The Wald Law Group | Upcoming Events

DADS THROUGH SURROGACY: GAY DADS SUROGACY PANEL & WINE RECEPTION
Friday, June 13, 2008 6-9pm
Sponsored by Our Family Coalition
Hosted at the The San Francisco LGBT Community Center
1800 Market Street, San Francisco

This will be an exciting evening designed for prospective dads who are exploring surrogacy and for dads who already built their families through surrogacy. The first hour (6-7pm) will consist of a panel of dads who used various methods of surrogacy to build their families, moderated by OFC Board Co-Chair and family law attorney Deborah Wald. Following the panel, there will be a special wine and cheese reception (7-9pm) offering a chance to network, mingle, meet other parents or prospective parents and have personal conversations with dads and experts about surrogacy. Attend one or both portions of the event.

Please RSVP to Julia at Julia@ourfamily.org or (415) 981-1960. This event is free to the public but an RSVP is required.

LEGAL IMPLICATIONS OF SAME-SEX MARRIAGE FROM WOMB TO TOMB
Tuesday, July 17th, 2008 5:30-7pm
Sponsored by Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF) Barristers Family Law Section
301 Battery Street, Third Floor
San Francisco, California 94111
Phone (415) 982-1600
MCLE credit available

Join attorneys Deborah H. Wald of the Wald Law Group and Deb Kinney of the DLK Law Group for an in-depth discussion of the practical and legal implications of same-sex marriage for lesbian and gay families.

LAVENDAR LAW 2008
September 4-6, 2008
Sponsored by The National Lesbian & Gay Law Association
Hyatt Regency Embarcadero
San Francisco, CA

Details forthcoming.

MARRIAGE AND YOUR FAMILY: LEGAL IMPLICATIONS OF SAME-SEX MARRIAGE FROM WOMB TO TOMB
Tuesday, September 10, 2008 6:00-8pm
Sponsored by Our Family Coalition
Hosted at the The San Francisco LGBT Community Center
1800 Market Street, San Francisco
Please RSVP to Julia@ourfamily.org or call (415) 981-1960 if you need free childcare.

Join attorneys Deborah Wald of the Wald Law Group, and Deb Kinney of the DLK Law Group for an in-depth discussion of the practical and legal implications of same-sex marriage for lesbian and gay families. What impact will marriage have on your legal relationships with your children? Are adoptions still necessary? What impact will marriag e have on your estate planning? Where and how will your marriage be recognized? How do you fully protect your family? For the answer to these and other questions please join us. Dinner will be provided.

DESPARATE HOUSE HUSBANDS? WORSHIPPERS OF MADONNA? GAY MALE SEXUALITY AND GAY MALE PARENTING
Saturday, October 13th, 2008
Hosted by Gaylesta
Sponsored by Our Family Coalition, LGBT Community Center of San Francisco, New Leaf Services for Our Community, Colage, and NCLR

Join Deborah Wald and divorce coach Daniel D. Yu, LCSW for a workshop presentation developed in response to the increasingly visible number of gay male parenting couples struggling with, and sometimes breaking up over, difficulties integrating their sexualities and their identities as committed partners and parents. The presenters will bring cases to discuss, and participants are encouraged to bring cases from their practices.

SERVING LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL & TRANSGENDER CLIENTS - A MUTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH
Sunday, October 19, 2008
International Association of Collaborative Professionals (IACP) 9th Annual Forum: The Collaborative Community - Stepping Up and Reaching Out
October 16-19, 2008
New Orleans, LA

Join attorneys Mariette Geldenhuys, Deborah Wald of the Wald Law Group, and Daniel D. Yu, LCSW, for an in-depth exploration of the legal, mental health and financial issues affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) clients. Learn more about the unique challenges faced by LGBT clients and recent legal developments. The workshop will include a multidisciplinary role play illustrating the issues discussed.

ASRM 2008 ANNUAL MEETING
November 8-12, 2008
Sponsored by The American Society of Reproductive Medicine
Moscone Convention Center
San Francisco, CA

Details forthcoming.

