December 2008
Article Date: Monday, December 01, 2008
The NCBA Young Lawyers Division Bulletin
December 2008
Dates to Know
- November 24-December 6 – Wake County YLD Clothing Drive
- December 1- 12 - YLD Toy Drive
- January 10, 2009 – YLD Winter Quarterly Meeting, Smith Moore Leatherwood in Greensboro
- February 6, 2009 – YLD Legislative Committee CLE, at the NC Museum of History, Raleigh
- February 12-14, 2009 - ABA YLD Midyear Meeting, Boston, MA
- February 21, 2009 – YLD Statewide Ask-A-Lawyer Event with Local YLD Groups
- February 28, 2009 – YLD Spring Quarterly Meeting & Annual Planning, Cary
- March 6, 2009 - 4All Project
- May 1, 2009 – YLD Law Week Awards Ceremony, Raleigh
- June 25-28, 2009 – NCBA Annual Meeting, Asheville
**Specific Event Details**
YLD Winter Quarterly Meeting
The YLD Winter Quarterly Meeting will be held at Smith Moore Leatherwood in Greensboro on January 10th. A "Section Fair" and the "Just One More" initiative will be held at this event. Toward the end of the winter meeting, representatives from each NCBA Section in attendance will talk for a couple of minutes about their section members, what the section does, benefits of membership in that section, and similar topics. Each section may also set up an information table and be available for questions immediately following the winter meeting. During the winter meeting, there will also be an interactive panel discussion in which young lawyers will talk about the differing areas in which they practice, the pros and cons of each, and issues relating to transitioning to a different type of practice, firm, etc. More details regarding the Winter Quarterly Meeting will follow in a separate email.
YLD Toy Drive
The Young Lawyers Division of the North Carolina Bar Association is conducting a toy drive to help the children of the Wayne County Boys & Girls Club experience a more joyous holiday season. Please help us make sure each of these children receives at least one toy this holiday season!
The effort is especially important in light of the country's economic downturn. Economic and employment concerns have caused financial and emotional hardships on families this year. Through its toy drive, the YLD hopes to alleviate some of the pressures on those families who aren't sure if they will be able to provide toys for their children this holiday season. The greatest need is toys for children ages 6-12, although all toys are welcome.
The toy drive will begin on Monday, December 1, 2008 and conclude on Friday, December 12, 2008. Please donate (and encourage others to donate) new and unwrapped toys. Cash donations will not be accepted.
Please e-mail Brad Williams (bradford.williams@ci.raleigh.nc.us) for additional information and visit the YLD webpage for details regarding the project and drop off locations: http://www.ncbar.org/news/1/3501/index.aspx
Wake County YLD Clothing Drive
The Wake County YLD Clothing Drive has begun! The clothing drive will be held for the two weeks, starting on November 24th and ending December 6th, 2008. On Friday, December 5th, the YLD will gather the clothing that has been collected and on Saturday, December 6th, we will sort the clothing by type (men's, women's, children's, winter, summer, types of clothes, etc.) and deliver the sorted items to a number of area organizations serving homeless and low-income individuals and families. Please contact Randolph (Tre') Morgan III at http://younglawyersdivision.ncbar.org/YLD+Monthly+Bulletin/YLD+Monthly+Bulletin+-+December+2008/tmorgan@nichollscrampton.com to volunteer.
Legislative CLE Conference
The Legislative CLE Conference will be held on the morning of Friday, Feb. 6th at the NC Museum of History in Raleigh. Two panels of speakers from the General Assembly and the Council of State will address priorities for the new state government. A keynote speaker will give a more in-depth view of upcoming challenges and opportunities in North Carolina. For more information please email /mailt:oliver.carter@gmail.com or /mailt:stroxler@gmail.com.
**YLD Committee News**
Military Issues Committee
The Military Issues Committee is excited to announce its USERRA Mediation/Ombudsmen Project. This project involves recruiting and training attorneys to serve as mediators between members of the National Guard or Reserve and employers when disputes arise regarding their rights and responsibilities under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (“USERRA”). USERRA provides job protection and rights of reinstatement to civilian employees who are called to active duty in the Guard and Reserve.
In this project, we will work with the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve ("ESGR") organization as a part of its Ombudsmen Services Program. We plan to have a training session in the First Quarter of 2009, for which we will pursue CLE credit. The training will cover the requirements of USERRA, mediation skills and practices, and an overview of the USERRA grievance process. Following completion of the training session, participants will become members of ESGR’s Ombudsmen program and will be periodically contacted to conduct mediations based on geographic location and availability.
