Queen's Bench News

Queen’s Bench celebrates 40 members named to 2026 Super Lawyers® and Best Lawyers® lists

Awards Committee — Sat, 18 Jul 2026 19:00:00 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – July 19, 2026 – Queen’s Bench Bar Association of the San Francisco Bay Area is proud to congratulate the forty members recognized this year by Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers: twenty-five named to the 2026 Northern California Super Lawyers list, fourteen named to the 2026 Northern California Rising Stars list, nine recognized in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, and four honored in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America for 2026, fifty-two recognitions in all.*

*Honorees for the 2027 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America are subject to embargoed publication at the time of this article’s publication and are therefore not published in this article. We look forward to recognizing honorees after publication later this year.

Queen’s Bench leadership among the honorees

This year’s recognition begins at the top of the bar association. Six of thirteen seats on the 2026 Board of Directors are held by honorees:

Sara Craig, President, named to the 2026 Northern California Super Lawyers list (Products Liability)

Catherine Reagan, First Vice President, named to the 2026 Northern California Rising Stars list and honored in the 2026 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America in Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law

Alexandra Sepolen, Second Vice President, named to the 2026 Northern California Rising Stars list and honored in the 2026 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America in Family Law

Linda Anderson, Director, named to the 2026 Northern California Rising Stars list and honored in the 2026 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America in Family Law

Lacey Estudillo, Director, named to the 2026 Northern California Rising Stars list (Appellate)

Angel Garrett, Director, named to the 2026 Northern California Super Lawyers list (Employee Benefits) and recognized in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America in ERISA Litigation

Four of eight Board members on the 2026 Board of Directors for the Queen’s Bench Foundation were recognized this year:

Carol Salvagione, 2004 Past President and Director, named to the 2026 Northern California Super Lawyers List (Family Law)

Jaime Touchstone, 2015 Past President and Director, named to the 2026 Northern California Super Lawyers List (Employment and Labor)

Clarissa Kang, Director, named to the 2026 Northern California Super Lawyers List (Employee Benefits) and honored in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America in both Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law and ERISA Litigation

Alexandra Sepolen, Director, see accolades set forth above

Eight Past Presidents were named to the 2026 Northern California Super Lawyers list:

Carol Salvagione, 2024 Past President, Family Law
Kelly Robbins, 2008 Past President, Family Law; also recognized in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America, Family Law
Barbara Harris Chiang, 2009 Past President, Employment and Labor
Vanessa Hierbaum, 2014 Past President, Family Law; also recognized in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America, Family Law
Jaime Touchstone, 2015 Past President, Employment and Labor
Anne Gyemant Paris, 2017 Past President, Family Law
Holly Schaitberger, 2018 Past President, Family Law
Alice Anne Shaw, 2021 Past President, Family Law

Counting the sitting President, nine attorneys who served as President appear on this year’s lists, a span of Association leadership reaching from 2004 through 2026.

Recognition by the numbers

The forty honorees represent nearly one in five of Queen’s Bench’s members and more than one in three of the estimated members eligible for consideration, i.e., attorneys in private practice with at least one full calendar year of experience.

The recognitions also reflect where Queen’s Bench members practice. Seventeen of the forty honorees were recognized in family law. Eleven more practice on the employment side: eight in employee benefits and ERISA, and three in employment and labor. Together those two fields account for seven of every ten honorees, with the balance of awards spanning alternative dispute resolution, products liability, business and general litigation, appellate practice, estate planning, and technology transactions.

A tradition of impact in these fields

The depth recognized this year in family law and employment practice is consistent with Queen’s Bench history and tradition. These are fields in which Queen’s Bench has helped shape the law at both the state and national level for decades.

The Association appeared as amicus curiae for seminal family law cases such as In re Marriage of LaMusga (2004) 32 Cal.4th 1072, still the controlling California Supreme Court authority in move-away custody disputes, joining the California Women’s Law Center’s brief together with women’s bar associations and advocacy organizations from across the country. In In re Marriage Cases (2008) 43 Cal.4th 757, Queen’s Bench joined the amicus brief of the California Women’s Law Center in the decision striking down California’s marriage statutes, and the Association stood among the thirty bar associations and legal organizations on the Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom amicus brief in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015). The work continues today: Queen’s Bench is among the amici in Family Violence Appellate Project v. Superior Courts, No. S288176, argued before the California Supreme Court on June 2, 2026, on whether family law litigants, disproportionately survivors of domestic violence, can obtain court transcripts of their own hearings.

The Association’s ties to employment law run just as long. Queen’s Bench joined the Impact Fund and Equal Rights Advocates, together with more than two dozen civil rights and women’s organizations, as amicus in Moussouris v. Microsoft Corporation in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, supporting women in technical roles who challenged companywide pay and promotion practices, and for decades the Association’s committees have sponsored employment surveys and amicus advocacy on the issues women face in the workplace.

This year’s honors in family law, employee benefits, and employment law affirm that Queen’s Bench continues to galvanize leaders in these practice areas to advance the law. We are especially grateful to all of our members for carrying this tradition forward today.

2026 Northern California Super Lawyers

This exclusive honor recognizes the top 5% of outstanding lawyers in Northern California who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Queen’s Bench congratulates our twenty-five members selected to the 2026 Northern California Super Lawyers list:

Michèle Bissada, Alternative Dispute Resolution
Karine Cargo, Family Law
Sara Craig, Products Liability
Joshua Cutcher, Family Law
Angel Garrett, Employee Benefits
Barbara Harris Chiang, Employment & Labor
Vanessa Hierbaum, Family Law
Clarissa Kang, Employee Benefits
Sarah Kanter, Employee Benefits
Leiann Laiks, Employment & Labor
Rebecca Levin, Family Law
Diana Maier, Alternative Dispute Resolution
Christina Marine, Family Law
Lorie Nachlis, Family Law
Rachel Naor, General Litigation
Anne Gyemant Paris, Family Law
Mary Powell, Employee Benefits
Patricia Prince, Alternative Dispute Resolution
Kelly Robbins, Family Law
Gretchen Rubel, Family Law
Carol Salvagione, Family Law
Holly Schaitberger, Family Law
Alice Shaw, Family Law
Jaime Touchstone, Employment & Labor
Ellen Winick Stross, Family Law

Michèle Bissada was additionally named #2 on the 2026 Top 10 and Top 100: Northern California Super Lawyers lists and the Top 50: Women Northern California Super Lawyers list.

2026 Northern California Rising Stars

This exclusive honor recognizes the top 2.5% of the lawyers in Northern California who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. To be eligible for the Rising Stars list, a candidate must be either 40 years old or younger, or in practice for 10 years or less. Queen’s Bench congratulates our fourteen members selected to the 2026 Northern California Rising Stars list:

Linda Anderson, Family Law
Angelina Austin, Civil Litigation
Sarah Bowen, Employee Benefits
Rachel Christenson, General Litigation
Lydia Davenport, Business Litigation
Nicole Docherty, Technology Transactions
Avery Dotterer, Estate Planning & Probate
Lacey Estudillo, Appellate
Alaina Harwood, Employee Benefits
Mariah Noah, Business Litigation
Catherine Reagan, Employee Benefits
Devon Rose, Family Law
Alexandra Sepolen, Family Law
Kate Wittlake, Products Liability

Since 1991, Super Lawyers has been a trusted rating service identifying exceptional attorneys across more than 70 practice areas, helping elevate visibility, credibility, and trust within the legal community and among potential clients seeking legal representation. Selections are made annually using a patented multiphase methodology that combines statewide peer nominations, independent research evaluations, and peer reviews, ensuring a credible listing that elevates attorney visibility and trust within the legal community.

For more information about Super Lawyers, go to SuperLawyers.com.

The Best Lawyers in America, 2026 Edition

Recognition in The Best Lawyers in America is based entirely on peer review and is awarded annually by practice area and metropolitan region. Nine Queen’s Bench members are recognized in the 2026 edition, each in the practice area shown:

Michèle Bissada, Family Law
Angel Garrett, ERISA Litigation
Vanessa Hierbaum, Family Law
Clarissa Kang, Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law and ERISA Litigation
Elizabeth Lee Loh, Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
Lorie Nachlis, Family Law
Mary Powell, Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
Kelly Robbins, Family Law
Ellen Winick Stross, Family Law

Two of this year’s honorees have previously been named Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year” in Family Law: Michèle Bissada (San Jose, 2021 and 2024 editions) and Ellen Winick Stross (San Francisco, 2022 edition).

Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America, 2026 Edition

Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America recognizes attorneys who are earlier in their careers for outstanding professional excellence in private practice, and is a distinct recognition from The Best Lawyers in America.

Four Queen’s Bench members are honored in the 2026 edition, each in the practice area shown:

Linda Anderson, Family Law
Sarah Bowen, Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
Catherine Reagan, Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
Alexandra Sepolen, Family Law

For more information about Best Lawyers, visit bestlawyers.com.

For more than a century, since a group of Bay Area women lawyers founded Queen’s Bench in 1921, our members have worked to eliminate gender bias in the legal community, support women lawyers in leadership, and advance the interests of women in law and society. These forty honorees, as well as all of our members, carry that legacy forward in their practices, in their service to the Association, and in their communities. Congratulations to each of them.

To share member news for a future announcement, contact admin@queensbench.org.

Announcing the Queen’s Bench 2026 Keynote Speaker: Karen Musalo

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 19:00:00 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JULY 15, 2026 - Queen’s Bench is honored to welcome Professor Karen Musalo, a globally recognized leader at the forefront of women’s rights and asylum law. As the Bank of America Foundation Chair in International Law at UC Law San Francisco and founding director of the Center for Gender and Refugee Studies, Professor Musalo has devoted her career to advancing legal protections for women fleeing gender-based violence.

For more than three decades, Professor Musalo has shaped the legal framework recognizing persecution such as female genital cutting and domestic violence as grounds for asylum—transforming how courts understand gender-based claims to refugee protection. Through landmark litigation and scholarship, her work has been instrumental in securing protections for women whose experiences were historically excluded from asylum law.

