Practice Area Corner Archives

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…

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…

Paralegal Section Member Spotlight: Rhonda Andrew

In my interview of Vice Chair Rhonda Andrew, Senior Litigation Paralegal at Keker & Van Nest, she shares her unique path to becoming a paralegal and the driving forces in her life: family, faith and a life of service. Education…

Mediator Ron Kelly Receives President’s Award from ADR Association

The Association for Dispute Resolution of Northern California (ADRNC) presented BASF member Ron Kelly with a President’s Award at their annual conference in March. This award is presented to reco-gnize excellence and outstanding contributions to the field of Dispute Resolution…

Seven Tips for Civil Attorneys for When Your Clients Are Under Criminal Investigation

Many civil attorneys believe that they have nothing to offer their clients in terms of advice and counsel when it comes to criminal investigations or charges. Here are seven tips, for any civil practice solo or small firm lawyer representing…

O’Reilly Didn’t Factor This In

Fox News’ anchor Bill O’Reilly, who regularly asserts that the crime rates in African American communities are due to the “disintegration of the African American family,” just lost “residential custody” of his children to his ex-wife, Maureen McPhilmy. The website…

The Top Three Unauthorized Practice of Law Scenarios for Paralegals to Avoid

Below are three situations that i commonly see throughout the United States that may result in Unauthorized Practice of Law (UPL) investigations. There are very experienced paralegals who have developed good relationships with their clients, and sometimes the clients will forget the…

When to Call It Quits: Mediation Doesn’t Serve All Clients

As a mediator, I like to think that alternative dispute resolution is the best kind of conflict resolution for most disputes (call me biased!). But, occasionally, a case comes through the door that should not be in mediation and would…

Your Ethics Are Implicated by Mediation Confidentiality

In 2014, this Legal Ethics Corner column provided readers with “Some Thoughts On Issues Raised, But Not Resolved, by Cassel v. Superior Court.” Those issues remain unresolved, but some are closer to resolution than before. You may recall that the…

Navigating the 2016 Talent Market

In today’s talent market, finding and retaining qualified employees can be challenging. In a 2015 survey, nearly 30% of U.S. companies reported experiencing a candidate shortage. This shortage is expected to continue through 2016; a recent survey revealed that 61%…

Deciding on the Decider: Tips on Arbitrator Selection

Arbitration can arise in a variety of legal matters facing solo and small firm lawyers, such as in real estate, employment, and construction, or in drafting a dispute resolution provision for client transactions. One of the most important steps in…

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