The BALIF Foundation is dedicated to increasing the number of LGBTQI judges on the bench through educational programming, supporting LGBTQI community organizations, and providing scholarships, summer stipends, and fellowships for LGBTQI law students and young attorneys seeking to help the LGBTQI community through legal work.
In 2020, we made donations to ALRP, the Transgender Law Center, and the BALIF Halloween Fundraiser benefiting TGIJP, in addition to awarding the below awards, fellowships and scholarships:
Inaugural Julius Turman Award - Rachel Schiff
Rachel Schiff graduated from UC Davis School of Law Class in 2020. Rachel's accomplishments include hosting one of the law school's first Trans Day of Remembrance events and founding the UC Davis School of Law Gender Name Change Project in 2018, which serves trans and gender nonconforming youth seeking name and gender changes. The Project has assisted over 100 individuals since its inception. Rachel is currently clerking in the Eastern District of California
BALIF Foundation Summer Fellowship - Nahlee Lin
Nahlee Lin is a 2L at Berkeley Law, where she serves as a Co-Chair of the Womxn of Color Collective, Associate Editor on the California Law Review, and research assistant at the Othering & Belonging Institute. She has also interned at the Health & Welfare Clinic of the East Bay Community Law Center, served as a student counselor at the Workers' Rights Clinic, and volunteered at TGIJP Legal Mail Clinics. During her 1L summer, she worked at Oasis Legal Services assisting LGBTQIA+ immigrants to apply for asylum.
APABA-SV and BALIF Foundation Joint Scholarship - Ernest Fok
Ernie is a 3L at Santa Clara University School of Law for the 2020-21 academic year. He is a member of Santa Clara Law's Equity, Justice and Engagement Committee, current Co-President of the Santa Clara Law Asian Pacific American Law Student Association, and former Co-President for EQSCU, Santa Clara Law's LGBT law student organization. After law school, Ernie will join Weil Gotshal's Silicon Valley office as a patent litigation associate, and he will continue to promote and advocate for the Asian American and LGBT legal community throughout his legal career.
FBANC Foundation and BALIF Foundation Pamilya Joint Scholarship - Idrian Mollaneda
Idrian Mollaneda is a 3L at UC Berkeley School of Law. He currently serves as an associate editor for the California Law Review and senior articles editor for the Asian American Law Journal. Idrian previously served as co-president of the Queer Caucus and the Pilipinx American Law Society at Berkeley. After graduating, Idrian will join Farella Braun + Martel as a litigation associate.
Law Student Association of the Year - Equality Santa Clara (EQSCU)