Her advocacy sits at the critical intersection of human rights and immigration, demonstrating how the law can respond to the realities faced by women seeking refuge—and why that work remains urgent today.

Karen Musalo will give the 2026 Annual Keynote Address at the Queen’s Bench Gala on November 19, 2026, joining an esteemed group of nationally prominent speakers who have addressed our members. Learn more about our Annual Keynote Series here.

Virtual information session draws new and prospective members

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 02:00:00 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JULY 8, 2026 - Queen's Bench Bar Association of the San Francisco Bay Area, one of the oldest women's bar associations in continuous existence in the United States, hosted its 2026 Membership Information Session on July 8, welcoming prospective members from across the nine Bay Area counties. A full recording of the session is now available on our association's YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfBG7fpGPm8.

The session was led by Alexandra Sepolen, our Second Vice President and chair of the Membership Committee. Sepolen walked attendees through the benefits of membership, the association's committee structure, and our membership-tier system.

"Queen's Bench has spent more than a century opening doors in the legal profession, and this session is one of the ways we keep opening them," said Sepolen. "Whether you are a law student, a new admittee, or a seasoned practitioner, there is a place for you here, and more than half of our membership tiers cost fifty dollars or less."

A membership designed to pay for itself

Members receive year-round Continuing Legal Education programming at free or reduced rates, early-bird and member pricing on signature events, mentorship, and access to a searchable member directory that supports referrals and business development. Between reduced registration fees and CLE savings, many members find that the membership pays for itself within a single event or two.

Fourteen committees, hands-on from day one

The association's roughly fourteen active committees give members immediate ways to lead and serve, spanning Mentorship; Business Development; Amicus Briefs; and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, among others. Through its Amicus Briefs committee, Queen's Bench has weighed in on major questions of gender equity and civil rights, and the association supports judicial and civic appointments and mentors law students and new attorneys. A Committee Interest Form is open to new members through September 30, 2026.

A fall calendar of signature events

The association's traditions include the annual Gala, set this year for November 19, 2026, along with the Judges' Dinner and Cocktails and Couture, each a marquee opportunity to connect with judges, senior practitioners, and colleagues across the profession.

Membership tiers that meet members where they are

Membership runs on the calendar year, January through December. Law students and attorneys in their first full year of practice join at no cost, and a confidential hardship membership is available at no cost to anyone for whom dues would be a barrier. Reduced rates are available for recent graduates and for attorneys at government, nonprofit, and public-interest employers. Prospective members can find their tier in about two minutes at queensbench.org/quiz.

Carrying the mission into research and community service

The session also introduced attendees to the Queen's Bench Foundation, our 501(c)(3) sister organization founded in 1974. The Foundation advances research, education, and community programs, including its Color of Justice initiative, which introduces students from diverse backgrounds to careers in the law.

Prospective members are invited to watch the recorded session, take the two-minute Membership Quiz, and join at www.queensbench.org.

About Queen's Bench Bar Association of the San Francisco Bay Area

Founded in 1921 by women lawyers excluded from the all-male local bar, Queen's Bench is a nonprofit voluntary membership organization of attorneys, judges, and law students, and a registered California MCLE provider. Its mission is to foster professional and social relationships among women lawyers and to promote equality and opportunity for all women through education, programs, and community outreach. Queen's Bench welcomes all members of the legal community, of every gender, who support that mission.

Queen's Bench is a 501(c)(6) organization; dues and contributions to it are not deductible as charitable contributions, though a portion may be deductible as an ordinary and necessary business expense (members should consult their tax preparer).

About the Queen's Bench Foundation

Established in 1974 by eight Queen's Bench members known as "The Great Eight," the Queen's Bench Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that performs research and disseminates information in defense of human and civil rights secured by law. Its landmark victim-centered rape research of the 1970s was later cited by the California Supreme Court, and its work today spans research, education, scholarships, and community programs. Gifts to the Foundation are generally tax-deductible.

Those interested in joining Queen’s Bench may contact the Membership Committee at membership@queensbench.org.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Committee reflects on Juneteenth, call to action

DEIB Committee — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 17:30:00 GMT

JUNE 19, 2026 - SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Periodically, our committees publish opinion pieces and articles related to various holidays, local programs, and initiatives of relevance to Queen’s Bench Bar Association. Our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (“DEIB”) chair Alexandra Sepolen shares reflections on Juneteenth and the holiday’s ties to the Bay Area and the legal profession.

Since June 19, 2021, Juneteenth National Independence Day has been recognized as a federal holiday. As we enter the fifth year of the holiday’s recognition, our committee is reminded that Juneteenth is both a celebration and a charge. While it celebrates the end of slavery in the United States, it also serves as a sobering reminder that justice is not self-executing. Rights written on paper do not enforce themselves, and freedom declared is not always freedom delivered. For lawyers, judges, and legal professionals, that distinction is not symbolic. It is central to our work.

Background and History

On June 19, 1865, Union Major General Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3 in Galveston, Texas, informing the people of Texas that enslaved people were free. The date became known as Juneteenth, one of the oldest commemorations of the end of slavery in the United States.

However, this announcement followed over two years of delay. President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, but emancipation depended on military victory, enforcement, and constitutional change. The Thirteenth Amendment was later passed by Congress on January 31, 1865, and ratified on December 6, 1865, formally abolishing slavery in the United States, except as punishment for crime where a person has been duly convicted.

Juneteenth marks more than delayed news. It marks the failings associated with delayed enforcement, exposing the gap between legal promise and lived reality. To this day, that gap remains one of the defining concerns of the legal profession.

Bay Area’s Connection to Juneteenth

Juneteenth’s connection to the Bay Area is not incidental. It came here through migration. During the Second Great Migration, Black families left Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, and other parts of the South through “liberty trains” in search of safety, work, dignity, and opportunity. The Bay Area became a major destination during World War II, when shipyards and defense industries transformed the region. According to the National Park Service, the Bay Area’s African American population rose from fewer than 20,000 in 1940 to more than 60,000 in 1945, with shipbuilding jobs serving as the primary driver of that migration.

Migrants did not arrive empty-handed. They brought family recipes, church traditions, mutual aid networks, music, political consciousness, and memories of emancipation delayed, rights denied, and freedom celebrated anyway. Movement to the Bay Area was not solely economic; it was relocation motivated by a desire for freedom.

For me, this history is personal. As a Louisiana Creole woman with family roots in Texas, Juneteenth is not an abstract federal holiday. It carries generations of family history and a broader story of Black families who moved west seeking safety, work, dignity, and a future. Families like mine brought Southern history with them. They brought food, language, faith, music, family networks, and a deep understanding that enduring and surviving in the face of uncertainty, violence, and conflict is an act of resistance.

When Black Southerners migrated west, they did not leave their history behind. They carried it here and helped build the Bay Area. San Francisco’s Juneteenth history particularly reflects that migration directly. In 1945, Wesley Johnson, a native Texan and San Francisco State alumnus, created what became one of the longest continuously running Juneteenth celebrations in the United States. He announced the celebration by riding a white stallion through the Fillmore District and inviting people to gather at his nightclub.

That image is unforgettable: a Texan in San Francisco, riding through Fillmore with a call to action. the community together to remember freedom. It captures the Bay Area’s Juneteenth story in one scene. Juneteenth traveled from Galveston to San Francisco through Black families, workers, entrepreneurs, veterans, artists, church members, and community leaders. It took root in Fillmore, in Oakland, in Richmond, in Bayview-Hunters Point, and across the East Bay.

Bay Area Black history is also ingrained in Bay Area legal history. During World War II, Black workers helped build the wartime economy, but they did so while confronting segregation, employment discrimination, unsafe working conditions, housing exclusion, and unequal treatment under law. In 1944, an explosion at the Port Chicago Naval Magazine in Contra Costa County, now known as the Port Chicago disaster, killed 320 people. Many of those killed were Black sailors assigned to dangerous ammunition-loading work. After the disaster, Black sailors who refused to return to unsafe conditions were prosecuted. Fifty were convicted of mutiny. Decades later, on July 17, 2024, and shortly before Juneteenth, the Secretary of the Navy exonerated 256 defendants from the 1944 Port Chicago courts-martial after a review found significant legal errors, including improper joint trials and denial of a meaningful right to counsel.

That is a Bay Area Juneteenth lesson in its starkest form: legal systems can perpetuate injustice, and legal advocacy can help correct it, but sometimes only after generations of harm.

How Juneteenth Informs Legal Practice

Juneteenth is deeply relevant to practicing law in the Bay Area. The holiday reminds us to examine whether our systems deliver what they promise and to act to correct course when it does not. It asks whether a right exists only in theory, or whether people can actually use it.

In criminal law, that question appears in challenges to racially biased policing, charging, conviction, and sentencing. California Penal Code section 745, also known as the California Racial Justice Act, provides that the state may not seek or obtain a conviction, or seek, obtain, or impose a sentence, on the basis of race, ethnicity, or national origin. It also allows courts to consider evidence including statistical evidence, aggregate data, expert testimony, and evidence of systemic and institutional bias, and provides that a defendant need not prove intentional discrimination.

However, Juneteenth is not relevant only to criminal law. It is relevant to every practice area where the difference between formal rights and lived access matters.

In housing, we evaluate whether families can remain in their communities.
In labor and employment law, we challenge whether a promise for work is real or performative.
In education, we consider whether children have equal access to safety, resources, and support.
In probate and estate planning, we evaluate whether families can protect and transfer generational wealth.
In immigration, it asks whether legal status and family unity are treated with humanity.
In family law, it asks whether clients can meaningfully obtain custody, support, and property orders without fear of violence.

As a family law attorney, this conceptualization in my practice is especially concrete. Freedom and equality are not abstractions for our clients navigating custody disputes, domestic violence, economic control, and support. A client’s ability to be heard may depend on whether they have counsel, whether they can afford filing fees, whether they have transportation, whether they are believed, whether trauma is understood, and whether the system recognizes the full context of their life. Juneteenth reminds us that legal rights mean little without access, enforcement, and dignity.

