Mind the Gap 

The Bar Association of San Francisco in 2013
by Christopher Kearney, 2013 BASF President

I am proud to have served as BASF’s 100th president! And I am excited to join everyone in celebrating this remarkable organization’s 150th birthday! Throughout its storied history, the Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF) has led on social justice and access to justice issues. We always rise to face the issues of the day.

In my year—2013—we had a dual focus. Following the lead of 2012 president (superstar) Kelly Dermody, we fought for adequate funding for state courts when our state court budget crisis threatened access to the courts, which hit the most vulnerable citizens the hardest. In my year, we launched the “Mind the Gap” initiative to address twin needs. The recent recession had left many law school grads struggling to get jobs at the same time that the number of people who could not afford representation continued to grow.

Through Mind the Gap, BASF and the Justice & Diversity Center (JDC) provided mentors and pro bono experience for these eager law grads, while enabling indigent San Franciscans to have a lawyer by their side when they faced eviction or other legal challenges. And, of course none of this was possible without the assistance of BASF/JDC staff, and the San Francisco bar.

Congrats to everyone on this special occasion!