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Message from the BALIF Board
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Greetings!
The presidential race is not the only campaign trail heating up! The BALIF Board of Directors is actively recruiting all interested members who would like to join our exciting and dynamic board. We want the board to reflect the diversity of our members and communities, so please consider joining the board and helping steer BALIF into the future. The only requirements to run are that you're a current member and you're ready and willing to volunteer your time to BALIF. I encourage all interested members to contact me or another board member with any questions you have about serving on the BALIF board.
See you at the upcoming BALIF events listed below. For those who are running in this year's election, do not miss out on the next event and your next opportunity to campaign for votes!
Sincerely,
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Bay Area Lawyers for Individual
Freedom (BALIF)
Joins Bar Associations Around California to Call on President Obama and Senate to Fill Supreme Court Vacancy
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Today, Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom (BALIF) joined bar associations from across the state of California to send a letter to President Barack Obama and Senate leaders urging them to heed their constitutional duty to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court. The bar associations, representing over 30,000 lawyers throughout the state, called on the president to quickly nominate a qualified candidate to the Supreme Court, and for the Senate to consider that nominee without delay. In addition to BALIF, the signatories to the letter include the Los Angeles County Bar Association, the Alameda Country Bar Association, the Lake County Bar Association, the Yolo County Bar Association, and over a dozen other statewide and local bar associations.
Commenting on the decision to join forces with other bar associations in this effort, BALIF Co-Chair Jessica Bogo said, "BALIF stands with tens of thousands of California lawyers in calling on our nation's elected officials to fulfill their constitutionally required duties to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court." You can view BALIF's press release regarding the letter here.
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BALIF Joins Supreme Court Amicus Brief Supporting Immigrants' Rights
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On March 4, 2016, BALIF joined the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA) and a coalition of other organizations in an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in United States v. Texas. The case concerns Texas's challenge to President Obama's Executive Actions on immigration, which expanded the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and created a new Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA) program.
NQAPIA's brief informs the U.S. Supreme Court of the special concerns of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Asian Americans, South Asians, Southeast Asians, and Pacific Islanders (API). An estimated 267,000 undocumented immigrants are LGBT, of which a disproportionate share are API.
According to Glenn D. Magpantay, NQAPIA Executive Director, "The Supreme Court is extremely supportive of LGBT people, and we aim to show how immigration laws and policies have a direct impact on the lives of LGBT people." He continued, "We also lift up the voices of Asian Pacific Islanders to demonstrate the ethnic diversity of undocumented immigrants."
Julie Wilensky, chair of BALIF's Amicus Committee Chair, said, "Immigrants rights are LGBT rights, and BALIF is proud to stand with NQAPIA. The brief vividly illustrates how the expanded immigration programs protect LGBT immigrant families, especially APIs, from harassment, discrimination and hardship."
Amici are represented by McDermott Will & Emery LLP.
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BALIF Foundation Kick-Off Event!
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Thursday, March 10, 2016
6:00-8:30pm
Credo
360 Pine St
San Francisco, CA 94104
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Recruiting on the Rocks
BALIF Happy Hour
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Looking for a job? Looking to hire? Looking for fun? Then come to Recruiting on the Rocks - the most productive happy hour BALIF has ever seen! Combining elements of a career fair with the camaraderie of a happy hour, this is the perfect opportunity to eat, drink, and connect with fellow BALIF attorneys and law students. We will also announce and celebrate the Mentor of the Year.
When: Thursday, March 31, 2016 at 6 pm
Where:
Farella Braun & Martel LLP
235 Montgomery Street, 7th Floor
San Francisco, CA
So whether you're recruiting, on the job hunt, or just looking to have a good time (or all of the above!), we hope to see you at Recruiting on the Rocks! Questions?
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Join the BALIF Board of Directors-
BALIF Board 2016 Elections
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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.
To run for the Board or nominate someone else, please send a candidate statement of up to 250 words to Pete Catalanotti ( [email protected]) and BALIF's Administrator, Katie Carlson ( [email protected]) by March 31, 2016 at 5:00pm. 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, 2016 and there will be an opportunity to vote in person at BALIF's annual general membership meeting on Thursday, April 14, 2016 from 6 - 8:30pm. 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 [email protected]
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2016- 2018 Public Interest Fellowship
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Public Justice, a national public interest law firm dedicated to pursuing high impact lawsuits to combat social and economic injustice, protect the Earth's sustainability, and challenge predatory corporate conduct and government abuses, seeks to hire a law school graduate to serve as a Fellow for two years in either its Washington, D.C. headquarters or its Oakland, California office. The Fellow will help develop and litigate Public Justice's cases. The position will start in the fall of 2016.