Impact on the Profession

Juneteenth also challenges the profession internally. The State Bar of California reported that Black adults are roughly 6 percent of California’s population but only 3.5 percent of California attorneys. People of color are 63 percent of the state’s adult population but only 36 percent of California’s active attorneys.

The state’s justice gap is equally sobering. The State Bar’s 2024 Justice Gap Study found that Californians’ civil legal needs remain widespread and unmet, and that the supply of attorneys available to serve individual legal needs is insufficient to meet demand.

Representation within the profession is not cosmetic. It affects trust, credibility, mentorship, judicial pipelines, client counseling, issue-spotting, and the public’s belief that the legal system belongs to everyone.

Calls to Action

For Queen’s Bench, Juneteenth also invites reflection on our own institutional history. Queen’s Bench Bar Association of the San Francisco Bay Area was formed in 1921 by women lawyers who were frustrated by resistance to their participation in the local bar association. Its history is rooted in the refusal to accept exclusion as normal. An organization born from challenging exclusion has a particular obligation to recognize exclusion in all its forms. Gender equity cannot be separated from racial equity. The experiences of Black women lawyers, judges, litigants, students, clients, and community members must be centered and not treated as an afterthought to broader diversity work.

Our ethical obligations point in the same direction. California Rule of Professional Conduct 8.4.1 prohibits lawyers from unlawful harassment, discrimination, and retaliation in representing clients, refusing or terminating representation, and in law firm operations. But compliance is the floor. Juneteenth asks for more than compliance: it demands that community leaders, including our profession, practice courageously, confront institutional memory, and actively repair damage done.

For Bay Area lawyers, honoring Juneteenth can be practical. It can mean taking on pro bono work that expands access to housing, safety, benefits, family stability, and economic security. It can mean mentoring Black law students and young lawyers. It can mean supporting affinity bar associations and community organizations already doing important work related to racial justice and access to community resources. It can even mean something as simple as evaluating who receives opportunities in your firm, who gets credit for trial or hearing wins, who is interrupted in court, which witnesses we presume are credible, who is promoted, and who is missing from the room when decisions are made.

It can also mean learning local history well enough to understand that today’s legal problems are a product of institutional memory and history predating all of us. The Bay Area’s history of Black migration, labor, culture, displacement, resilience, and advocacy is interwoven into the fabric of the legal landscape we practice in every day.

Juneteenth is a day of joy, memory, and professional accountability. It reminds us that the law can announce freedom and still fail to deliver it. It reminds us that courts can ratify injustice and later be asked to repair it. It reminds us that communities carry memory long after institutions move on. As we move forward, let Juneteenth serve as reminder of our commitment to seizing the moment to advocate for ourselves and others, correct wrongs, and approach the work we do with dignity, empathy, and compassion for others.

All views expressed by the author and committee are their own and are not representative of the views of any firms or employers. None of the information in this article should be construed as legal advice.

The DEIB Committee is one of over ten active Queen’s Bench committees dedicated to promoting equality and opportunity for all. If you are interested in DEIB programming and initiatives, please contact deib@queensbench.org.

Bay Area Women Lawyers Network Annual Retreat great success, inspires local women lawyers

Alexandra Sepolen — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 20:00:00 GMT

FEBRUARY 8, 2026 - NAPA, CA - Queen's Bench Second Vice President Alexandra Sepolen recently attended the 2026 Bay Area Women Lawyers' Network (BAWLN) Annual Retreat in Napa, joining women attorneys, judges, neutrals, and legal leaders from across Northern California for a weekend focused on leadership, professional development, wellness, and advancement of women in the legal profession.

The retreat featured a diverse lineup of MCLE programming addressing topics ranging from judicial independence and legal ethics to rainmaking, leadership development, civility, implicit bias, and the evolving role of artificial intelligence in legal practice. Attendees heard from distinguished jurists, law firm leaders, bar association representatives, and ADR professionals who shared insights drawn from decades of experience in the legal community.

Highlights included discussions on women in leadership roles, strategies for building successful practices, the importance of professional resilience, and navigating challenges unique to women in the legal profession. A panel of Bay Area legal trailblazers reflected on lessons learned throughout their careers, while judicial officers explored the role of professional responsibility and the preservation of judicial independence in today's legal environment.

The retreat also provided valuable opportunities for networking and relationship-building among attorneys from a wide range of practice areas and organizations throughout the Bay Area. Through both formal programming and informal gatherings, participants exchanged ideas, strengthened professional connections, and discussed ways to support and elevate women within the legal profession.

Reflecting on the experience, Sepolen noted that one of the retreat's greatest strengths was the opportunity to learn from accomplished women leaders across different sectors of the legal profession. "It was inspiring to hear candid conversations about leadership, resilience, and the challenges women continue to navigate in the legal profession," said Sepolen. "The retreat reinforced the importance of building strong professional networks, mentoring the next generation of attorneys, and creating spaces where women can openly share their experiences and strategies for success."

BAWLN serves as a collaborative network of women lawyers' organizations throughout the Bay Area and works to promote mentorship, leadership, professional development, and community among women attorneys. The annual retreat remains one of the organization's signature events, bringing together legal professionals committed to advancing excellence, inclusion, and leadership throughout the profession.

Queen's Bench was proud to be represented at the retreat and looks forward to continuing its collaboration with women lawyers' organizations throughout the Bay Area.

Queen's Bench Board of Directors convenes for induction ceremony, strategic planning

Executive Committee — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 05:00:00 GMT

FEBRUARY 3, 2026 - SAN FRANCISCO, CA. On February 3, 2026, the Queen’s Bench Bar Association Board of Directors gathered for its annual Board Retreat and a private induction ceremony at Fang Restaurant in San Francisco, marking the beginning of the bar's 2026 schedule. The evening provided an opportunity for incoming and returning leaders to reflect on our mission, strengthen relationships, and establish priorities for the year ahead.

We were honored to be joined by The Queen’s Bench Bar Association Board of Directors recently gathered for our annual Board Retreat and private leadership induction ceremony at Fang Restaurant in San Francisco, marking the official beginning of the 2026 bar year. The evening provided an opportunity for incoming and returning leaders to reflect on our mission, strengthen relationships, and establish priorities for the year ahead.

We were honored to be joined by Judge Monica F. Wiley, who presided over our private induction ceremony. Her thoughtful remarks underscored the importance of service, integrity, and leadership within the legal profession, setting an inspiring tone for the year ahead.

The retreat also served as the Board's first strategic planning for 2026. Board members engaged in collaborative discussions focused on strengthening member engagement, enhancing professional development opportunities, expanding leadership pathways for members, preserving the organization’s history. The Board also discussed the continuation of the Centennial Modernization Project, a strategic plan initiated by our 2021 Centennial Celebration to fortify our digital infrastructure and online resources for members. The Board prioritized a roadmap for the bar association's continued evolution remaining grounded in its longstanding commitment to advancing women in the legal profession.

The Board was especially grateful to welcome Carol Salvagione, Foundation Director and Past President, who joined the retreat to share her institutional knowledge and perspective. Drawing on her years of leadership, Carol offered valuable guidance on governance best practices, organizational traditions, and strategies for building sustainable leadership that will benefit future generations of Queen’s Bench members.

The retreat reflected one of Queen’s Bench’s greatest strengths: leaders from different generations coming together to share ideas, preserve our history, and chart a course for the future. As we begin the calendar year, the Board look forward to building on this momentum through meaningful programming, professional development, community partnerships, and opportunities for our members to connect, lead, and serve. Here’s to another year of leadership, collaboration, and advancing the legacy of Queen’s Bench.

Queen’s Bench Stands in Solidarity at Rally for Incarcerated Women

Thu, 27 Nov 2025 02:37:53 GMT

Queen’s Bench was proud to stand alongside community partners, advocates, and concerned San Franciscans at Monday’s rally calling for accountability for the reported abuse of women incarcerated in the San Francisco County Jail. Our presence reflects Queen’s Bench’s longstanding mission to promote equality, justice, and the full protection of legal rights for all women—including those whose voices are too often marginalized or silenced.

At the rally, speakers uplifted the experiences of incarcerated women, demanded transparency, and called for the suspension and removal of the deputies involved pending a full, independent investigation. Queen’s Bench members joined this collective call, affirming that dignity, bodily autonomy, and safety do not end at the jailhouse door.

We are grateful to our members who showed up, amplified the message, and continue to advocate for the rights and safety of all women in our community.

A Celebration of Leadership and Legacy: Queen’s Bench Inaugural Gala Honors Judges and Past Presidents

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 20:47:14 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - October 23, 2025 - The Queen’s Bench Bar Association hosted its inaugural annual Gala on October 8, 2025 at the picturesque Palace Hotel in San Francisco, California, celebrating both local judges and Queen’s Bench leadership in one memorable night.

Titled A Celebration of Leadership and Legacy, the Gala combined the Past Presidents’ and Judges’ Dinners into one elegant event celebrating and honoring the legacy passed down by the bar association's prior leaders and the inspiration drawn from the judges who serve our community. The evening also highlighted several Queen's Bench programs, including scholarship recipients, annual Merit Award honorees, and both a live and silent auction benefiting the Queen's Bench Foundation.

Attendees included neutrals and staff from our Premier Underwriter, Signature Resolution, as well as from our Supporting Underwriters: ADR Services, Inc., Feller Law Group, and Stross Wess Cutcher & Levin LLP. Our Gala sponsors also helped make the evening possible: Counsel Table Sponsor Trucker Huss; Sidebar Sponsors Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, Horvitz & Levy, and Peiffer Wolf Carr Kane Conway & Wise; and Clerkship Sponsors the Law Offices of Lisa A. Villasenor, 2024 President Kara Wild, and the San Mateo County Bar Association Women Lawyers’ Section. We also extend our appreciation to our Past Presidents Circle contributors: Hon. Ina Levin Gyemant (Ret.), 1979 President; Hon. Adrienne Jacobs Miller (Ret.), 1987 President; Eliza Rodrigues, 2003 President; Kelly Robbins, 2008 President; and Kimiko Akiya, 2023 President.

