Weekly Newsletter        |        January 27, 2015
In This Issue
Message from the BALIF Board 
Greetings!

 

 

As January comes to a close, 2015 is shaping up to be an exciting year. February may be the shortest month, but it's a month packed with fun and exciting BALIF events and opportunities. We hope you can make it out to some or all of them!  Our February Happy Hour, at Tribune Tavern, is focused on networking, and it's a great opportunity to come and meet new and old friends and contacts.  

 

Speaking of opportunities, for law students, it's time to start thinking about scholarships if you haven't already done so.  3Ls, don't forget to check out the California Bar Foundation Bar Scholarship, and submit your application. This time of year can be busy, but take the time to do something to help yourself.

 

If the days of law school and the Bar exam are past you, check out an opportunity to network with other seasoned attorneys. Our BALIF Partners Exchange Luncheon continues this month on February 11th, and serves as a great opportunity for law firm owners and partners with at least 7 years experience to exchange ideas and experiences.  
 

The biggest opportunity for everyone in the BALIF community this month comes in the form of sponsoring our annual Gala on March 13, 2015.  The Gala is BALIF's largest fundraiser and THE party of the year!  The funds raised at the Gala allow BALIF to continue providing these great opportunities, so please consider sponsoring BALIF individually or through your firm or organization. 
 

I hope everyone takes the time to seize an opportunity for themselves this month!

 

 

Midori Hirai

BALIF Board Law Student Representative


BALIF Networking Mixer & Happy Hour

When: Thursday, February 5, 2015

Time: 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm

Where: Tribune Tavern, (401 13th Street), Oakland CA

 

What: An opportunity for you to mix with your fellow legal professionals and judges, and make a few new connections. There will be drinks and light appetizers provided. 

 

Click to view flyer!

BALIF Partner Exchange Luncheon
Wednesday February 11, 2015 &
Save the Date for March Too!

When:  

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Thursday, March 19, 2015

 

Time:  12:30 pm to 2:00 pm

Where: San Francisco City Club (155 Sansome, 10th Floor)

What: Gourmet buffet lunch with other partners and firm owners

Cost: $40 payable by cash or check only

 

BALIF has created the BALIF Partner Exchange to bring together our members that are looking to network and exchange business and ideas.  This event is exclusively for BALIF members who are partners or owners of their firm with 7 years or more of experience. 

 

Space is limited so only the first 11 to RSVP to jdupree@fddcm.com may attend. 

 

RSVPs being accepted for February 11, 2015 only.   

$6000 BALIF - SF La Raza Fellowship
Apply by February 16, 2015

BALIF is proud to partner with San Francisco La Raza through the Public Interest Law Fellowship.  The fellowship is designed to provide financial assistance to law students working with Bay Area community-based legal service providers to improve legal access for the Latino LGBT population.

We encourage all law students who are in good academic standing and meet the fellowship guidelines to apply.  The deadline is February 16, 2015.

Download the application here.

The BALIF Gala: Celebrating 35 Years!
March 13, 2015, 7:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Terra Gallery & Event Venue

 


 

Join BALIF as we celebrate 35 years! Come celebrate the amazing progress our community has made over the past year. Better yet, be a sponsor! BALIF 2015 sponsors get complimentary tickets to the Gala as well as many other benefits.

 

Contact Mario Choi at gala@balif.org or go to the BALIF website at www.balif.org for sponsorship information or to buy tickets!

 

BALIF thanks this week's incoming 2015 BALIF Sponsors:

 

 

Partner Level:

TM Financial Forensics, LLC

 

Counsel Level:

Arnold & Porter LLP

Baker Botts L.L.P.

Fenwick & West LLP

Sedgwick LLP

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati P.C.

 

Advocate Level:

Jones Day

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP 

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP

 

Benefactor Level:

Callaway & Wolf

Futterman Dupree Dodd Croley Maier LLP

Jackson Lewis P.C.

