In This Issue

 

 

What continues to be the biggest need for our young lawyers and law students? Jobs!

 

BALIF's Second Annual CAREER & NETWORKING EXPO

Saturday, March 29, 2014

12:30 pm - 6 pm

Golden Gate University School of Law

536 Mission Street

San Francisco, CA 94105-2968

• Latest Update: Over 20 firms, non-profits, government agencies, and recruiters will be on hand to give you the insider perspective on a spectrum of practice areas and organizations!
• One-on-one mock interview sessions.
• Individual resume counseling.
• "Power Prepping" Panel. Let us share our experiences with the job hunt and what you can do while looking for that perfect job.
• "Power Networking" Panel. Let BALIF members who found their jobs through networking (including through last year's Expo!) show you how to do it!
• "Power Interviewing" Panel. Let the pros show you how to bring it all together and nail that job offer!

• Networking Mixer at 111 Minna Gallery, from 6:00- 7:30pm, to put to practice the skills you've learned all day!

If you're on the job hunt, this event is your wisest investment. RSVP now!

 

To our more experienced members -- here's your chance to give back to our community by staffing an informational booth. If you or your firm is interested in staffing a table, please contact Jamie Dupree at JDupree@FDDCM.com or Mario Choi at mchoi@kaplanfox.com.

 

Co-sponsored by Golden Gate School of Law.

 

As of today, we have over 20 employers who will be at the Expo. Here's a partial list:

 

Sanford Heisler, LLP

Rudy Exelrod Zieff & Lowe, LLP

Meditation Law Offices of Barbara Bryant

Law Offices of Edward Joy

Novak Druce Connolly Bove + Quigg LLP

Farella Braun + Martel LLP

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman

EarthJustice

S.F. District Attorney's Office

AIDS Legal Referral Panel

Futterman Dupree Dodd Croley Maier LLP

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Bullivant House Bailey PC

Ropers Majeski Kohn Bently PC

Reed Smith LLP

Dickeson Geesman LLP

NovaBay Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

 

Click here to see the entire list! And make sure you register!

 

A great way to serve the LGBT legal community and become more involved in BALIF is to join BALIF's Board of Directors. BALIF's Directors are elected by the BALIF membership, and each Director holds office for two years. Any BALIF member is welcome to run for the Board or nominate another BALIF member. BALIF's bylaws reflect the Board's commitment to "equality, parity, and diversity," and we specifically encourage people of color, women, and transgender and/or gender non-conforming individuals to run for the Board. All Directors must attend BALIF's Board Retreat the evening of Friday, May 9 and all day Saturday, May 10, 2014.

 

To run for the Board or nominate someone else, please send a candidate statement of up to 250 words to Julie Wilensky (secretary@balif.org) and BALIF's Administrator, Katie Carlson (balif@balif.org) by April 3, 2014 at 5:30 pm. BALIF's bylaws require gender parity on the Board, with a certain number of positions allocated to Directors who identify as male, female, and gender non-conforming. So if you are seeking a position, please indicate the category with which you identify.

 

Elections will be online starting on April 10, and there will be an opportunity to vote in person at BALIF's annual general membership meeting on Tuesday, April 24, 2014 from 6 - 8:30 p.m. The results will be announced at the end of the meeting.

 

Questions about the Board? Thinking about seeking a position? Feel free to contact Julie Wilensky at secretary@balif.org.

 

The National LGBT Bar Association is pleased to partner with PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (PNC) to provide a meaningful summer internship opportunity to a highly-motivated first-year or second-year law student. Through this partnership, the National LGBT Bar Association will select one student to join the 2014 intern class at PNC for a 10-week legal internship. This internship will be based in one of PNC's Philadelphia offices and will be a paid position.

 

Internship Responsibilities

As a Legal Intern, you will work with PNC's in-house legal team and rotate through several different areas of law including litigation, regulatory and corporate. You will receive a variety of assignments from senior lawyers that will provide you with the skills you need to build your legal resume as you step forward along your career path.

 

This internship will introduce you to our organization's legal culture and environment, familiarize you with legal processes, and increase your aptitude in handling complex tasks/projects. You will gain exposure to a variety of legal matters and attain a well-rounded understanding of our legal infrastructure, while contributing your research, writing and analytical skills in support of the department.

 

Qualifications

• Completed one year or two years at an ABA accredited law school
• 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale or the equivalent
• Must be a member of the National LGBT Bar Association
• Excellent writing skills
• Strong communication skills
• Analytical-thinking and problem-solving skills
• Must have US Citizenship or Permanent Residency

 

How to Apply

To apply, you must submit a cover letter, resume, three references, and a copy of your transcript to: PNC@lgbtbar.org

Please write "PNC Summer Legal Intern" in the subject line of the email.

 

All materials must be received by 5:00 p.m. EST on March 14, 2014.

Interviews will be conducted the week of March 17, 2014. Finalist shall be selected and notified on or before March 24, 2014. 

