Weekly Newsletter        |        October 25, 2016
In This Issue
Message from the BALIF Board 
 

Last year BALIF raised donations for  El/La Para TransLatinas.  The year prior our Halloween Party supported  LYRIC and LGBT youth.  Get your costumes ready (optional) for Thursday and join our hosts Alex Austin, Supervisor David Campos, Cecilia Chung, and Jen Orthwein as we toast St. James Infirmary.  
 
Start the Halloween weekend at The Lush Lounge (1221 Polk Street) for cocktails and hors  d'oeuvres as we celebrate seventeen years of testing, treatment, outreach and harm reduction by a non-profit largely serving an LGBT population.  Get your tickets now! If you can't make it, donations are still welcome!  The party starts at 5:30 p.m. and we're looking forward to seeing you.
 
 
Sincerely, 
 

Stan Sarkisov
BALIF Board Communications Chair
BALIF's Halloween Fundraiser
Halloween Fundraiser to benefit St. James Infirmary!


Thursday, October 27th
5:30PM to 8:30PM
 
Lush Lounge
1221 Polk Street
San Francisco, CA 94109

On Thursday, October 27th join BALIF & the St. James Infirmary for a night of costumes, cocktails & revelry at the Lush Lounge (1221 Polk Street), from 5:30-8:30pm Tickets are $20 and all proceeds benefit the St. James Infirmary.


Diamond- $1,000
  • Covers the cost of the enrollment visit, lab work, and medical support for a new participant to receive gender-affirming Hormone Replacement Therapy from our STRIDE Program, with support from a Nurse Practitioner, Phlebotomist, and Peer Counselor!
  • 10 tickets to the event
  • Individual recognition during the program
  • Recognition in event program and materials
  • Recognition on BALIF website and newsletter
  • Five drink tickets
Platinum - $500
  • Covers the cost of a comprehensive medical exam from one of our medical doctors at our drop-in clinic!
  • 5 tickets to the event
  • Individual recognition during the program
  • Recognition in event program and materials
  • Five drink tickets
Gold - $250
  • Covers the cost of a comprehensive HIV & STI screening session with a peer counselor!
  • 3 tickets to the event
  • Individual recognition during the program
  • Recognition in event program and materials
  • 3 drink tickets
Silver - $100
  • Covers the cost of a full body acupuncture or massage treatment for one of our participants at our holistic healthcare clinic!
  • 2 tickets to the event
  • Individual recognition during the program
  • Recognition in the event program and materials
  • 2 drink tickets

Protect the Vote
Hillary Clinton's voter protection team is looking for lawyers who are willing to travel to battleground states to protect the vote.  (Law students and people with paralegal experience are also needed.)

The state voter protection team will assign you to work at a polling place. They'll train you in advance on state law and how to report and handle incidents at the polls. You may also answer calls on the voter assistance hotline or take on other tasks.
If you are interested in traveling to one of the battleground states (i.e. Florida, Ohio, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, North Caorlina Virginia, or Pennsylvania) or will be in one of them and would like to monitor the polls on Election Day as a poll observer, you can find out how to do so  here  or contact Jennifer Orthwein at  [email protected]

Phone Bank for Hilary with BALIF
BALIF has set up a group opportunity to phone bank for Hillary. 

When: November 2, 2016
When: 6pm
Where: San Francisco Hillary Clinton Headquarters
1001 Van Ness Ave. San Francisco, CA
 
To join our group and participate, please click this link and complete the form.
 
Also, for those who would like to phone bank for Hillary independently or with friends, you can do so by visiting the 1001 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA between 9am - 9pm or by signing up at this link to do so at your convenience from a location of your choice (e.g. your own home).
 
Please bring a cell phone, laptop and charger to participate in phone banking at SF Headquarters with BALIF or independently. 

Prison Legal Mail Clinic 
There are countless transgender and gender non-conforming people facing horrific abuses and violations of their basic human rights every day inside of prisons. People in prison face huge obstacles when trying to obtain mere legal information, much less legal counsel. As a result, they rely on outside organizations to provide them with resources related to their rights, and advice on how to follow the procedures required to assert those rights from inside. This is your chance to come and provide much-needed support to trans and gender non-conforming people in prison! 
 
Please join TGI Justice Project, California Coalition for Women Prisoners, the National Lawyers Guild - SF Bay Area Chapter, the Transgender Law Center and BALIF for a legal mail clinic to provide support to trans and gender non-conforming people in prison in California and across the country. 
 
