In 2019 you helped elect almost an entirely new board. Since then we have grown our programs, increased our commitment to diversity and inclusion, and taken concrete steps to align ourselves with racial and social-justice movements as allies and partners. This coming election, we have 14 openings on the board! To each of the BALIF members stepping off the board, we extend our gratitude for their service. Please join us in thanking them by helping us to keep up the momentum and casting a ballot for the candidates you think will best help carry this work forward. Do not miss your chance to elect the 2021-2022 Board of Directors.  

 

This Thursday, join us for a candidate forum beginning at 6:00 pm on Zoom. Register to attend here. After the forum, the election will run through April 22, the date of our Annual Meeting and the date on which the results will be announced.  

 

The Nomination Committee has endorsed a slate of candidates representing diversity with respect to race and ethnicity, gender, practice area, years in practice, and geographic location within the Bay Area for your consideration. Look for a + symbol next to the candidate's name to identify the candidates that have been endorsed by the Nominations Committee in this election. We thank everyone who submitted a candidate statement to be listed on the ballot. Your participation in this election has provided us with a robust set of candidates.  

 

Can't attend the candidate forum? Read each candidate's statement here. For questions, contact nominations@balif.org.

Sincerely,

Daniel H. Galindo

BALIF Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee Chair

CCBA Co-Chair

Tuesday, April 13, 2021 | 6:30pm-8:30pm

Virtual Event

Attire: Business / Interview Attire Highly Recommended

If you are a legal professional and would like to volunteer to provide resume and interview feedback, please RSVP using the volunteer form.

If you are interested in attending the event to receive resume and interview feedback, please RSVP using the attendee form.

We are looking for a volunteer to help BALIF with IT issues on a part-time/as needed basis. Please contact balif@balif.org with any leads. Thank you!

Join us for an informal meeting with some of this year’s candidates for BALIF’s board.

Make sure to RSVP to receive the Zoom link. 

Thursday, April 15, 2021 | 6:30pm- 7:30pm

Virtual Event

Thursday, April 15, 2021 | 5:00- 6:30pm

Virtual CLE Event

Organized by the ACBA Barristers Section and the Charles Houston Bar Association and Co-sponsored by AABA, AILA, BALIF, CLA, EBLRLA, FBANC, and IABA

Credits:  1.5 hrs elimination of bias MCLE credit

Part of our Racial Equity Series

Last year, our town hall on discrimination, allyship, and intersectionality was highly successful and was attended by many community members. This year, we are hosting Part 2, which will focus on identifying action items for attendees to initiate in our respective communities. We will accomplish this through small breakout sessions. Each breakout session will have two moderators and no more than 12 participants. The two co-moderators will lead participants in an action planning session. 

Cost: FREE

The Alameda County Bar Association is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider.

Alice Cheng 

Angela Lim  

April Smith  

Armando Pastran Jr  

Christine Start  

Deborah Moss-West

Elica Vafaie  

Jay Kim  

Lisa Mak  

Mia Yamamoto  

Nadine Ravani  

Tiffany Alvoid  

Vincent Tong  

Zoë Polk  

The FBANC Foundation and the Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom Foundation (“BALIF Foundation”) are sponsoring the FBANC/BALIF “Pamilya” Joint Scholarship in the amount of $3,000 to a current law school student who has a demonstrated commitment to the Filipinx American and LGBTQI communities. Learn about past scholarship recipients. The deadline to apply is April 15, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. 

Thursday, April 22, 2021 | 6:00pm- 8:00pm

Virtual Event

VOTE FOR THE 2021-2022 BALIF BOARD OF DIRECTORS & Join us for our General Membership Event!

It will soon be time to vote! Your voice matters in selecting the people who will lead BALIF as members of the Board.

Voting will be open April 15, 2021 to elect the BALIF Board of Directors for 2021-2022! We have a fabulous and diverse group of candidates this year!

Elections will be online from Thursday, April 15, 2021 until 4 pm on Thursday, April 22, 2021.

Elections will be held solely online.

Check your inbox (and spam folder) for your personalized e-ballot. If you don't receive your e-ballot, please email balif@balif.org.

You must be a current member of BALIF in order to vote. Please make sure your membership is current!

The APABA Silicon Valley Charity Foundation and the Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom (BALIF) Foundation are pleased to announce a special joint scholarship for law students who have a demonstrated commitment to the Asian American and Pacific Islander ("AAPI") and LGBTQI communities. The scholarship aims to recognize law students in the greater Bay Area who have shown excellence and achievement in law school, and:

We will award one scholarship of $3,000.

Please email your application to scholarship@apabasv.com. Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m., Thursday, April 22, 2021.

Monday, April 26, 2021 | 2:00- 4:00pm

Virtual CLE Event

Co-sponsored by the ACBA, CHBA, CABL, BALIF

Credits:  1.5 hrs elimination of bias MCLE credit

Part of our Racial Equity Series

The intersectionality of LGBTQ identity with race has long been a sensitive one. What is it like for people of color within the LGBTQ community? And what is the experience of LGBTQ people as members of a particular racial or ethnic identity? What are ways that these two communities can heal their differences, and make their communities safe and welcoming for all?

Cost: FREE

Online registration closes the day before the event. If you have trouble registering, please contact the Membership Coordinator.

The Alameda County Bar Association is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider.

Angela G. Lim

Janetta Louise Johnson

Juan Walker

Friday, May 20, 2021 | 6:30- 8:00pm

Virtual CLE Event

RSVP here: https://www.balif.org/event-4254019 If you are graduating this year, please send us your name and photo to balif@balif.org if you would like to be included in the virtual procession. Hope to see you there!

We encourage all of you, whether current or lapsed member or friend, to consider donating to BALIF, joining BALIF, and/or renewing your BALIF membership! Like most nonprofits, BALIF has been financially impacted by the pandemic. Nevertheless, we have been able to put together extensive, timely, and unique programming for nearly every facet of our LGBTQI+ legal community, as detailed in our BALIF Year-End Review below. We also did all of this while extending free 2020-21 memberships to all BALIF members existing as of June 2020 as well as all new law student, recently graduated, and/or currently unemployed members. We will not be able to continue this great work without the engagement and financial support from members and friends like you. So please do consider donating at https://www.balif.org/donate and/or becoming a new member or renewing your existing membership at https://www.balif.org/membership!

April 12- April 22, 2021 |

Virtual Conference

Join the ACLU to help level up policy change. The ACLU of California Action Conference is an annual statewide conference with opportunities to level up your advocacy and policy change in California. You will learn about civil liberties here in California, participate in statewide and local campaigns, and network with like-minded people. The entire conference is virtual – more events will be added through March.

All sessions are open to everyone who registers during the two weeks, but if you want to participate in a lobby visit with your lawmaker, you must attend one of the lobbying training sessions and the practice session. Lobby visits with lawmakers are in the process of being scheduled and your lobby visit time will be shared with you in the next several weeks.

Would you like to be on this list? What is your name & area of practice? How can we reach you?

Bay Area Workers Support is creating an Attorney Referral Network for Sex Workers. This referral list will be a means to connect sex workers with legal aid and attorneys friendly to sex workers. Attorneys informed to the specific legal challenges sex workers face are especially helpful.

We welcome any sex worker allied attorneys in any field and experience level. If you are interested in being on this referral list please fill out the form below. You can contact rhanileeremedes@gmail.com for more information about this project.

By filling out the information below, you are committing to provide safe and accessible legal services to sex workers. If you are not able to offer legal services in the manner, we will remove you from our attorney list. Thank you for being part of this Attorney Referral Network for Sex Workers.