Thursday, March 20, 2014 6-7:30 pm; Generously Hosted by: Covington & Burling LLP , One Front Street (at Market St.), 35th floor San Francisco, CA 94111 www.cov.com

Screening of 30-minute documentary; discussion with Family Acceptance Project (FAP) Director, Dr. Caitlin Ryan; hosted light refreshments. Tickets $15 or $25 Donor Choice. Film snacks, beer, wine & sodas included. Film screens at 6:30pm.

Host Committee: Bruce Deming, Ruth Herring, Shannon Minter Charles Spiegel

This short documentary film "Families Are Forever" was created by the Family Acceptance Project (FAP) and chronicles the journey of a devout Mormon family living in a conservative community who attended Church every Sunday, actively served in their ward, went door-to-door to stop same-sex marriage in support of California's Prop 8-- and whose lives were turned upside down when their 13-year-old son revealed he was gay. This story of love and acceptance has won awards at film festivals around the world. Families are Forever is part of a series of short documentaries produced by the Family Acceptance Project that depict the journey of ethnically and religiously diverse families to support their LGBT children - based on FAP's compelling research.

FAP's work was designated as the 1st "Best Practices" resource for suicide prevention for LGBT people by the national Best Practices Registry for Suicide Prevention, including the only Best Practice resources for suicide prevention for Mormon families. Other films in the series include a Mexican American Marine accepting his son.

 

Please join us for the BALIF March Happy Hour!

Sponsored by Jinah Conroy of Courtroom Sciences

 

When: Thursday, March 27, 6-8 p.m. 

Where:Infusion Lounge

124 Ellis Street (between Mason and Powell)

San Francisco, CA

Golden Gate University School of Law and Queer Law Student Association are celebrating 21 years of the Zamperini-Burchell Scholarship on March 27, 2014. This is a special event to honor the 2014 scholarship recipient, Dustin Helmer. The event is FREE with light appetizers and beverages served.

 

Date and Time:

March 27, 2014; 5:00 to 6:30 pm

 

Location:

GGU Law, 40 Jesse Street, San Francisco, CA.

6th Floor, Riley Conference Room.

 

Please RSVP here:

http://ggulawzamperinireception2014.eventbrite.com

When: Saturday, April 5, 2014, 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Where: Lake Chalet - 1520 Lakeside Dr, Oakland, CA 94612
What: East Bay BALIF Family Social
Cost: Free for BALIF members and their families

Please join BALIF at our East Bay social for BALIF members and their families.

 

 

Click here for the Amicus Brief.

Please join us for the ALRP 2014 Board Emeritus Wine & Cheese Party...a special evening of reuniting, socializing and networking as we gather to honor all of those who have served on ALRP's Board of Directors since our founding in 1983.

 

Morrison & Foerster LLP / 425 Market Street, 33^rd Floor - Town Hall

 

The legal and political landscape for LGBT residents of Israel is changing rapidly, with emerging issues involving surrogacy for gay male couples, co-parenting arrangements, accommodation for transgender people, and the lack of civil marriage. Elinor Sidi is the director of Jerusalem Open House, a central location for social support, political activism and legal advocacy for the LGBT community. Sidi has also been involved in numerous social and political engagements regarding the role of Orthodox religion in LGBT affairs, and the concerns of gay Palestinians living in Israel. Come hear Sidi discuss the recent legal and political developments that affect the gay community in Israel. Thursday, April 17, 2014, 5:30 p.m. at the Law Offices of Johnston, Kinney & Zulaica.

Attorney volunteers are needed to serve as judges for Berkeley Law School's McBaine Moot Court Competition. Boalt is looking for judges for the preliminary rounds, Monday, March 17 and Wednesday, March 19. They are encouraging Minority Bar Coalition members to participate to increase the diversity of judges. Dinner for the judges on both nights will start at 5:30 pm at Boalt (at Bancroft and College Ave), and the competition will start around 6:30 pm. Please contact Anne Gordon at adgordon@law.berkeley.edu if you are interested.

 

The Office of the Independent Administrator (OIA) is seeking qualified individuals who want to join its pool of possible arbitrators. There is no fee to do so and the OIA receives no money from the neutral arbitrators.

 

The OIA administers the arbitration system between Kaiser Permanente Health Plan, Inc., and its six million members in California. We administer about 650 cases a year and have approximately 275 neutral arbitrators on the panel. The panels are divided by region; Northern California, Southern California, and San Diego. The parties select their neutral arbitrator by striking and ranking 12 randomly generated names supplied by the OIA, or by jointly selecting any neutral arbitrator upon whom they can agree.   Neutrals set their own fees and are paid by the parties.

 

Among other requirements, neutral arbitrators must either be lawyers with either ten years of substantial litigation and/or arbitration experience; retired state or federal judges; or lawyers with specifically designed arbitration training.   Medical malpractice experience is not required. You must agree to follow the OIA Rules and ensure that the deadlines set forth in the Rules are met.

