Law Practice
Jul. 26, 2002
City Lawyer Small Was MoFo Alum
SAN FRANCISCO - Deputy City Attorney Jennifer H. Small has died after a three-year battle with cancer. She was 45. Small, who died Friday, was the special assistant city attorney for government litigation and had handled cases involving city departments and officials since 1996.
Small, who died Friday, was the special assistant city attorney for government litigation and had handled cases involving city departments and officials since 1996.
Before her move to the city attorney's office, Small was a partner at Morrison & Foerster, where she specialized in complex and civil litigation and criminal defense. She was known for her pro bono representation of high-profile causes and clients, including Kevin Artt, an alleged member of the Irish Republican Army accused of killing a prison warden in Britain. Along with Morrison partner James Brosnahan, Small helped defeat legal efforts to extradite Artt to England.
"We were truly fortunate to have had Jennifer in the public sector for as long as we did," former City Attorney Louise Renne said in a written statement. "She was a wonderful person and an excellent attorney."
Morrison & Foerster litigation department chairman James Bennett also remembered Small as an exceptional litigator.
"Clients who were represented by Jennifer always received the highest quality of service that the legal profession can deliver," Bennet said.
"The lawyers who worked with her on these cases were always better lawyers and people for the experience," he said.
An active member of the Bar Association of San Francisco, Small participated in numerous BASF projects, including the AIDS Legal Referral Panel. She also served on the board of governors of the Lawyers' Club of San Francisco and on the development committee of Equal Rights Advocates.
Born in Massachusetts, Small graduated from the New York University School of Law in 1985.
Small is survived by her father, Martin, and brothers, Daniel and Andrew, all of Massachusetts, and brother, Eric, of North Carolina.
A memorial service will be held Sunday at 10:30 a.m. at congregation Sha'ar Zahav, 290 Dolores St., San Francisco. The family requests that instead of flowers, donations be made in Small's name to the Commonweal Cancer Help Program, P.O. Box 316, Bolinas, Calif., 94924.
Xenia Kobylarz
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