If you have ever channel surfed during the middle of the night you have likely come across a variety of “Get Rich Quick” infomercials promising money, happiness, a sharper mind with a quick phone call and a credit card number.…
BASF Visits SFSU to Learn More About Student Veterans’ Legal Needs
The Bar Association of San Francisco’s Lawyer Referral and Information Service’s (LRIS) Director of Public Service Programs Carole Conn recently visited with San Francisco State University’s VETS@SFSU group (pictured above). Conn met with the student organization to provide legal resources…
BASF Because…
Rebekah Punak 2014 Barristers Club Board Member Keker & Van Nest Interesting fact: When I was growing up, my mother worked for a time for a private investigator. Occasionally, I would tag along with her on investigations and I…
Scholarship Donations Widening the Diversity Pipeline One Attorney at a Time
The Bay Area Minority Law Student Scholarship program demonstrates the Justice & Diversity Center of The Bar Association of San Francisco’s commitment to advancing diversity in the legal profession. The program awards diverse first-year Bay Area law students with a…
BASF Bulletin Board: Our Members and Leaders Circle Firms Making Headlines
BASF Member Honored with State Bar Award Barg Coffin Lewis & Trapp attorney David M. Metres has been selected by the State Bar of California’s Real Property Law Section as one of five recipients of its “Morning Star” award –…
Mintz Levin Joins BASF as Newest Leaders Circle Firm
The 2014 membership year has started off on a high-note as BASF’s Leader Circle program (formerly Sponsor Firm) has added its second newest member. BASF is very excited to announce that Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky & Popeo PC has…
Legal Ethics Corner: When Turning Over a Client’s File, Don’t Forget to Include Electronic Data
One of the most difficult things is to lose a client. Sometimes it is for the best. However, when you lose a client and the attorney-client relationship ends, your obligations to the client do not end. See Formal Opinion 1992-127…
Legal Writing Tip: Boost the Drama; Keep Sentences Short
To boost drama or emotion in briefs, client letters and other writing, pepper your narrative with short sentences. Easy to read, short sentences focus readers’ attention, helping them retain information. Part style, part literary technique, short sentences control your reader’s…
Hire a Law Academy Intern; Change a Life
The Justice & Diversity Center’s Law Academy program encourages and increases career opportunities for underserved and ethnically diverse students in Balboa High School in San Francisco. Creative and inspiring curriculum is built into several core classes where junior and senior…
Setting Effective Goals to Improve Your Legal Practice
Now that 2014 is well under way, imagine how your practice can improve by effective goal setting strategies. Often, when we set goals for ourselves, our expectations or old behaviors sabotage our results. What if goals are created in a way…
Attorneys Honored at Gideon v. Wainwright Anniversary Reception
2013 marked the 50th Anniversary of Gideon v. Wainwright and on December 10, hundreds gathered to recognize the work of criminal defense lawyers in San Francisco – those on BASF’s indigent defense conflicts panel and those in the Public Defender’s…
Longtime JDC Volunteer Jeffry Bernstein Dedicates Pro Bono Work to Low-Income Taxpayers
The Justice & Diversity Center (JDC) is pleased to recognize Coblentz, Patch, Duffy & Bass Partner Jeffry Bernstein as our volunteer of the month for his work with JDC’s Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC). Bernstein has volunteered with JDC since…