It Gets Better Videos
BALIF Presents "It Gets Better" Montage
Half-a-year in the making and featuring an all-star cast of Bay Area legal eagles undefined BALIF is proud to present our groundbreaking "It Gets Better" video series.
BALIF's videos emphasize not only that *it gets better*, and but also highlight what our amazing members are doing to *make it better*. A 3-minute teaser was previewed at BALIF's Gala in March. The full-length version was premiered at the Jones Day Pride Breakfast on 6/26/11, and is now available
here.
We couldn't be more proud of our members who are making it better for our entire community.
Video Production By: Luis Calero
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DAVID TSAI, Esq. Perkins Coie LLP
BALIF Co-Chair, 2011 Best Under 40, and 2010 Barrister of the Year
David has served as the BALIF Co-Chair for the past year and a half. He is an intellectual property litigator at Perkins Coie LLP in San Francisco and focuses on trade secret and patent litigation involving the Internet, software, semiconductors, smartphones, LEDs, pharmaceuticals, biotechnologies, and medical devices. His interest in technology stems from his prior work as a product manager at internet startups, where he focused on developing platforms for online collaborative communications, and during his time at Stanford, where he helped develop Stanford’s first online problem sets (while conducting stem cell gene therapy research). David is currently the Vice President of the Silicon Valley Intellectual Property Law Association (SVIPLA) and also sits on the Board of the Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF). David is fluent in spoken Taiwanese and Chinese Mandarin and represents numerous Taiwan-based companies. David decided to attend law school while driving home to SF from Silicon Valley in 2002. Having already volunteered for Project Open Hand and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation for over three years, David wanted to make a bigger difference for minority communities through the law. While at law school, he spent many afternoons volunteering with the AIDS Legal Services in San Jose and the East Palo Alto Community Law Center. Today, David remains committed to serving pro bono clients. He has worked on several LGBT civil rights and immigration matters with the Asian Law Caucus, API Legal Outreach, and the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights, including successfully representing an HIV+ transgender Mexican client and a Guatemalan gay man in SF’s immigration court. David has also worked on numerous amicus briefs related to the same-sex marriage cases here in California, including representing BALIF and 41 other bar organizations in their recent amicus brief filing related to the motion to vacate Chief Judge Walker’s decision in the Perry case. David was named one of the “Best LGBT Lawyers Under 40 (Class of 2011)” by the National LGBT Bar Association; “2010 Barrister of the Year” by the Santa Clara County Bar Association, and a "Rising Star" in intellectual property litigation by Super Lawyers magazine in 2009, 2010, and 2011. He is also the recipient of the Minority Bar Coalition’s “Rising Star Award” and the ABA Section of Litigation’s “Outstanding Subcommittee Chair Award”. David is extremely proud to have been part of the BALIF Board for the past few years and believes every day it does get better.
LIZ NOTEWARE, Esq.
Former Senior Staff Attorney for the Ninth Circuit and Former BALIF Co-Chair
Liz Noteware hails from Dallas, Texas and has the big hair to prove it. Liz (perhaps mistakenly) foresaw limited success and happiness in Texas for a young feminist with some outlandish political ideas, and moved to the Bay Area as a Stanford undergraduate. She came out in her early 20s, during the heady days of Club Q, Junk, short dresses with Doc Martens, and the original lesbian gentrification of the Mission district. Liz worked for a graphic design firm and loved Helvetica dearly, but decided to go to law school to justify using so many polysyllabic words. Liz then moved to Boston to attend Northeastern University Law School, which lived up to its moniker, "The Queerest Law School in the Nation." She clerked for a federal judge; served as assistant general counsel for the Social Security Administration; and then worked as a staff attorney for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals for six years. Recently she began her most challenging – yet fulfilling – position as a full-time mom to son Ari. She has been happily unmarried for twelve years to her law-school sweetheart, Angie, who is the director of admissions at Golden Gate University Law School. Liz has enjoyed absolute support and love from her family back in Texas and often wonders if she could have been the doyenne of Dallas.
TRENTON H. NORRIS, Esq. Arnold & Porter
Office Managing Partner and Policy Committee Member of AmLaw 50 Firm
Trent Norris is a Senior Partner at Arnold & Porter, one of the country’s largest and most respected law firms. He is the head of the firm’s San Francisco and Silicon Valley offices and a member of the firm’s Policy Committee, which functions as its board of directors. Trent is a litigator and represents some of the world’s best-known branded companies in consumer class actions and related litigation. Trent grew up in the suburbs of Kansas City, spent his high school years in New Jersey, and went to college at Brown University. He worked on Wall Street and Capitol Hill before going to law school at Harvard and starting his legal career at Arnold & Porter.
