Weekly Newsletter        |         July 29, 2014
In This Issue
Message from the BALIF Board 
 
Greetings! 
 

 

Please join us Tuesday, August 26 from 5pm - 8pm for a BALIF Pro Bono event with the Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights (LCCR) Second Chance Legal Clinic. Volunteers at the Second Chance Legal Clinic help clients overcome barriers to employment and housing by assisting with criminal record expungement, occupational licensing, criminal background reports, housing applications and denials, driver's license suspensions, and other employment concerns.

 

Training for the Clinic will be Wednesday August 20 from 1pm - 2:30pm at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP.


 

The Nuts and Bolts:

Training (lunch provided):

8/20 1pm - 2:30pm at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP (Four Embarcadero Center, 22ndFloor SF, CA)


 

Volunteer Day (happy hour to follow):

8/26 5pm - 8pm at the West Bay Community Center (1290 Filmore Street SF, CA)

 

More details on the Clinic: http://www.lccr.com/re-entry.php

 

Please register in advance so we know how many people to expect!


 

Jessica Bogo
BALIF Social Action Chair

 

LGBT People of 
Color in the Legal Profession

Please join BALIF and the Asian American Bar Association's LGBT committee for a discussion about LGBT people of color in the legal profession. We have a distinguished group of panelists who are all LGBT persons of color, including:

  • Professor Russell Robinson (Distinguished Haas Chair in LGBT Equity Professor of Law, Berkeley Law School);
  • Christine Sun (Staff Attorney for the Immigrants' Rights Project, ACLU);
  • Felicia Medina (Managing Partner at the San Francisco Office of Sanford Heisler, LLP and BALIF Director);
  • And Craig Konnoth (Deputy Solicitor General at the Solicitor General's Office at the Attorney General of California) as moderator.

The discussion will focus on how the panelists' gender, sexual orientation, and race have affected their careers as attorneys. The panel will discuss how stereotypes about their multiple identities and their personal backgrounds have shaped their experiences as attorneys and affected their view of the legal profession. The panel will also discuss legal issues at the intersection of LGBT identities and race.

 

The panel will be followed by a reception with drinks, light appetizers, and opportunities for networking.

 

Please RSVP http://tinyurl.com/LGBTPeopleofColor

Date:  

July 29, 2014

Time:   6:00-8:30PM

Place:   The Orrick Building

405 Howard Street

San Francisco, CA 94105-2669

 

Latta v. Otter Amicus Brief Filed

BALIF filed an amicus curiae brief on Friday, July 25, with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in Latta v. Otter supporting the right of same-sex couples in Idaho to marry and same-sex couples who have been married out-of-state to have their marriages recognized in Idaho. The court will hear in Idaho. The Court will hear Latta, on appeal from the District of Idaho, in September. Sevcik v. Sandoval, the Nevada marriage equality case on appeal from the District of Nevada, for which BALIF filed an amicus brief last October, is also scheduled to be heard by the court in September.

The brief argues that excluding same-sex couples from the institution of marriage causes tangible legal and economic harm and denies substantial benefits, including the federal benefits extended to same-sex marriages following the Supreme Court's decision in United States v. Windsor.

 

 "Some critical federal benefits are linked to the place of domicile, so even same-sex couples married legally in other states are prevented from enjoying these benefits if they currently reside in states, such as Idaho, that do not recognize same-sex marriage," said Leah Nutting, chair of BALIF's Amicus Committee. 

 

More than thirty other civil rights groups joined BALIF on the brief. The brief was filed with pro bono support from the law firm of Munger, Tolles & Olsen, with Jerome C. Roth and Amelia L. B. Sargent heading the effort.

Join BALIF's California Conference of Bar Associations Committee!

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 Diego from September 12-14.

 

BALIF's representation and participation at the Conference are crucial to ensure visibility of the LGBT legal community at the statewide level and to bring LGBT issues before the Conference. This year, BALIF is sponsoring a resolution to address sexual violence in correctional settings in California, a problem that disproportionately affects LGBT inmates.

 

If you want to weigh in on this year's proposed resolutions and/or join BALIF's delegation to the Conference, please email Denise Bergin at [email protected] by August 9.


2014-2015 BALIF "Connections" Mentorship Program

 

BALIF's Connections mentorship program is seeking mentors and mentees for 2014-2015. For more information, see the program guidelines and description on the BALIF website. If you are a law student, recent law school graduate, or newer attorney seeking a mentor, or if you are an experienced attorney interested in serving as a mentor, please contact Julie Wilensky, [email protected]. Mentor/mentee pairs will be assigned on a rolling basis from July-September.

BALIFBuzz

 

Gina Scialabba

BALIF would like to congratulate Gina Scialabba

who completed her first Aids/Lifecycle bike ride in June and raised over $3400. ALC is a 7 day, 545 mile bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Gina is already looking forward to ALC 2015!
INFORUM hosts Jason Collins

Jason Collins is the first active pro sports player in major US team sports to come out as gay and we'd like to give him a great SF welcome. The event is Monday, August 11th, at the historic Castro Theatre. At the event, The NBA's Jason Collins: First Out Athlete in Major American Pro Sports, Jason will talk about his life and career in the NBA both before and after coming out. As the first gay athlete to play professionally in one of the four major North American sports leagues, Jason is an inspiration and has already paved the way for other gay athletes to play sports more freely and openly.

