April 2010
Article Date: Thursday, April 01, 2010
The NCBA Young Lawyers Division Bulletin
April 2010
Dates to Know (see “Specific Event Details” below for more information)
- April 10 – Law-Related Education Committee Panel Discussion, Forsyth Technical Community College
- April 10 – Bar Exam Clinic, NCBA Bar Center, Cary
- April 20 – Membership and Network Committee/YLD Social, Wilmington
- April 24 – Wills for Heroes, Chapel Hill
- May 7 - Moot Court Competition Final Round - North Carolina Supreme Court, Raleigh
- May 7- Law Day Celebrations
- June 24-27, NCBA Annual Meeting, Wilmington – Register online now at https://www.ncbar.org/membership/annual-meeting-registration.aspx (complimentary registration for first-time attendees)
- - YLD Summer Quarterly Meeting & Reception, Friday, June 25
- - YLD Luncheon & Annual Meeting, Saturday, June 26
- June, TBA, Bar Exam Committee to co-sponsor writing clinic with NCBA Minorities in the Profession Committee
** To have a date included in the YLD Blast, please contact Allyson Labban at Allyson.Labban@smithmoorelaw.com.
** Specific Event Details **
YLD Bar Exam Committee Bar Exam Clinic
The Bar Exam Committee will hold a free Bar Exam Clinic covering both the MBE and essay portions of the Bar Exam on April 10, 2010 from 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Bar Center in Cary. The Committee continues to tutor bar applicants and welcomes any who would like to assist in that effort. Additionally, the Committee is creating its own practice MBE questions and would appreciate any original questions and answers.
Anyone wishing to volunteer or submit practice MBE questions should contact Brenee Orozco, Committee Chair, at orozcofirm@gmail.com.
Crosby Scholars Panel Discussion
The Law-Related Education Committee will be hosting a panel discussion at the Crosby Scholars Senior Academy to discuss the legal rights and responsibilities of adults. The Senior Academy is a mandatory event for all high school seniors involved in the Crosby Scholars. The Senior Academy will be at Forsyth Technical Community College on April 10 from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. Anyone interested in being a part of the panel can contact co-chairs Clara Cottrell at clara.cottrell@smithmoorelaw.com, Jon Ward at Jonward@pckb-law.com, or Oliver Carter at oliver.carter@gmail.com.
The Crosby Scholars has also extended an invitation to attorneys interested in volunteering with the organization. Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Barbara Masi at bmasi@crosbyscholars.org.
Membership and Networking Committee Social
The Membership & Networking Committee will host a joint social with the YLDs of New Hanover & Pender Counties on Tuesday, April 20, 2010 from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Front Street Brewery in downtown Wilmington. Front Street Brewery will provide a private meeting area for 80 people, several discounted drink specials, and light hors d'oeuvres. Local judicial candidates and candidates for Clerk of Court will attend. All young lawyers of New Hanover & Pender Counties are invited, as well as their significant others.
Wills for Heroes
A Wills for Heroes event will take place on Saturday, April 24, 2010 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
The Wills for Heroes event will be held at East Chapel Hill High School. You do not need estate planning experience to volunteer. A training session will be held at 9:00 a.m. the day of the event, with appointments with first responders running from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Licensed attorneys are needed to draft wills for first responders, and notaries and witnesses are also needed. A computer program has been set up for volunteers to use in drafting wills. Please feel free to contact either Jake Epstein at jepstein@mcguirewoods.com or (919) 755-6600 or Susan Finch at sfinch@susanfinchlaw.com or (919) 624-9772 if you have any questions about the Wills for Heroes projects. You can also get more information or sign up to volunteer at the link below:
http://younglawyers.ncbar.org/resources/wills-for-heroes/chapelhillechhs_4242010.aspx
Law Day Events
Law Day 2010 is Friday, May 7. This year’s Law Day theme is “Law in the 21st Century: Emerging Challenges and Enduring Traditions.” The Law Week Committee has distributed the 2010 High School Moot Court Competition materials to students across the states. This year’s question ties in the theme for 2010 by addressing “cyber-bullying” policies in high school and the First Amendment right to free speech. The Law Day Committee is also responsible for the Poster Art Contest (Grades 4-6), the Photo Essay Contest (Grade 8), Essay Contest (Grades 7-8, 9-12), the Activity Book for 5th graders, the Liberty Bell Award, and the Law Day Ceremony. If you are interested serving on this committee, or in coaching a high school moot court team please contact Bethany Burgon at bburgon@ncdoj.gov or Guy Milhalter at gmilhalter@andersonandjones.com.
