The Barristers Club of the Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF) hosted the 2021 Barristers Annual Meeting – Let’s Get Practical on October 7, 2021, where attorneys in their first 10 years of practice were provided with invaluable tips for practicing law ethically and mindfully, while ensuring supervising attorneys and clients were impressed.  Unlike other conferences focused on a practice area, the Barristers Club Annual Meeting focuses on providing programs to new lawyers no matter the practice area.

The Barristers Annual Meeting started with our Judges Panel which has become a popular panel at every Annual Meeting.  This year, attendees heard from Justice Teri Jackson, Judge Anne-Christine Massullo, Judge William Orrick, and Justice Goodwin H. Liu, who spoke about their backgrounds and tips and tricks for how junior lawyers can succeed in court.  The discussion ranged from career advice for younger attorneys as the judges and justices discussed advice they would give to their younger selves to tips related to brief writing and oral argument. 

After the Judges Panel, attendees had the ability to choose between two practical skills panels.  During the “Successful Negotiation Tactics for Junior Attorneys” panel, panelists Diana Kruze, Judicate West, Sheila Purcell, UC Hastings Center for Negotiation and Dispute Resolution, and moderator Aaron Gothelf, American Arbitration Association, discussed tactics for all phases of the negotiation process.  The panelists provided tips related to bargaining for information, understanding party interests, the value of conducting an early neutral evaluation, how to select the right mediator, along with other tips and tricks for a successful negotiation.  

Attendees who chose to attend “Practical Advice from Supervisors and Managers for New Attorneys” heard from Steven McDonald, Bledsoe, Diestel, Treppa & Crane, Brett Pletcher, Gilead, and Deborah Stachel, Social Security Administration.  The panel began with a discussion of how attorneys can make a good impression on the first day and how things have changed in the work from home era.  The panelists then provided answers to common questions that new attorneys generally do not feel comfortable asking but would love to know the answer to.  Topics included how to communicate with your supervising attorney, how to ask for feedback from supervising attorneys, how to get projects or assignments you want, and practical tips related to brief writing and preparing for oral argument.

Attendees were then given the choice between two ethics panels.  “Ethical Obligations in Delegation and Management of Work to Junior Associates, Paralegals, and Staff” featured Thomas D’Amato, D’Amato Law, Staci Dresher, Dresher Consulting & Investigations, Terrance Evans, Duane Morris, and was moderated by Lindsey Mignano, Smith Shapourian Mignano.  The panel, comprised of law firm leaders and an ethics attorney, discussed how to best meet ethical obligations when delegating or assigning work to others, managing staff and attorneys, and supervising the work done by others.  

Those who attended “Ethical Pitfalls New Lawyers Face” heard from Stephen Bundy, Stephen Bundy Law, Carol Langford, Law Office of Carol M. Langford, and moderator Courtney M. Brown, Law Offices of Mary Catherine Wiederhold.  This panel opened with Ms. Langford discussing the trends in discipline, including who the State Bar is prosecuting and what ethical violations are the most commonly prosecuted right now.  The panel then moved to a discussion related to the duties of a subordinate lawyer and what an attorney should do if a supervising attorney asked them to do something unethical.  

The Barristers Annual Meeting concluded with a panel related to attorney burnout entitled “Attorney Burnout: Recognizing When You’re Close to the Edge and How to Ask for Help”.  This panel included Michelle Galloway, Cooley, Jamie Spannhake, Berlandi Nussbaum & Reitzas LLP, and moderator Raisa Dyadkina, Squire Patton Boggs.  Practicing law is generally an already stressful profession, but with many attorneys working from home, the number of attorneys who feel burnt out, isolated, anxious and “running on empty” is increasing.  This panel provided attendees with warning signs of burnout so it can be caught early.  Attendees were then given practical advice and guidance on how to navigate burnout, including how to have discussions with your supervising attorney or make changes in your work life and home life.