Hey BALIF members! Did you know that almost half of BALIF membership is made up of law students? And with the National Lavender Law Conference being held in beautiful San Francisco August 22 through 24 - it is BALIF's goal this year to send as many law students to attend this exciting and invaluable event. Unfortunately, due to the high cost of registration, many law students are unable to attend. Therefore, BALIF is seeking the help of our generous members to donate a minimum of $135 (the cost of registration) to help support a law student to attend Lavender Law 2013. This year will be especially electrifying with the demise of DOMA and Prop 8 and we don't want our Bay Area law students to miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

If you are interested in making a donation or want more information about how you or your firm can help sponsor a law student, please email balif@balif.org or lawstudentrep@balif.org.

Do you want to help shape California's laws? Join BALIF's California Conference of Bar Associations (CCBA) Committee.  Each year, BALIF sends a delegation to the California Conference of Bar Associations, a group of attorneys from local, specialty, and minority bar associations across the state that are focused on improving California's laws. BALIF's CCBA Committee reviews and determines BALIF's position on resolutions that are debated at the Conference.  This year, the Conference will be in San Jose from October 11-13, 2013.

The Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Silicon Valley ("APABA-SV") Charity Foundation and Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom ("BALIF") are pleased to announce a special scholarship for law students who have a demonstrated commitment to the Asian Pacifica American community and the LGBT community.

 

Purpose	To recognize law students in the greater Bay Area who have: Overcome personal hardships or challenges; Shown excellence and achievement in law school; or Demonstrated leadership and service to the Asian Pacific American and LGBT community.
Awards	One scholarship of $1,500.

Deadline	Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m., September 6, 2013.
Submission	Please submit applications to apabasv@gmail.com. Please also feel free to contact us with questions.

 

 

BALIF and Seyfarth Shaw would like to invite you to a reception to celebrate the 2013 Lavender Law Conference.

 

Thursday, August 22, 2013

8:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.

 

111 Minna Gallery

111 Minna Street

San Francisco, CA 94105

 

 

Dates TBA

 

Bar Association of San Francisco

301 Battery Street, 3rd Floor

San Francisco, CA 94111, Board Room

5:30pm-7:00pm

1.5 General CLE Credits

 

Immigration Options for Bi-national Couples after DOMA

Kelly McCown, Esq., McCown & Evans LLP

 

Fair Debt Collections Practices Act

Noah Zinner, Esq., Housing & Economic Rights Advocates

 

Applied Mindfulness for Lawyers: Strategies for Managing Stress

Kim Nicol, Esq., Attorney at Law

Substance Abuse Credit

 

Wills & Trusts for LGBTQ Couples after DOMA

Deb Kinney, Esq., Johnston, Kinney & Zulaica, LLP

 

Family Law & Mediation

Joann Babiak, Esq., Babiak Law Offices

 

New Developments in Tax Law

Adria Price, Esq., Price & Associates LLP and Aubrey Hone, Esq. Hone Maxwell LLP

 

Unlawful Detainer Negotiation

Deepa Varma, Esq., Eviction Defense Collaborative

 

LGBT Elder Abuse: Nursing Homes and Assisted Living/Residential Care Facilities

Helene Wenzel, Esq., Law Office of Helene V. Wenzel

 

The Iranian American Bar Association invites BALIF Members to their Sixth Annual Dinner on Thursday, August 15, 2013, at 6:30pm.  This year's keynote speaker will be Mr. Cyrus Amir-Mokri, the U.S. Treasury Department's Assistant Secretary of Financial Institutions!  Tickets can be purchased tickets here . 

A Panel of Immigration Attorneys Present: 

GREEN CARDS FOR SAME SEX COUPLES

Do you have questions about getting a green card based on a same-sex marriage? 

A panel of San Francisco-based immigration attorneys will provide an overview of the impact of the recent Supreme Court case striking down the Defense of Marriage Act ("DOMA") on immigration law.

* Emily Wages, of the Law Office of Emily Wages
* Christina H. Lee, Partner at Becker & Lee LLP
* Camiel Becker, Partner at Becker & Lee LLP

** Time permitting, attorneys will offer free
consultations on a first come first served basis.

Thursday, August 15, 2013
From 6:30 - 9:30 p.m.

Location:
San Francisco LGBT Community Center
Spencer Andrew Ceremonial Room
1800 Market Street, San Francisco, CA

Barristers 5th Annual Diversity Reception

 

You are invited to attend the 5th Annual Diversity reception. This award reflects an individual's efforts to increase awareness of diversity issues in the Bay Area Legal Community. This is a free event for all attorneys, judges, law students, and BASF members. The Barristers Club is proud to honor Otis Bruce Jr. and Quyen Ta.

 

Generously Sponsored by: 
Keker & Van Nest LLP
Phillips Spallas & Angstadt LLP
Morrison & Foerster LLP

Sponsorship opportunities still available. 
Please contact Barristers Club Director Kallie Donahoe.

Register here! 

 

BASF Conference Center 
301 Battery Street 
3rd Floor 
San Francisco, CA 94111   

Event Code: B137313

 

Hosted by:

The Beck Law Group, P.C.