The agenda for the day will include a training in the basics of prison law, as well as brief trainings in the specific issues that trans and gender non-conforming people in prison face regularly, including the following topics: ways to advocate for safer housing, access to Hormone Replacement Therapy and Sex Reassignment Surgery, name and gender changes while in prison, and access to gender-affirming clothing. Following the training, participants will be able to immediately use this knowledge by responding to legal mail from trans and gender non-conforming people in prison, and providing legal assistance and resources. Attorneys and advocates familiar with prisoner's rights and procedures will be available to assist throughout the day. 
 
PLEASE NOTE:  This is a GREAT way for law students and attorneys to get involved in some incredibly important work and provide legal assistance to people who do not have any other access to it. 
 
When: November 6, 2016 1pm-6pm
Where: Qulture Collective, 
        1714 Franklin St. 
        Oakland, CA 
 
PLEASE RSVP TO KELLYLOU DENSMORE, Legal Director at TGI Justice Project at [email protected] by November 1.  We will be sending some important instructions and materials before the day of the training!

Practising Law Institute Presents:
Representing Transgender Clients:
Practical Skills and Cultural Competency
Chair:
John Robert Unruh 
Law Office of John Robert Unruh
Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom (BALIF)

PLI is pleased to present this important new pro bono program! Attend this program to learn how to represent transgender and gender nonconforming people in the many legal disputes that frequently impact this community. The stellar faculty of experienced attorneys and advocates will share practical skills to enable attendees to competently represent transgender clients in areas such as employment, health care, identity documents and detention.

Register for free today!

San Francisco and Live Webcast - November 16, 2016

Key Topics Will Include:
  • Transgender and gender nonconforming 101: definitions and best practices
  • Employment law developments
  • Health care developments
  • Education developments
  • Detention developments
  • Identity documents
Special Feature:
  • Earn one hour of Elimination of Bias Credit!
As part of PLI's commitment to public service and the pro bono activities of the legal community, there is no fee to attend this program.

Credit Information: CLE and CPD Credit. 

BALIF Holiday Party 2016
Save the Date!!!
Join us for our annual holiday party and ring in some holiday cheer!! 

When: 
December 14, 2016
6:00- 9:00 pm

Where:
Devil's Acre
256 Columbus Ave
San Francisco, CA 94133


BALIFBuzz
Tom Reilly

BALIF member Tom Reilly is appearing in Harvey Fierstein's Casa Valentina at the New Conservatory Theatre Center, playing a judge who has a secret life cross-dressing as a character named Amy.  The show runs through  November 6, 2016.  
 
 
 
http://www.sfgate.com/performance/article/At-New-Conservatory-Theatre-Center-go-for-the-9961151.php

CRLA LGBT Program - 
2017 Summer Law Fellow

California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. (CRLA) is seeking a law school fellow for a 10-week summer position with CRLA's LGBT Program.  The LGBT Program addresses the intersections of race, immigration status, and poverty within the framework of advancing rural LGBT rights. The program engages in direct legal representation and other innovative forms of legal advocacy that leverage collaborations with a range of rural stakeholders.  The LGBT Program Summer Law fellow will work under the supervision of the LGBT Program Director to provide direct legal services and support litigation and other systemic advocacy.  Priority types of legal cases include petitions for U, T, and VAWA non-immigrant status, employment discrimination cases, education rights cases, and legal name and gender petitions.  The law clerk may request to be placed in any one of CRLA's office locations, and the LGBT program will strive to accommodate the law clerk's preferred location.  
 
The fellow will receive a grant in the amount of $8,800 from the California Bar Foundation.
 
Applicants must have completed their second year of law school and must have strong writing skills. Candidates must possess a passion for social justice and poverty related
issues, as well as sensitivity to working with people from diverse backgrounds. Special consideration will be given to students who have a demonstrated commitment to serving low income or disadvantaged communities. Students who speak Spanish and are familiar with LGBTQ issues are encouraged to apply.
 
Applications will be accepted through  February 28, 2017. Please submit a cover letter and resume, a list of at least three references and writing sample to:  [email protected] and  [email protected]. Please write "LGBT Summer Fellow" in the subject line. CRLA will contact applicants selected for an interview.

BALIF's "Connections"
Mentorship Program
 
BALIF's mentorship program is seeking mentors and mentees for 2016-2017.  For more information, see the program guidelines and description on the BALIF website. If you are a law student, recent law school graduate, or newer attorney seeking a mentor, or if you are an experienced attorney interested in serving as a mentor, please contact Ashley Pellouchoud or David Sims at:  [email protected]
 
Mentors and mentee pairs will be assigned on a rolling basis from September thru October.

