Seven Attorneys to Be Honored at Bar’s Annual Membership Luncheon
November 12, 2020, San Francisco—Four attorneys will be honored with Awards of Merit by the Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF) for their dedication to the organization in 2020. In addition, three members will be honored with Outstanding Barristers Awards.
William M. Balin
Shannon C. Calamia
Christine L. Richardson
David W. Rizk
William M. Balin, Attorney at Law, has been an active member of BASF’s Legal Ethics Committee since 2002. He served as Chair of the committee, provided guidance to attorneys on current ethical issues, and inspired others to join the committee’s work. BASF honors William M. Balin with the Award of Merit for his leadership and service on the Legal Ethics Committee.
Shannon C. Calamia, Perkins Coie, has been an active volunteer with the Community Organization Representation Project (CORP) of the Justice & Diversity Center of the Bar Association of San Francisco. Through CORP’s Racial Equity Partnership, Calamia provided pro bono assistance to Black-led organizations, which serve as the backbone for communities of color and as lifelines for low-income communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. BASF honors Shannon C. Calamia with the Award of Merit for making a difference in low-income and underserved communities across Northern California.
Christine L. Richardson, Pillsbury, has been an active BASF member and volunteer for more than twenty-five years, including service as President of the Barristers Club, on the BASF Board of Directors, and on BASF’s Audit Committee. Richardson has also served as Co-Chair and Chair of BASF’s annual Food From The Bar campaign, driving record-breaking efforts to bring the legal community together to raise funds for the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank. For her invaluable service on the Audit Committee and years of service as the Food From The Bar Chair, BASF honors Christine L. Richardson with the Award of Merit.
David W. Rizk, Office of the Federal Public Defender, has been an active member of BASF’s Criminal Justice Task Force. Task force members have worked to rewrite the police use-of-force policy, researched and advocated against the use of electronic control weapons, weighed in on a statewide effort to reform the bail system, and helped shape anti-bias policing measures. For his incredible service on the Criminal Justice Task Force and as Chair of the task force’s Bail Subcommittee, BASF honors David W. Rizk with the Award of Merit.
The following members are being recognized with an Outstanding Barristers Award by the Barristers Club:
Valerie Brender
Anna Liu
Sean McHenry
Valerie Brender, Rukin Hyland & Riggin, is the former Co-Chair of the Barristers Club’s Labor and Employment Law Section and currently serves on its Executive Committee. When the Barristers Club created its Racial Justice Initiative this year, Brender organized the highly attended panel on the racial justice impact of California ballot propositions 16, 17, 20, and 25 and helped create the Racial Justice Book Club.
Anna Liu, Steven Adair MacDonald, co-chairs the Barristers Club’s Solo and Small Firm Practice Section. The section consistently assembles novel programming for its members, and Liu has helped the section grow through her commitment and leadership. In her role, she has ensured that all Executive Committee members are engaged with the section and the Barristers Club as a whole.
Sean McHenry, McHenry Law Firm, is a past board member of the Barristers Club’s Board of Directors. Prior to joining the board, Sean served as Co-Chair of the Barristers Club’s Labor and Employment Law Section, and he currently serves on the Litigation Section’s Executive Committee. McHenry created the Public Speaking Practice Groups, and was dedicated to the Practical Skills Initiative. His commitment to professional development of newer lawyers continued after his board term ended and he currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Professional Development Section.
The awards will be presented at the Bar Association of San Francisco’s Annual Membership Luncheon and Installation of Officers on December 8, 2020.
The Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF) is a nonprofit voluntary membership organization of attorneys, law students, and legal professionals in the San Francisco Bay Area. Founded in 1872, BASF enjoys the support of more than 7,500 individuals, law firms, corporate legal departments, and law schools. BASF provides a collective voice for public advocacy, advances professional growth and education, and attempts to elevate the standards of integrity, honor, and respect in the practice of law.