Weekly Newsletter        |        April 3 , 2018
In This Issue
Message from the BALIF Board 

I hope all of you had a wonderfully sunny and festive Easter! Spring is here and I'm excited to bask in some warm sun. BALIF has a couple of exciting events coming up which we'd love to see our members at! 
 
First is the BALIF Board Election night which is on Thursday, April 12th from 6-8:30pm at the Sausage Factory in the Castro. Come support your BALIF Board candidates by indulging in some pizza (#treatyoself) and supporting our prospective board members on election night!
 
Second, BALIF is hosting its annual Law Student and New Lawyers resume review and interviewing skills event on Saturday, April 14th from 11am to 2pm. Come hear from a panel of seasoned practitioners about how to nail your interviews and what sorts of skills and experiences employers are looking for. Then, volunteer attorneys will give live feedback about your resume and interview skills so that our law students and new lawyers are more than prepared to land that next opportunity. If you have questions or want to attend, email Lauren Pietsch at younglawyers@balif.org.
 
Finally, come join other BALIF members at the Bagels & Bubbly with Bisexuals in the Bay on Sunday, April 15th from 11am-1pm at Sydney Walton Square SF. Meet and mingle with other bisexual identifying professionals in the Bay Area of some drinks and bites!


Sincerely,
 

Dustin Helmer
BALIF Development & Gala Co-Chair

Elections and Annual Membership Meeting Happy Hour


VOTE FOR THE 2018-2020 BALIF BOARD OF DIRECTORS!

 
Voting is now open to elect the BALIF Board of Directors! We have a fabulous and diverse group of candidates this year. Click here to read the candidate statements.

All BALIF members should have received an online ballot on April 3. Voting will be online until 4 pm on April 12. You can also vote in person at the Annual Meeting and Election Happy Hour at the Sausage Factory on April 12. If you haven't received a ballot, email balif@balif.org. Don't forget to vote!

Elections will be online from April 3 until 4 pm on April 12. You can also vote in person at the BALIF Annual Meeting and Election Happy Hour on Thursday (April 12) at the Sausage Factory from 6 - 8:30 pm. In-person voting will end at 7 pm, and the election results will be announced at the end of the meeting.

Free food and drinks will be available, so meet the candidates and join us for a great event even if you plan to vote online! The results will be announced at the end of the meeting.

BALIF IS PROUD TO SUPPORT SB 990
In late 2017, BALIF's CCBA Committee debated a resolution at the CA Conference of Bar Associations (CCBA) Conference of Delegates that provides for equal access to rehabilitative and other programming opportunities to LGBTQI and other prisoners at high risk for sexual assault placed in solitary confinement for their own protection. The resolution overwhelmingly passed.  That portion of the resolution has now been included in current legislation being considered by the CA legislature: SB 990.  SB 990 will help ensure that the dignity of transgender people is honored in incarceration settings and that LGBTQI people and others at high risk of sexual assault and harassment have an equal opportunity to access rehabilitative, educational and work programs. SB 990 will also require that people entering jails and prison be given an opportunity to specify their preferred first name, gender identity, gender pronoun, and honorific (e.g., Mr., Ms, Mx.) and will require all facility staff to use the designated name, pronoun and honorific when addressing the person. SB 990 will further require that people housed outside of the general population for their own safety be provided equal access to rehabilitative, religious and educational programs.
 
We are very proud to support SB 990 and submitted our Letter of Support to Senator Wiener on April 2, 2018. You can view that letter here. We are also proud to have ensured the support of CCBA's lobbying staff as this bill moves through the legislature.

Résumé & Interview Workshop


BALIF is hosting one of the largest annual events for students, our Résumé Review and Mock Interview Workshop! We will have LGBTQI attorneys from various sectors (e.g., big law, public service, government, academic, judges, in-house counsel, etc.) that will provide 1:1 feedback to law students. All class levels are welcome!

The event will commence with a panel on how to navigate your legal career, interviews, and networking. After a catered lunch, students will go through rounds of interviews and résumé review. 

Confirmed panelists include: 
David Tsai - Managing Partner at Vinson & Elkins
Ariel Ruiz - Senior Litigation Counsel at Uber
Melanie Rowen - Public Service & Fellowship Advisor at UC Berkeley.

Wh en: Saturday, April 14, 2018
Where: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP - Four Embarcadero Center, 22nd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94111 (right next to Embarcadero BART)
Time: 11 am-2pm
Lunch: Provided
Attire: Business / Interview Attire Highly Recommended

Please be sure to RSVP here!

