the law school. The BHAA also honors Jackson H. Ralston Professor of International Law Richard Buxbaum with its Faculty Lifetime Achievement Award and Superior Court Judge Laura Parsky with the Young Alumni Award. 

Hear From Dean Edley About the Campaign for Boalt Hall
Discuss the tremendous progress underway at Boalt with Dean Edley at alumni events in your area.  Space is limited so please RSVP now! Just email [email protected] or call 510.643.6673.

San Francisco Reception, Tuesday, February 10, 6 to 8 pm, located at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP. This event is at capacity with an open wait list.

Westside Los Angeles Luncheon, Tuesday, February 24, Noon to 1:30 pm, located at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP and cosponsored with McDermott Will & Emery and Reed Smith LLP.

Downtown Los Angeles Reception, Tuesday, February 24, 6 to 8 pm, located at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP.


California Alumni Association Honors Nicole Harris '95
Nicole Harris '95, corporate counsel at Pacific Gas and Electric Company, will be honored with the California Alumni Association's 2009 Bradford S. King Award for Excellence in Service at the annual Charter Gala on Friday, April 4, in San Francisco. Tickets to the dinner honoring Nicole and distinguished members of the Cal community, including Alumnus of the Year Robert D. Haas, former chairman and chief executive officer of Levi Strauss & Co; can be arranged online here. When registering, be sure to mention you are a Boalt alum so you can be seated with your fellow law graduates!


BCLBE's New Berkeley Law VC Blog is Up and Running
The Berkeley Center for Law, Business and the Economy has launched a venture capital blog. The blog will provide a forum for communications among academics, venture capitalists, and attorneys about economic and legal issues related to all aspects of the venture capital cycle including:

    -Forming and managing VC funds,
    -Investing in and control of portfolio companies,
    -Liquidity events, including public offerings, mergers, and dissolution,
    -Distributions from and liquidation of VC funds, and
    -Litigation between VC fund partners, and between VC funds and portfolio companies.

While most posts will address American VC practice, many of our contributors will examine venture capital related issues that emerge in other jurisdictions.

Reunion of International Alumni in Sardinia, Italy, June 5-7
The International Association of Boalt Alumni will be holding its annual reunion in Sardinia, Italy, June 5-7, 2009! Join Boalt alums from Europe and beyond at this two-day retreat on the exquisite Italian island of Sardinia in Puntaldia at the Due Lune Resort, Spa & Golf Club. The weekend's agenda will include opportunities to socialize with fellow Boalt alums, a roundtable discussion about U.S.-style contracts, as well as boat tours of the coast and other sightseeing activities. For more information about the IABA reunion and to register, please click here. If you have any questions, please contact Stefano Guiso-Gallisay at [email protected] or (+39) 02.76.21.71.

Class of 2008 State Bar Swearing In Ceremony
Our newest alumni were invited back to Boalt to be sworn in to the California State Bar at our annual State Bar Admissions Ceremony in Booth Auditorium on Friday, December 5. California Supreme Court Justice Kathryn Werdegar '62 presided over the special event, along with Judge Thelton Henderson '62 of the United States District Court, Northern District, and Judge William Fletcher of the United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Nan Joesten '97, president of the Boalt Hall Alumni Association, and Professor Bob Berring '74 officiated. You can find pictures of the event here. Congratulations to all alums recently admitted to the state bar!

Save the Date for the 2009 All-Alumni Reunion
AAR Save the DateMake plans to join Boalt Hall alumni for a four-day homecoming that will span both sides of the Bay. Save the dates of October 8-11 for a moveable feast of good food, fine wine, old friends, and intellectual stimulation. All alumni are invited, and special reunion celebrations will be held for those graduates in classes ending in 4 and 9. Those in reunion classes should be sure to fill out a yearbook entry here. Check out more information here!

New Energy Emphasis, New Name for Berkeley Law Research Center
The fast-rising importance of energy issues, and their link to the environment, is reshaping the work of a Berkeley Law think tank and prompting it to change its name.

The newly minted Center for Law, Energy, & the Environment (CLEE) has tackled energy matters since its inception in 2006 under the name California Center for Environmental Law & Policy. But the more it emerged as a player at the intersection of energy and environmental policy, the more it saw fit to highlight that fact.

"Considering about 80 percent of climate change challenges have an energy component, that intersection is extremely important," says Rick Frank, CLEE's executive director. "The name change is reflective of our adding talented staff in the energy arena and putting a greater emphasis on these issues as they affect the environment." Read more about the change here.

Boalt Alumni Group on LinkedIn
LinkedIn logoYou are invited to join the Boalt Hall Alumni Group on LinkedIn, the leading professional network tool online. Now you can leverage the power of Boalt alumni to find new contacts-both Boalt alumni and their contacts, too. Join today!

Talk to Students About Alternatives to Traditional Law Practice
Are you a Berkeley Law alum whose career doesn't involve (or no longer involves) practicing law? The Career Development Office would like to hear from you. Students are often curious about what else you can do with a law degree, and we would like to know what our alumni have discovered about alternative careers.

Please contact Sarah Cunniff at the Berkeley Law Career Development Office, [email protected] or 510.643.3161, and let us know what you are doing, and whether you would be willing to be a contact for students interested in alternatives to traditional law practice.