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2016 HNBA LGBT Summit:
"Defining a National Agenda for Leadership & Advocacy"
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Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Planet Hollywood
Las Vegas, Nevada
The LGBT Division of the Hispanic National Bar Association is proud to announce the first-ever HNBA LGBT Summit. The featured event will be a roundtable panel of national LGBT and Latino leaders on the current state of affairs of Latino/a LGBT rights, followed by an interactive workshop designed to help define a national agenda for leadership and advocacy among Latino/a LGBT legal professionals. We will also have panels on professional and leadership development, and on strategies for defending against new challenges to LGBT rights after the US Supreme Court's landmark Obergefell case establishing marriage equality. Our programming is designed to bring together and build a pipeline of LGBT Latino/a leaders nationwide.
We are honored that the National LGBT Bar will be our conference co-sponsor.
The LGBT Summit will be held on Wednesday, March 16, 2016-the day before the HNBA Corporate Counsel Conference at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, Nevada.
In attendance will be HNBA and National LGBT Bar members, LGBT Latino/a leaders, and our allies. The Summit will focus on assessing who we are as LGBT Latino/a professionals, what our needs are as a community, and what agenda we should pursue at the national level. It is open to all interested.
There is no additional fee, but registration will be required. Registration will go live early February 2016.
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BALIF Partner Exchange Luncheon
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When: Tuesday, March 22, 2016; Friday, April 22, 2016; and Thursday, May 19, 2016
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.
I am always looking for topics so let me know if there is something you'd like to discuss at an upcoming luncheon.
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ALRP Free 2016 MCLE Trainings
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Wage & Hour Claims for People Living with HIV - Sponsored by the State Bar's Labor & Employment Law Section
- Wednesday, March 9, 5:30-7:00pm
- Presented by Lakeisha Poole, Esq. (lkplegal.com) & Asha Wilkerson (thewilkersonlawoffice.com)
- 1.5 General CLE Credits
Ellis Act Evictions
- Wednesday, March 23, 5:30-7:00pm
- Presented by Raquel Fox, Esq. - Tenderloin Housing Clinic - thclinic.org
- 1.5 General CLE Credits
Employment Issues Facing Clients with HIV/AIDS - Sponsored by the State Bar's Labor & Employment Law Section
- Wednesday, March 30, 5:30-7:00pm
- Presented by Sonya Smallets, Esq. - Minnis & Smallets LLP - minnisandsmallets.com
- 1.5 General 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:
Call: 415-701-1200 ext. 303
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Advising an Aging LGBTQ Population
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Wednesday, March 23, 2016
It's been said that age is just a state of mind, but statistically speaking, LGBTQ people face some unique challenges as we grow older. Consider that two thirds of us don't have children. We are twice as likely to live alone and significantly more likely to be disconnected from our families of origin. And over the next 50 years, the number of people over 65 is expected to double.
In this session, you'll learn more about the issues facing your aging clients, including:
- Long-term financial and estate planning
- Recognizing signs of elder abuse or cognitive impairment
- Long-term care and end-of-life preparations
Event is free. Lunch is provided.
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"Prenuptial Agreements A-Z:
A Pre-nup Primer" an
Educational Seminar
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San Francisco Legal Professionals Association Presents:
"Prenuptial Agreements A - Z: A Pre-nup Primer" an Educational Seminar
By: Jane Aceituno, Esq.
When: Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Place: Pathways Personnel
455 Market Street, Suite 1170
San Francisco, CA 94105
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Cost: SFLPA Members, $15.00; Non-Members: $20.00
*Delicious Food and Beverages Provided*
RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED FOR A HEAD COUNT AND FOR SECURITY PURPOSES and must be received by 5:00 p.m. no later than Monday, April 11, 2016. Make a reservation by e-mailing SFLPA's EDU Chair, Michelle Vigil at [email protected]
*MCLE Credits available. SFLPA, a local association of Legal Secretaries Incorporated, an approved provider, certifies that this activity has been approved for a minimum of 1 hour of continuing legal education credit by the State Bar of California.
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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 [email protected] or [email protected].
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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 [email protected].
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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March 10 - BALIF Foundation Kick-Off Event
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March 31 - Recruiting on the Rocks BALIF Happy Hour
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April 14 - BALIF Annual Meeting & Elections Night
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Partner Level
Counsel Level
Advocate Level
Benefactor Level
Individual Sponsors
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Jessica Bogo & John Robert Unruh
Jamie Dupree Dmitri Pikman
Joseph Deignan, Alex Lemberg & Sam Potts
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