ON LU, Esq. Mount, Spelman & Fingerman, P.C.
First Openly Gay Student Body President at USF School of Law
For oN, It Got Better when he stopped hiding behind religion. oN is an intellectual property litigation attorney at
Mount, Spelman, and Fingerman, P.C., with particular emphasis on anti-counterfeiting and branding. His work and language skills take him often to Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Europe. oN spent ten-years in the dogmatic International Churches of Christ, which promised to “de-gay” him. During that decade, he zealously led bible talks and ministries; spent too much time evangelizing strangers; and baptized numerous “disciples”. He even served as a minister during his last year in the church. None of that worked; he was still gay (thank God.) When oN finally realized that being gay wasn’t the problem, he left the church and moved to San Francisco to start his life over. He came out of the closet at the ripe old-age of 31, while a first year law student at the
University of San Francisco School of Law. During his third year, oN was elected President of the
Student Bar Association (SBA) – a first for an openly gay student at the law school. oN’s graduating class voted him the “Leader Who Contributed Most to the Character of the Law School” and selected him to speak at Commencement. He was also a member of the
USF Law Review; taught
Street Law to inner-city high school students; and worked as a teaching assistant for several professors. oN currently serves on
BALIF’s Board of Directors as Membership Chair. He has helped to grow BALIF’s membership by more than 20% by innovating member-focused events such as the
Rainmaker Institute to help small firms increase their business, and the
Mid-Autumn Salon in San Francisco in homage to the days of intellectual discourse. oN also initiated and leads BALIF’s series of
“It Gets Better” videos to share with the world what BALIF lawyers and judges are doing to “make it better” for the entire LGBT community. He’s a fan of skydiving, comic books, Hong Kong action movies, and seeing the world. He’s also on the look-out for the love-of-his-life.
JAMIE L. DUPREE Futterman Dupree Dodd Croley Maier LLP
Law Firm Founder, Happily Partnered for 14 Years and Legally Married for 3, Mother of 2
Jamie is a founding partner of the law firm, Futterman Dupree Dodd Croley Maier LLP, located in San Francisco. She litigates business and employment cases and provides counsel to a number of privately-held Bay Area businesses. Throughout high school and college, Jamie dated men. When she realized she was a lesbian, Jamie believed she’d never marry or have children. Happily, she was wrong. Today, she has been partnered with Patty Frontiera for over 14 years, and they have two sons, Jonah (5) and Zachary (3), who are the lights of her life. Jamie and Patty were able to wed legally in October 2008, when Zach was only 7 weeks old -- just prior to the enactment of Proposition 8. The family lives in Piedmont, California. Jamie attended Stanford University, majoring in Political Science, and then NYU School of Law, where she was a member of the Law Review and Order of the Coif. After law school, she clerked for the Honorable Stanley S. Brotman, United States District Court Judge for the District of New Jersey and Acting Chief Judge for the District of the Virgin Islands. She was an associate at Morrison & Foerster and at Marron Reid LLP before founding her law firm in August 1998. Jamie also serves as a mediator and early neutral evaluator for the Northern District of California. She is a member of the BALIF Board of Directors and its Executive Committee and is co-chair of the BALIF 2012 Gala Committee. She has also served on the ACLU’s Lawyers Council Steering Committee for many years. Jamie is particularly interested in mentoring and has mentored students and young professionals formally and informally throughout her entire career.
JUDGE JONATHAN KARESH San Mateo County Superior Court
Came Out of the Closet While Serving as a Superior Court Judge
Gov. Gray Davis appointed Jonathan Karesh, a Deputy District Attorney for San Mateo County to the San Mateo Superior Court in December of 2000. Jon was born and raised in San Francisco, went to college and law school at UC Berkeley, and has lived and worked in San Mateo County since 1987. As a Deputy District Attorney, Jon was head of the Asset Forfeiture Division in the San Mateo County D.A.'s Office, and for many years, taught asset forfeiture to prosecutors and police officers throughout the state of California. Before he was a Deputy District Attorney, Jon was an associate at Sedgwick, Detert, Moran and Arnold, where he was involved in the defense of personal injury and products liability cases. Prior to becoming a Judge, Jon was very active in the Democratic Party, and was a member of the California Democratic Party State Central Committee for 10 years. As a Judge, Jon has handled a wide variety of criminal and civil cases, including homicide, robbery, sexual assault, construction defect and personal injury trials. In his legal career, Jon has tried more than 130 jury trials to verdict. Already out to his family and friends, Jon came out at work five years ago and was deluged with supportive and positive responses by his colleagues and lawyers in the community. In his spare time, he goes to Giants baseball and Cal football games. On his vacations, Jon performs at the annual Kingston Trio Fantasy Camp in Scottsdale Arizona, follows the jam band Phish around the country, and travels to Japan to be with close friends. He lives in San Mateo with Jimmy, the friendliest cat on the planet.