PAST EVENTS INCLUDE:

MARRIAGE - TO HAVE AND TO HOLD
Tuesday, June 10th, 2008 6:30-8pm
Hosted at the The San Francisco LGBT Community Center
1800 Market Street, San Francisco

Join attorneys Paul W. Thorndal of the Wald Law Group, and Deb Kinney of the DLK Law Group for an in depth seminar on the intricacies of same-sex marriage.

DOMESTIC PARTNER & SECOND PARENT ADOPTION CLINIC: Learn It, Do It!
Sunday, May 18th, 2008 3-5:30pm
Sponsored by Our Family Coalition
Facilitated by: Emily Doskow and Deborah Wald, Esq.
Bananas
5232 Claremont Ave, Oakland, CA
For free childcare, contact Julia at julia@ourfamily.org or 415-981-1960

Do you have questions about the differences between domestic partner and second parent adoption? Not sure which is right for you? Ready to move ahead with your adoption, but unsure about the next step? Want to represent yourself? At this interactive, hands-on workshop, two expert attorneys will describe adoption processes, answer your questions, and then help you prepare the paperwork for your adoption if appropriate. If you're not ready for the adoption but want information or have questions about the process, feel free to come for the first hour, a presentation and Q&A. Remaining time will be spent preparing forms.

COLLABORATIVE PRACTICE CALIFORNIA CONFERENCE
April 25-27, 2008
Claremont Hotel Resort and Spa
Oakland, CA

Attorneys Deborah Wald, David Fink, Shannon Mintner; Susan Campbell CDFA, CFP; Daniel D. Yu, LCSW; and Emily Weaver, MFT; will lead an interactive interdisciplinary workshop on collaborative practice in lesbian and gay family disputes and dissolutions. Workshop is on Saturday April 26th 1:45-3:15pm

10TH ANNUAL ABA SECTION OF DISPUTE RESOLUTION SPRING CONFERENCE
Thursday April 3rd - Saturay April 5th, 2008
Sponsored by The American Bar Association
Seattle Sheraton Hotel
Seattle, WA
CLE credit available

Attorney Frederick Hertz of SameSexLaw.com, attorney Deborah Wald of The Wald Law Group, and therapist Stacey Shuster will deliver workshops entitled "Mediating Same-Sex Dissolution Conflicts: Legal, Social, and Psychological Dynamics of the Gay Divorce".

OPEN PATH "PATHWAYS TO ADOPTION" SYMPOSIUM
Saturday March 8, 2008
Sponsored by Open Path - The Fertility & Adoption Resource Organization
San Francisco, CA

Attorney Deborah Wald of The Wald Law Group and Terry Person of Family Builders by Adoption will deliver a workshop and Q&A entitled "Adoption Options for Lesbians & Gay Men"

SEVENTH ANNUAL UPDATE ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION LAW AND POLICY - "EQUALITY AND BEYOND"
Friday February 22, 2008
Williams Institute, UCLA Law School
Los Angeles, CA
CLE credit available

The Williams Institute's Seventh Annual Update theme for the day is "Equality and Beyond". Panels and presentations will explorie recent developments in sexual orientation law and policy. Frederick Hertz, Esq. of SameSexLaw.com, Professor Patricia Cain of Santa Clara University Law School, and Deborah Wald, Esq. of The Wald Law Group, will deliver a session offering legal perspectives on gay divorce and dissolution.

FAMILY MATTERS SAN FRANCISCO - PATIENT EDUCATION CONFERENCE
Sunday February 10, 2008 2:25 - 3:25pm
Sponsored by The American Fertility Association
Golden Gate Club at the Presidio of San Francisco
135 Fisher Loop
San Francisco, CA

Fertility physician Dr. Isabelle Ryan MD, and Deborah Wald, Esq. will present legal and medical issues for lesbians & gay men pursuing assisted reproductive technology to create families.

SYMPOSIUM ON CONTEMPORARY FAMILY LAW ISSUES - ART PANEL & FAMILY FORMATION
Thursday February 7, 2008
Hastings School of Law, Women's Law Journal
San Francisco, CA

Attorney Deborah Wald of The Wald Law Group will provide legal perspectives on same sex families and assisted reproductive technologies. Details forthcoming.

