Martin Kassman

Attorney at Law

1032 Irving St., PMB 704

San Francisco, CA  94122

Voice (415) 564-6732

Fax on request

E-mail marty@kassman.com

Abilities and Experience (Overview) | Bar Admissions | Education | Legal Publications | Legal Work Experience | Media Work Experience | Professional Associations | Volunteer Activities

ABILITIES AND EXPERIENCE (OVERVIEW)

• Writing.  Exceptional writing ability, exercised since childhood as student journalist, professional journalist, law student, law clerk and lawyer.  Author of two law review articles in COMM/ENT, Hastings Communications and Entertainment Law Journal; served as Associate Articles Editor.  Author of numerous newspaper and magazine articles, radio and television news stories, and radio commentaries.  Freelance editor and proofreader.
• Legal Research and Analysis.  Excellent legal research and analysis skills, honed through preparation of numerous appellate briefs, law-and-motion briefs, advice memoranda, and opinion letters.  Successfully petitioned U.S. Supreme Court for writ of certiorari in Samson v. California, no. 04-9728.  Praised by supervisors and peers for objectivity, incisiveness, and thoroughness.
• Speaking.  Accomplished public speaker.  Numerous oral arguments before appellate and trial courts.  Presentations on California appellate court rules, church-state law, and other topics.  Legislative and administrative testimony.  In law school, served as Dean's Discussion Group Leader (student teacher) in Constitutional Law.  Several years' professional experience as radio announcer and television reporter.  Several appearances on KQED-FM's Perspectives series and on KQED-TV's This Week in Northern California.
• News Editing and Production.  Four years' full-time experience as television news producer, which included deciding which stories would run, in what order, and how they would be presented (copy, video, graphics, live interviews, etc.); editing of copy and video; and supervision of reporters, anchors and other personnel.  Several years' part-time experience as radio news producer, organizing and delivering newscasts.
• Computer Operations.  Sophisticated PC user.  Several years' experience with WordPerfect, including mastering of advanced features.  Completed college courses on use of Microsoft Word for Windows, Microsoft FrontPage, and Microsoft Windows.  Skilled user of computerized legal research services.  Avid consumer of Internet services, including World Wide Web, e-mail, newsgroups and FTP.  Some experience and training in developing Web sites and in resolving PC hardware issues.

EDUCATION

• UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, HASTINGS COLLEGE OF THE LAW, San Francisco
  • J.D., 1988.
  • Class rank top 20%.
  • Associate articles editor, COMM/ENT, Hastings Communications and Entertainment Law Journal.
  • Dean's Discussion Group Leader in Constitutional Law (for Prof. Samuel D. Thurman), 1987-88.
  • Vice president, Association for Communications, Sports & Entertainment Law (ACSEL).
• ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY, Jonesboro
  • B.S. cum laude, Radio-Television, 1982.
  • Minor: speech and drama.
  • Admitted to honors program.
• GARLAND COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE, Hot Springs, AR
  • A.A., English, 1980.

LEGAL WORK EXPERIENCE

• MARTIN KASSMAN, ATTORNEY AT LAW, San Francisco
  • Solo practitioner, 1994 to present.
  • Practice consists primarily of criminal appeals; also includes civil appeals, First Amendment and media law matters, and research projects for other attorneys and law firms.
  • Member of indigent criminal defense panels for First, Fourth and Sixth Appellate Districts of California Court of Appeal.
• COOPER, WHITE & COOPER, San Francisco
  • Litigation attorney, 1988-94.
  • Assignments included writing motions, appellate briefs and other papers; rendering advice; appearing in court; conducting discovery.
  • Subject areas included appellate jurisdiction, civil rights, contracts, defamation, federal jurisdiction, freedom of information, insurance, media regulation and taxation, sales and use taxes, torts.
• WRIGHT, LINDSEY & JENNINGS, Little Rock, AR
  • Summer associate, 1987.
  • Assignments included summary judgment motion in defamation case, motion to transfer client's case from chancery to law court, petition to Arkansas Supreme Court on civil procedure issue, advice regarding constitutional separation of powers.
• STATE PUBLIC DEFENDER, San Francisco
  • Law clerk, 1986.
  • Researched legal issues and drafted briefs in criminal appeals.
  • Issues included lack of knowing waiver of constitutional rights, mistake of fact, legality of detention and search, sentencing errors.

