The Bridge, Sep. 10 (No. 29)

Issue 29 for Sep 2010

Behind Bars | The blog from the Division for Bar Services. Written by DBS staff, it will keep you up to date on the latest news, information and expertise on bar leadership, management and programming. Subscribe now.

- Elizabeth Derrico

California has approved five dozen new or amended professional conduct rules. Read this article and get other ethics news and resources from the ABA Center for Professional Responsibility.

For the latest news in funding for legal aid and pro bono developments, click here.

Over 70% of state bar executive directors are lawyers, while 22% of local bar executive directors are lawyers. But only 6% of state bars and 2% of local bars require that their executive director be a lawyer.
Order the 2009 BAI.

Take Me Home! | Press the Windows Button + D to minimize all your windows and display your desktop. Press it again to go right back to the way you were!

9/30 - 10/3/10
Antitrust Masters Course V
Williamsburg, VA | Williamsburg Lodge
Contact: Candace Mui

9/30 - 10/3/10
State and Local Government Law 2010 Fall Council Meeting
Providence, RI
Contact: Marsha Boone

10/13 - 10/16/10
Business Bankruptcy Fall Committee Meeting
New Orleans | Hilton New Orleans Riverside
Contact: Marcia Yarbrough

10/20/10
Commercial Finance and UCC Fall Committee Meeting
Chicago | Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers
Contact: Toyin Alaka

10/20 - 10/23/10
ABA Law Practice Management Section Fall Meeting
Washington, DC | JW Marriott
Contact: Kristin Bakota

10/20 - 10/23/10
ABA Section of Family Law Fall CLE Conference
Fort Worth, TX | Omni Fort Worth Hotel
Contact: Carrie Asalon

10/21 - 10/22/10
2010 National Symposium on the American Jury Project
Washington, DC | George Washington University School of Law
Contact: Kris Berliant

10/21 - 10/23/10
Civil and Human Rights: An Action Agenda for Lawyers and the Legal Community
Memphis, TN | Peabody Hotel
Contact: Katherine Incantalupo

10/22 - 10/24/10
ABA Women Rainmakers Mid-Career Workshop
Washington, DC | JW Marriott
Contact: Kristin Bakota

11/2 - 11/6/10
Section of International Law Fall Meeting 2010
Paris | The Westin Paris
Contact: Audrey Lamb

11/18/10
The Antitrust 2010 Fall Forum
Washington, DC | The National Press Club
Contact: Margaret Stafford

11/19 - 11/20/10
Business Law Section Fall Meeting
Washington, DC | The Ritz-Carlton
Contact: Toyin Alaka

3/10 - 3/11/11
ABA Bar Leadership Institute
Chicago | Downtown Marriott
Contact: Karyn Linn

4/12 - 4/14/11
ABA Day in Washington 2011
Washington, DC | Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill
Contact: Julie M. Strandlie

3/15 - 3/16/12
ABA Bar Leadership Institute
Chicago | Downtown Marriott
Contact: Karyn Linn

4/17 - 4/19/12
ABA Day in Washington 2012
Washington, DC | Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill
Contact: Julie M. Strandlie

State Bars

OR | Oregon State Bar
Sylvia Stevens is the new executive director. She was previously the bar's deputy executive director and general counsel.

Local Bars

NY | Onondaga County Bar
Executive Director Christine Gray has left the bar.

Scholarships Available for ABA Bar Leadership Institute

Are you a leader of a small bar association and interested in attending the 2011 ABA Bar Leadership Institute? The ABA Standing Committee on Bar Activities and Services is pleased to offer five need-based scholarships, consisting of a registration waiver and a $500 travel reimbursement.

Applications are due Friday, January 7, 2011. For the scholarship criteria and application, click here. For more on the Bar Leadership Institute, click here.

DBS Takes Bars to School

Bar School will soon be in session.

The ABA Division for Bar Services has partnered with the ABA Legal Technology Resource Center to produce Bar School, a series of monthly, technology-related webinars. Registration is now open for the first session, "MS Outlook: Managing Your Inbox and Using MS Contacts." Future topics include "Managing Information Overload," "Managing Your Calendar," and "Adobe Acrobat 9.0".

