Message from the BALIF Board
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Greetings!
I want to extend my congratulations to the returning Board members and to offer a very warm welcome to the new folks joining our Board. I am incredibly excited to continue working with my awesome co-chairs throughout the year to bring wonderful events to benefit our membership.
I am also super excited to be jumping into a new role as the BALIF Social Committee Chair. I ask all of you out there to email me with your ideas for events to bring our membership together. Yes, the Happy Hours will continue, but maybe you always wanted to have a round of bowling with your fellow attorneys, or take a cooking class to blow off some law school related steam, or even take part in a law related trivia night. Send me an email with your thoughts and together we can make sure that the upcoming year is full of awesome, exciting events that continue the BALIF tradition of fun and friendly socializing.
Also, since we're on the topic of socializing events, I wanted to take a moment to remind you all of our Affinity Group Micro-Grant Program, where members can reach out to pitch ideas for micro-grants you can use to throw smaller scale events targeted to your interests. Maybe you want to organize a small event for folks in a more remote geographical area, or a dinner for LGBT family law practitioners in Berkeley, or something equally awesome, just email my fellow board member Meaghan Zore at membership@balif.org to make your idea a reality.
I look forward to seeing you all at our future events!
Dmitri Pikman
BALIF Board Social Chair
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BALIF May Happy Hour
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Keep your calendars open for our May Happy Hour on
May 7th, 2015 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. Location to Follow.
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Give 'em L! LGBT Ladies Salon Event
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Please join us for Give 'em L!
June 4, 2015
6-6:30: Welcome and Meet and Greet
6:30-7:30 Talk Show style discussion and Q&A
7:30-8: Reception
Farella Braun + Martel LLP, 235 Montgomery Street, 17th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94104
Light food and drinks will be provided.
Linda Scaparotti - Moderator
Panelists:
Kelly Dermody, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP
Elizabeth (Beth) Deeley, Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Amy Whelan, National Center for Lesbian Rights
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BALIF Partner Exchange Luncheon
Thursday, May 14, 2015 & Save the Date for Future Events
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When: Thursday, May 14, 2015; Tuesday, June 17, 2015; Thursday, July 16, 2015; and Thursday, August 20, 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 Partners 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 Thursday, May 14, 2015 only.
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National LGBT Bar Association
Staff Position
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The National LGBT Bar Association is looking for a new Director of Development and Communications. They are currently accepting candidate applications. Learn more here.
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ALRP's 2015 Major Donor Party
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Come celebrate the ALRP You're the One Campaign at ALRP's 2015 Major Donor Party.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015 from 5:30-7:30pm at The Plant Café.
ALRP is honoring Kerne Matsubara of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP with the ALRP 2015 James C. Hormel Philanthropist Award and Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom (BALIF) is being presented the ALRP 2015 Community Partner Award.
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ALRP Free 2015 MCLE Trainings
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Introduction to Landlord/Tenant Law
- Thursday, May 7, 5:30-7:00pm
- Presented by Ora Prochovnick, Esq. - John F. Kennedy University Housing Advocacy Clinic
- 1.5 General CLE Credits
Insurance Coverage & Bad Faith Litigation
- Thursday, May 14, 5:30-7:00pm
- Presented by Guy Kornblum, Esq. - Kornblum Cochran Erickson Harbison - kcehlaw.com
- 1.5 General CLE Credits
Family Law
- Wednesday, May 27, 5:30-7:00pm
- Presented by Joann Babiak, Esq. - Babiak Law Offices
- 1.5 General CLE Credits
Creating Workplaces Free from Gender Identity Bias
- Tuesday, June 16, 5:30-7:00pm
- Presented by Daniel Faessler, Esq. - Pride Law Fund Tom Steel Fellow at Transgender Law Center
- 1.5 Elimination of Bias 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
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BALIFBuzz
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Daniel Faessler
 Daniel Faessler is the 2014-2015 Pride Law Fund Tom Steel Fellow. His fellowship is sponsored by Transgender Law Center and works in partnership with a number of Bay Area organizations serving the transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) community. Faessler has established the Transgender Legal Services Project (TLSP), which reduces barriers to accessible legal representation by providing fully bilingual (Spanish and English) services for the TGNC community in the San Francisco Bay Area. TLSP organizes legal clinics where community members may access legal information, obtain referrals and seek direct representation on a variety of legal issues including discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations; court-ordered name and gender changes; accessing medical care; immigration; and many other issues. TLSP has served 59 of the most vulnerable and marginalized TGNC people in the Bay Area TGNC community. For more information, contact Daniel Faessler at Daniel@transgenderlawcenter.org
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BALIF - 2015 Mentor of the Year
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The BALIF Board is pleased to announce that Dennis Raglin, a partner at Sedgwick LLP, has been selected to receive BALIF's 2015 Mentor of the Year Award. Dennis has done a spectacular job providing professional guidance and support to mentee Raymond Rollan, who recently graduated from University of San Francisco School of Law. The award was presented at BALIF's Mentorship Program/Law Student Spring Happy Hour on April 2.