After a cocktail reception, Queen’s Bench First Vice President and Gala Committee Vice-Chair Sara Craig opened the Gala dinner with welcome remarks, recognizing our sponsors as well as the judges, past presidents, and neutrals in attendance. In recognizing the work of Queen’s Bench past leadership, Sara emphasized “what connects us all: a shared belief in justice, equality, and the power of community.”

This year’s Keynote Speaker was Hon. Victoria Kolakowski, Judge of the Superior Court of Alameda County, who became the first openly transgender trial court judge when she was elected in 2010. Judge Kolakowski gave inspiring, and at times sobering, remarks about her experiences in the legal profession and the importance of protecting people of all gender identities.

Following the keynote, Sara presented the 2025 Queen’s Bench Merit Awards. The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Hon. Charlene Padovani Kiesselbach (Ret.), 1986 President; the Service Award to Hon. Dorothy Chou Proudfoot of the San Francisco Rent Board; and the Rookie Award to Veena Bansal.

After the Merit Award recipients were recognized, Queen’s Bench President Elisha Jussen-Cooke presented the Past President’s Hat to 2024 Past President Kara Wild.

Kara then introduced the Scholarships Committee members in attendance, Hon. Adrienne Jacobs Miller (Ret.), 1987 President and Hon. Ina Levin Gyemant (Ret.). Judge Miller presented the 2025 Agnes O’Brien Scholarship Recipients, Kasen Evans and Esbeidy Gutierrez, both members of the University of San Francisco School of Law Class of 2027. Judge Gyemant presented the 2025 Mildred W. Levin Scholarship Recipient, Jaqueline Mejía-Cuéllar, a 2025 graduate of UC Law San Francisco.

The night concluded with an animated live auction supporting the Queen’s Bench Foundation, conducted by Queen’s Bench Secretary and Gala Committee Co-Chair Juliane Smith. Live auction items included a night at the SF Symphony with Judge Gyemant; a tour and private tasting for four at Raymond Vineyards in Napa, with a magnum bottle of 2004 Raymond St. Helena Cabernet Sauvignon; and two tickets to a San Francisco Ballet 2026 Repertory Season performance. The Gala also featured a silent auction with a variety of items, from wine tastings to garden memberships, generously bid on by attendees.

Queen's Bench Past President Holly Schaitberger admitted as Fellow of American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers

Alexandra Sepolen — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 00:58:36 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - July 24, 2025 - See below from the LinkedIn page of Hersh Family Law Practice, P.C.:

"We're proud to announce that Holly Schaitberger (Queen's Bench 2018 Past President) has been admitted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML), an honor reserved for the nation's top family law practitioners. We are pleased that Holly's years of experience, sharp legal mind, and deep commitment to excellence have been recognized and rewarded."

Queen's Bench is thrilled to congratulate Schaitberger for her admission into AAML!

Announcing the Queen's Bench 2025 Keynote Speaker: Alameda County Superior Court Judge Victoria Kolakowski

Alexandra Sepolen — Sun, 13 Jul 2025 22:12:37 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - July 13, 2025 - Queen's Bench Bar Association formally announces that our 2025 Keynote Address will be given by Alameda County Superior Court Judge Victoria Kolakowski at the Queen's Bench Gala on October 8, 2025, in San Francisco, California.

Each year, Queen's Bench hosts an annual keynote address at our penultimate event of the calendar year, inviting our members and local community to learn from and engage with prominent attorneys, legislators, and legal scholars in the United States on contemporary topics and issues of special concern related to the mission, history, and/or goals of Queen's Bench Bar Association. Prior keynote speakers include legal scholar Mary Ziegler, the Honorable Lucy Koh of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, former California Supreme Court Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, and the late United States Senator Dianne Feinstein.

Judge Victoria Kolakowski became the first openly transgender trial court judge when she was elected in 2010 in Alameda County. She became the first openly transgender administrative law judge (ALJ) in 2006.

Before becoming a trial court judge, she was an attorney for twenty-one years in Louisiana and California, serving as a sole practitioner, attorney in a small patent boutique firm, patent & licensing counsel for a publicly traded company, patent & general counsel of a different publicly traded company, senior state government utility regulatory attorney, and ALJ for two different California agencies: the California Department of Insurance and California Public Utilities Commission.

She is passionate about ensuring and expanding access to justice, particularly for those with limited resources. She serves on the Judicial Council of California’s Advisory Committee on Providing Access and Fairness and is the California Council of Churches' appointee to the California Access to Justice Commission.

Judge Kolakowski is a former president of the International Association of LGBTQ+ Judges (2015-2017). She has spoken widely on LGBT issues, especially transgender legal issues, to audiences in the U.S. and around the world, addressing audiences either in person or virtually in eight U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and nine other countries (Brazil, Canada, Colombia, England, France, India, Ireland, Israel, and Poland), often through the U.S. State Department’s U.S. Speakers Program.

She is a leading educator for the judiciary and the legal community on transgender issues. An adjunct professor at the University of San Francisco School of Law, she will teach her class, “Equality and Religious Freedom,” for the third time next spring. This seminar examines the intersection of religious freedom and equality rights, a topic on which she has been published by both the American Bar Association and USF Law Review.

Judge Kolakowski is especially proud to have been honored as a “Pioneer in the Law” by the California Women Lawyers in 2014 and to have been named the 2019 California Legislative Women's Caucus' “Woman of the Year - 18th Assembly District.”

She received the American Bar Association’s Stonewall Award in 2025.

Judge Kolakowski is completing a two-year term as Co-Director of District 14 (California/Nevada) for the National Association of Women Judges, for which she chaired the LGBTQ+ Committee, Committee on Fairness and Access, and Diversity & Inclusion Committee.

Before becoming a judge, she co-authored the City of Berkeley’s public domestic partnership registry ordinance, was a founding officer ofEquality California (formerly California Alliance for Pride and Equality), was on the board of the Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom(SF Bay Area’s LGBT Bar Association) and served as co-chair of the board of the Transgender Law Center

Queen's Bench extends sincere appreciation to Judge Kolakowski and the 2025 Gala Committee co-chairs, Sara Craig and Juliane Smith, for organizing this year's Keynote Address.

Queen’s Bench Partners with FVAP to Advance Legal Protections for Survivors of Domestic Violence

Alexandra Sepolen — Sun, 13 Jul 2025 19:30:30 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - July 13, 2025 - This press release was prepared by 2025 President, Elisha Jussen Cooke.

Queen’s Bench Bar Association is proud to support two important advocacy efforts led by the Family Violence Appellate Project (FVAP) to strengthen legal protections for survivors of domestic violence.

First, Queen’s Bench signed on to FVAP’s letter supporting a proposed amendment to Rule 7.3 of the California Rules of Professional Conduct, which would prohibit attorneys from soliciting respondents in domestic violence restraining order (DVRO) cases before they have been served. Survivors often face the greatest risk of harm immediately after leaving an abusive relationship. Pre-service solicitation of restraining order respondents has led to service evasion and to survivors abandoning their restraining order requests because of a respondent’s coercion or intimidation—all of which compromise survivor safety and access to courts. The proposed amendment aligns with established public policy and ensures survivor safety is prioritized without compromising due process for respondents.

Queen’s Bench also joined FVAP in requesting publication of the appellate decision in D.V. v. Mohamed M.—an important and precedent-worthy case affirming a trial court’s issuance of a DVRO, dismissal of contempt charges, and award of sole custody to the survivor. The decision addresses several novel and underdeveloped areas of law, including:

The standard for contempt charges for purported violations of a Temporary Restraining Order in the Domestic Violence Restraining Order (DVRO) context
The statutory defense of coercion under Penal Code § 236.24(a)
Use of expert testimony in DVRO cases
Admissibility of secretly recorded conversations under Penal Code § 633.6
Recognition of immigration-related abuse as domestic violence

Together, these efforts reflect FVAP’s and Queen’s Bench’s shared commitment to advancing gender equity, improving access to justice, and building a trauma-informed legal system that empower survivors and protect their rights.

To learn more about FVAP’s work, visit www.fvaplaw.org.

Catherine Reagan, Alexandra Sepolen, Linda Anderson selected as Super Lawyers 2025 Northern California Rising Stars

Alexandra Sepolen — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 00:01:38 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - July 2, 2025

This press release is published on behalf of 2025 President, Elisha Jussen Cooke.

Queen’s Bench is proud to congratulate board members Catherine Reagan, Alexandra Sepolen, and Linda Anderson on being named 2025 Super Lawyers Rising Stars in Northern California!

This distinction is awarded to just 2.5% of early-career attorneys through a rigorous selection process that includes peer nominations, independent research, and attorney evaluations. It’s a testament to their excellence in practice, commitment to justice, and leadership in the legal community.

For more than a century, Queen’s Bench has championed the advancement of women in law and promoted equality, professional excellence, and community service. We’re honored to have these three outstanding attorneys carry that legacy forward through their work on our board and in the wider legal community.

Congratulations, Rising Stars!

Employment/Work-Life Balance Committee rebrands as Wellness, led by new co-chairs

Alexandra Sepolen — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 20:22:32 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - July 8, 2025 - On July 8, 2025, the Queen's Bench Board of Directors met for its monthly Board meeting to review and discuss various Queen's Bench initiatives.

The Board unanimously voted to rebrand the Employment/Work-Life Balance Committee as the Wellness Committee. The committee provides information and hosts events related to balancing a legal career with personal and/or family obligations. Historically, the committee supports programs and initiatives covering topics such as family or medical leave, parental leave, resources for remote work, retirement planning, childcare, workplace accommodations, and mental health and wellness.

The rebranding of this committee coincides with recent recommendations at the statewide and national level to promote the well-being of legal professionals. Recent initatives include the the State Bar of California's Lawyer Assistance Program and MCLE promoting wellness as a critical component of attorney competence. The change also aligns with recent publications by the California Lawyers Association and the American Bar Association.

The Board also unanimously voted to welcome two new co-chairs: Kara Wild and Alexandra Sepolen.