MAKING BABIES: SYMPOSIUM ON ASSISTED REPRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY LAW
Saturday January 26, 2008
Sponsored by The Center for Children's Rights and ACAL/ACFFL
MCLE Credit available
Whittier Law School, Costa Mesa, CA

Deborah Wald, Esq. of The Wald Law Group, Diane Michelsen, Esq. of The Law Offices of Diane Michelsen and Robert Walmsley, Esq will deliver a workshop entitled "Recent Developments in ART".

DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIPS CONTINUING EDUCATION SEMINAR
Friday December 7, 2007 8:30am - 12:30pm
Sponsored by Lorman Education Services
Crowne Plaza Union Square
480 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA 94108

This half day seminar is designed for Attorneys. Registration with Lorman is required. CLE credit available.

California law changed in 2005 to confer all of the state benefits and obligations of marriage upon registered California domestic partners. By applying the family code to domestic partners, the Legislature created a new area of legal practice that in many respects crosses the traditional boundaries of civil practice and family law. Defense of Marriage Acts of the United States, other states and even California itself creates jurisdictional, procedural and constitutional issues that are not raised in traditional family law practice, many of which remain untested and unresolved. Attend this seminar and you will receive an overview of applicable legal standards and challenges that civil litigation and family law attorneys interested in practicing in this new legal field can expect to face representing California domestic partne rs. You'll gain helpful information on the effect of domestic partnership laws in both family formation and dissolution actions.

Faculty includes Cheryl Sena of Sena Family Law, and Paul W. Thorndal of The Wald Law Group

ADOPTION BASICS
Tuesday December 4, 2007 5pm to 6:30pm
Sponsored by The Bar Association of San Francisco, Family Law Section of the Barristers Club
301 Battery Street, Third Floor
San Francisco, California 94111
Phone (415) 982-1600
MCLE Credit 1 hour

Attorneys Susan Romer, Adams & Romer, and Deborah Wald of The Wald Law Group, will provide information and legal perspectives on adoption processes and procedures, different types of adoptions and answer questions.

ESTATE PLANNING LAW PANEL AND Q&A
Tuesday October 9, 2007 7-9pm
Sponsored by Congregation Sha'ar Zahav
290 Dolores Street
San Francisco, California 94103
415-861-6932

Panel discussion and Q&A on the latest trends in LGBT Estate Planning including topics such as the complexities and special needs of LGBT families including advanced planning, implications of state and federal laws, wealth transfer, and the documents that every family should have. The panelists will talk about the current legal landscape, and how laws have evolved over the past decade. Panelists to include Deb Kinney of DLK Law Group and attorneys from Goldstein, Gellman, Melbostad, Gibson & Harris.

ESTABLISHING PARENTAGE & ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGIES
Tuesday, September 25, 2007 6:15-9pm
Sponsored by Pacific Fertility Center
The SF LGBT Community Center
1800 Market Street, San Francisco
Please phone 888-834-3095 for information and to reserve a seat.

Fertility physician Dr. Isabelle Ryan, MD and family law attorney Deborah Wald, Esq. will present legal and medical issues for lesbians & gay men pursuing assisted reproductive technology to create families.

DOMESTIC PARTNER & SECOND PARENT ADOPTION CLINIC: Learn It, Do It!
Saturday, September 15, 2007 3-5:30pm
Sponsored by Our Family Coalition
Facilitated by: Emily Doskow and Deborah Wald, Esq.
The SF LGBT Community Center
1800 Market Street, San Francisco
Information (415) 865-5553
For free childcare at the Center's fabulous KidSpace, RSVP to 415-865-5553.

Do you have questions about the differences between domestic partner and second parent adoption? Not sure which is right for you? Ready to move ahead with your adoption, but unsure about the next step? Want to represent yourself? At this interactive, hands-on workshop, two expert attorneys will describe adoption processes, answer your questions, and then help you prepare the paperwork for your adoption if appropriate. If you're not ready for the adoption but want information or have questions about the process, feel free to come for the first hour, a presentation and Q&A. Remaining time will be spent preparing forms.

