admin, Author at The Bar Association of San Francisco

Section Builds Community through Educational and Leadership Opportunities

Sebastian Kaplan of Fenwick & West accepted the position of 2017 Chair of The Bar Association of San Francisco’s Intellectual Property (IP) Section Melody Drummond Hansen, of O’Melveny & Myers, is serving as the section vicechair. The IP Section has…

Legal Writing Tip: Never Insult Your Opponents or Their Arguments

If you wish to be taken seriously by the court, whether in oral or written argument, never malign or belittle your opponents or their position. Treat opposing counsel with respect, regardless of whether you feel they deserve it. This is…

Read That (Privileged) Email – and Weep!

Have you ever hit “send” on a sensitive email before realizing that your handy, autofill tool inserted the address of the wrong recipient? Or been the unintended recipient of such misdirected emails? What to do? Thankfully, the misguided email usually…

Is Your Estate Plan Unconstitutional?

Michael Bensal, through his investment LLC, obtained a bank loan guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration to open a fast food business. Bensal personally guaranteed repayment. The business failed and Bensal’s LLC defaulted on the loan. The bank sued…

Judges Reception: Honoring Judge William Orrick

The Barristers Club of The Bar Association of San Francisco presents the Thirty-Third Annual Judges Reception Wednesday, July 19 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Judicial Council of California 455 Golden Gate Ave,, San Francisco Honoring District Judge William H. Orrick United…

Solo and Small Firm Section: Networking, Referrals and Beyond

BASF’s Solo and Small Firm Section boasts extremely active involvement from its members. Monthly happy hours, brown bag lunch meetings as well as an active solo and small firm listserv are just a few of the perks of belonging to…

Show Me… Divorce-Related Lawsuits: Steve Harvey’s Family Feud

Steve Harvey is no stranger to bad press. Harvey famously named the wrong winner when hosting the Miss Universe pageant, got into hot water for comments about the attractiveness of Asian men, and had a very public, contentious divorce from…

How to Prevent the Leading Cause of Malpractice Claims

Are you still using Outlook, spreadsheets or hand-written “cheat sheets” to track crucial calendar deadlines? It’s time to seriously evaluate your processes. On March 22, 2017, Joseph C. Scott, J.D. spoke at a BASF CLE titled Calendaring as a Risk…

Prop 47: The Full Employment Act for Solo Appellate Defenders

Passed by California voters in November 2014, Proposition 47 provides that various theft and drug offenses can no longer be charged as felonies. The law also allows defendants with prior felony convictions for those offenses to have them reduced to…

Pro Bono Volunteer Alleviates Debt-Related Stress for Low-Income Clients

The Justice & Diversity Center (JDC) recognizes Jessica McKinlay as Volunteer of the Month for her dedication to low-income consumers facing debt collection. McKinlay, of counsel with Dorsey & Whitney, who practices bankruptcy and corporate law, brings valuable legal expertise…

JDC Joins New Coalition to Help Bring Voices of Low-Income Consumers to the Capitol

The California Low-Income Consumer Coalition (CLICC), launched this year, is already at work keeping the interests of low-income consumers front and center in policy debates in Sacramento. Eleven legal services and advocacy groups from across the state, including the Justice…

JDC Gala Sponsor Spotlight: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman

Thank you, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, for your support! The Justice & Diversity Center invites your firm to become a sponsor of the JDC Gala too. The 2017 gala takes place on September 28 – it is the San Francisco legal community’s biggest annual…