Kara Wild is our Immediate Past President and current President of the Queen's Bench Foundation. Wild has maintained a strong, long-standing presence in Queen's Bench leadership for several years, supporting various initiatives and projects that support the well-being of members and the Greater Bay Area community.

Alexandra Sepolen sits on the Board of Directors, participating in various Queen's Bench programs since her time as a law student. Prior to practicing law, Sepolen worked in public health and served on various task forces related to attorney and law student wellness.

Members interested in joining the Wellness Committee may email Catherine Reagan, our Membership Chair, at membership@queensbench.org, or the Wellness Chairs directly at wellness@queensbench.org.

Queen's Bench South Bay Summer Mixer was successful, draws new members

Alexandra Sepolen — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 16:00:00 GMT

SAN JOSE, CA - June 27, 2025 - On June 26, 2025, members of Queen's Bench leadership hosted South Bay members at the Littlest Little Italy in San Jose for a fun afternoon and evening of networking at our South Bay Summer Mixer. The event marks the return of our summer mixers after a programming hiatus in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Board members Alexandra Sepolen and Stephanie Smeekens and Civil and Judicial Appointments Committee Co-Chair Veena Bansal welcomed attendees, including new members and representatives from the bar association's Supporting Underwriter, ADR Services, Inc..

Attendees discussed several important topics as a larger group, including recent developments in judicial appointments throughout the Bay Area, including Santa Clara County Superior Court, the history of Queen's Bench and its Foundation, and opportunities to join committees and attend upcoming events such as the Queen's Bench Gala.

The event also served as a successful business development opportunity, enabling attorneys working in family law and immigration law, as well as in-house and in IP/entertainment, to build business contacts. Law students also attended the event, gaining exposure to new practice areas and useful feedback for their summer internship programs.

Queen's Bench Bar Association looks forward to continuing our Summer Mixer series, including an East Bay Summer Mixer that is tentatively scheduled for August 2025.

Queen's Bench Supports Comments on Family Law and Restraining Order Judicial Council Proposals

Alexandra Sepolen — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 00:46:51 GMT

Queen's Bench Bar Association has joined the Family Violence Appellate Project (FVAP), along with a group of domestic violence, legal aid, and family law agencies, in submitting comments to three Invitations to Comments from California's Judicial Council. The Judicial Council is the administrative policy-setting body for the state judicial system, and is responsible for, among other things, creating and updating the California Rules of Court and court forms. As part of its process, Judicial Council regularly seeks comments for its proposals from persons and organizations interested in judicial administration.

FVAP submitted comments to the Judicial Council's Invitations to Comment LEG25-01, regarding alternative methods for family courts to give notice of child custody mediation (amending Family Code § 3176), SPR25-25, regarding the clarity and formatting of family law forms and protective orders (and the implementation of SB 599 and AB 3072), and SPR25-26, regarding the clarity and formatting of protective orders and changes to domestic violence and juvenile forms (in order to implement AB 2759).

By supporting this request, Queen's Bench supports FVAP's goal of ensuring that the proposals meet their goals and the law, are readable and usable, and help and support survivors of domestic violence and their children.

Queen’s Bench Joins Call to Strengthen Domestic Violence Protections in Appellate Ruling

Alexandra Sepolen — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 00:43:11 GMT

Queen’s Bench Bar Association has joined Family Violence Appellate Project (FVAP) and a coalition of domestic violence advocates in requesting a modification to the California Court of Appeal’s opinion in In re Marriage of A.M. and R.Y. (Case No. D084344). Although the Court recently modified its opinion in response to the appellant’s rehearing petition, FVAP and its partners are urging the Court to correct a key omission that could impact the safety and legal protections available to survivors across the state.

The current opinion omits an important portion of the Domestic Violence Prevention Act’s (DVPA) statutory purpose: to “provide for a separation of the persons involved in the domestic violence for a period sufficient to enable these persons to seek a resolution of the causes of the violence” (Fam. Code § 6220). While the opinion acknowledges the DVPA’s purpose of preventing abuse, it excludes this second, important component of the law.

This omission matters. Survivors are at heightened risk of serious harm when attempting to leave abusive relationships. The DVPA was designed not only to prevent further acts of violence but to allow space for safety, stability, and healing. Recognizing the full statutory purpose ensures that courts consider both the need to prevent immediate harm and the need for meaningful separation as part of their analysis when deciding whether to issue temporary restraining orders.

By supporting this request, Queen’s Bench affirms that clarity in the law is critical to ensuring trial courts apply the DVPA as the Legislature intended. We remain committed to advancing survivor safety and the legal protections that reflect the complex realities of domestic abuse.

Queen's Bench Bar Association provides opportunities for members to work on similar projects. If interested in our Amicus Briefs Committee or Domestic & Sexual Violence Committee, email admin@queensbench.org to sign up today.

Queen's Bench Spring Meet & Greet welcomes new admittees, inspires participation in bar association

Alexandra Sepolen — Fri, 16 May 2025 18:55:06 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - May 16, 2025 - This week, Second Vice President and Membership Chair Catherine Reagan welcomed new admittees, Board members, committee chairs, and members to our Spring Meet and Greet Reception and Mixer. Reagan hosted this year's springtime reception and mixer at the Civic Center Courthouse in San Francisco, CA.

In her opening remarks, Reagan shared more information with new members regarding Queen's Bench rich history. As one of the first ten women's bar associations founded in the United States, Queen's Bench remains a leading figure in championing issues of special concern to women both in the Greater Bay Area and nationwide.

This year's remarks were given by 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient and 1988 Past President Judge Mary E. Wiss, who emphasized the significant impact Queen's Bench members have on local leaders. Approximately 15% of prior Queen's Bench leadership later go on to judgeships, reflecting the high standards of excellence and public service embodied by our membership.

The event concluded with remarks from 2025 President Elisha Jussen Cooke, recognizing Immediate Past President Kara Wild for her leadership last year. Wild's achievements as Immediate Past President include establishing the Fighting for Democracy Series, enabling the bar association to partner with long-standing community-based organizations such as League of Women Voters. Wild also spearheaded revisions to the bar association's bylaws, enabling paraprofessionals and affiliates to obtain memberships at accessible rates.

Secretary Juliane Smith Appointed to State Bar of California's Committee of Bar Examiners

Alexandra Sepolen — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 23:50:58 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CA - April 25, 2025 - Queen's Bench Secretary and Amicus Briefs Committee Co-Chair Juliane Smith was appointed by the Supreme Court of California to the State Bar of California's Committee of Bar Examiners. Smith will serve on the Committee for a four-year term, ending in 2029.

According to the State Bar of California's website, the Committee of Bar Examiners "exercises oversight over the California Bar Examination, moral character determination process and the First-Year Law Students’ Examination. The committee makes recommendations for rules and guidelines governing admissions functions; recommends qualified applicants to the California Supreme Court for admission to practice law in California; accredits law schools; registers unaccredited law schools; and studies and reports on proposed changes in the law and other matters concerning requirements for admission to practice law in California."

Queen's Bench congratulates Smith on her appointment and is thrilled she is continuing our legacy of leadership in all facets of the legal profession.

The Judicial Branch of California's News Release regarding Smith's appointment is available here.

Queen's Bench Issues Statement of Solidarity in Support of the Rule of Law

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 21:18:43 GMT

Queen’s Bench Bar Association co-sponsors sixth annual Bay Area Women Lawyers Network Retreat in Napa Valley

Sun, 09 Mar 2025 22:30:00 GMT

NAPA VALLEY, CA - MARCH 9, 2025 - Queen’s Bench Bar Association sponsored the sixth annual Bay Area Women Lawyers Network (BAWLN) Retreat from March 7-9, 2025, at the Silverado Resort & Spa in Napa Valley, CA. Founded in 2019, the event provides an opportunity for women lawyers and paraprofessionals from all practice areas, mediators, and judges to develop relationships and learn from various speakers.

Group photo of all 2025 BAWLN Retreat attendees, including 2025 Queen’s Bench Board Member Alexandra Sepolen

This year’s retreat was hosted by several bar associations, including the Alameda County Bar Association, the Contra Costa County Bar Association, the California Judges Association, the Marin County Bar Association, the Santa Clara County Bar Association, the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, and the San Mateo County Bar Association. Queen’s Bench was a proud media co-sponsor of this year’s event and was represented by 2025 Treasurer and Diversity Committee Chair Alexandra Sepolen.

San Francisco Superior Court Judge Monica Wiley moderating the ‘When There Are Nine’ panel

The retreat commenced on Friday afternoon with an inspiring panel discussion, “When There Are Nine,” in honor of the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, providing insights into the experiences and leadership of women at the highest levels of the judiciary across the United States. Moderated by San Francisco Superior Court Judge Monica Wiley, the panel included:

Chief Justice Luckert of the Kansas Supreme Court;
Chief Justice Mary Jane Theis of the Illinois Supreme Court;
Chief Justice Mary R. Russell of the Missouri Supreme Court;
Chief Justice Debra Lambert of the Kentucky Supreme Court;
Chief Justice Meagan A. Flynn of the Oregon Supreme Court;
Chief Justice Monica Marquez of the Colorado Supreme Court; and
Chief Justice Loretta Rush of the Indiana Supreme Court.

After the panel, attendees reconvened for “Knowing Your Worth: Personal and Professional,” a discussion led by Judge Fannin covering crucial topics such as career transitions, pay negotiations, and setting competitive hourly rates. The day concluded with engaging networking activities, allowing attendees to unwind and build meaningful connections.

Former Queen’s Bench Director Mary Catherine Wiederhold speaking during the Fearless Founders - Women Leaders panel

Saturday’s programming featured thought-provoking discussions on civility, fearless leadership, and the evolving role of AI in legal practice. Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Nahal Iravani-Sani opened the day with a session on the importance of professionalism and civility in the legal field.

Later, the “Fearless Founders – Women Leaders” panel brought together trailblazing women attorneys, including former Queen’s Bench Director Mary Catherine Wiederhold, San Francisco Superior Court Judge Anne Costin, Bobby Shukla, and Renee Livingston, who shared their experiences in launching and managing successful law firms during their careers.