LAVENDAR LAW 2007
- ADVANCED FAMILY LAW TOPICS INCLUDING INTERJURISDICTIONAL ISSUES
September 7-8, 2007
Sponsored by The National Lesbian & Gay Law Association
Hilton Chicago, Chicago, Illinois

Womb to Tomb Legal Services Concurrent Workshops sponsored by the NCLR, National Family Law Advisory Council (NFLAC) and Deborah Wald, NFLAC Chair. Panelists from around the counry will address topics such as Family Formation, Adoption, Assisted Reproduction, Surrogacy, Marriage, Divorce, Dissolution, Custody Disputes, Elder Law and Estate Planning.

Plenary: "The Balkanization of the States and Family Law; What Practitioners and Students Need to Know about the Right Wing's "Public Policy Exception" and How it Leaves our Families Vulnerable"

This plenary discussion will feature nationally recognized scholars and practitioners presenting the right's best arguments on how they aruge there is a public policy exception to the Full Faith & Credit Clause and will then illustrate why those arguements are faulty. Panelists include Jon W. Davidson, Esq. Legal Director for Lambda Legal; Professor William N. Eskridge, Jr. of Yale Law School; Professor Andrew Koppelman of Northwestern Univer sity School of Law; and Deborah H. Wald, Esq., founder of theWald Law Group & NFLAC Chair.

BREAKING NEWS, MAKING FAMILIES: Legal and Practical Issues for Covering Gay and Lesbian Families
Friday August 31, 2007 3:30-5pm
National Association of Lesbian and Gay Journalists 2007 Annual Conference
Weston Horton Plaza, Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego, CA

As the technology for assisted reproduction becomes ever more adept, families are springing into existence in ways the U.S. legal system never envisioned and can barely cope with. Gay families are a part of this cresting wave in American jurisprudence. Because the stories are so fascinating - the child with four "natural" parents but no legal ones, anonymous sperm donors "outed" by their family-seeking children via Web searches, lesbians carrying each others� children via embryo sharing - they make headlines. But negotiating the sometimes complex legal underpinnings is hard for even veteran family lawyers as so much is new and it seems to change weekly. This panel will address legal and practical issues for journalists covering gay families, from both personal and professional angles.

Moderated by Elizabeth Weise, USA Today science writer and lesbian mother.
Panelists to include: Morris Goldin, student at City College of San Francisco who was raised by lesbian mothers and a counselor at a California summer camp where he works with children of LGBT families; Patrice Pascual, Executive Director of the Casey Journalism Center on Children and Families at the University of Maryland, former freelance writer and editor, with a background in public television and co-author of a chapter on children's programming in the "Handbook of Children and the Media."; and Deborah H. Wald, Esq., nationally known Family Formation Lawyer, and lesbian mother.

DIVORCE & DISSOLUTION LAW PANEL AND Q&A
Tuesday June 12, 2007 7-9pm
Sponsored by Congregation Sha'ar Zahav
290 Dolores Street
San Francisco, California 94103
415-861-6932

Panel discussion and Q&A on the latest trends in Divorce and Dissolution Law including topics such as the implications of AB 205 and rapidly changing laws on same-sex families; how mediation, collaborative process, and other non-litigious alternatives can benefit same-sex couples; implications of same-sex dissolution litigation for children and the community at large. The panelists will talk about the current legal landscape, and how laws have evolved over the past decade. Panelists to include attorneys from The Wald Law Group and Goldstein, Gellman, Melbostad, Gibson & Harris, psychologist Stacey Shuster, and attorney/mediator Frederick Hertz.