 

Individual Sponsors:

Hon. James Warren - JAMS

Join the BALIF Board of Directors-
BALIF Board 2015 Elections

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 weekend of April 25, 2015 

 

To run for the Board or nominate someone else, please send a candidate statement of up to 250 words to Pete Catalanotti (secretary@balif.org) and BALIF's Administrator, Katie Carlson (balif@balif.org) by March 15, 2015 at 5:00 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 1, 2015 and there will be an opportunity to vote in person at BALIF's annual general membership meeting on Wednesday, April 15, 2015 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 Peter Catalanotti at secretary@balif.org 

ALRP Free 2015 MCLE Trainings
ALRP

 

The Nuts & Bolts of Removal Defense Procedures

  • Thursday, February 12, 5:30-7:00pm
  • Presented by Cara Jobson, Esq. - Wiley & Jobson
  • 1.5 General CLE Credits

Conservatorships

  • Tuesday, February 17, 5:30-7:00pm
  • Presented by Amy Harrington, Esq. - Law Offices of Amy Harrington
  • 1.5 General CLE Credits

Removal Defense Waivers and Prosecutorial Discretion: Getting the Results You Want in Immigration Court

  • Wednesday, March 11, 5:30-7:00pm
  • Presented by Gene Sverdlov, Esq. - Law Offices of Gene Sverdlov
  • 1.5 General CLE Credits

Substance Abuse in the Legal Profession: Prevention, Detection, and Treatment

  • Thursday, March 26, 5:30-7:30pm
  • Presented by David Mann - Northern California Consultant to The Other Bar
  • 1.5 Substance Abuse CLE Credits

All Classes take place at:

Bar Association of San Francisco

301 Battery Street, 3rd Floor, Board Room

San Francisco, CA 94111

 

To RSVP

Email:

mcle@alrp.org

Call: 415-701-1200 ext. 303 

 

Protect Your Family, Your Home & Yourself through Estate Planning & Financial Planning

 

It's the New Year. Take action. Edward Joy, Attorney at Law will provide a highly informative and interactive discussion around estate planning law, and how to protect you, your estate & your family, with a special focus on LGBT issues. Financial planning speaker to be announced. This seminar is free with no obligation.

 

Date: Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Time: 6:30-7:30 PM

Where: North Beach Library, 850 Columbus Avenue

 

RSVP by emailing edward@edwardjoylaw.com or calling 415-608-6727

Pride Law Fund Gay Ski Day- Moved to March 2015

To maximize the snow in Tahoe, the Pride Law Fund Gay Ski Day at Squaw Valley Resort has been moved to March 21, 2015.  Buses will leave from SF and Walnut Creek in the morning and will return that night for a fun-filled day of snow adventures (including downhill and cross-country skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, and hot-chocolate drinking by the fire). 


Register for Gay Ski Day online at: http://bit.ly/1dPCCus

Proceeds benefit legal services and advocacy for the LGBT community in the Bay Area and beyond!


 

 

California Bar Foundation
Bar Exam Scholarship

 

Diversity in the Public Interest - Bar Exam Scholarship. This scholarship supports bar exam expenses for law students from diverse backgrounds who plan to pursue careers in the public interest sector. The California Bar Foundation is pleased to introduce the scholarship. "Diversity" includes a broad array of backgrounds and life experiences, including students from groups or with skills or attributes that are underrepresented in the legal profession, and specifically including students from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

 

Deadline: Wednesday, February 11, 2015, 4:30pm

Link to application: http://www.tfaforms.com/357498

More info: http://www.calbarfoundation.org/public-interest-scholarship.html


Celebrate Marriage Equality with NCTC!

You're invited to a special benefit for New Conservatory Theatre Center!

 

February 14th, 1:00-4:30pm

Delancey Street Foundation Screening Room

600 Embarcadero, San Francisco

 

Start your Valentine's Day celebrations with an exclusive screening of The Case Against 8, the acclaimed HBO Documentary about this pivotal event in the fight for marriage equality. Key participants in the case, including Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker, attorney Enrique Monagas, and plaintiffs Paul Katami & Jeff Zarrillo will come together for the first time in a panel discussion following the film.

 

Show your NCTC love and enjoy a champagne reception followed by a screening and panel discussion at the plush Delancy Street screening room, all in support of San Francisco's premier LGBT theatre.

 

Subscriber & Early bird (thru January 30th) Tickets: $65

Regular Tickets: $75

VIP (best seating - limited amount available) Tickets: $100

 

Purchase tickets here!

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.

 

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 technology@balif.org or balif@balif.org.

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 membership@balif.org.

 

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.

February 5 - BALIF Networking Mixer & Happy Hour in Oakland
February 11 - BALIF February Partner Exchange Luncheon
March 13 - Save the Date! 
BALIF Gala
March 21 - PLF Gay Ski Day
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 
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BALIF | | info@balif.org | http://www.balif.org
P.O. Box 193383
San Francisco, CA 94119