When I started my career in labor over fourteen years ago at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), I frequently heard about the Bar Association of San Francisco’s (BASF) Labor and Employment Law Section’s Annual Conference at Yosemite from my colleagues. I have come to understand that attending this conference is a time-honored tradition, both for the conference’s location, and for the quality of the conference’s content.

With the majestic Yosemite National Park as its backdrop, the conference has lent itself to more informal networking coupled with the opportunity for family quality time. The setting has also always provided for a relaxed environment where an open and robust discussion of the most recent developments in labor and employment occurs. I have been attending the conference for about five years and have truly reveled in the programs and discussions. It has provided opportunities to listen and learn about the diversity of labor and employment practices, outside of my own niche in NLRB law. Once I became Labor and Employment Law Section chair in 2020, I was excited to be part of the team that would organize the 2021 conference.

The year 2020 has been a trying and dynamic one for us all, for a number of reasons. Our section members have seen the impact of a pandemic in their practice areas from all angles; a social movement that has called for reform of certain organized employment sectors, and/or; the eve of a new administration that will no doubt bring its own set of ramifications to our respective areas of expertise. Our committee has worked diligently to organize a conference that touches on all of these issues and more, and to do it virtually, for this one year.

We look forward to seeing you all at Yosemite in 2022. In the meantime, we will strive to maintain our tradition of presenting timely topics that are of utmost interest to our section members. See you February 25 and 26, 2021, at our Annual (Yosemite) Conference!

Carmen León is an attorney at the National Labor Relations Board and Region 20 Chair. She is BASF’s Labor and Employment Law Section Chair.