 

If interested, please go to the OIA at www.oia-kaiserarb.com. You may complete the application on line. You may also obtain copies by emailing oia@oia-kaiserarb.com or by calling 213-637-9847. The qualifications and a copy of the application are attached.

  

                                 

Uncontested Divorces

• Thursday, March 20, 5:30-7:00pm
• Presented by Brent Seymour, Esq., Shapiro Thorne Inc.
• Bar Association of San Francisco, 301 Battery Street, 3rd Floor, Board Room, San Francisco, CA 94111
• 1.5 General CLE Credits

To RSVP:

Alex Taylor

Volunteer Coordinator

AIDS Legal Referral Panel

1663 Mission St., Suite 500

San Francisco, CA 94103

415-701-1200 ext. 303

alext@alrp.org

www.alrp.org

 

Marriage for Same-Sex Couples: Is it Over Yet?

Lecture by Professor Matthew Coles

Wednesday, March 26, 2014 from 3:30 - 4:30pm

Room B at UC Hastings

 

It looks like the question of whether the U.S. Constitution says states must marry same-sex couples is headed back to the Supreme Court. Is that a good thing? Would a win mean that the LGBT movement is mostly over? Stop in for some speculation on the next big moment in the legal movement for LGBT rights. Matthew Coles is the Deputy National Legal Director of the ACLU and Director of the ACLU's Equality Center.

 

For more information, visit here! 

The National LGBT Bar Association is now accepting submissions for the Student Leadership Award, the Michael Greenberg Writing Competition and the International Association of LGBT Judges Writing Competition

 

Student Leadership Award

The National LGBT Bar Association's Student Leadership Award is the organization's highest honor for law students. The award will recognize a law student who has demonstrated leadership within their school and in the surrounding community, especially in the area of LGBT equality.

 

Michael Greenberg Student Writing Competition

Established in memory of Michael Greenberg, a former National LGBT Bar Association board member and Philadelphia attorney who died in 1996 from complications with AIDS, this exciting competition is dedicated to encouraging and recognizing outstanding law student scholarship on the legal issues affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons.

 

International Association of LGBT Judges Student Writing Competition

The International Association of LGBT Judges sponsors a writing competition for all law students attending the 2014 Lavender Law Conference & Career Fair. This is an exciting opportunity for law students who wish to pursue their career as a member of the United States judiciary.

 

Timeline

All three student awards will follow the same final submission date of Friday, May 16, 2014 at 5:00pm ET. Late entries will not be considered. Students are able to enter all competitions, but only if they turn in different works for each submission.

Click here for full competition details. Should you have any questions, please send them to info@LGBTbar.org.

 

Transgender Law Center is in the process of creating a robust cooperating attorney network. They are especially interested in developing a network of attorneys who can assist them with cases - either by sharing their expertise and knowledge or by serving as co-counsel. Transgender Law Center also needs attorneys to whom they can refer some of the 2,500 individuals who contact them each year from across the country. If you haven't yet joined their cooperating attorney network, please do so now at the link below. And please forward this information to your friends and colleagues. Thanks! 

 

http://www.formstack.com/forms/?1628454-1kVsVna0mW

 

 

 

BALIF's twitter feed is up and running.  Follow us to see BALIF news, event info, #ThrowbackThursday posts, and more.  Just click the Twitter button at the bottom of the newsletter or here.

 

Request a ride with the push of a button! Uber is offering new users $20 off your first ride. Text BALIF to 827-222. You can also sign up at uber.com/go/BALIF and download the app for Android, Blackberry, or iPhone. Then sit back and enjoy the magic of Uber, everyone's private driver. (Valid for new users only, TAXI excluded).

 

BALIF members are experts in almost every legal specialization from antitrust to family law and we want to leverage our extensive media contacts list to raise the profiles of our experts. When a journalist needs an expert on securities law, prison law, employment law, or whatever your specialization is, she'll call you for that quote. 

 

If you want to be included in the BALIF Expert Directory,

please send a short email with the following to PR@balif.org:

 

Name, title and place of business

 

Fields and/or sub-fields you are an expert in (E.g., Employment and ERISA)

 

No more than 500 words on what makes you an expert: specific work experience, length of experience, published articles or books, and speaking appearances related to your topic.

Please reply only if you can truly be considered an expert in your field; general guidelines are at least 7-10 years of practice and/or additional qualifications that separate you from other attorneys.

 

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!

 

Meaghan Zore 

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.

March 20- BALIF/ NCLR/ FAP Social Movie Night

March 27- Happy Hour Sponsored by Courtroom Sciences

April 5- BALIF East Bay Family Friendly Social

April 10- BALIF Mixer with CAOC & MBC

April 17- LGBT Legal & Political Developments in Israel

April 24- BALIF Board Election Night