NCBA Annual Meeting
The North Carolina Bar Association Annual Meeting will be held June 24-27, 2010 at the Hilton Wilmington Riverside. Registration is complimentary for first-time attendees. In addition to featured speakers and general session meetings, the YLD Summer Quarterly Meeting and Reception will be held Friday, June 25, followed by a YLD Luncheon and Annual Meeting. For more information, visit the NCBA website at:
/about/communications/news/2010-news-articles/major-speakers-confirmed-for-annual-meeting.aspx
* Committee News *
The Minority Focus Committee
The Minority Focus Committee is creating a database of local minority bar associations in North Carolina. The purpose of the database is to serve as a resource for both attorneys and law students. If you would like your organization to be included please contact Tadra Martin at tadramartin@gmail.com or Soreé Finley at soreef@lssp.org. Also, if you live in an area that does not have a minority bar association but would like to be included in the database, please email your name, location/judicial district, and contact information.
Law Student Activities Committee
The YLD’s Law Student Activities Committee has published its annual Law Student Bulletin. This year’s bulletin includes six articles targeted to law students on a variety of topics. You may access the Bulletin online at http://lawstudent.ncbar.org/bulletins/2010-bulletins-archive/january-2010-edition.aspx.
Pro Bono Committee
The Legal Feeding Frenzy will be handled by the Pro Bono Committee this year. We are soliciting feedback, comments, suggestions, and ideas for improving collection/logistics, participation, and accountability. If you participated, what would you change to make it easier? If you didn't participate, what might we to do encourage your participation? Please send any constructive criticism, comments, or suggestions to Rick@RickRutledgeLaw.com.
YLD Mentorship Programs
Do you remember being a law student or a fresh new attorney? If so, your help is needed! The NCBA YLD is seeking mentors and mentees to participate in its three traditional mentorship programs (law students, minorities, and new attorneys) for 2009-10. Each of these programs matches lawyers or law students with practicing attorneys to discuss and respond to questions about the legal profession. Mentors have an opportunity to provide information and practical advice about a particular practice area, the importance of civility, and issues that may be unique to new attorneys, minorities, and/or law students. Access the link below to register.
/media/144361/mentormenteeapplication.pdf
* Article of the Month *
Setting Boundaries on Employee Misuse of Web 2.0
Jonathan S. Goodgold
http://www.law.com/jsp/lawtechnologynews/PubArticleLTN.jsp?id=1202446374924&Setting_Boundaries_on_Employee_Misuse_of_Web_20
Goodgold explores the ins and outs of what employers are able to do in the new frontier of social networking. In one instance, an employer was liable for compensatory and punitive damages for demanding an employee turn over his MySpace password so the employer, a restaurant, could determine if there were any disparaging remarks against the restaurant on the employee’s MySpace page. Goodgold's article cites numerous examples of cases in which employees' actions on-line in social networking outlets caused their termination and how courts are reviewing such terminations.
* Event of the Month *
1st Annual Bud Break Wine Festival
Mount Airy, NC
http://visitmayberry.com/budbreakfestival.aspx
The Bud Break Wine Festival is an event emphasizing wine education, with food and wine pairing, fine art exhibits, great music, and for those participating, a wine judging contest. Beginning April 28, tours of “Mayberry” and of local wineries will be offered. Wine dinners will be held on Thursday, April 29 and Friday, April 30 at The Harvest Grill-Shelton Vineyards, Twenty One and Main, and Cross Creek Country Club. On Saturday, May 1, from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Main Street will be set up with booths featuring over 25 different North Carolina wineries and food vendors. Art will be available for purchase, and a live wine judging will be held, presided over by Pierre-Louis Teissedre, assistant dean of the College of Enology at the University of Bordeaux. Live music will be provided by Melva Houston, Cheap Shots, No Speed Limit and Carolina Nights. Tickets can be purchased at all Lowes Food Stores in North Carolina.
* Website of Interest *
Rosen Law Firm
http://www.rosen.com/
Rosen Law Firm, a North Carolina law firm providing family law and divorce legal services, was presented with the ABA 2010 Keane Award for Excellence in eLawyering at the ABA Techshow in Chicago in March. The firm's website uses a variety of media and technology to communicate with and educate the public and prospective clients, including videos, a blog, radio show, calculators and other web-based tools.
* Blog(s) of Interest *
North Carolina Business Litigation Report Blog
http://www.ncbusinesslitigationreport.com/
This blog is written by Mack Sperling and Brooks Pierce and involve issues of North Carolina business law and business litigation in North Carolina courts with a focus on decisions from the NC Business Court