2011 Law Day Theme Announced

The ABA has announced that the 2011 Law Day theme will be "The Legacy of John Adams: From Boston to Guantanamo." It will center on the legacy of John Adams, America's first lawyer-president.

Adams, who was admitted to the bar in 1758, was noted for defending the rule of law and advocating for the rights of the accused, particularly during the Boston Massacre trials in 1770. His example will be used to explore lawyers' roles in defending the rights of the accused and in appreciating the rule of law.

For more on this year's Law Day theme and activities, visit www.lawday.org.

ABA Asks Bars to Help Grade the Grading System

The ABA has extended until November 15 its deadline for bar leaders to comment on its examination of lawyer and law firm rankings and ratings. For more on the examination, click here.

ABA Publishing Books A Deal for Bars

Could your bar use a little non-dues revenue? Consider ABA Book Publishing's Bar Affiliate Program, which offers bar associations ABA books at a discount. Bars can use the discounted books to generate revenue or simply to enhance a program.

For more on the program, contact Catherine Kruse at Catherine.Kruse@americanbar.org.

One New LPM Career Website Gives Lawyers Career Advice…

A new ABA website offers advice for lawyers at all stages of their career.

The site, from the ABA's Law Practice Management Section, contains articles written by legal experts and published in the section's magazine and webzine. The articles, which can be sorted by career stage, include "The Best Way To Do A Job Search: It’s High-Touch, Not High-Tech" and "Ten Tips For Making Your Bar Association Dues Work For You."

…While Another Makes Sure Solos Are Not Alone

A new website from the Law Practice Management Section lets solo practitioners easily find advice from its vast resources on the topic. Resources are sorted by topic (such as Marketing, Technology, and Management) and type. The site also features an "Ask A Solo" box, which lets solo practitioners pose questions to experienced section members.

Pennsylvania Court Launches One of A Kind Pro Bono Program

A Pennsylvania district court has started the nation's first federal court assistance program focused on employment law. The program, called the "Plaintiffs Employment Panel," is a joint effort of the Eastern District Court of Pennsylvania and local bar associations. For more on the program, click here.

ABA to Stress Civic Responsibility

Noting concern that Americans are underprepared to carry out their civic responsibility, the ABA has launched a wide-ranging initiative to improve the civic understanding of American youths. The program, Civic Education in the Nation's Schools, will focus on youths -- with whom, notes the website, "the need is most urgent and the impact can be the greatest."

The program will work through bar associations and other professional legal organizations. It will include an eight-hour course for young people 13-19, a scientifically valid survey on Americans' understanding of the Constitution, and legislative advocacy for better civic education for students.

Upcoming Site to Help Employers Find Job Candidates

The ABA's Section of State and Local Government Law has announced plans for an online resume database. The database will feature resumes from the section's law student members and will be searchable by practice area, location, and law school attended.

Free Webinars to Help Lawyers Represent Infirm Vets

Three free upcoming webinars will train lawyers to represent military veterans with VA benefits claims. Each program will run about 90 minutes and examine a key topic in obtaining veterans benefits.

CLE credit will be applied for in available jurisdictions. The programs will also count toward the Veterans Administration continuing education requirement.

Details on the webinar series will be available on the ABA Section of Law and Aging's website.

Volunteers Sought for Minority Internship Program

The ABA Section of Litigation is seeking volunteers for its Summer 2011 Judicial Intern Opportunity Program, which will begin accepting applications in October. The program lets minority and financially disadvantaged law students intern with a state or federal judge for the summer.

Highly competitive, the JIOP fielded more than 650 applications last year.

Volunteers are needed to help prescreen interviews, serve as panelists at program orientations, and participate in local mentoring programs. For more information on the program, click here or contact Gail Howard at Gail.Howard@americanbar.org.

Nomination Period Opens for Margaret Brent Award

The ABA Commission on Women in the Profession is accepting nominations for its 2011 Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award. The award honors five women lawyers who have achieved professional excellence and actively paved the way to success for other women lawyers. It will be presented in August 2011, at the ABA Annual Meeting in Toronto, Canada.

The nomination deadline is Tuesday, November 23. For more on the award, including the nomination form, click here.

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