admin, Author at The Bar Association of San Francisco

Former Staff and Interns Continue to Give Back Through Volunteering

Thank you to former staff members and interns who continue to support the important work of the Justice & Diversity Center (JDC) through volunteering! Big shout outs to 2015 Outstanding Volunteers in Public Service recipients Kyle Bassman, Nick Baran, Serene…

Legal Writing Tip: Watch Out for Common Usage Errors

Since writing last month’s column on the importance of regularly consulting a usage guide, I’ve become more aware of the prevalence of particular mistakes in word choice. It seems like they’re everywhere these days—especially on the Internet where articles and…

Charlie Sheen Needs “Two and a Half Men” to Pay His Child Support

Charlie Sheen’s exes are claiming he knew exactly what he was doing when he sold his rights to his hit show “Two and a Half Men.” Sheen recently sold his profit participation rights to “Two and a Half Men” for…

Electronically Stored Information and the Duty of Competence

California Rule of Professional Conduct 3-110 (“Rule 3-110”) states that “ member shall not intentionally, recklessly, or repeatedly fail to perform legal services with competence.” Every attorney considers this duty on a daily basis in the practice of law. While…

The Problem with Unpaid Interns

As summer approaches, many small law firms receive emails from students interested in summer internships. Some students offer to work for free to gain experience. Law firms may be tempted to accept such offers, or even to advertise unpaid internships…

LGBT Youth Project Volunteers Visit Local High School to Inspire Students to Pursue a Legal Career

On April 19, Paul Sousa, Kate Svinarich and Tami Fisher volunteered for the LGBT Youth Project’s visit to Downtown High School. The volunteers met with approximately 30 students across three school organizations, including the debate team and the school’s Gay…

How “California Love” and Marriage Differs from North Carolina

What do Kurt Cobain and Tupac Shakur have in common aside from legendary status and huge estates? Family members who want to keep those estates for themselves. Frances Bean Cobain, daughter of Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love, is divorcing her…

Starting Your Law Firm: Must-Read Resources at the San Francisco Law Library

The San Francisco Law Library maintains a comprehensive Law Practice Management (LPM) Collection, with publications that detail all aspects of opening a practice—client relations, billing, marketing, finances, risk management, technology, and more. This post introduces the Law Library’s LPM resources…

BASF Holds Forum, Releases Superior Court Seat 7 Candidates’ Evaluations

On April 19, BASF, with the League of Women Voters of San Francisco, hosted a judicial candidates forum for the contested election for San Francisco Superior Court Seat 7. The Seat 7 candidates, Paul Henderson, Victor Hwang and Sigrid Irias,…

Twenty Years a Delegate

I attended my first Conference of Delegates as a BASF delegate in 1978, and I attended conferences yearly over the next decade, eventually becoming chair of the BASF delegation. Back then the conference was a function of the State Bar…

Job Shadowing Program Expands in 2016

More than 80 people attended the Open Doors 1L Job Shadow Program thank you reception at Schiff Hardin. The reception was held to thank the more than 30 host employers and 34 1L student participants from University of San Francisco…

Mock Trial Season Comes to an End

After nine months of exciting competitions and grueling practice sessions, the Lowell Mock Trial Team’s 2015-2016 thrilling season has come to an end with a strong showing at the Constitutional Rights Foundation’s annual state competition in Sacramento. Mock trial is…