From left to right: Lorena Campozano; Jody Irons; and Tasneem Nomanbhai

The morning concluded with “AI – Women Centric – Don’t Get Left Behind!” where industry experts, including Tasneem Nomanbhai of WSG and Lorena Campozano of LexisNexis, discussed the impact of bias in AI and strategies for leveraging technology in legal practice. Attendees then explored Downtown Napa followed by networking at various group dinners at local restaurants.

From left to right: Judge Veronica Rios Reddick, Judge Arcelia Hurtado, and Erica Dennings

Sunday began with a celebratory brunch before transitioning into the final sessions for the weekend. “From Bias to Brilliance: Unlocking Potential Through Self-Advocacy” featured an empowering discussion with Judge Veronica Rios Reddick, Erica Dennings, and Judge Arcelia Hurtado on the importance of self-advocacy, pay negotiation, and leveraging mentorship for professional growth.

Own It panelists and moderators

Following the session was “Own It,” during which Alameda Superior Court Judge Tamiza Hockenhull Stone, Alameda County Commissioner Elena Ramirez, and Alameda County Deputy Public Defender Rebecca Tran shared strategies for overcoming imposter syndrome and claiming confidence in one’s professional journey.

A final session led by San Mateo County Bar Association Executive Director Deborah Kemper wrapped up the weekend on a high note, reinforcing key takeaways and celebrating the accomplishments of women in law.

Queen’s Bench is honored to have supported our sister bar associations this year’s retreat, reinforcing our commitment to supporting, uplifting, and advancing women in the legal profession. “I am thrilled that Queen’s Bench sponsored such an important retreat in line with our mission during Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day Weekend. Not only did the retreat provide robust educational content and business development opportunities, but it also was an uplifting environment for women lawyers with varying levels of experience. I encourage Queen’s Bench members to attend next year,” remarked Sepolen.

We extend our gratitude to all the speakers, panelists, and attendees who contributed to making this event a resounding success. We look forward to continuing to support initiatives that encourage women lawyers to thrive.

Founded in 1921, Queen’s Bench Bar Association is a 501(c)(6) organization that promotes equality and opportunity for all, including the professional advancement of women in the legal profession. For more information about our bar association, please email admin@queensbench.org.

Queen’s Bench Bar Association celebrates success of 2025 ‘Get Into the Legal Loop’ program

Fri, 07 Mar 2025 02:30:00 GMT

CUPERTINO, CA – March 6, 2025 – Queen’s Bench Bar Association proudly hosted another successful Get Into the Legal Loop (GILL) program at Apple’s Infinite Loop campus in Cupertino, continuing our commitment to mentorship, professional development, and fostering the next generation of legal professionals.

This year’s theme, “Strength & Confidence,” resonated throughout the event, inspiring students, law clerks, and early-career attorneys to embrace their unique strengths and chart their legal careers with confidence. “This year’s program emphasized essential skills that support a strong foundation for a successful legal career,” said San Mateo County Bar Association Women Lawyers Section Chair and Queen’s Bench 2025 Treasurer & Mentorship Committee Co-Chair Alexandra Sepolen. “This year’s program covered various strategies to support career advancement in the legal profession, including cultivating inner strength, engaging in positive self-talk, effectively navigating professional environments, developing legal knowledge, and gaining meaningful work experience.”

The event provided attendees with access to distinguished judges, attorneys, and legal professionals who shared their experiences, insights, and guidance in a supportive networking environment.

From left to right: Lin Zhu; 2025 Board Members Alexandra Sepolen & Linda Anderson, CFLS; and Hana Hardy Gunther

The program opened with welcome remarks from Lin Zhu, one of GILL’s co-founders and Senior Employment Counsel at Apple. She shared the program’s role in connecting aspiring lawyers with mentors and professional opportunities. “The legal field can be challenging, but it also offers incredible opportunities for growth, change, and influence,” explained Zhu. 2019 Past President and GILL Co-Founder Hana Hardy Gunther followed by reflecting on GILL’s founding mission. “Our goal was to demystify pathways to careers in the law and, in doing so, build the confidence and self-esteem in the next generation of attorneys to pursue successful careers in the law.”

From left to right: Sarah Cook & Judge Elizabeth Manassau Sanada

A major highlight of the event was an inaugural keynote address by Judge Elizabeth Manassau Sanada, recently appointed to the Santa Clara County Superior Court. Introduced by Santa Clara County Bar Association Women Lawyers Section Co-Chair Sarah Cook, Judge Manassau shared her journey from law student to judge, emphasizing the importance of mentorship, resilience, and building confidence in the legal profession.

From left to right: Administrative Law Judge Dorothy Chou Proudfoot of the San Francisco Rent Board; Avery Dotterer; Annie Persampieri; Tanya Montano O’Malley; Karen Flores; and Alexandra Sepolen

Following the keynote was a moderated panel discussion introduced by San Mateo County Women Lawyers Section Vice Chair Jessica Agnich. Panelists included:

Judge Dorothy Chou Proudfoot, Administrative Law Judge from the San Francisco Rent Board;
Annie Persampieri, Director of Internet Services at Apple;
Tanya Montano O'Malley, Managing Attorney at the San Mateo County Private Defender Program;
Avery Dotterer, Associate Attorney at Picone & Defilippis; and
Karen Flores, Senior Paralegal at Picone & Defilippis.

This year’s panel was moderated by San Mateo County Women Lawyers Section Chair and Queen’s Bench 2025 Mentorship Committee Co-Chair Alexandra Sepolen. Panelists provided invaluable insight into navigating law school, developing legal expertise, overcoming bias in the profession, and the role of mentorship in career success. Students’ questions during the Q&A session focused on the role of social justice in the practice of law, transitioning to law school from other careers or industries, attending law school while raising children, and the paths taken by international students to pursue legal careers in the United States.

2025 Director Linda Anderson, CFLS

Queen’s Bench Director and Mentorship Committee Co-Chair Linda Anderson hosted this year’s networking reception, consisting of remarks from Queen’s Bench leadership and presentation of awards. In her opening remarks, Anderson stated, “Mentorship provides a strong foundation for success in the legal field. We are excited that GILL has become one of our cornerstone events for aspiring future legal professionals.”

2025 Foundation President and 2024 Immediate Past President Kara Wild

Immediate Past President and Queen’s Bench Foundation President Kara Wild reinforced this message, sharing her personal experiences and wisdom with students. “Strength and confidence are not a state of achievement, but a process that we develop throughout our lives,” remarked Wild, as she encouraged students to stretch and grow as they explore pathways into the profession. Wild also announced the Foundation’s commitment to supporting a new mentorship or educational initiative by the end of 2025.

2025 First Vice President Sara Craig of Peiffer Wolf Carr Kane Conway & Wise LLP

On behalf of Queen’s Bench President Elisha Jussen-Cooke, First Vice President Sara Craig delivered powerful remarks on the significance of mentorship and diversity in the legal profession, encouraging students to embrace their strengths and recognize their unique perspectives as assets to the field. “Success in this profession is not about fitting into a mold; it’s about recognizing and leaning into what makes you unique.”

Several panelists also received thank you gifts from Queen’s Bench and Apple, including flowers and a recognition plaque acknowledging their willingness to mentor and guide local students.

As the event concluded, Queen’s Bench Diversity Committee Co-Chair Alexandra Sepolen encouraged attendees to nurture the relationships formed at GILL and take advantage of upcoming Queen’s Bench programs and scholarships. Applications are now open throughout April 30, 2025, for two scholarship programs:

The Law Preview Scholarship, enabling an incoming first-year law student to take a summer preparatory course; andA scholarship for an incoming law student; and
The Full Circle Scholarship, a bar exam prep scholarship for recent graduates sitting for the bar exam in any U.S. jurisdiction on or before July 2026.

Students interested in mentorship opportunities, professional development, and Queen’s Bench membership were encouraged to stay engaged through upcoming events, including an MCLE series on the impact of AI and technology on women in the law and an upcoming Fall 2025 signature event celebrating women in leadership.

Queen’s Bench extends heartfelt thanks to its co-sponsors:

Apple, for graciously hosting the event;
Santa Clara County Bar Association Women Lawyers Section, for co-sponsoring the keynote address; and
San Mateo County Bar Association Women Lawyers Section, for co-sponsoring the moderated panel.

Attendees applauding after closing remarks at the GILL 2025 Reception

“As an alumna of the first GILL program, I have personally experienced its positive impact on both personal and professional development. Queen’s Bench has long been committed to community outreach and service, and this program exemplifies our century-old tradition of supporting the pursuit of meaningful legal careers,” commented Sepolen as the event came to a close. Queen’s Bench looks forward to continuing its mission of uplifting diverse voices and fostering meaningful professional connections in the years to come.

For more information on mentorship programs, contact the Mentorship Committee at mentorship@queensbench.org.

Founded in 1921, Queen’s Bench Bar Association is a 501(c)(6) organization that promotes equality and opportunity for all, including mentorship, education, and diversity-based initiatives. For more information about our bar association, please email admin@queensbench.org.

President's Closing Address

Thu, 19 Dec 2024 03:03:56 GMT

Dear Queen's Bench Members,

Before 2024 comes to a close, I wanted to leave you with a message.

It has been a privilege to be your President this year.

We have had amazing events, from Induction, to Get Into the Legal Loop, to Past Presidents Dinner, and finally Judges' Dinner.
We have formed new ties with other organizations and strengthened existing ties.
We have educated members and the public about important issues of the day, including the 2024 election.
Our membership approved amendments to the Queen's Bench Bylaws that will, among other things, expand our membership categories and help our organization grow and flourish for years to come.

There will be challenges ahead in the new year, but I know that the 2025 Queen's Bench Board and our members will rise to meet them with creativity and confidence.

From myself and the 2024 Queen's Bench Board, have a wonderful holiday and a Happy New Year.

