NLG-SFBA | Activist Support
Testimonial Dinner
Annual Testimonial Dinner:
Saturday April 26th
EmilyRose Johns Speech
Honoree speeches
Awards Part 1
Awards Part 2
We hold our Testimonial Dinner every year to honor members and allies who are driven by the same values of equity and justice that guide NLG-SFBA’s work. For our 2025 Testimonial Dinner, we were excited to honor Jonathan Siegel and Love and Justice in the Streets for all that they’ve done for our communities.
This year we held the event in the UC Law Auditorium for the first time. Approximately 140 guests arrived to hear Bobby Shukla emcee the event and EmilyRose Johns, chapter President, give a State of the Guild address, followed by the awards ceremony.
Brigitte Nicoletti introduced our first honoree, Love & Justice in the Streets. Love & Justice, represented by Talya Husbands-Hankin (Boots), included members of the Wood Street Commons on stage with them, and together they gave a heartfelt thank you and eyewitness account of the unhoused situation.
Honoree Jonathan Siegel was introduced by his law partner and NLG member, Jody LeWitter. Jonathan gave a history of the guild standing up for justice since the 1930’s: “The Guild and its members can be counted on to always be there in the most challenging and difficult moments, with courage and clarity. And this is certainly such a moment,” Jonathan said.
If you missed the event, you can view the recorded speeches above.
We hope you’ll join us next year!
Jonathan has devoted his entire legal career to representing the labor movement. Jonathan started his legal career as staff counsel for the Guild’s National Labor Law Center, founded Oakland’s Siegel LeWitter Malkani, a labor & employment firm representing unions & employees, and made his mark representing labor activists and unions. He is unique among labor & employment lawyers due to his trifecta of skills & achievements: representing unions and union leaders activists in their fight to make the workplace better for workers; representing individual employees in trials of discrimination cases & representing employees and consumers in class actions over working conditions, terms and conditions of employment and seeking equal care for mental health conditions. He is the general counsel of the National Union of Healthcare Workers, a progressive union which has declared itself a sanctuary union and has led the fight in California for parity care for mental health issues.
Jonathan’s work on behalf of the Guild has been unwavering. He worked for the Guild’s labor law center which published the preeminent manual for union activists, Union Members Guide to Labor Law. He currently serves on the Guild Bay Area Executive Board. He is also an instructor in various moot courts and trial advocacy programs, serves on the Board of the Freight, a nonprofit community arts organization and has served on the boards of several school boards.
We are also pleased to be honoring Love & Justice in the Streets, a community partner of the Guild, an all volunteer-run organization committed to increasing the capacity of unhoused Oakland residents by providing direct material assistance to individuals and curbside communities. Love & Justice is a 501c3 project fiscally sponsored by the Western Regional Advocacy Project.
We look forward to seeing those of you who can attend on April 26, 2025!
In Solidarity,
Jeff Wozniak – Jody LeWitter – Valeria Vera – Debra Murov – EmilyRose Johns – David Borgen
2025 Testimonial Dinner Committee