COLLABORATIVE PRACTICE: A Team Approach to Resolving Family, Business, & Other Disputes in the LGBT Community
Wednesday May 16, 2007 12:30-2:00pm
Co-sponsored by Horizons Foundation, Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom and Ameriprise Financial
Ameriprise Financial
180 Montgomery Street San Francisco, California 94104

Please contact Henry Pacheco at hpacheco@horisonsfoundation.org or call (415) 398-2333 x114.
Horizons Foundation Professional Advisor Series 2007 - RSVP REQUIRED

Panel discussion and Q&A on Collaborative Law, a new approach to dispute resolution that allows individuals and organizations the opportunity to resolve their differences in a cost-effective, client-driven manner. Panelists to include attorneys Deborah H. Wald, Jeanne M. Fahey, and John D. Raskin. CLE credit available.

GAY RIGHTS: How Far Have We Come, and Where Are We Going?
Saturday, May 12, 2007 9:30-10:30am
Sponsored by Northeastern University School of Law Alumni Connections
400 Huntington Avenue, Boston MA 02115

Moderated by Prof. Libby Adler, the panel will include three national leaders: Mary Bonauto, Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, Kevin Cathcart, Executive Director, Lambda Legal, and Deborah H. Wald, Esq.

FAMILY FORMATION LAW PANEL AND Q&A
Tuesday May 8, 2007 7-9pm
Sponsored by Congregation Sha'ar Zahav
290 Dolores Street
San Francisco, California 94103
415-861-6932

Panel discussion and Q&A on the latest in LGBT Family Formation Law including topics such as Adoption, Surrogacy, Egg & Sperm Donation. The panelists will discuss the current legal landscape in California, including changes over the past decade. Find out how to ensure that you and your family have the best legal protections available. Panelists to include attorneys Deborah H. Wald and Ora Prochovnick, psychologist Stacey Shuster, and a representative from Adoption Connection of Jewish Family & Children's Services of San Francisco.

PARENTAGE: Contemporary California Families
Friday, April 20, 2007 8:30-10am
Sponsored by 2007 Family Dispute Resolution Statewide Educational Institute
Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport
1333 Bayshore Highway, Burlingame, California 94010

Panelists to include Mary Duryee, Ph.D.; and Deborah H. Wald, Esq.

FRONTIERS OF FAMILY LAW: Protecting Same Sex Families When the Law Doesn't
Wednesday, April 11, 2007 12:40-1:30pm
Sponsored by Hastings Outlaw
Hastings College of the Law, 198 McAllister Street, Room F, San Francisco, CA 94102

Panelists to include Cathy Sakimura, NCLR; and Cheryl Sena, Law Offices of Cullum & Sena; and Deborah H. Wald, Esq.

CREATING A FAMILY
Choices & Resources for Prospective Parents
Thursday, February 22, 2007 6-7:30 p.m.
Sponsored by Our Family Coalition
The SF LGBT Community Center
1800 Market Street, San Francisco
Information (415) 865-5553

Deborah H. Wald, Esq. will provide a legal perspective on options available to prospective LGBT parents.

UNMARRIED...WITH CHILDREN
Evaluating Legal Constraints and Social Judgement
Monday, February 12, 2007 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Sponsored by the Journal of Gender, Social Policy and the Law
Washington College of Law
4801 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20016
Information: (202) 274-4000

Deborah H. Wald, Esq. will provide a practitioners perspective on the legal barriers faced by those in non-marital relationships with children as they strive to gain legal recognition for their families and access to reproductive technologies and adoption. She will also address the legal complexities that arise when non-marital relationships with children dissolve. Ms.Wald's law review article, "The Parentage Puzzle", is scheduled for publication in the Journal of Gender, Social Policy and the Law, in 2007.

DADDY & PAPA
A Workshop for Gay Dads and Prospective Gay Dads
Tuesday, November 14, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Bananas
5232 Claremont Avenue, Oakland
With filmmaker Johnny Symons & Attorney Deborah H. Wald This workshop will include a showing of clips from the Emmy-nominated documentary "Daddy & Papa" and a short presentation on legal considerations of gay fatherhood, followed by a question & answer period. Topics to include information on the joys and challenges of both adoption and surrogacy; plus up-to-date information on the best ways for gay singles and couples to protect their families under California law. For free childcare, please RSVP by November 7th to Kevin at 415-981-1960 or kevin@ourfamily.org.

