January 2011
Article Date: Saturday, January 01, 2011
The NCBA Young Lawyers Division Bulletin
January 2011
Dates to Know
- January 18, 2011 – "When Duty Calls" Training Sessions, various locations statewide
- January 28, 2011 – YLD Social, Andrew Blair's, Charlotte Andrew Blair's 6-8 PM
- February 5, 2011 – "Ask a Lawyer Day," statewide
- February 26, 2011 – Wills for Heroes Event, Wilmington Police Headquarters, Wilmington
- March 4, 2011 - 4ALL 2011 Statewide Service Day, various locations statewide www.4allnc.org/volunteer
- April 9, 2011 – YLD Annual Planning Meeting and Spring Quarterly Meeting, The NC Bar Center, Cary
- May 6, 2011 – Law Day Celebrations, statewide
- June 23-25, 2011 – 2011 NCBA Annual Meeting, YLD Summer Quarterly Meeting and YLD Annual Meeting, Grove Park Inn, Asheville
See "Specific Event Details" and "Committee News" below for more information.
** To have a date included in the YLD Blast, please contact Allyson Labban at Allyson.Labban@smithmoorelaw.com
*YLD Social Networking*
The YLD has created a Facebook page and a LinkedIn Group. To access the YLD Facebook page for more information about upcoming events and ways you can get involved, visit http://www.facebook.com/NCBAYLD. To join the LinkedIn Group, search for the Young Lawyers Division (NCBA) group.
*Mentors Needed*
The YLD needs lawyers who have been practicing for four or more years to serve as mentors for lawyers who have recently passed the bar. The mentorship program is designed to (1) allow experienced practitioners to provide guidance to new members of the profession; (2) guide mentees in traversing the realities of practicing law, either in general or as a minority, and (3) communicate the importance of being a citizen lawyer. Serving as a mentor is a great way to strengthen the profession.
The application and more information are available at:
http://younglawyers.ncbar.org/media/6862609/2010-2011mentorApplicationGuidelines.pdf
*Specific Event Details*
YLD Social and Quarterly Meeting
The Young Lawyers Divisions of the North Carolina and Mecklenburg County Bar Associations invite all North Carolina lawyers to a social gathering on Friday, January 28, 2011 from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the restaurant Andrew Blair’s, located at 1600 Montford Drive, Charlotte, North Carolina. This event kicks-off the quarterly meeting of the Young Lawyers Division of the North Carolina Bar Association, which takes place on Saturday, January 29, 2011 at the Charlotte School of Law, starting at 9:00 a.m.
Wills for Heroes
A Wills for Heroes event is scheduled for Saturday, February 26, 2011 in Wilmington, North Carolina at the Wilmington Police Headquarters, 615 Bess Street. The event will take place from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Registration and other information will be sent out in the coming weeks.
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. You do not need estate planning experience to volunteer. Training for volunteers will be provided. The training sessions will cover the basics of wills under North Carolina law, information for notaries and witnesses regarding proper execution of the documents, and use of the HotDocs computer program.
Dress is business casual. Please feel free to contact either Jake Epstein at jepstein@mcguirewoods.com or (919) 755-6600 or Jillian Brevorka at jebrevorka@pjblaw.net or (336) 271-4014 if you have any questions.
Pertinent documents and information are available at the following links:
* Committee News*
YLD Task Force – Your Assistance is Needed
The Young Lawyers Division is in the process of brainstorming, designing, and implementing an improved organizational structure with respect to geographic inclusivity. To that end, Chair Roberta King has created the Task Force on Reimagining Geographic Inclusivity and appointed Sam Forehand to chair it. If you would like to participate in this vital process, please contact Sam Forehand at SAF@ForehandLaw.com.
Community Relations Committee
The Community Relations Committee is participating in two significant events this upcoming year: (i) Ask a Lawyer Day and (ii) 4ALL 2011 Statewide Service Day.
The goals of the Ask a Lawyer program are:
- To provide legal services and information to the community, especially to those who may not have access to legal assistance otherwise.