For planning purposes, we are trying to gauge the level of interest in this project. If you are interested in participating, please e-mail Matt Creech at matt.creech@smithmoorelaw.com by Monday, December 15.
Pro Bono/Poverty Issues Committee
On November 12, the YLD Pro Bono/Poverty Issues Committee held a legal question-and-answer session at the Helping Hands Mission in Raleigh. Fielding questions from over 30 attendees, Alicia Whitlock, Adam Snyder, Oliver Carter and Catherine Kimberley addressed a number of topics during this dynamic and energetic event, ranging from criminal law to child custody law. For information on getting involved with the Pro Bono/Poverty Issues Committee, please contact Catherine at ckimberley@smithlaw.com; Sean at contactlewlaw@aol.com; or Fred at fparker@jmdlaw.com.
**ABA YLD News**
Midyear Meeting in Boston, MA
The ABA YLD Assembly is scheduled for Saturday, February 14, 2009 in Boston, MA. The ABA YLD Assembly is the principal policy-making body of the ABA YLD. North Carolina is allotted 6 delegates to the upcoming Assembly in Boston. The deadline to submit the names of delegates is December 15. If you are interested in attending, please contact Roberta King at rking@bennett-guthrie.com or 336-765-3121 as soon as possible. There are limited, partial funding opportunities available. This will be an exciting Assembly and a great networking opportunity.
ABA YLD Appointments
The ABA YLD is Accepting Appointment Applications for the 2009-2010 Bar Year. Click here for more information: www.abanet.org/yld/appointments. The deadline for Deadline for Applications and Recommendation Letters is February 15, 2009.
Appointments Teleconference
Learn more about the available positions and the application process by attending the appointments teleconference. You will also be able to ask related questions of Kelly-Ann Clarke, YLD Chair-Elect.
December 9, 2008
1:00 p.m. EST
800-750-5845
Visit the ABA YLD website for more information.
*Law Practice Matters - Tips from Erik Mazzone, Practice Management Advisor and Director of the Center for Practice Management of the NCBA*
Social Networking Land Grab
So, maybe you are not yet a big believer in Facebook, Twitter, blogging or other mainstays of the social networking universe. I can understand that; spending hours messing around with a computer is not everybody’s idea of fun, and there are certainly other ways to develop business for a law practice.
But here is a new reason to get involved — at least a little: to avoid losing your identity in a social networking land grab.
There is only one www.your_name.com domain. Once it is gone, it is gone. Have you registered yours yet? Do you know how much it costs? About the cost of two lattes from Starbucks. Per year. If someone gets there first and registers www.your_name.com before you do, not only do you lose the opportunity to build a presence there, you also can’t stop the person who registered it from putting anything they want on the site.
Read the rest of the blog post here: http://lawpracticematters.com/2008/12/03/social-networking-land-grab/
*Area in Focus*
Third Annual Valle Crucis Fireside Tour
The historic community of Valle Crucis invites you to warm up by their firesides on Sunday, December 7th, 2008 from 1 p.m. until 6 p.m. This tour meanders along country lanes to gift shops, galleries, bed and breakfast inns, restaurants, cabins, and churches where hosts will provide you with refreshments and hospitality throughout the afternoon. For more information call 828-963-6511.
*Legal Article of the Month*
Encryption Protects Your Mobile Data
By David Whelan
http://www.law.com/jsp/legaltechnology/pubArticleLT.jsp?id=1202426336037
Whelan explores the dangers of having data unencrypted on laptops, blackberries, and other mobile devices. He explains that leaving important client data unencrypted could potentially cause disastrous results if that mobile device were to be lost or stolen, potentially causing you to jeopardize a client's case, lose your job, or give an identity thief a jackpot. Whelan provides several options for utilities that will encrypt your data to protect your data.
*Website of Interest*
Retail Me Not
http://www.retailmenot.com/
This is not a law-related website, but it is useful for the holiday season, even for attorneys. Before making any online purchases, including gifts to fellow attorneys and those law office holiday cards, check this website for the online coupon codes to enter. Free shipping and other coupon discounts are posted here for many major online retailers.
*Blog of Interest*
Tax Girl
http://www.taxgirl.com/
Kelly Phillips Erb writes regular posts as Taxgirl. Her blog answers tax questions from other attorneys and posts on all news related to tax law and the tax code. She is on this year’s list of the ABA Journal's Blawg 100.