Sincerely,

Kara Wild

2024 President

Queen’s Bench Bar Association Joins With Other Organizations to Request Publication of Case Involving Restraining Orders

Sat, 27 Jul 2024 01:02:51 GMT

The Queen’s Bench Bar Association recently joined in a request to publish a decision issued by the California Court of Appeal in In re A.P. (Second Appellate District, Division One). Below is a summary of the case and arguments raised in the request for publication. (This was a joint recommendation to join by the Amicus Briefs and Domestic Violence Committees.)

Mother had filed for a restraining order against Father, based upon, inter alia, domestic violence against her and one of her children. Father violated several times the temporary restraining order that was issued pending a permanent restraining order. The juvenile court, however, denied Mother a permanent restraining order, finding that the parents living separately would accomplish the same result that a restraining order would, and verbally ordered the parents to stay away from each other. (CLETS is the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System. Restraining orders are entered into the CLETS system for enforcement by law enforcement officers. Verbal “stay-away” orders like in the case here are not entered into the CLETS system and are thus typically not enforced by law enforcement.)

The Court of Appeal found that the juvenile court erred in denying Mother’s restraining order request. Neither party contested that domestic violence occurred, nor did the juvenile court deny the permanent restraining order based on failure to prove that domestic violence occurred. The Court of Appeal held that no longer residing together, and the issuance of a non-CLETS “stay away” order, is not a substitute for the protection of a permanent restraining order, such as law enforcement protection. The Court of Appeal also pointed out that the parties still need to co-parent and require guidance for managing their parenting responsibilities.

The request for publication argues that In re A.P. should be certified for publication because it would be the first published opinion to state several important principles from the Domestic Violence Prevention Act equally apply to the issuance of restraining orders. In particular, it would be the first published opinion to state that in juvenile court 1) violations of a temporary restraining order are abuse when considering whether abuse occurred, 2) physical separation of the parties because they no longer cohabitate is not a basis to deny a survivor the protections of a restraining order, and 3) the court may not issue non-CLETS stay away orders in lieu of a restraining order.

It is important juvenile court judges understand how to appropriately decide restraining order requests brought by the many survivors who seek protection during a dependency case, and this case will help do that.

In re A.P. Publication Request - Final.pdf

Queen’s Bench Bar Association Partners With Alameda County Women Lawyers to Hold Election Protection Event

Wed, 12 Jun 2024 21:57:36 GMT

On June 6, 2024, Queen’s Bench Bar Association partnered with Women Lawyers of Alameda County to host “Fight for Democracy: Protect the Election,” a 90-minute program about what actions lawyers and non-lawyers can do to protect voting rights and fair elections. The program was a hybrid live/virtual event held at ADR Services in Oakland, the first in a series of two-to-three installments. Its speakers were:

Marcia Johnson, a co-director of the Lawyers' Committee's Voting Rights Project. She oversees the Project’s programmatic and advocacy portfolios, which includes convening Election Protection, the nation's largest nonpartisan voter protection coalition and advocating for the restoration of the full protections of the Voting Rights Act and national electoral reform.

Helen Hutchison, a member of the League of Women Voters since 1969. She served on the Boards of the Claremont, Clackamas County and Oakland Leagues, was the president of the LWV Oakland from 2003 to 2007, and served on the LWV California board from 2008 to 2013, including as President of the LWV California from 2014 to 2019.

Dena Belinkoff, a member of the VoPro Pros Leadership Team. She was the Volunteer Voter Protection Director in 2022 and worked on the Josh Harder for Congress Re-election Campaign (CA-9).

Anna Chu, Executive Director of We The Action. A long-time advocate and champion of civil rights, she channels her prior experience leading civil rights coalitions, fighting for gender justice, and advocating for economic security to mobilize the broader legal community to support social progress.

Marcia Johnson led off by discussing the current dangers facing this election. While the 2020 election created opportunities for voters through increased vote by mail and early voting—resulting in the most secure election in history—there has since been a legislative backlash. Federal and state legislation has sought to place limitations on access to the ballot; end private funding of elections (“Zuckerbucks”); and enact criminalization provisions. The United States Supreme Court has issued rulings that have harmed voting rights, including in the recent racial gerrymandering case, Alexander v. S.C. NAACP. At the same time, there has been competing Congressional legislation to expand voting rights and opportunities, such as the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, the Freedom to Vote Act, American Confidence in Elections Act, and Safeguard American Votes and Elections Act.

Helen Hutchison, Dena Belinkoff, and Anna Chu then offered ways lawyers and non-lawyers could assist with voter protection. This includes working through their organizations to:

Activate inactive voters
Help thousands of formerly incarcerated citizens reclaim and secure their voting rights
Identify and address election administration problems
Combat voter purges
Educate voters about their rights, and
Protect the vote at polling places and call centers across the country.

Lawyers and non-lawyers interested in election protection have the option of working on those projects in person or virtually.

League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization working to protect and expand voting rights through advocacy, education, and litigation.

VoPro Pros is an all-volunteer organization formed during the 2020 general election and 2021 Senate runoff election in Georgia, which performs numerous election-driven activities around the country, from contacting voters to cure their ballots to working with voters to register or correct registration issues.

We The Action is a source for lawyers to volunteer their time for election protection projects. To date, We The Action has had 4,585 lawyer volunteers, 264 projects, and $12,332,000 donated in volunteer services. They are recruiting lawyers to collectively donate 150,000 hours of legal services to protect democracy through their Voter Vanguard campaign. Activities include voter registration and poll watching, as well as assisting organizations with becoming 501(c)(3)s.

If you would like to be part of their efforts to protect voting this upcoming election, please visit their websites to volunteer or donate:

League of Women Voters:https://www.lwv.org/

VoPro Pros:https://www.vopropros.com/

We The Action:https://wetheaction.org/

The second part of the “Fight for Democracy” series will take place on September 26, 2024.

PRESS RELEASE: Mentorship Committee hosts Women’s History Month service day, Get Into the Legal Loop, awards Law Preview Scholarship

Thu, 14 Mar 2024 05:24:41 GMT

On Wednesday, March 6, 2024, Queen’s Bench Bar Association celebrated Women’s History Month with the post-pandemic return of its annual service day, Get Into the Legal Loop (GILL), at Apple Infinite Loop in Cupertino, CA. More than 30 legal professionals were in attendance among nearly 100 attendees. As Queen’s Bench Mentorship Committee (QBMC) co-chairs, Queen’s Bench Secretary Alexandra Sepolen and Linda Anderson welcomed college and law students from underrepresented backgrounds to learn more about pathways into the legal profession.

History of GILL

Support from Queen’s Bench to host GILL first came from Hana Hardy (Queen’s Bench Past President 2019), who galvanized support from local community partners and law student leaders to host an event informing college students about pathways into the legal profession. The first GILL event was hosted shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic and received a positive reception from local students and attorneys practicing in the Bay Area.

In the early stages of planning the event, QBMC worked alongside Hana Hardy and 2018 Rookie Award recipient Heather Fuchs (Santa Clara Law JD’19). Both Hana Hardy and Heather Fuchs were instrumental in both planning the original event as well as providing guidance on GILL’s post-pandemic relaunch. “Receiving support from a Past President like Hana and a fellow Rookie Award recipient like Heather enabled QBMC to learn more about the strategies that made GILL such a huge success,” commented Alexandra Sepolen. “Their level of support for GILL exemplifies the Queen’s Bench spirit of uplifting and helping others succeed,” remarked Linda Anderson.

Panel Recap

The first half of the event was comprised of an attorney panel moderated by Alexandra Sepolen featuring the following panelists:

Elizabeth Miles Waring, Senior Legal Director for iTunes, Apple Music, Apple TV, Fitness+, and Apple Media Services International at Apple;
Liz Sanchez Santiago, Associate Attorney at Cooley LLP;
Administrative Law Judge Dorothy Chou Proudfoot from the San Francisco Rent Board;
Kristen Rovai, Associate Attorney at Fenwick & West; and
Michèle M. Bissada, Partner at Flicker, Kerin, Kruger & Bissada LLP & Certified Family Law Specialist.

A photograph of the Get Into the Legal Loop 2024 Panelists and Queen’s Bench Mentorship Committee Co-Chairs; from left to right, Linda Anderson, Mentorship Committee Co-Chair; Michèle Bissada; Elizabeth Miles Waring; Liz Sanchez Santiago; Administrative Law Judge Dorothy Chou Proudfoot; Kristen Rovai; and Alexandra Sepolen, Secretary and Mentorship Committee Co-Chair

Panelists shared how they found their passion for the law, as well as strategies to acquire useful skills in law school that are transferable to the practice of law. Panelists also encouraged students to find opportunities to explore practice areas and settings aligned with their interests. When asked to reflect on the panel, QBMC Co-Chair Linda Anderson remarked, “Had I not already been a practicing attorney, I would have been inspired to pursue a legal career after attending the panel.”

Networking Reception

After the panel event, students joined legal professionals for a lively networking reception, featuring interactive activities to educate students about various legal careers while helping them identify potential mentors. Students participated in GILL Bingo for a chance to win prizes. Queen’s Bench law student member Saamia Haqiq (UC Law SF JD’26) won this year’s bingo competition.

A photograph of Saamia Haqiq (UC Law SF JD’26) with her winning bingo card from the GILL networking reception

Launch of Inaugural Law Preview Scholarship Program

GILL also marked the launch of the Mentorship Committee’s inaugural scholarship program, the Queen’s Bench/BARBRI Law Preview Scholarship. The Law Preview Scholarship is awarded to a college senior who is entering their first year of law school and is from an underrepresented group in the legal profession. Law Preview Scholars are able to attend BARBRI’s Law Preview summer program.

QBMC’s first Law Preview Scholar is Grace Carter (Stanford ‘24). Grace studies Psychology and Linguistics and was accepted into Stanford Law School’s Class of 2027. She is a 2023 Truman Scholar, a fellow with Stanford’s Constitutional Law Center, and the former Vice President of Stanford Natives in Pre-Law. Grace is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and looks forward to exploring federal Indian law, administrative law, and environmental law at SLS.

