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About Me

I received my BA from U.C. Davis in 1978 and my law degree from Whittier College in 1981. I have been practicing law, mainly in the environmental and commercial areas for over 30 years. I also have a side practice in civil rights and church-state law and have litigated several major cases in that area. I have a thriving trial and appellate practice centered in the San Francisco Bay area. As a trial lawyer I have obtained multimillion dollar verdicts and obtained defense verdicts in cases where the plaintiff was asking for millions. I am also an accomplished photographer, and have many shows as well as a successful website.

Location:
United States, San Francisco, CA
Current organization:
Bassi, Edlin, Huie & Blum
Current role:
Partner
Gender:
Male
Areas of expertise:
Law - Environmental, Photographer
Languages:
English
My website links:
Fred M. Blum Photography
Universities:
University of California - Davis, Whittier College School of Law
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More About Me

I'm passionate about

My family and kids first. Everything else is second and I see life through a prism that puts them at the center. Then comes photography, the law, and my favorite question "why?."

An idea worth spreading

The power of the single word "why." As long as we are asking that question and seeking answers there is always hope. I see too often that kids and adults are not concerned about why things happen. They are too accepting. Why breads curiosity and curiosity is the greatest attribute that one can have. It makes us interesting and allows us to expand and grow. It causes us to gain the knowledge to fix things and make our lives better. Every great advance that humankind has made began with curiosity and the single word why.

Comments

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  • +1

    A comment on Talk: Paddy Ashdown: The global power shift

    Jan 7 2012: I generally agree with the talk but take issue with his conclusion that interconnectedness is a new reality or that it is new that security cannot be guaranteed solely by armies. The interconnections in the world may be greater than in the middle ages and more obvious, but they are not new. The plague which devastated Europe in the middle ages and changed the course of European history did not originate in Europe but was imported. Rome’s demise can be tied to the loss of its agricultural centers in Egypt and the effect of migrations of tribes from the Asian Steeps. The world has always been interconnected and we treat the connections as a new reality at our peril.
  • +1

    A comment on Conversation: What are the Top 5 things you can teach/share with a 6 year old?

    Nov 29 2011: As a parent of a 6 (or as he says almost 7) year old here's my best guess (not in any order):

    1. Patience. I could say this one 5 times.
    2. Empathy. It's hard for them to learn its not always about them.
    3. Dignity. Tuff to do with always being dirty.
    4. Security. They got to feel it or nothing else matters.
    5. Discipline. Hard to do since they are so damn cute.
  • +1

    A reply on Conversation: Is it possible to produce great art without sacrificing your families needs?

    Nov 11 2011: The faustian bargain was this for Lange - Make the spectacular photo and sacrifice your relationship with your children and their well-being. One had to give since from a purely physical perspective she couldn't be in the migrant workers camp and with her kids at the same time. She chose her art and not her kids. Society as a whole probably is glad she made that choice since her photographs had a positive impact on the plight of the migrant workers and we have graced us with the images for decades after. Her kids probably wouldn't agree.
  • +1

    A comment on Conversation: Have you ever tried to stop watching the news and reading news papers for more than two weeks? have you noticed a positive change?

    Nov 10 2011: I used to be a news junky, but now I have 2 kids and 3 dogs and by the time that they are all fed, with complete homework and put to bed my wife and I are not in any mood to focus on the news. I'm almost embarrassed to say that we now understand the pull of stupid, mindless sitcoms. What I noticed is that a little news is a good thing, but to anwer your question more directly, I don't miss it.
  • +1

    A comment on Conversation: Who is your Everyday Hero?

    Oct 29 2011: My heros are my kids. They both have experienced things in their young lives that they should not of had to and they have come through it with the grace that few adults would have.
  • +2

    A comment on Conversation: What are the top 10 technological inventions that defined the last 100 years?

    Oct 27 2011: In no particular order:
    1. Green revolution wheat.
    2. Internet
    3. Genetic Engineering
    4. Internal combustion engine
    5. Antibiotics
    6. Television
    7. Nuclear weapons
    8. ATMs (my favorite)
    9. Computer
    10. Nanotechnologies

  • A comment on Conversation: What is the goal of education?

    Oct 27 2011: Education should be the tool that first teaches us to think and only then deals with knowledge. It should foster curiosity and an analytical thought process that gives us the tools to problem solve. In a perfect world you would be encouraged to take advance math since it is obvious that the lower level class will not expand your mind. Grades would be weighted to take into account the difficulty factor. Obviously a "B" in advances math or history is not equivalent to the same grade in a lower level course.

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