CHELSEA E. HALEYNELSON Law Office of Chelsea E. HaleyNelson
Current BALIF Co-Chair, Partner of 16 years, and New Mom
It Got Better for Chelsea. She and her partner have been together for over 16 years. They are legally married in California, and recently welcomed into the world, a beautiful baby daughter. Chelsea HaleyNelson received a joint BA in Political Science-International Relations and Global Peace and Security from the University of California at Santa Barbara. She received her J.D. from the University of San Francisco (USF) School of Law in 2005. She has published a number of articles addressing human rights of women and LGBT individuals, including “Women in Peacekeeping and Peacemaking: Solutions to the Demand Side of Trafficking” and “Sexualized Violence Against Lesbians.” Chelsea began her law career working predominantly on complex immigration removal defense and federal appeals. In 2008, she opened her own law office to focus on federal litigation, with particular emphasis on LGBT claims. Chelsea serves as a volunteer attorney with the National Center for Lesbian Rights’ immigration program representing LGBT asylum applicants; a mentor attorney for the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights pro bono asylum program; a pro bono attorney for BASF’s VIP program; and co-counsels with pro bono firms representing victims of worksite enforcement raids. She is co-chair of the National Lawyers Guild, San Francisco-Bay Area Chapter’s Immigration Committee; EOIR Liaison for the American Immigration Lawyer’s Association of Northern California; and Co-Chair of the BALIF Board.
J. DOMINIC CAMPODONICO, Esq. Gordon & Rees LLP
Law Firm Partner and Chair of the Diversity Committee and the Pro Bono Committee
“You’re gay? We accept you, but does that change your mind about wanting to go to law school?” I was 24 when I heard that question and it shocked me. Not because it was a mean spirited question, because it was not. Instead, it was an honest, genuine question from a family member who had just welcomed me after I told my family I was gay. It shocked me because the question meant that there was a perception, even in the heterosexual community, that the legal profession might be or actually is unwelcoming to LGBTs. Right then and there, I promised myself I would do everything I could to become a successful lawyer and dedicate time and energy to make sure the legal profession welcomed LGBTs. I did not want any other potential law school student to think that he or she could not pursue the practice of law because he or she is LGBT or is heterosexual and accepting of LGBTs. Even more importantly, I did not want the general public perception to be that the legal profession does not welcome diversity and is not an inclusive profession.
I was fortunate to have a mentor who introduced me to BALIF and opened my eyes to an enormous world of support and inspiration. My BALIF colleagues further encouraged me to promote the understanding and acceptance of LGBTs by being an active member of influential organizations within the legal profession. One of those organizations is the Defense Research Institute and I followed my LGBT colleagues’ advice by currently serving as the Marketing Committee Chair of the Diversity Committee and a member of the Steering Committee for DRI’s Diversity for Success Seminar and Corporate Expo. Working in those two capacities led to the opportunity to speak at the 2011 Diversity for Success seminar on the LGBT topic of “Diversity in the 21st Century: Are We Speaking the Same Language?” My BALIF colleagues also advised me to write articles to help reach as many members of the legal profession as possible, and I am fortunate that my article titled “LGBTs in the Legal Profession: Will It Get Better?” was recently published by The Daily Journal, California’s largest legal publication.
Through DRI and other organizations, I have met many supportive lawyers throughout the country who are helping to make it better. Most importantly, we all have the same high priority for staying in touch with LGBT law school students. As often as possible, I participate in law school student diversity meetings to hear their concerns, answer their questions, and share my experiences with future LGBT lawyers. Within my firm, I also promote diversity in law student hiring and, indeed, all hiring by serving as the Chair of the Diversity Committee in our San Francisco office, the headquarter office of the firm. I am thankful for everyone who has made it better for me, and I am doing everything I can to make it better for others.
