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!

When:  

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Time:  12:30 pm to 2:00 pm

Where: San Francisco City Club (155 Sansome, 10^th 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.   

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.

Download the application here.

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:

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 

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 

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

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

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!

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.

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 JOBS from the menu on the left.