admin, Author at The Bar Association of San Francisco

How Mindfulness Practices Can Benefit Lawyers

Burnout is a phenomenon that many lawyers are all too familiar with. You’re working long hours, sleep has become elusive, you’re chronically exhausted, overly cynical, and you may feel ineffective in your career. Even your subconscious thoughts are constantly ruminating…

Tools for Lawyer Resilience

The shadow of stress inevitably hovers over work in any profession. That is especially true in the practice of law, an endeavor in which lawyers must solve challenging and high-stakes problems, often within extremely tight deadlines. So, what does it…

Getting Sworn In: Taking the Oath on Your Own Terms

Huzzah, you’ve finally passed the bar exam! It’s time to take your lawyer’s oath. Would you like to A) Line up with hundreds or maybe thousands of other newbies, right hand raised to repeat the words en masse in an…

Self Care is Community Care

As we neared press time for the Spring issue of San Francisco Attorney magazine, we found ourselves in uncharted territory. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is forcing us to examine how we live, work, and connect with each other. As a…

Barristers: The Next Generation of Leaders

Graduating from law school and entering the legal profession is exciting, but also terrifying. Even the most seasoned attorneys can still remember the first time someone turned to them expecting them to know the answer because they were The Lawyer.…

Law Firms Get Creative To Combat Mental Health Challenges

When the law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman asked employees to share their wellness concerns in a confidential survey last year, lawyers and professional staff alike reported stress as the top issue by far. Yet few people were taking advantage…

Women in Trial, Part III: Seasoned Juvenile Court Attorneys Benefit From 2019 BASF President’s Trial Training Initiative

Doris Cheng concluded her year as 2019 Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF) board president by hosting the third installment of her Women in Trial initiative. Cheng, widely recognized as a trial lawyer advocacy skills trainer, devoted this last training…

A City View Inspires: Our San Francisco Values and a Pledge to Promote Wellness

The following are excerpts from Stuart Plunkett’s remarks at his December 17, 2019, installation as the 2020 president of the Bar Association of San Francisco. Lately, when I go outside, I try to feel the City beneath my feet—to renew…

Lawyers Find Strategies for Dealing with Secondary Trauma

Like many lawyers, Vicki Trapalis is called upon to deal with other people’s trauma on a daily basis. She works in San Francisco’s dependency court, representing children who have been through unimaginable horrors. Recently, she got a desperate call from…

Raising a Glass to Community: BASF’s Quarantini Happy Hour Boosts Spirits and Connection

The Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF) hosted its first virtual Happy Hour last week. The aptly named Quarantini Happy Hour was hosted on Zoom, allowing guests to connect via video while maintaining the physical distance required by the state-wide…

Solo and Small Firm Attorneys Connect and Build Community at Fourth Annual Conference

The Solo and Small Firm Section of the Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF) hosted its Fourth Annual Solo & Small Firm Conference: Connecting and Community Building. The conference took place on January 23 at BASF. The keynote speaker, James…

Cannabis Litigation from a Paralegal’s Perspective

Cannabis business litigation is largely the same as other types of civil litigation: a pleading is a pleading, and a deadline is a deadline, regardless of your client’s profession. There are, however, a few nuances worthy of note. Should your…