I am a litigation Partner in the San Francisco office of Gordon & Rees LLP, a national law firm with more than 450 attorneys in 20 U.S. offices. My practices focuses on Drug & Medical Devices, Life Sciences, Commercial Litigation, and Tort & Product Liability. I have more than 12 years of experience serving as national litigation coordinating counsel and regional counsel in mass tort litigation involving manufacturers and distributors of a variety of pharmaceuticals and medical devices, as well as extensive experience representing pharmaceutical sales representatives and related management in various litigation. I also assist pharmaceutical and medical device clients with high-stakes matters that frequently occur simultaneously with product liability litigation, such as risk management and compliance, FDA/regulatory issues, government investigations, suits under the federal and California False Claims Act, insurance, and crisis communications. My product liability experience extends to a wide range of additional industries, including consumer products, automobile parts, household appliances and industrial machinery.
KELLY M. DERMODY, Esq. Partner, Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein
President-Elect, The Bar Association of San Francisco
Kelly is a Partner in the law firm of
Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein. She has represented employees and consumers in class actions for 17 years. As a college student at
Harvard University, Kelly worked as a Judiciary Committee Intern for
Senator Ted Kennedy. Kelly was inspired by the committed civil rights lawyers with whom she was working so closely, and later participated in
the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights in 1987. She subsequently came out and formed an undergraduate group called
"Defeat Homophobia", built on 10 principles of change to make the campus LGBT inclusive. Kelly later served as co-chair of the student LGBT group and of a peer counseling group focused on sexuality and sexual orientation. At
Berkeley Law School, Kelly co-chaired the LGBT group and worked as a law clerk for the
NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., and the
U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division. After law school, she worked in Nashville as a judicial law clerk to
Judge John T. Nixon and volunteer planning committee member for Nashville's LGBT Pride weekend. Kelly is the President-Elect of
The Bar Association of San Francisco, and past co-chair of the Boards of Directors for the
National Center for Lesbian Rights, the
Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, and
Pride Law Fund. Kelly has won numerous awards, including the California Lawyer Attorney of the Year Award (
California Lawyer), Women of Achievement Award (
Legal Momentum), Florence K. Murray Award (
National Association of Women Judges), and Living the Dream Partner (Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area).
GOLDSTEIN, GELLMAN, MELBOSTAD, HARRIS & MCSPARRAN, LLP
LGBT-Owned Law Firm with 30-Year History of Serving LGBT Community
The law firm of Goldstein, Gellman, Melbostad, Harris & McSparran, LLP has served the LGBT community for over 30 years -- since the earliest days of the AIDS crisis when other law firms wouldn't touch such sensitive issues. Lawyers of the firm always said "yes" when asked to take wills to HIV/AIDS-infected patients and "yes" to dealing with the families of those patients over resulting estate planning and domestic partner issues. Today, six of the firm's eight attorneys specialize in LGBT issues, including estate planning, domestic partnership issues, employment discrimination; and insurance disputes.
DAVID R. GELLMAN focuses on transactional matters such as condominium conversions, commercial leasing, tenancies-in-common (TICs), business formation and operation, real property transactions, and estate planning. He holds a B.A. in economics, anthropology and psychology from Northwestern University, and obtained his law degree from Boston University Law School.
PAUL H. MELBOSTAD specializes in probate/trust and domestic partnership matters, as well as business and real estate transactions and litigation. Paul is a native of Minnesota, obtained his J.D. and M.B.A. from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and served as an economic advisor on the staff of the Governor. Paul has been appointed by the District Attorney to the San Francisco Ethics Commission, which enforces the laws governing campaign finance, lobbyists, campaign consultants and the whistleblower program.
R. BOYD MCSPARRAN supervises the firm’s landlord/tenant litigation and rent control practice. Boyd earned his B.A. from Franklin and Marshall College, and his law degree from the University of California Hastings College of the Law. Having relinquished his rent-controlled apartment a few years ago, Boyd and his TIC partners have recently completed condo converting their own duplex in San Francisco.
DANIEL R. BROWNSTONE, Esq. Fenwick & West LLP
Patent Attorney & Adjunct Professor at U.C. Hastings College of the Law
Adjunct Professor Daniel Brownstone teaches a seminar in patent prosecution at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. He is also a resident attorney in Fenwick & West LLP's San Francisco office. With an emphasis on patent counseling and prosecution, Daniel's practice also includes intellectual property due diligence and patent litigation. His background in computer science and economics gives him a unique perspective on patent strategy. In addition to managing domestic and international patent portfolios for large corporations, Daniel works closely with emerging companies to develop and protect their intellectual property. He received his law degree from Washington University in St. Louis, and his undergraduate degree in Economics and Computer Science from Duke University. Prior to becoming an attorney, Daniel interned in the United States Senate for Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold, and worked on the Constitutional Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee. In his free time, he flies a Cessna 172.