McCown & Evans LLP

Our Family Coalition

Gay Asian Pacific Alliance

Asian Pacific Islander Queer Women & Transgender Community

API Equality

Out4Immigration

 

Please join us as we discuss tax, immigration, social security, property co-ownership and other legal implications of same-sex marriage and the possible repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act.

 

Topics will include:

• Immigration options for same sex binational couples after DOMA
• Requirements for fiancé visas or marriage-based green cards
• Differences between applying for a green card in the U.S. vs. abroad
• Federal Income Tax implications after DOMA
• Social Security benefits implications after DOMA

 

Speakers:

Alma Soongi Beck, J.D., LL.M. Taxation

The Beck Law Group, P.C.

 

Kelly McCown, Esq. and Jeptha Evans, Esq., Partners/Co-Founders of McCown & Evans LLP

 

San Francisco:

Thursday, August 22, 2013 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

San Francisco Public Library

Koret Auditorium

100 Larkin Street

San Francisco, CA 94102

 

East Bay:

Saturday, August 17, 2013 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Bananas Inc.

Main Meeting Room

5232 Claremont Avenue

Oakland, CA 94618

 

Space is limited. To RSVP, please contact Andrea from McCown & Evans LLP at info@mccownevans.com or (415) 834-9123. For additional information, please see www.mccownevans.com or www.becklawgroup.com.

 

COST: Seminars are free of charge. These are informational seminars. There is no cost or obligation.

The Barristers Club Board of Directors is accepting applications for 2014. Directors determine the club's mission and set policy and procedures to fulfill the club's mission.

 

Directors supervise and facilitate Barristers Club activities by serving as liaisons to Barristers Sections and Committees, and participating on ad hoc committees in connection with major events (e.g., the Judges Reception). Directors represent the Barristers to the legal community and the public.

 

Candidates must be BASF members who were admitted to the bar on January 1, 2004 or later. The Barristers Club and its board encourage diverse eligible members of BASF to apply for the Barristers board.

 

To be considered for a nomination, you must submit a personal statement no later than September 3, 2013.

The statement should include your education and legal background, area of practice, your involvement with the Barristers Club, other bar associations, or community service organizations. We encourage you to include any other information that you believe will assist the committee in making an informed decision. Your statement should not exceed 350 words and should not include the names of endorsers. In addition, you may include your resume, if you like.

 

Submit your statement by email to barristers@sfbar.org.

American Bar Association, Section of Taxation

Fall Meeting, September 19-21, 2013, Hyatt Regency, San Francisco, CA

Register at: http://meetings.abanet.org/meeting/tax/fall13/ 

 

Diversity Committee Luncheon and Panel

12:00-1:30

Friday, September 20, 2013

 

Featured Panelists
Hon. Tara Desautels - Alameda County Superior Court Judge 

Nancy O'Malley - Alameda County District Attorney
Aundrea Brown - Alameda County Assistant Public Defender
Laura Stein - Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Clorox

The Faculty Club at U.C. Berkeley
6:00 pm Reception and Silent Auction
7:15 pm Dinner and Panel Discussion

2 or 3 offices available in prime Victorian in Castro. Share flat with estate planner/generalist and building with other attorneys. We are congenial, collegial, experienced and respectful.

 

Rents: $1,100 for smallest office; $1,200 for med office and $1,400 for front parlor office (fireplace, etc.). Included in rent: shared reception/paralegal office and conference room, and small kitchen space. Not included in rent: utilities, and cleaning. Floor is well-wired for internet for easy plug and play.

 

Contact: Michael @ 415-861-9900

 

The National LGBT Bar Association is pleased to present Reed Smith's 2013 Diverse Scholars Program. Reed Smith has a strong commitment to diversity, which has resulted in a firm in which diversity and inclusion permeate the culture. Rewarding young future leaders for their efforts in the area of diversity and introducing them to the Reed Smith culture are two important goals of this program.

Click here for more details.

 

Have a job or need one? Civil procedure question? Need a

referral? Have something important to ask ... or news to tell? Want to get to our members quickly? Join our Listserv!

 

BALIF members should have received our invitation to join our newly-created Listserv. You must proactively respond to the request in order to be added to our Listserv. If you didn't get a request, please let us know by emailing technology@balif.org or balif@balif.org.

We all love that section in our alumni newsletters that talks about who's doing what.

 

Well, we're introducing the BALIFBuzz to show-off all the great things that our members are doing.  BALIFBuzz will be appearing in the weekly BALIF newsletter.   

 

New job?

New client?

Promotion?

Court victory?

Significant settlement?

Baby on the way?

Recently married or engaged?

Speaking engagement?

Award, recognition, certification, or degree?  

Or anything else you're excited about...

 

Keep it to one or two lines.  Please send to membership@balif.org.

 

Can't wait to hear your great news!

 

Lauri Bertolacci

BALIF Membership Chair

 

All job postings can be found here!  

 

BALIF membership must be current to view the job postings. Simply log into the BALIF website with your membership ID and password, and select the JOBS from the menu on the left.

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On Lu & Jamie Dupree