Joint APABA-BALIF Scholarship


The Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Silicon Valley Charity (the "APABA Silicon Valley Charity") and the Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom Foundation (the "BALIF Foundation") are pleased to announce a special joint scholarship for law students who have a demonstrated commitment to the Asian Pacific American and LGBT communities.
 
 
Purpose
To recognize law students in the greater Bay Area who have shown excellence and achievement in law school, and:
  • Overcome personal hardships or challenges; and
  • Demonstrated leadership and service in support of their local Asian Pacific American ("APA") and LGBT communities.
Award
One joint scholarship of $3,000.
Application
Process
Application for the scholarship includes the following:
  • Résumé submission.  Please include grade point average if applicable.  The applicant's grade point average and law school enrollment are subject to verification.
  • Essay submission (two page maximum).  The essay should address how the applicant fulfills the above-mentioned purpose of the scholarship.
  • Interview.  Scholarship finalists will be interviewed on Sunday, April 15, 2018.
The APABA Silicon Valley Charity & the BALIF Foundation also require that the recipient:
  • Attend and volunteer at the APABA Silicon Valley 33nd Anniversary Gala, at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on October 5, 2018;
  • Attend the BALIF Annual Gala in 2019 (invited but not required to attend);
  • Become a Student Member of APABA Silicon Valley (free of charge) and BALIF ($10.00);
  • Participate as an APABA Silicon Valley Student Liaison at his or her law school by (i) advertising APABA Silicon Valley events and scholarships, and (ii) encouraging fellow law students to attend events and apply for future scholarships;
  • Join an APABA Silicon Valley Committee; and
  • Become a New Member with APABA Silicon Valley and BALIF upon graduation.
 
Deadline
Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m., April 5, 2018. 
Submission
 
Questions
Please submit applications to scholarship@apabasv.com

Please also feel free to contact us with questions at scholarship@apabasv.com .

Bagels and Bubbly with Bisexuals in the Bay

What:   Bagels and Bubbly with Bisexuals in the Bay
 
Who:   Legal Professionals and their partners who identify as bisexual* 
 
(*The term bisexual is used as an umbrella term for people who have the potential for sexual, emotional, and/or romantic attraction to more than one gender.  This includes people who may identify as bisexual, pansexual, fluid, queer, and questioning.)
 
When:  Sunday, April 15th, 11am - 1pm
 
 
Details:   An opportunity for discussion and activities focused on bi-visibility and community within the bi-community.
 

The AIDS Legal Referral Panel FREE Spring 2018 MCLE Training Programs 

To RSVP
Email:  mcle@alrp.org or
Call: 415-701-1200 ext. 303


Employment Issues Facing Clients with HIV/AIDS 
Sponsored by the State Bar's Labor & Employment Law Section 
* Tuesday, April 10th, 5:30pm - 7:00pm 
* Presented by Sonya Smallets, Esq. - Minnis & Smallets LLP 

Top 10 Things You Should Know About Employee Benefits Law 
* Thursday, April 19th, 5:30pm - 7:00pm 
* Presented by Kirsten G. Scott, Esq. - Renaker Hasselman Scott LLP 

Representing LGBTQ Clients in Immigration Court 
* Tuesday, May 1st, 5:30pm - 7:00pm 
* Presented by Gam Galindo, Esq. - Galindo & Associates, P.C. 

Disability Rights in the Workplace - Reasonable Accommodations and Medical Privacy 
Sponsored by the State Bar's Labor & Employment Law Section 
* Tuesday, May 22nd, 5:30pm - 7:00pm 
* Presented by Noah D. Lebowitz, Esq. - Duckworth Peters Lebowitz Olivier LLP 

Long Term Disability/Veterans Benefits Training 
* Thursday, June 14th, 5:30pm - 7:00pm 
* Presented by John Unruh, Esq. - Unruh Law 

Negotiating for Tenant Attorneys: How To Do Right for San Francisco Tenants 
* Monday, June 25th, 5:30pm - 7:00pm 
* Presented by Deepa Varma, Esq. - San Francisco Tenants Union 

Location: 
BASF
301 Battery Street, 3rd Floor
San Francisco, CA

KABANC Spring Mixer

 
Thursday, April 26, 2018
6-8pm
 
Location: Dirty Water, 1355 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94103
 
 
Join KABANC for their spring mixer and make connections with the board, attorneys, and students in the Bay Area. Appetizers will be served. The first 20 guests will receive a ticket for a free drink!