Have you moved to a new city or job? Do you have a baby on the way? Did you get a promotion? Keep your fellow alums up-to-date with your important life changes by submitting a Class Note. We'll publish your news on the web and/or the alumni magazine, Transcript. And if you don't have anything new to report, just browse our Class Notes page.

Angela Bortel '04 announces: "I am proud to annouce the opening of my firm, The Bortel Firm, LLC, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The firm focuses on immigration and civil litigation, with a particular emphasis on asylum law and appellate advocacy. Our work also includes meeting the needs of artists and record label owners in Minneapolis' bustling music industry. In keeping with my commitment to public service, The Bortel Firm, LLC, provides pro bono representation to asylum seekers and trafficked persons."

Janette Catron '07 announces: "Tom and I welcomed a baby boy, Maxwell Denevan Catron."

Jahmal Davis '97 has joined the partnership ranks at Hanson Bridgett, effective January 1. Jahmal is a member of the firm's Labor and Employment practice group. He represents public and private employers in state and federal employment litigation, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, and wage and hour claims. Jahmal also provides preventive advice and training to clients in employment matters. Jahmal received his B.B.A., with honors, from Tennessee State University in 1993.
 
Monique Farris '08 shares: "Joe Farris '08 and I were married on August 23, 2008! The ceremony and reception took place in an olive orchard in the East Bay. The ceremony was officiated by the one and only Rodrigo Sanchez '08. Krystal LoPilato '08 was my wonderful maid of honor. Christine Diaz-Herrera, 08 and Reid Mullen '08 were members of the bridal party as well."
 
Jon Hinck '90 was elected to a second term in the Maine House of Representatives representing part of the city of Portland. He was appointed to serve as the House Chair of the Joint Committee on Utilities and Energy in Maine's 124th Legislature. Jon is also a class action litigator in private practice.

Juliet Browne '90 is a lawyer with the Portland-based law firm of Verrill Dana, where she chairs the Environmental Law Group.
 
Beverly Lyon '69 reports: "After 35 years, I retired from active practice for health reasons at the end of 2005. I am still a certified specialist in Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Law, State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization and was selected by my peers as a Super Lawyer in Northern California for the last two years of my Bay Area practice. I still handle the occasional estate plan or probate, but mostly enjoy our new relaxing life and renewed health in Grass Valley in the foothills of the Sierra.

The most recent joy is that Lynn, my partner of more than 17 years, and I were able to marry this past September, and I was walked down the aisle by my son Ben. Thank you, California Supreme Court! We travel throughout California and Europe whenever possible, and I write fiction, primarily for young adults, whenever so moved."
 
Murray MacNeill '75 has retired.
 
Paul Marchegiani '03 updates: "After five years of big firm litigation in San Francisco, I have moved to Los Angeles to start an exciting new career as an entertainment lawyer for NBC Universal's Television Group. As counsel, legal affairs, I draft and negotiate talent and production agreements for a variety of network and cable television shows."
 
Amelia Miazad '02 has been elevated to senior counsel at Hanson Bridgett, effective January 1. Miazad is a member of the firm's Insurance Recovery and Public Agency practice groups. In the Insurance Recovery group, she represents policy-holders in disputes against their insurance carriers in both alternative dispute resolution and litigation settings, including developing strategies for resolving disputes with insurance funds and pursuing claims against insurers. In the Public Agency group, Amelia represents cities, counties, bridges, school districts and transportation districts in various matters involving constitutional law issues and code enforcement. In addition to practicing law, Amelia, who was born in Afghanistan, is active in legal, development, and policy issues relating to Afghanistan, and she volunteers for various non-profits that are committed to development in Afghanistan. She is also involved with the US State Department's Public Private Partnership for Justice Reform in Afghanistan, and is participating in the Afghan Women Lawyers Training and Empowerment Conference in January 2009. Amelia is also a member of the Boalt Hall Alumni Board. She received her J.D. from Boalt Hall in 2002 and her B.A., with honors and distinction, from Sonoma State University in 1998.

Kathleen A. O'Reilly '83 shares: "I am marrying my childhood sweetheart, Fred Kinzler, on December 29, 2008. My son, Alec, is graduating high school in June of 2009."
 
Jerry J. Ruiz '80 announces: "After nearly 15 years at Wells Fargo Bank, I returned to private practice and became Of Counsel to the law firm of Adorno Yoss Alvarado & Smith in downtown Los Angeles."
 
Jonathan S. Shapiro '90 on January 11 faced off against constitutional scholar Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, UC Irvine School of Law, in a mock trial of Abraham, accused of attempted murder of his son Isaac, at University Synagogue, Irvine, California. Shapiro, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney, served as the prosecutor, Dean Chemerinsky was the defense lawyer, and Judge Wapner of "The People's Court" was the judge. At the conclusion of the arguments, Abraham was convicted by a slim majority of the audience "jury" of 800. Shapiro's request for remand was denied.

Richard G. Wallace '84 reports: "After 18 years as a securities regulator at the SEC and FINRA, I am going back to private practice at Foley & Lardner in Washington DC. In 1990 I moved to Washington with the idea that two or three years on the east coast would be a nice change of pace."