MEDIA WORK EXPERIENCE

• THE RECORDER, San Francisco
  • Reporter, 1997-98.
  • Covered courts and legal developments for daily legal newspaper.
• COUNSEL CONNECT, San Francisco
  • Case digester, 1996-97.
  • Reviewed and summarized appellate court opinions for "Illinois Law" Web site operated by Counsel Connect, online service for lawyers.
• KDAQ-FM (NPR), Shreveport, LA
  • News director/Morning Edition local host, 1985.
  • Duties included producing, writing and anchoring morning newscasts; operating audio board; conducting live and taped interviews with politicians and others; preparing reports for local programs, National Public Radio and NBC News.
• KTAL-TV (NBC), Shreveport, LA
  • Reporter/news producer, 1984.
  • Duties included producing weekend newscasts; presenting on-camera live and taped reports on myriad topics.
• KSLA-TV (CBS), Shreveport, LA
  • News producer/reporter, 1984.
• WMC-TV (NBC), Memphis, TN
  • News producer, 1982-84.
• KAIT-TV (ABC), Jonesboro, AR
  • News producer/reporter/videographer, 1980-82.
• KBHS-AM/KSPA-FM (ABC), Hot Springs, AR
  • Announcer/copywriter, 1980.
• KZNG-AM (CBS), Hot Springs, AR
  • Announcer/account executive, 1977-80.
• THE SENTINEL-RECORD, Hot Springs, AR
  • Editorial intern, 1975.
• FREELANCE JOURNALISM
  • News articles, broadcast reports and opinion pieces purchased by Jewish Bulletin of Northern California, now known as j. (San Francisco), KQED-FM (San Francisco), KQED-TV (San Francisco), National Public Radio, The News (Hot Springs, AR), The Recorder (San Francisco).

LEGAL PUBLICATIONS

• LAW REVIEW ARTICLES
  • "The Defamation You Can't Refuse:  Section 315's Prohibition on Censoring Political Broadcasts," 13 Hastings Comm/Ent L.J. 1 (1990).
  • "Stone Got Caught Between a Rock and a Hard Place:  Grand Juries' Power to Subpoena Outtakes That Reveal Confidential News Sources," 10 Hastings Comm/Ent L.J. 623 (1988).
• TRADE NEWSPAPER AND MAGAZINE ARTICLES
  • Numerous bylined articles as reporter with The Recorder, 1997-98.
  • "Unfree Exercise," The Recorder, July 9, 1997, at 4.
  • "Judge Okays Government Display of Latin Cross," The Conspiracy, Spring 1992, at 1.
  • "Juror Questionnaires Go Public In Criminal Trials," Prosecutor's Brief, Winter 1991, at 18.

BAR ADMISSIONS

• California, 1988.
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, 1988.
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, 1988.
• U.S. District Court, Central District of California, 1992.
• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California, 1994.
• U.S. Supreme Court, 1999.

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

• CALIFORNIA APPELLATE DEFENSE COUNSEL
  • Active member.
  • Board of Directors:  member, 2002 to present; alternate member, 2001-02.
  • Presented educational program, New Rules 2007, to Bay Area Chapter, January 9, 2007.
  • Presented educational program, Cert. Granted -- What Next?  Reflections and Tips, to Bay Area Chapter, June 13, 2006, and to San Jose Chapter, May 10, 2006.
  • Presented educational program, New Rules 2005, to Bay Area Chapter, January 11, 2005.
  • Presented educational program, Are You Exhausted? -- A Discussion of New Rule 33.3, As Well As the Other New Rules of Court, to Bay Area Chapter, February 10, 2004.

VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES

• JEWISH HOME, San Francisco
  • Volunteer, 2002 to present.  Activities include dealing blackjack to residents.
• GOLDEN GATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW, San Francisco
  • Appellate Advocacy judge, 1997-2000, 2003 to present.
• UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, HASTINGS COLLEGE OF THE LAW, San Francisco
  • Guest entertainer in Professor William Wang's Corporations classes, 1988 to present.
  • Moot Court judge, 1990-94, 1997, 2001.
• CONGREGATION SHERITH ISRAEL, San Francisco
  • Proofreader, 2002-03.  Shared job of proofreading temple bulletin, Sherith Israel Journal.
  • Weekly Readers participant, 1994-96.  Activities included reading to and visiting with children at OMI Head Start Center.
• SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA CHAPTER
  • Active member of Freedom of Information Committee, 1998-2000.
  • Prepared chapter's August 1998 comments to California Judicial Council regarding proposal for public access to electronic court records.
• AMERICANS UNITED FOR SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE
  • San Francisco Bay Area Chapter: chapter counsel, 1998-99; president, 1996-97; vice president, 1988-96; recipient, 1997 Religious Liberty Award.
  • National Advisory Council member, 1994-99.
  • Activities included media appearances, speaking engagements, written and oral advocacy, legal consultation and representation, attendance at annual National Conference on Church and State.
• AMERICAN JEWISH CONGRESS, NORTHERN PACIFIC REGION
  • Board of Directors member, 1993-97.
  • Commission on Law and Social Action: member, 1992-97; chair, Litigation Committee, 1995-97.
  • Activities included investigating complaints of religious liberty violations, written and oral advocacy before public bodies, speeches, analyzing legislation and case law, liaison with other groups.

This page last updated December 05, 2007