Co-Sponsored by Our Family Coalition and the Law Office of Deborah Wald

BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO
A Panel Discussion on Divorce in the LGBT Community
Wednesday, November 8, 2006, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
LGBT Community Center
1800 Market Street, San Francisco
Free Childcare Provided by KidSpace

Speakers to include Attorney/Mediator Emily Doskow, Attorney Algera M. Tucker, Attorney Deborah H. Wald.

Since AB 205 went into effect, registered domestic partners now have to use a court process to dissolve their legal relationships. Please join us for a panel discussion with therapists, mediators and attorneys on the special challenges that LGBT families face during break-ups. Co-Sponsored by Our Family Coalition and the Law Office of Deborah Wald

ESTABLISHING PARENTAGE
Legal Issues for Lesbians & Gay Men Using Assisted Reproductive Technologies
Thursday, October 12, 2006, 9:45-10:45 a.m.
National Conference of the Gay & Lesbian Medical Association
Renaissance Parc 55 Hotel, San Francisco
938 The Alameda, San Jose, CA
Information (408) 293-2429

Deborah H. Wald, Esq. and Isabelle Ryan, M.D. of Pacific Fertility Center will co-present a workshop at the 24th Annual Conference of the Gay & Lesbian Medical Association, described by organizers as "the world's largest gathering of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT), and straight/allied healthcare professionals."

2006 LEGAL UPDATE FOR SAME SEX COUPLES & FAMILIES:
ADOPTION, PARENTAGE, PROPERTY and ESTATE PLANNING ISSUES FOR LGBT CALIFORNIANS
Wednesday, June 14, 2006 from 7-8:30 p.m.
BANANAS
Second Floor (enter from back of building)
5232 Claremont Avenue, Oakland, CA

Join BANANAS, Our Family Coalition and attorneys Deborah Wald and Alma Soongi Beck for a workshop that will cover the latest information on LGBT adoption, donor insemination, surrogacy and co-parenting issues; plus property and estate planning for LGBT families. Discussion will include the impact of AB 205 and the recent California Supreme Court decisions on our families.

THIRD PARTY ASSISTED REPRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY
Cutting Edge Perspectives from the ART Professionals
Saturday, June 10, 2006 from 8:45-1:00
Golden Gate University, San Francisco

Featuring forums on ART case law developments, transgender family law, and a judges' panel concerning pre and post birth adjudications of parentage. Speakers include Deborah Wald, Donna Hitchens (Presiding Judge of the San Francisco Family Courts), Christopher Daley (Executive Director of the Transgender Law Center). For more information, go to www.acal.org/events.htm.

POPCORN AND PARENTING
A Movie and Workshop for LGBT Parents and Parents-to-Be
Tuesday, May 30, 7-9:00 pm
At the Billy Defrank LGBT Community Center
938 The Alameda, San Jose, CA
Information (408) 293-2429

Attorneys Deborah Wald and Deb Kinney will host a screening of the award-winning documentary "Daddy & Papa," followed by a question-and-answer session on legal issues for LGBT families in California. Topics may include adoption, donor insemination, surrogacy and co-parenting issues, plus estate planning and other documents to protect LGBT families. Come see a terrific movie and learn what you need to know to create and protect your families. For more information on the event, go to www.defrank.org.

THE CHANGING PICTURE OF ADOPTION
Voices of Adoptees, Birth Parents, and Adoptive Parents
Saturday, May 20, 2006 from 8:30-4:30 p.m.
Sunset Building, Headlands Institute
Marin Headlands, Sausalito, CA

This one-day conference is sponsored by the Post Adoption Center for Education and Research (PACER). (Deborah Wald won't be speaking, but hopes to attend.) For more information, visit their website at www.pacer-adoption.org.

FAMILY PLANNING FOR LGBT FAMILIES
Creating and Protecting Your Family
This is an on-going series of seminars about parenting rights and estate planning for LGBT families, co-sponsored by The Law Office of Deborah Wald and BvH Law Group. For more information, or to schedule a seminar in your county, contact Deborah Wald.