[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 73 (Tuesday, May 3, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E447]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





 HONORING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BAR ASSOCIATION OF SAN FRANCISCO

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JACKIE SPEIER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 3, 2022

  Ms. SPEIER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask the House of 
Representatives to join me in honoring and congratulating the 7,500 
members of the Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF) for their legacy 
of excellence in the promotion of justice. BASF is rooted in the 12th 
and 14th Congressional Districts of California, which Speaker Pelosi 
and I are privileged to represent. BASF has worked tirelessly to make 
the law work for our communities.
  BASF is the third oldest bar association in the United States and its 
members first met on April 27, 1872. Over the following 150 years, BASF 
has grown into an institution characterized by innovation, 
entrepreneurship, and progressive thinking. In times of social and 
economic turmoil in San Francisco and our nation, BASF pioneered paths 
that were copied by other local bar associations.
  Working for greater judicial efficiency, BASF has been instrumental 
in improving the California Code, guiding the organization and rules of 
local and state courts, establishing a Code of Ethics, and helping 
identify competent and fair judges. Today, BASF is a highly respected 
voice for mediation and alternative dispute resolution, criminal 
justice reform, judicial independence, court funding, and equal access 
to justice.
  BASF consistently fights for the American promise of justice for all. 
In the early 20th century, it was among the first bar associations to 
mobilize its members to support the Legal Aid Society. It then 
continued to create ways to help those touched by homelessness, 
immigration status, family turmoil, and economic challenges. Today, the 
Justice & Diversity Center of BASF advances fairness and equity by 
providing pro bona legal services to low-income and homeless residents, 
and all those in times of crisis.
  BASF also consistently fights for equal access to legal services. In 
1946, BASF pioneered a referral service that studied cultural, 
political and economic realities to better identify those most in need 
of access to our justice system. These efforts blossomed into its 
Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS). Today, LRIS educates 
people about their legal rights and offers access to affordable and 
competent legal consultation and representation.
  Equal opportunity in the legal profession is another priority for 
BASF. The bar association pioneered methods of diversity, equity, and 
inclusion. In the 1930s, BASF began a continuing legal education 
program that remains in strong demand as emerging areas of law demand 
expertise. BASF actively helped local firms and legal agencies with 
hiring, retention, and promotion of those attorneys new to their legal 
careers, women, people of color, those who identify as LGBTQ, and 
people of differing physical abilities. The bar of San Francisco 
strives to reflects the community it serves.
  Madam Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me 
in commending the Bar Association of San Francisco for its remarkable 
150-year history promoting the causes of judicial efficiency, legal 
education, diversifying and strengthening the bar, and supporting all 
those who seek justice.

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