Paid Participation Opportunity from Equal Rights Advocates
PAID participation opportunity from Equal Rights Advocates, which is conducting focus groups with millennials of color on the issues of fair pay and life values  October 23-27  in San Francisco. Get paid $150 to participate! You can find more information about the research and how to apply here:  http://www.equalrights.org/millennials-color-tell-us-think/
SABA-NC Public Interest 
Fellowship Application
Applicants can apply anytime for a fellowship because they are issued on a rolling basis. They may be used for summer internships, fall semester internships, spring semester internships, and post-bar fellowships for both spring and fall graduates. Please find the application here.  Please note that applicants do not have to be of South Asian descent to apply. All applicants are welcome, and we look forward to reviewing submissions from members of your organization.  
2016-2018 Tyron Garner Memorial Fellowship
Interested in a fellowship?  Please consider applying for the 2016-2018 Tyron Garner Memorial Fellowship for African-American LGBT Civil Rights:  http://www.lambdalegal.org/about-us/jobs/all_20160916_garner-fellow
Probate Referee Program Opportunities -
from the 
Office of the State Controller Betty Yee
State Controller Betty Yee is searching for attorneys, certified public accountants, and certified  appraisers from diverse backgrounds to serve as probate referees. Our search encompasses everyone  including people of all races, genders, and LGBT status.

Probate referees are officers of the court who are appointed by the State Controller. They provide  reliable appraisals of all estate assets including businesses, securities, real estate, and personal
properties. Probate referees are not state employees; their fees are paid by the estates (trusts)  involved. For any appraisal required by law, probate referee fees are 1/10 th of one percent of the total  assets. The minimum fee is $75 plus expenses such as mileage and photos.

Qualification criteria and application information are on the Controller's website at  www.sco.ca.gov/eo_probate.html. The next probate referee examination will be held in April 2017.
People who meet all the qualifications and pass the examination may be contacted for an interview  by a panel of judges and attorneys. Controller Yee will decide whom to appoint after considering the  panel's recommendation.

LGBT Asian American/ South Asian Attorney Networking Reception
 
We are celebrating the great diversity within our profession and supporting LGBT Asian American and South Asian attorneys in corporate, commercial, government, and public interest practice through networking receptions in three cities, including San Francisco. This year's reception is co-sponsored by AABA.
 
Thursday, October 27, 2016
6:00 - 8:00 PM
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
405 Howard Street
San Francisco, CA 94105

Spinning Race, Citizenship, and Fear on the Campaign Trail
Spinning Race, Citizenship, and Fear on the  Campaign Trail: A History  Presented by Professor Jack Tchen
New York University  Professor and Co-Author of  "Yellow Peril!: An Archive of  Anti-Asian Fear" 

Thursday, November 3, 2016 at 4:30pm

James R. Browning U.S. Courthouse
Courtroom 3
95 7th Street, San Francisco

Please arrive on time!

Ticket Prices:
$40 for those seeking MLCE credit
$10 adults
$5 students, ID required

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP certifies that this activity has been approved for MCLE Elimination of  Bias credit by the State Bar of California in the amount of 1.0 hour.

This program will discuss the historical roots of immigrant bashing and lessons we  can learn from the anti-Chinese campaigns of the 1870s and the 1882 Chinese  Exclusion Act (the impact of which was still felt until 1968).  It will also discuss how, in the very halls of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals  building where this talk takes place, Wong Kim Ark and fellow Chinese American  litigants successfully fought for the same civil right the Constitution provides to all  those born on US soil: US citizenship.


Meet the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association's (NAPABA) LGBTQ Committee at Events in San Diego, CA
November 4-5, 2016
Interested in learning more about NAPABA's LGBTQ Committee and what we do? This is your chance to meet new and returning members alike at various meet-ups and educational panels during NAPABA's Annual Convention in San Diego, CA. Let's grab brunch and say hi, attend panels, and then go dancing the night away!

Brunch at Hash House a Go Go
Friday, November 4, 2016 
7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
3628 Fifth Ave, San Diego, CA 92103
Break bread with the NAPABA LGBTQ Committee and engage in conversations about issues that affect our community.  Come get connected, and surround yourself with like-minded individuals. 

