Weekly Newsletter        |        February 20 , 2018
In This Issue
Message from the BALIF Board 

As we continue to celebrate Black History Month, and acknowledge President's Day, it is important to remember that true leaders lead.  President's Day, originally  meant to celebrate Washington's birthday, now celebrates the accomplishments of all presidents.  Washington was the first American to have an American holiday made in his honor. MLK was the second.  Both challenged the status quo and fought to improve our nation's laws.
 
Our laws are not written to further justice.  Often times they are written to consolidate power and wealth.  George Washington freed his slaves in his will, and slavery was perfectly legal.  Institutionalized consolidation of power created many forms of injustice we now recognize as wrong (slavery, the Holocaust, apartheid).  
 
Continue celebrating Black History Month by committing yourself to being a leader, by fighting against the norm, and recognizing that privilege exists because someone's power has been weakened for your benefit.  Come together, and be resilient together.  Hopefully, you can find an outlet for your leadership in BALIF.


Sincerely,
 

Stan Sarkisov
BALIF Communications Chair

BALIF's 38th Annual Gala
Friday, March 2, 2018


38th Annual Gala: Resilient Together
March 2, 2018 7-11pm
VIP Reception 6pm

Bently Reserve, 301 Battery Street

 
BALIF Gala: Resilient Together! BALIF's 38th Annual Gala is on March 2, 2018. If you haven't done so yet, now is the time to  sponsor BALIF and purchase your tickets to the Gala. This year's format is an elegant cocktail party with food stations and drinks sprinkled around the venue. It's a fabulous format for mingling with old friends and meeting new ones. Don't miss the best party of the year!
 
Purchase Tickets or Sponsor
 
Help us Celebrate our Awardees!

2018 Legal Service Award
Toby Adams
Intersex & Genderqueer Recognition Project (IGRP)

2018 Community Service Award
Justice Now

BALIF thanks our current incoming 2018 BALIF Sponsors:
 
Partner Level
 
Google
Morrison & Foerster LLP
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
Polsinelli
 
Counsel Level
 
Arnold & Porter LLP
Dolan Law Firm P.C.
Fenwick & West LLP
Hanson Bridgett LLP
Keker, Van Nest & Peters LLP
Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP
Medina Orthwein LLP
Seyfarth Shaw LLP
TM Financial Forensics
 
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
Sanford Heisler Kimpel, LLP
Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP
Shook Hardy & Bacon 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.
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP
Minnis & Mallets
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 Gala Silent Auction


This year's BALIF Gala will feature  the   BALIF Foundation's  first silent auction.  The auction is great opportunity to assist the Foundation's work (the Foundation is BALIF's charitable arm) as we continue supporting  LGBTQI judges, public servants, private attorneys, and law students, including providing summer stipends for law students and aiding LGBTQI community organizations. Items for bid include a weekend at a beach house at Faria Beach, a 2-night stay at the centrally located 4-star San Francisco Marriott Marquis, a romantic dinner for two at Castro gem Eureka Lounge, gift certificates to workout studios, artwork, a home-cooked dinner with wine pairings by BALIF Foundation Board Member David Tsai, a basket of wine hand-selected by the seven BALIF Foundation Board members, and much more!   See you on 03/02, and get ready to bid!
BALIF March Happy Hour
lookout
WHAT: BALIF's March Happy Hour
WHEN: March 15, 2018 (Thurs), 6-8pm.
WHERE: Lookout Bar in the Castro.

The Lookout
3600 16th St @ Market St
San Francisco, California 94114
AABA LGBTQ Committee Kickoff Meeting


 
The Asian American Bar Association LGBTQ Committee will be hosting a kickoff meeting to discuss the exciting events planned for the year. Anyone interested in joining as a Committee member, helping with events, or learning more about the Committee is welcome to attend. Drinks and snacks will be provided.
 
Date:  Wednesday, March 7, 2018
Time: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Place: Vinson & Elkins LLP
555 Mission Street, Suite 2000
San Francisco, CA 94105
 

The AIDS Legal Referral Panel FREE Winter 2018 MCLE Training Programs 

To RSVP
Email:  [email protected] or
Call: 415-701-1200 ext. 303

Post-Death Administration: Basics of Handling Affairs When a Loved One Passes 
* Wednesday, March 7th, 5:30pm - 7:00pm 
* Presented by Alma Soongi Beck, Esq. (Lakin Spears LLP) 

#MeTooLawyers - Sexual Harassment Experienced by Lawyers 
* Tuesday, March 20th, 5:30pm - 7:30pm 
* Presented by Kenneth D. Martinson, Esq. (Kenneth Martinson San Bruno) and Heidi A. Machen, Esq. (Machen Law - machenlaw.com) 

Don't Drink and Debate: Stay Sober, Be Calm, and Carry On 
* Thursday, March 22nd, 5:30pm - 7:30pm 
* Presented by Kenneth D. Martinson, Esq. (Kenneth Martinson San Bruno) and Michelle Leigh Kral (Morse Giesler Callister Karlin & Hiura LLP) 

Asylum Claims for LGBTQI and HIV+ Clients 
* Thursday, March 29th, 5:30pm - 7:00pm 
* Presented by Jose Z. Marin, Esq. (Jose Marin Law) and Melanie Kehr, Esq. (Jose Marin Law) 


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

2018-2019 FAIR Fellowship Opportunity
The Foundation for Advocacy Inclusion & Resources (FAIR) is now accepting applications for its fifth annual FAIR Fellowship  (formerly called The Sanford Heisler Public Interest Diversity Fellowship) , which will enable a new attorney to work full-time for two consecutive six-month terms at (1) Legal Aid at Work and (2) a law practice affiliated with the California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA), an organization of more than 1200 workers' rights advocates throughout California. 

FAIR will fund a Fellow with salary and benefits during the first six months the fellow is working at Legal Aid at Work. The applicant will then be matched with a CELA affiliated firm for the second six month term and be paid a salary and benefits by that entity.
 
Applicants must have superior academic qualifications, be members of the California Bar (or anticipating becoming members by fall 2018), be committed to a career in social justice, and have 0-3 years of legal experience. Preference will be given to applicants with diverse backgrounds, demonstrated interest in employment law, clinical and/or pro bono and social justice interests, and plans to practice in California. Foreign language abilities and judicial clerkships/externships are also valued. 
 
 
The deadline for submitting applications is Monday, April 2, 2018 and an award decision will be made by April 30, 2018.

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 2017 - 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 [email protected].  
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.
March 2 - BALIF 38th Annual Gala
March 15  - BALIF March Happy Hour
April 12 -  BALIF General Meeting and Elections Event
Our 2017-2018 Sponsors
Partner Level


 
Counsel Level



Fenwick


  
Mofo



Sedgwick2
Seyfarth


Advocate Level

A.L. Nella & Co., CPA
Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Jones Day
Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP
Latham & Watkins LLP
Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP
O'Melveny & Myers LLP
Pacific Gas & Electric
Sanford Heisler, LLP
Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP
Shook Hardy & Bacon LLP
Sidley Austin LLP
Uber
Weaver, Austin, Villeneuve & Sampson LLP
Wells Fargo Legal Specialty Private Bank
White & Case LLP
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

Benefactor Level


Individual Sponsors


BALIF Board of Directors
Nyla Moujaes & 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 | | [email protected] | http://www.balif.org
P.O. Box 193383
San Francisco, CA 94119