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American Association for Justice's
LGBT Caucus & CLE Lineup
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The newly formed LGBT Caucus with the American Association for Justice has planned its first-ever CLE lineup for the American Association for Justice Annual Convention this summer in Montreal being held on July 11-15. Started less than two years ago, the LGBT caucus has gained in size and momentum and aims to have its huge coming out this summer at the convention.
The lineup will consist of three events. On the afternoon of July 11, the caucus will host a 1.5 hour CLE presentation focused on marriage equality, which will have just been argued before the Supreme Court.
The panel of speakers will include:
- Justice John Greaney (ret.) of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, who authored the powerful concurring opinion in the Goodridge case.
- Chuck Herring, Esq., of Texas, whose tireless efforts and creativity got a marriage license issued in Texas for the same-sex marriage of two of his clients.
- Professor Michael Kavey, of NYU School of Law, who has worked for Lambda Legal, clerked for Justice Sotomayor (while on the Second Circuit) and been named by the national LGBT Bar Association as one of the "Best LGBT Attorneys Under 40."
- Elizabeth Schwartz, Esq., of Miami, FL, who has worked tirelessly for marriage equality as counsel in a case challenging Florida's marriage ban.
The LGBT Caucus will also host a business meeting for its caucus members and a cocktail reception for its members to network and socialize.
For information on becoming a member of the American Association for Justice and the LGBT Caucus, or attending the convention, please contact the AAJ at membership@justice.org or (800) 424-2727, ext. 8611.
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BALIF Files Amicus Brief in U.S. Supreme Court Supporting Marriage Equality
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MARCH 6 - San Francisco - Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom (BALIF) filed an amicus curiae brief in the United States Supreme Court in the consolidated cases Obergefell v. Hodges , Tanco v. Haslam, DeBoer v. Snyder, and Bourke v. Beshear, in support of the Petitioners' positions that the Fourteenth Amendment requires a state to license a marriage between two people of the same sex and to recognize a same-sex marriage lawfully licensed and performed out-of-state. BALIF's brief argues that it is the duty of the courts to decide the equal protection challenge, that the marriage bans are unconstitutional applying even the most deferential rational basis review, and that the bans inflict profound legal, economic, and emotional harm on same-sex couples and their children.
"Contrary to the Sixth Circuit's holding, it is the role of the judiciary to evaluate the constitutionality of state provisions and not to defer the question to the state voters and legislators who enacted them," said Leah Nutting, BALIF's Amicus Committee chair. "Fundamental rights such as the right to marry cannot be denied by majority vote. The institution of marriage is too special and the harms caused by the bans are too costly to just 'wait and see' for the democratic process to recognize that right."
Thirty bar associations and legal organizations from around the nation joined BALIF in signing the brief. The coalition of amici includes state, metropolitan, local, and minority bar associations and local non-profit organizations. The brief was filed with pro bono support from Jerome C. Roth and Amelia L. B. Sargent of the law firm Munger, Tolles & Olson.
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Follow BALIF on Twitter!
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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.
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Join the BALIF Listserv!
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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.
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We Want Your BALIFBuzz
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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
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Job Postings Now on BALIF Website
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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.
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May 14 - BALIF Partner Exchange Luncheon
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June 4 - GIVE 'EM L! LGBT Ladies Salon Event
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Partner Level
Counsel Level

   

Advocate Level
A.L. Nella & Company, CPAs
AT&T
Gibson Dunn & Crutcher
Jones Day
Latham & Watkins LLP
Morgen Lewis & Bockius LLP
MUFG Union Bank
O'Melveny & Meyers LLP
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
Pacific Gas & Electric
Perkins Coie LLP
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
Sanford Heisler Kimpel, LLP
Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton
Shook Hardy & Bacon LLP
Benefactor Level
Callaway & Wolf
Carroll, Burdick & McDonough LLP
Clarence, Dyer & Cohen LLP / Swanson & McNamara LLP
Cooley LLP
Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, LLP
Farella Braun + Martel LLP
Futterman Dupree Dodd Croley Maier LLP
Golden Gate University, School of Law
Jackson Lewis LLP
JAMS
Lewis, Feinberg, Lee & Jackson, P.C.
Littler Mendelson P.C.
Lubin Olson & Niewiadomski LLP
Manning & Kass, Ellrod, Ramirez, Trester LLP
Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP
Novak Druce Connolly Bove + Quigg LLP
Paul Hastings LLP
Pritzker Levine LLP
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
Individual Sponsors
Dave Arellano, Altep, Inc.
Michael Colantuono, Colantuono Highsmith & Whatley, PC
David Fermino, Sideman & Bancroft LLP
David Helbraun, Helbraun Law
Frederick Hertz, Law and Mediation Office of Frederick Hertz
John Hill, Law Offices of John E. Hill, P.C.
Hon. Stuart Hing & Rhoda Hing, Alameda County Superior Court
James Kealohi, Pathways Personnel
David Monroe, Able & Monroe P.C.
Todd Norris, Bullivant Houser Bailey
Debra R. Schoenberg, Schoenberg Family Law Group, P.C.
Cheryl Sena, Sena Family Law
Hon. James L. Warren (Ret.), JAMS
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Jessica Bogo & John Robert Unruh
Jamie Dupree Dmitri Pikman
Joseph Deignan, Alex Lemberg & Sam Potts
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