37th Annual Real Property Law 
Section Retreat


37th Annual Real Property Law Section Retreat
Thursday - Sunday, April 19 - 22, 2018  
Hyatt Regency Embarcadero 
Five Embarcadero Center 
San Francisco

Online Registration HERE

Earn up to 15.75 Hours MCLE Credit Including Credit in Legal Ethics, Elimination of Bias, and Competency Issues


Key Deadlines
March 26:  Hotel Reservation Deadline 
April 5: Early Program Registration Deadline 
April 12: Pre-registration deadline. 
Register onsite after April 12.

Program and Special Activities Highlights
  • Choose from 47 Education Programs 
  • Includes Credit in Legal Ethics, Elimination of Bias and Competency Issues 
  • More than 100 Speakers Covering a Wide-range of Program Topics, including Perennial Favorite Top 10 Real Estate Cases of 2017
  • Featuring Special Documentary Presentation "Balancing the Scales" with filmmaker Sharon Rowen and California Supreme Court Justice Therese Stewart 
  • Complimentary Breakfast (Friday-Sunday) and Lunch (Friday/Saturday
  • Networking Receptions 
  • Special Offsite Events including Chinatown Walking Tour and Dim Sum Tasting, Alcatraz by Night, Beach Blanket Babylon, and more!
Registration Fees and Deadlines
  • Early-bird pre-registration: April 5 
  • Final pre-registration:  April 12
  • Full 4-day Registration Fee or a One-day Registration Fee
  • Full Retreat Fee (if registered by April 5; prices increase after this date)
    • Section members:  $695 
    • Non-section members: $790, includes free 2018 Section membership
    • Discounted full-retreat fees offered for young attorneys, in-house counsel, government, professor and full time law students
  • One-Day Fees (if registered by April 5; prices increase after this date)
    • Thursday:  $75 | Friday or Saturday:  $275 per day | Sunday: $150
Registration/General Information & Special Assistance
For Registration Assistance please call  415-795-7025 .
For General Information and Special Assistance please call  415-795-7185 .

Join us for LGBTQ Advocacy Day in Sacramento on May 21!

Join Equality California and our partners for our annual LGBTQ Advocacy Day on Monday, May 21 in at the California State Capitol. Register today at  eqca.org/advocacyday Highschool and college students can register for free, here:  action.eqca.org/studentreg
 
Our  Advocacy  Day will welcome hundreds of LGBTQ leaders, activists and allies from across California for a day of grassroots political action to raise awareness about critical priorities for the LGBTQ community, people living with HIV, and all communities impacted by the divisive actions of the Trump Administration. 
 
Participants of LGBTQ Advocacy Day will:
  • Learn how to harness grassroots political power
  • Receive training on our legislative priorities and how to advocate for them
  • Attend a rally and press conference on the West Steps
  • Meet face-to-face with California legislators and staff, urging them to pass key legislation to protect and expand the civil liberties of all Californians
When: Monday, May 21, 2018
Time: 9:00am - 5:00pm
Where: West Steps, California State Capitol, Sacramento, CA
 
Registration is $25 and includes lunch and training.   Register at:  eqca.org/advocacyday
Limited scholarships and travel grants are available.
Apply for a travel grant at:  action.eqca.org/travelgrant2018
 
We will be lobbying on a variety of issues important to the LGBTQ community including healthcare, education, HIV/AIDS, transgender rights, criminal justice reform, and immigration.
 
If you have questions about the advocacy day, registration, travel grants, or accessibility accommodation requests (materials, translation, on-site interpretation, and more), please contact Brad Lundahl at brad@eqca.org.
 
Together, we can ensure that our legislators and policymakers continue to make California a beacon of hope for the rest of the country. 

2018 Arturo Gonzalez Summer 
Law Student Fellowships

LGBTQIA+ Survivors of Sexual Assault

Giving to the BALIF Foundation
 

Please consider making a tax deductible donation to the BALIF Foundation.  The Foundation recently launched and is working to assist BALIF in bringing LGBT judges to the bench and supporting scholarships, stipends and fellowships for law students and attorneys working in the LGBTQ community.  You can donate here.  In the four years ahead, we believe the Foundation's work will be critical in helping to protect our community.

And the Foundation is looking for Founding Circle members through the end of 2018 - pledge and pay as little as $1,000 to always be listed as a Founding Circle member of the BALIF Foundation.

