Rebecca Bauer-Kahan

Rebecca Bauer-Kahan is an accomplished attorney, environmental advocate, community volunteer, law professor and mother. A Bay Area native, she has dedicated her career and personal time to improving our community, solving complex problems, protecting civil rights and fighting to ensure everyone has the opportunity to succeed.

Rebecca is the granddaughter of refugees, who came to the United States to escape the Holocaust. They were able to secure a sponsor, a stranger who made a great sacrifice to allow them to survive – and thrive. Their experience has shaped Rebecca’s perspective, inspiring her to help others in her own community.

As an attorney, Rebecca specialized in ensuring major corporations complied with environmental laws and regulations by leading internal investigations to improve their environmental practices, while maintaining profitability. Simultaneously, she worked with government agencies and elected officials to address their concerns. She also worked with major tech companies on intellectual property cases, involving topics including copyright, trademark and trade secret theft.

Rebecca also oversaw and grew her office’s pro bono program and, under her leadership, the office expanded their efforts to include civil rights, immigration, homelessness and domestic violence. In one case, she successfully represented a wrongfully accused death row inmate in Texas and won him his freedom. She has also served on a number of boards and committees, helping attorneys throughout the Bay Area provide their services to those who desperately need them. Earlier this year, Rebecca coordinated the legal services effort at SFO on behalf of the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) to assist refugees and immigrants impacted by the Trump Administration’s travel ban.

For the last seven years, Rebecca has taught appellate law and legal research and writing at Santa Clara University and Golden Gate University. She is a product of public schools and is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Georgetown University Law Center.

Rebecca and her family are actively involved in the community. Recently, Rebecca advocated for and implemented innovative project-based education programs at her local elementary school, working to create an ongoing curriculum and obtain the space needed for the programs. She is also a leader in a number of local non-profits and organizations, and serves on the board of her local synagogue.