And Justice for All: APA LGBT Immigrants' Rights
Friday, November 4, 2016 
1:45 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Hilton San Diego Bayfront | 1 Park Blvd. San Diego, California, 92101

Earlier this year, LGBT leaders presented the U.S. Supreme Court with a cutting-edge brief detailing the impact of the nation's immigration laws and policies on the LGBT community. There are nearly one million LGBT immigrants living in the United States, a third of who are undocumented. This workshop will survey some of the most pressing legal issues facing LGBT immigrants, focusing on the unique needs of Asian Pacific Islander LGBT immigrants. Panelists will (1) review recent achievements and identify policy gaps in the rights for same-sex married bi-national couples (visas, green cards, work authorization); (2) discuss recent political and Supreme Court actions regarding deferred action from deportation for undocumented LGBT young people and their parents (DACA and DAPA); and (3) challenge participant's thoughts on immigration systems, including bias and discretion surrounding enforcement, criminalization, detention, deportation, and asylum on the basis of API LGBT status. Presenters will also forecast future LGBT immigrants' rights issues likely to appear in the next administration.

When Pride Meets Prejudice: Employment Rights for LGBTs in the Workplace
Saturday, November 5, 2016 
9:15 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Hilton San Diego Bayfront | 1 Park Blvd. San Diego, California, 92101

The struggle for equal rights is ongoing for LGBT people notwithstanding the recent Supreme Court decisions on marriage equality. Most saliently, inequality in the workplace remains prevalent for LGBT people in both the private and public sectors. The EEOC and some federal courts have interpreted Title VII's sex discrimination ban as protecting LGBT employees. But, contrary case law remains controlling in some federal circuits and there are no state-level protections in as many as 29 states. The challenges for LGBT workers concerning hiring, retention, advancement and benefits are pervasive. This panel will provide an overview of the employment nondiscrimination laws across the country, the litigation being filed, the direction the courts and federal agencies are heading, and the effectiveness of employment policies that private and public employers may adopt.

Informal Tour of the LGBTQ San Diego nightlife 
Friday, November 4, 2016 and Saturday, November 5, 2016 
9:00 p.m. (ish) - 2:00 a.m.  

This will be an impromptu event.  Locations to be visited include, but are not limited to, Brass Rail, Gossip Grill, Pecs Bar, and Rich's Martinis Above Fourth.  Please contact  Joanne Badua  if you're interested in joining to get more information. 

If you haven't signed up to be a member of the NAPABA LGBTQ Committee, this is a great opportunity to learn more about what we can do for you and how you can get involved. To be included in our list serve and receive future announcements, please contact  Joanne Badua .  So excited to meet you all there!

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We Want Your BALIFBuzz

We all love that section in our alumni newsletters that talks about who's doing what.

 

Well, we're introducing the BALIFBuzz to show-off all the great things that our members are doing.  BALIFBuzz will be appearing in the weekly BALIF newsletter.   

 

New job?

New client?

Promotion?

Court victory?

Significant settlement?

Baby on the way?

Recently married or engaged?

Speaking engagement?

Award, recognition, certification, or degree?  

Or anything else you're excited about...

 

Keep it to one or two lines.  Please send to [email protected].

 

Can't wait to hear your great news!

 

Alex Touma

BALIF Membership Co-Chair

 

Job Postings Now on BALIF Website

All job postings can be found here!  

 

BALIF membership must be current to view the job postings. Simply log into the BALIF website with your membership ID and password, and select JOBS from the menu on the left.

October 27- BALIF's Halloween Fundraiser
November 2 - Phone Bank for Hilary with BALIF
November 6 - Prison Legal Mail Clinic
November 16 - PLI: Representing Transgender Clients 
December 14- BALIF Holiday Party
Our 2016-2017 Sponsors
Partner Level

 
Counsel Level

A&P

Fenwick
HB Logo

 

Mofo
Sedgwick2
Seyfarth


Wilson

Advocate Level


Benefactor Level


Individual Sponsors

BALIF Board of Directors
Jessica Bogo & Peter Catalanotti
  
Julie Wilensky
Secretary & Amicus Chair

Mario Choi
Treasurer

Nick Clements
Judiciary Chair

Sarah Nicole Davis & 
John Unruh
Gala Co-Chairs  

 

Alex Touma
Shauna Madison

CCBA Chair

 
Stan Sarkisov
Communications Chair 

Jamie Dupree
Programs Chair

Ashley Pellouchoud & David Sims
Young Lawyers & Law Students Co-Chairs  

Daniel Faessler
Social Action Chair

Jennifer Orthwein
 
Lauren Pietsch
Lindsey Rosellini
Community Ambassador Chair  

Sam Potts & Stephan Ferris
Katie Carlson
BALIF Administrator 
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BALIF Foundation


BALIF | | [email protected] | http://www.balif.org
P.O. Box 193383
San Francisco, CA 94119