MATHEW W. DOS SANTOS, Esq. Morrison & Foerster LLP
Won Legal Battle for Transgender Inmate Seeking Hormone Treatment
Mathew dos Santos is a litigation attorney specializing in securities and intellectual property at Morrison & Foerster's San Francisco office. He has successfully defended a major health care provider in a patent infringement suit and a local corporation in federal securities fraud case. Mat has provided extensive pro-bono legal representation in the area of civil liberties, including a recent victory on behalf of a transgender inmate seeking adequate medical care. In 2008, he received the Angel Award from California Lawyer magazine for his commitment to pro bono work. Prior to becoming an attorney, Mat was an environmental engineer and associate biologist at an environmental consulting firm. Mat received his J.D. from Cornell Law School earned a B.S. in Biology from the University of California, Irvine.
ANGEL A. GARGANTA, Esq. Arnold & Porter LLP
Law Firm Partner and Repeatedly Recognized as Northern California "Super Lawyer"
Angel A. Garganta is an attorney and partner in the San Francisco office of
Arnold & Porter LLP, one of the nation's preeminent law firms. Fluent in both Spanish and French, Angel was born in Havana, Cuba . He came to the U.S. as a young boy and remains very proud of his Cuban roots. Since coming out as a junior in college in 1982, Angel has been openly gay in both his personal and professional lives. This year, Angel celebrates his 25th anniversary with his partner Michael Schwarz, also an attorney. They're the proud parents of two crazy terriers – Lucky and Jake. Angel is a graduate of
Princeton University and the
UC Berkeley Boalt Hall School of Law. He is a recognized authority on consumer protection and advertising law, and represents a wide variety of consumer products companies – including food manufacturers and restaurants, consumer electronics manufacturers, motor vehicle manufacturers, and financial services companies – in complex class action litigation. Angel has been repeatedly recognized by his peers and "Northern California Super Lawyers & Rising Stars" magazine as a (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011). Angel has served on the Boards of Directors of the
The Bar Association of San Francisco, and as President of the
San Francisco Bank Attorneys' Association.
LILAH M. SUTPHEN, Esq.
Recently-Licensed Attorney Specializing in Civil Prosecution
Lilah grew up in the small mountain town of Nevada City, CA. Needless to say, a small town was not an easy environment to grow up in, for a kid that was obviously gender diverse from a very young age. Yet despite (and maybe because of) those obstacles, Lilah's strengths of selflessness, courage, and valor emerged as well. She was a leader in the fight for equality throughout her educational years, firmly believing that one is never too young to make a difference. In high school, Lilah served as a volunteer on Nevada County Peer Court and participated in the local PFLAG Chapter. As an undergrad at U.C. Davis, she worked at the LGBT Student Center , participated in student government, and volunteered at the Yolo County Legal Aid Society. As a law student at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, Lilah participated in the Innocence Project; worked for a private civil firm; interned for the San Diego County Public Defender's Office; worked as a certified legal intern for the San Diego County District Attorney; and was employed as a legal assistant for the Office of the San Diego City Attorney. She was also active in San Diego County 's "No on 8" campaign, and mentored gay youth at San Diego 's LGBT community center. After law school, Lilah worked for the San Diego office of Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP, an anti-trust and securities class action firm. She moved to San Francisco for a civil litigation position but was recently laid-off due to downsizing. Not to be discouraged, Lilah began volunteering for the San Francisco District Attorney's Office. In her spare time, she serves as BALIF's Social Chair and plays a variety of sports, including running, tennis, and soccer. Lilah's message to LGBT youth: "It really does get better. You will discover an increasingly large community of gay friends and allies and begin to truly have fun with people that accept and love you for who you are. You may even find that being gay can be an asset as you seek employment, join support groups and community events, and become comfortable with your identity. You'll find that the small world of high school is not at all like the larger world and that society is largely accepting of gays. There are an awful lot of us now and more and more of us are out of the closet. In that context you will no longer feel out of place and the 'why me's will slip away. You will be able to be exactly who you are, and it will be fine."
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