Minutes of NLG SF Bay Area Chapter Executive Board Meeting

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

The Rosenberg Foundation
131 Steuart Street, Suite 650
San Francisco, Ca

6:35 QUORUM

Present at quorum call: Otis Landerholm, Salena Copeland, Carlos Villarreal, Michael
Flynn, Matthew Rinaldi, Tim Phillips, Sharon Adams, Raul Aguilar, Rai Sue Sussman,
Laura Horton, and Anne Befu

Arriving later: Francisco Ugarte, Ming Wong, John O’Grady, Karen Jo Koonan, Matt
Ross, Bobby Shukla, Matt Nelson, Nina Farnia, Aliya Karmali, Megan Hamlin, Rachel
Lederman, and Terry Koch.

Not present: Marilyn Waller, Michael Siegel, Daljit Dhami, Kiran Prasad, and all law
school reps

Approval of January minutes

Salena
Matthew Rinaldi points out that suggested changes sent via email not incorporated.
Salena Copeland promised to search her emails to find the changes and send via email for
approval at March Board meeting.

Staff report
Carlos/Raul
Facilitator: Mike
Carlos suggests we change the March board meeting because so many meetings in March
and want to make sure we do not have multiple meetings in same week with Board work.
Tim Phillips introduces ideas relating to facilitation for board consideration in this
meeting. EC has already approved and would like to try at this meeting. They are as
follows: 1) decide on time per speaker and use that limitation, 2) additional person to
track time, and 3) manage stack better by letting people speak to issues

Student report
Laura/Megan
Facilitator: Mike
Laura Horton gave update from student activities and their goal to attend events at each
others’ schools.

Estate Planning discussion

Guest: John O'Grady
Facilitator: Mike
John O’Grady gave presentation on helping members create wills and trusts while
encouraging them to give to the Guild in their estate planning. The chapter could create a
legacy club and make sure we properly recognize their plan to donate to the long-term
success of the Guild.
Sharon Adams MOTION to form a club called a “Legacy Society” to recognize the
contribution of people who decide to name the NLG SF BA chapter in their planned
giving.
Rai Sue Sussman SECOND
Discussion

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One point of clarification needed that people will need to say whether it’s National,
Foundation, or local chapter when they give.
Carlos Villarreal FRIENDLY AMENDMENT to not choose name yet
FRIENDLY AMENDMENT ACCEPTED
John O’Grady FRIENDLY AMENDMENT to clarify that it’s estate planning, not
planned giving.
FRIENDLY AMENDMENT ACCEPTED
VOTE:
16 YES
0 NO
1 ABSTAIN

Irvine 11 Sign On Statement

Presenter: Nina Farnia
Facilitator: Michael Flynn
Update on the UC Irvine Student protests and current plan to bring them before the local
grand jury.
Nina Farnia MOTION to sign on to letter in support of UC Irvine students
Karen Jo Koonan SECOND
Matt Nelson FRIENDLY AMENDMENT to support, but offer suggestion to make
language in last statement stronger
FRIENDLY AMENDMENT ACCEPTED
VOTE
UNANIMOUS YES

NLG's work to stop the FBI raids, repression, and Grand Jury abuses
Presenter: Nina Farnia
Facilitator: Carlos Villarreal
Report back on people who’ve been subpoenaed to go before Grand Jury relating to
activist activity.
Rachel Lederman MOTION to extend time by 2 minutes
Matthew Rinaldi SECOND
No opposition
Nina Farnia MOTION to extend time by 1 minute
Aliya Karmali SECOND
No opposition

San Francisco Taser Discussion

Presenter: Francisco Ugarte
Facilitator: Carlos Villarreal
Discussion that proposition to adopt taser use in SF was narrowly lost last year, and there
is a concern that the current proposals to adopt tasers in SF Police Department will now
pass.
We need to encourage members to testify and come out to the public testimony time. We
really need John Burton to come to testify due to his knowledge about the danger of
tasers.
Nina Farnia MOTION to extend time by 5 minutes
Michael Flynn SECOND
No opposition

Committee autonomy policy vote

Michael Flynn
Facilitator: Carlos Villarreal
Michael Flynn gave update on work done to date to articulate committee autonomy.

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Michael Flynn MOTION to adopt policy as sent via email to full board and included in
our Board Packet. Reproduced here:

Programmatic committees and projects of the NLG SF Bay Area often do legal
representation work, and/or deal with confidential and sensitive information. Thus,
cooperation and trust within programmatic groups is integral to their functioning and
ability to do their work. Any programmatic committee and project may, in its sole
discretion, limit the participation of an NLG member in that project or committee so long
as the limitation is not inconsistent with the NLG Constitution's Preamble, Objectives and
Purposes (Article 1), or the Constitution's principles of non-discrimination (Article 2).

Should an NLG member have a concern about his/her participation or the participation of
another member that cannot be resolved amongst the parties, the NLG member may
request the Chapter office and/or the Chapter's Executive Committee to review the
situation. The review, if any, shall be conducted by the reviewing body as it deems
reasonable.

Rachel Lederman SECOND

Discussion
Should state “members and non-members” rather than just members, as nonmembers
participate in our work. Should also give fewer options for redress.
Matt Ross FRIENDLY AMENDMENT to add a reference “or resolutions of the national
or local chapter” at the end of paragraph one and a reference as to a reason to exclude for
conduct that is disruptive.
NO SECOND
Michael Flynn ACCEPT language from Draft two regarding activity that is disruptive,
but not as to resolutions.
Discussion as to why we do/do not need a policy like this.
Sharon Adams MOTION to extend by 5 minutes
Matthew Rinaldi SECOND
17 YES
1 NO
Matt Nelson MOTION to extend time by 3 minutes
Ming Wong SECOND
18 YES
1 NO
Francisco Ugarte MOTION TO TABLE
Terry Koch SECOND
Michael Flynn WITHDRAW THE MOTION

Event Update (including Happy Hour Jan/Feb and race planning)

Salena Copeland
Facilitator: Carlos Villarreal
Proposal to have February Happy Hour on February 18.
NLG Red Foot Running Brigade 2.0 team is up and running with close to $750 raised to
date. Please see any of the team co-captains if you’d like to join.
Worksafe is having an event, we should help promote.

Salena Copeland MOTION TO ADJURN

Bobby Shukla SECOND
NO OPPOSITION