BALIF: Lilah Sutphen, Esq.

LILAH M. SUTPHEN, Esq.
Recently-Licensed Attorney Specializing in Civil Prosecution

Lilah grew up in the small mountain town of Nevada City, CA. Needless to say, a small town was not an easy environment to grow up in, for a kid that was obviously gender diverse from a very young age. Yet despite (and maybe because of) those obstacles, Lilah's strengths of selflessness, courage, and valor emerged as well. She was a leader in the fight for equality throughout her educational years, firmly believing that one is never too young to make a difference. In high school, Lilah served as a volunteer on Nevada County Peer Court and participated in the local PFLAG Chapter. As an undergrad at U.C. Davis, she worked at the LGBT Student Center, participated in student government, and volunteered at the Yolo County Legal Aid Society. As a law student at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, Lilah participated in the Innocence Project; worked for a private civil firm; interned for the San Diego County Public Defender's Office; worked as a certified legal intern for the San Diego County District Attorney; and was employed as a legal assistant for the Office of the San Diego City Attorney. She was also active in San Diego County's "No on 8" campaign, and mentored gay youth at San Diego's LGBT community center. After law school, Lilah worked for the San Diego office of Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP, an anti-trust and securities class action firm. She moved to San Francisco for a civil litigation position but was recently laid-off due to downsizing. Not to be discouraged, Lilah began volunteering for the San Francisco District Attorney's Office. In her spare time, she serves as BALIF's Social Chair and plays a variety of sports, including running, tennis, and soccer. Lilah's message to LGBT youth: "It really does get better. You will discover an increasingly large community of gay friends and allies and begin to truly have fun with people that accept and love you for who you are. You may even find that being gay can be an asset as you seek employment, join support groups and community events, and become comfortable with your identity. You'll find that the small world of high school is not at all like the larger world and that society is largely accepting of gays. There are an awful lot of us now and more and more of us are out of the closet. In that context you will no longer feel out of place and the 'why me's will slip away. You will be able to be exactly who you are, and it will be fine."

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Lilah Sutphen
• BALIF
• lesbian
• attorney
• lawyer
• San Diego
• civil prosecution
• Nevada City