For more information about the BALIF Foundation or how to get involved, contact Jamie Dupree jdupree@fddcm.com.  
BALIF & The BALIF Foundation

BALIF is the Bay Area's LGBT Bar Association, which is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit, which can engage in political activity.  Its Board members are elected by the BALIF membership and chair various committees of the BALIF bar association.
 
The BALIF Foundation is BALIF's charitable arm.  Donations to the BALIF Foundation are tax deductible because it is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.  The BALIF Foundation is dedicated to increasing the number of LGBT judges on the bench through educational programming, supporting LGBT community organizations, and providing scholarships, summer stipends, and fellowships for LGBT  law students and young attorneys seeking to help the LGBT community through legal work.  It gave its inaugural summer fellowship for the summer of 2017.

Job Postings Now on BALIF Website
Looking for a job or a law school internship?  As a BALIF member you get access to all job postings.  Click here to see the opportunities, or log into the   BALIF website with your membership ID and password, and select JOBS on the menu on the left.
April 5 - Joint APABA-BALIF Scholarship
April 12 -  BALIF General Meeting and Elections Event
April 14 - Résumé & Interview Workshop
April 15 - Bagels and Bubbly with Bisexuals in the Bay
Our 2018-2019 Sponsors
Partner Level

Mofo
 
Counsel Level



Fenwick
HB Logo

  
Kilpatrick

Seyfarth


Advocate Level

A.L. Nella & Co, CPA
Freeman Mathis & Gary, LLP
Latham & Watkins LLP
Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP
Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP
O'Melveny & Myers LLP
Pacific Gas & Electric
Perkins Coie LLP
Sanford Heisler Kimpel, LLP
Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP
Shook Hardy & Bacon LLP
Sidley Austin LLP
Tycko & Zavareei LLP
Uber
White & Case LLP
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati


Benefactor Level

AT&T
Baker Botts LLP
Bonora Rountree, Trial Consulting & Research
Callaway & Wolf
Clarence Dyer & Cohn LLP / Swanson & McNamara LLP
Cooley LLP
Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, LLP
Danko Meredith
Epiq Global
Farella Braun + Martel LLP
Futterman Dupree Dodd Croley Maier LLP
Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Golden Gate University
Helbraun Law Firm
Jackson Lewis P.C.
JAMS
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP
Minnis & Smallets
Perkins Coie LLP
Pritzker Levine LLP
Reed Smith LLP
Robert Half Legal
Roeca Haas Montes De Oca LLP
Sally Morin Professional Law Corporation
San Francisco City Attorney's Office
San Francisco District Attorney's Office
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
Troutman Sanders
Venable
Veritext
Vinson & Elkins LLP


Individual Sponsors

Joanna Barron - ADR Services, Inc.
C. Todd Norris - Bullivant Houser Bailey P.C.
Michael Colantuono - Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley, PC
Gordon Atkinson - Gluck Daniel, LLP
Peter Borkon - Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP
Frederick Hertz - Law Offices of Frederick Hertz
John E. Hill - Law Offices of John E. Hill P.C.
Kelly McCown - McCown & Evans
Jahan Sagafi - Outten & Golden LLP
Saya Wallace - Paul Hastings LLP
Teresa Renaker - Renaker Hasselman Scott LLP
Peter Pierce - Richards, Watson & Gershon
Debra Schoenberg - Schoenberg Family Law
Bao M. Vu - Stoel Rives LLP
John Robert Unruh - Unruh Law, P.C.

BALIF Board of Directors
Peter Catalanotti
  
Jennifer Orthwein
Secretary &

Felicia Medina
Mario Choi
Treasurer

Annick Persinger
Judiciary Chair

Sarah Nicole Davis 
Gala Co-Chair

Alex Touma
Meaghan Zore
 
Stan Sarkisov
Communications Chair 

Jamie Dupree
 
Stephan Ferris
Ashley Pellouchoud
Community Ambassador Chair  

Jaclyn Gross & Kevin Jones
Follow BALIF

youtube
 
BALIF Foundation


BALIF Foundation
 Board of Directors
Jamie Dupree, Chair
  
Shay Gilmore

Chelsea HaleyNelson, Secretary

Laura Maechtlen

Nina Paul

Linda Scaparotti

David Tsai

John Unruh, Treasurer

BALIF | | info@balif.org | http://www.balif.org
P.O. Box 193383
San Francisco, CA 94119