 

There's a premium reception before the event to eat, drink, and speak with Jason. 

 

For tickets and more info: http://bit.ly/collinsnba-eb

For Tweets: @INFORUMsf

To RSVP on Facebook: http://bit.ly/collinsnba-fb

Pride Law Fund
Upcoming Events

 

Celebrate the 35th Anniversary of Pride Law Fund with a variety of events in 2014!
 
August 17: Third annual Boat Cruise around the Bay
Details:  Float with PLF in support of LGBT fellowships!
 
Also keep an eye out for details about the first annual Brewery Tour this fall and the second annual Gay Ski Day this coming winter!
 
Donate to Pride Law Fund:  
Pride Law Fund
P.O. Box 2602
San Francisco, CA 94126-2602
 
Follow us on facebook:   
ACBA - Judicial Mentoring Project
ACBA - Judicial Mentoring Project:  Thinking about applying for a judicial appointment. Diverse applicants needed.  Rolling application process through July 2014.  Please consider applying.   For more information: https://www.acbanet.org/Committees/EastBayDiversityBarCoalition.aspx
KABANC Annual Gala- Save the Date!
On Friday, September 26, KABANC will hold its annual gala at the Crowne Plaza in Palo Alto, 4290 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA 94306, to celebrate its 31st anniversary. Please save the date! Details are forthcoming, and we very much look forward to seeing you there!

As in years past, we will be awarding a scholarship to a law student for bar related studies. If you would like to support our Foundation and its efforts to provide scholarships to law students, please reach out to Liz Kim at [email protected]

 
Follow BALIF on Twitter!

 

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 in the right hand column of the newsletter or here.

 

Uber Discount for BALIF Members
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).
Join the BALIF Listserv!

 

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 [email protected] or [email protected].

We Want Your BALIFBuzz

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 [email protected].

 

Can't wait to hear your great news!

 

Meaghan Zore 

BALIF Membership Chair

 

Job Postings Now on BALIF Website

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 JOBS from the menu on the left.

Upcoming Events
July 29 - LGBT People of Color in the Legal Profession
August 17 - PLF Sunset Bay Cruise
August 26 - BALIF Volunteer Day 
September 4 - "Connections" Mentorship Happy Hour
BALIF Board of Directors
Jamie Dupree & John Robert Unruh
  
Peter Catalanotti
Secretary

Mario Choi
Treasurer

Andrew Vu &
Lilah Sutphen 
Judiciary Co-Chairs

Nick Clements & 
Mario Choi
Gala Co-Chairs  

 

Meaghan Zore 

Leah Nutting
Amicus Chair     

Joseph Rocha & Midori Hirai
Katie Carlson
BALIF Administrator 
Our 2014 Sponsors
Senior Partner Level
 
 
Partner Level

A&P


Fenwick
HB Logo
Kilpatrick

Mofo
Sedgwick2
Seyfarth


Wilson

Advocate Level

 

A.L. Nella & Company, CPAs 

AT&T 

Bingham McCutchen  

Farella Braun + Martel LLP 

Jones Day 

Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. 

Nixon Peabody LLP 

O'Melveny & Meyers LLP 

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP 

Perkins Coie LLP 

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP 

Santa Clara University School of Law 

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton 

Shook Hardy & Bacon LLP 

 

Benefactor Level

 

Clarence, Dyer & Cohen LLP / Swanson & McNamara LLP 

Cooley Godward Kronish LLP 

FTI Consulting 

Futterman Dupree Dodd Croley Maier LLP 

Gibson Dunn & Crutcher 

Golden Gate University 

HaleyNelson & Heilbrun LLP 

Heath Newton LLP 

HendricksMurry, P.C. 

Jackson Lewis LLP 

JAMS 

Latham & Watkins LLP 

Lewis, Feinberg, Lee, Renaker & Jackson, P.C. 

Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP 

Littler Mendelson 

Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP 

Paul Hastings LLP 

Pritzker Law 

Reed Smith LLP 

Roeca Hass Hager LLP 

San Francisco City Attorney's Office 

San Francisco District Attorney's Office 

Schiff Hardin LLP 

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP 

Special Counsel 

Stein & Lubin LLP 

 

Individual Sponsors

 

Altep, Inc.  

Todd Norris, Bullivant Houser Bailey 

Michael Colantuono, Colantuono & Levin, P.C.  

Peter C. Catalanotti, Manning & Kass, Ellrod, Ramirez, Trester LLP 

Debra R. Schoenberg, Schoenberg Family Law Group, P.C. 

 Cheryl Sena, Sena Family Law 

Judge Vaughn Walker ADR/Law Office Vaughn R Walker 

Hon. James L. Warren (Ret.), JAMS  

Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP 
Follow BALIF

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BALIF | | [email protected] | http://www.balif.org
P.O. Box 193383
San Francisco, CA 94119

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