- To project a positive image of young lawyers and the legal profession as a whole
- To educate the general public about our legal system.
- To give young lawyers practical experience in counseling clients.
This coming year's event will be held on February 5, 2011. The committee is currently in the process of contacting local bar presidents and YLD presidents about their interest in hosting an Ask a Lawyer event on February 5, 2011. If any YLD members are interested in hosting or organizing an Ask a Lawyer event, please contact either Jeremy Shrader at
jss@crlaw.com or Nick Bakatsias at
njb@crlaw.com.
Another responsibility of the committee is to help sign up YLD members as volunteers for the 4ALL 2011 Statewide Service Day, Friday, March 4, 2011. There are seven (7) call centers across the state: (i) Asheville, (ii) Charlotte, (iii) Greensboro, (iv) Cary (Spanish only), (v) Raleigh, (vi) Greenville, and (vii) Wilmington. The call centers operate from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m., except the Cary call center, which operates from 8:30 am until 5:30 p.m. Volunteers are asked to serve in three (3) hour shifts (7 am until 10 am, 10 am until 1 pm, 1 pm until 4 pm, and 4 pm until 7 pm; in Cary the shifts are from 8:30 am to 11:30 am, 11:30 am to 2:30 pm, and 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm). The committee’s goal is to have as many YLD members as possible participate in the 4ALL event. To volunteer, YLD members can fill out the online application at
https://4allnc.ncbar.org/participate/online-volunteer-application.aspx or contact Jeremy Shrader at
jss@crlaw.com or Nick Bakatsias at
njb@crlaw.com if they have any questions.
Military Issues Committee
The Military Issues Committee, in conjunction with Womble Carlyle, is offering a new pro bono program, "When Duty Calls," designed to aid disabled military veterans in filing disability claims with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Training sessions for attorneys and law students will be held from 9:00 a.m. until noon on January 18, 2011 in Womble Carlyle’s offices in Winston-Salem, Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh, and RTP. To sign up, please send an e-mail with your name and desired training location to Jessica Gorczynski at jgorczynski@wcsr.com.
* Article of the Month *
Practicing with the iPad
By D. Todd Smith
http://www.law.com/jsp/lawtechnologynews/PubArticleLTN.jsp?id=1202476794733&Practicing_With_the_iPad
Smith discusses the potential benefits an iPad can offer attorneys. With the right apps and accessories, the iPad can function as a virtual legal pad and a mobile presentation device. The WestlawNext app for the iPad allows for legal research on the go, while online document-management services can turn the iPad into a mobile office.
* Event of the Month *
Winter Wildlife Hike and Wilderness Survival Course
Nebo, NC
January 15-16, 2011
Two events are being held the weekend of January 15 and 16 at Lake James State Park. At 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 15, Park Ranger Clay Veasey will lead a winter wildlife hike on the Paddy’s Creek Loop Trail, an easy, level hike of about one mile. The hike will leave from the Paddy’s Creek Bridge Trailhead. On Sunday, January 16, at 10:00 a.m., Ranger Veasey will provide a tutorial on wilderness survival, including the elements of a good survival kit, finding shelter, fire building, and more. The session will take place in the East Shelter at Paddy’s Creek. For more information, call (828) 652-5047 or visit www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/laja/main.php.
* Website of the Month *
Law.com Legal Blog Watch
http://legalblogwatch.typepad.com/
Law.com's Legal Blog Watch scours law blogs for the interesting, the quirky, and the downright weird. This month’s offerings to date include a posting regarding California Lawyer’s interview with Justice Scalia, in which he argues that the Constitution does not prohibit gender-based discrimination, to commentary on Romania’s recent decision declaring witchcraft a taxable profession.
* Blog of the Month *
The Becker-Posner Blog
http://uchicagolaw.typepad.com/beckerposner/
This blog offers University of Chicago professors Gary Becker and Judge Richard Posner a forum in which to post their thoughts on topics ranging from standardized testing to the fiscal crisis and the war on drugs.