A photograph of the GILL 2024 Panelists and Mentorship Committee Chairs announcing the Law Preview Scholarship; from left to right, Michèle Bissada, Liz Sanchez Santiago, Law Preview Scholar Grace Carter, and Mentorship Committee Co-Chairs Alexandra Sepolen & Linda Anderson

After learning that she is now a Law Preview Scholar, Grace stated, “I am so honored to receive the Queen’s Bench/BARBRI Law Preview Scholarship! I am grateful for this opportunity to enter law school prepared for my 1L year and beyond, and I am excited to see what doors this scholarship opens for my next season of life.”

Return of the Law Student Liaison Program

QBMC also announced the relaunch of the Law Student Liaison Program, inviting rising 2Ls, 3Ls, and 4Ls to apply for the year-long program promoting the development of leadership skills among the next generation of Bay Area lawyers. Liaisons are held to high academic standards and represent various law schools throughout the Bay Area. Each student selected for the program is also charged with completing a year-long capstone project related to the mission and goals of Queen’s Bench.

Queen’s Bench Secretary and QBMC Co-Chair Alexandra Sepolen was elated to announce the return of the program. “As a GILL alumna and former law student liaison, I am proud that this program is returning to Queen’s Bench. The Liaison Program enabled me to connect with Queen’s Bench members who remain my mentors to this day. I am eager to see which projects this year’s liaison class chooses to work on, and QBMC looks forward to supporting this year’s class.”

Applications for the Law Student Liaison Program are now open and close on Friday, March 22nd. Selected liaisons will receive notice via email by the end of March and will be announced at this year’s Past Presidents’ Dinner on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, at Fang Restaurant in San Francisco.

Looking to the Future

“We look forward to GILL returning as an annual event,” said Linda Anderson. “Our committee values the importance of providing opportunities for aspiring lawyers from diverse backgrounds to connect with potential mentors who can nurture their excitement for legal practice,” remarked Alexandra Sepolen.

Queen’s Bench members interested in joining QBMC or learning more about future mentoring events can contact co-chairs Alexandra Sepolen and Linda Anderson at asepolen@fkkblaw.com and landerson@fkkblaw.com. Queen’s Bench also thanks Administrator Ashley Knies and photographer Jesus Leyva for their phenomenal work as our bar association’s on-site team at the event.

Amicus Committee - Keeler-Hodgetts v. Tsukroff Brief

Wed, 13 Mar 2024 17:00:51 GMT

Recently, The Queen’s Bench Bar Association joined in an amicus brief filed in Keeler-Hodgetts v. Tsukroff (First Appellate District, Division Two), which addresses important issues related to domestic violence. Below is a summary of the case and arguments raised in the amicus brief.

Appellant Katherine Keeler-Hodgetts sought a domestic violence restraining order against her former partner Brandon Tsukroff. The trial court denied her request for a restraining order on the ground that she failed to demonstrate a past act of abuse under the Domestic Violence Prevention Act and Family Code section 6200. The trial court found that Keeler-Hodgetts failed to establish sexual abuse by a preponderance of the evidence. The trial court found her sexual abuse allegations not credible because she (1) had not previously reported or alleged abuse in prior pleadings and (2) agreed to share legal and physical custody of her two minor daughters with Tsukroff (their father).

The amcius brief argues that the trial court should not have considered points 1 and 2 in evaluating Keeler-Hodgetts’ credibility. The brief explains that the trial court’s determination that Keeler-Hodgetts “lacked credibility as to her sexual abuse allegations demonstrates what legal scholars and social scientists have detailed for some time: Family law courts commonly respond to women’s reports of sexual violence by discounting their credibility. Research suggests that this credibility discounting stems from beliefs in traditional gender roles; misconceptions about what domestic violence survivors look like, how survivors behave after assaults, and how they recount their experiences; and a willingness to believe claims of ulterior motives for reporting domestic abuse.” The brief notes that courts recognize “ ‘it is common for people who have been physically and mentally abused to act in ways that may be difficult for a layperson to understand.’ ”

The brief points out that issues of sexual assault and domestic violence often involve women who are reluctant to report sexual assault, especially sexual assault by the father of their children. Courts must be careful in drawing adverse inferences from women who delay reporting sexual assault and women who agree to share custody with their abuser/father of their children.

Filed Amicus Brief (1).pdf

Queen’s Bench celebrates history of Annie Coker, Black women lawyers’ contributions to the California legal community

Thu, 29 Feb 2024 00:54:07 GMT

Queen’s Bench celebrates history of Annie Coker, Black women lawyers’ contributions to the California legal community

By Alexandra Sepolen 2024 Secretary

As Black History Month draws to a close, Queen’s Bench acknowledges the contributions of Black women lawyers to the Bay Area community, including the groundwork laid by the first Black female lawyer in the state of California, Annie Coker.

Annie Virginia Stephens Coker was born in Oakland, California, on April 7, 1903, and attended public school in Oakland and Pacific Grove. Annie Coker received a Bachelor’s of Science degree from the University of California Berkeley and completed her education at Berkeley Law. At the time, Ms. Coker was one of two women in her 47-person class. She received a LL.B. in 1929, eight years after the founding of Queen’s Bench Bar Association, and was admitted to the State Bar of California in the same year.

After moving to Virginia to run her own private practice, Annie Coker returned to California in 1939 to work for the Office of Legislative Counsel in Sacramento. Ms. Coker eventually became the head of the Indexing Section, responsible for compiling all California state codes and bills brought before the California legislature. Ms. Coker was described by her colleagues as “a good supervisor, a good friend” and “conscientious.”

In a California Bar Journal article regarding Ms. Coker’s career, former Alameda County Superior Court Judge Brenda Harbin-Forte remarked, “I’m absolutely inspired by her. For her to have come up at the time she did, and to be admitted at a time when the level of discrimination and the lack of opportunities for African-Americans, particularly in the legal profession, was high is amazing to me.”

Today, Queen’s Bench Bar Association continues to celebrate the contributions of Black women lawyers to the Bay Area legal community. Black women have also contributed to the rich history and tradition of leadership in our bar association, including but not not limited to Hana Hardy (Queen’s Bench President 2019). As a member of the Minority Bar Coalition, we encourage our members to attend the various events hosted by our sister bar associations led by Black women lawyers such as Black Women Lawyers of Northern California and the Charles Houston Bar Association. More information about MBC and affiliate organizations is available here.

Gov Newsom Appoints QB member, Elizabeth L. Riles, to the Alameda Bench

Tue, 30 Jan 2024 18:47:30 GMT

Governor Newsom Appoints

Queen's Bench member,

Elizabeth L. Riles to the Alameda Bench

Elizabeth L. Riles, of Alameda County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Alameda County Superior Court. Riles has served as a Commissioner at the Alameda County Superior Court since 2023. She served as an Administrative Law Judge for the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board from 2022 to 2023. Riles was Managing Shareholder at Bohbot & Riles PC from 2003 to 2022. She was an Associate at Kerosky & Bradley LLP from 2001 to 2002, at Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP from 1999 to 2001 and at Jackson, Tufts, Cole & Black LLP from 1998 to 1999. Riles earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. She fills the vacancy created by the transfer of Judge Kevin Murphy to the Marin County Superior Court. She is a Democrat.

Tribute to Senator Feinstein

Tue, 16 Jan 2024 19:34:27 GMT

Congratulations to Sarah Sandford Smith

Tue, 16 Jan 2024 19:32:04 GMT

Queen’s Bench issues statement on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization

Executive Committee — Sat, 25 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT

JUNE 24, 2022 - SAN FRANCISCO, CA - It is with heavy hearts and determined minds that Queen’s Bench issues this statement in response to the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overturning Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood of Southern Pa. v. Casey. Today, the Supreme Court proclaimed what many see as the beginning of the end of a woman’s right to choose—finding there is no fundamental right for women to access abortions in the U.S. Constitution. The decision will have lasting effects on reproductive health and fundamental rights, hitting hardest those with the fewest resources.

While hard to see at this moment, the decision provides an opportunity for women and men across the country to stand up and take action for reproductive justice. Dobbs is both a wakeup call and a call to action. Queen’s Bench is committed to responding to the call and continuing this fight.

As many of you reviewing the Dobbs decision may find, this decision rests on dubious legal grounds. It relies on Brown v. Board of Education, a case based on the 14th Amendment in which the Court found that “[i]n approaching this problem, we cannot turn the clock back to 1868, when the Amendment was adopted, or even to 1896, when Plessy v. Ferguson was written. We must consider public education in the light of its full development and its present place in American life throughout the Nation.” Had the Supreme Court actually followed the precedent it relied upon to justify overruling Roe and Casey, it would have looked to the “present place” these decisions have in “American life throughout the Nation.” Until today, abortion was legal and protected in the United States. Multiple generations of American women relied on Roe, Casey and the 14th Amendment’s right to privacy to make reproductive decisions; such decisions impacted not only their health, but also their ability to pursue educational, political and career goals. The 14th Amendment also forms the basis for many momentous Supreme Court decisions impacting our everyday lives, including same-sex marriage, same-sex relationships, interracial marriage and contraception – some of which Justice Thomas advocates reconsidering in his concurrence in Dobbs.

Please join our efforts to defend these rights and support women across this country. Queen’s Bench will be holding a virtual lunch event on July 14, 2022 at 12 p.m. to provide a safe space for anyone that wants to discuss the Dobbs decision and its impact. We also will have a series of panel discussions regarding the issues raised by the Dobbs decision and anticipate presenting the first panel in August. In addition, California Women Lawyers (CWL) will be hosting two Zoom listening sessions, on June 27, 2022 at 10 a.m. and June 28, 2022 at 5:30 p.m., that we encourage our members to attend.

Queen’s Bench will continue to fight for women’s equality and reproductive justice.

Addendum as of June 24, 2026: Members may view recordings of the two events hosted following the Dobbs decision on YouTube via the links provided below.

The Next Era of the Fight for Reproductive Justice, Part I

The Next Era of the Fight for Reproductive Justice, Part II