Law Trends & News

Dear Division Member:

Below is the first issue of Law Trends for the 2009–10 bar year. As always, the editors believe this is a very exciting issue, and I am very happy to present it to you. As with prior issues, this e-newsletter includes articles, checklists, and other valuable information and practical tips, all from each of our substantive practice areas in the General Practice, Solo & Small Firm Division. This issue also highlights some emerging areas, some interesting checklists, and much more.

In this issue, we have several estate planning articles, articles on some litigation trends, and things to look for in negotiating a commercial lease. Also in this issue are articles of interest to young lawyers, including what to do in a first interview with a client, how to conduct yourself during discovery, and many more. We are also continuing this year with our articles about practice tips for the solo and small firm practitioner.

With this issue, Law Trends is now in its sixth year. We hope you agree that with each issue, Law Trends continues to provide meaningful articles for each of you. We trust that this issue, like the others, will be helpful to you in your daily practice. I encourage you to take just a few moments to read the list of articles below. Of course, the issue is yours to download and keep as a reference for the future. And, as in the past, you can either download specific articles, or you may download the entire newsletter by clicking the PDF link.

There are many Division members integrally involved in putting this e-newsletter together. Their hard work and dedication are certainly present. I thank them for producing this issue for the Division.

I hope each of you enjoys this issue of Law Trends. The publication will continue quarterly, and we hope you continue to find it a source of valuable information. If you are interested in either writing an article or participating in the production of the newsletter, please contact Jim Schwartz at attyjls@aol.com. Jim is now in his sixth year as editor-in-chief, and I thank him for his work and dedication.

Best regards,
James M. Durant, III
Chair, General Practice, Solo & Small Firm Division

• Featured Author

  Scott H. Husbands practices in the Seattle law firm of Patterson Buchanan Fobes Leitch & Kalzer. His practice includes professional and general liability defense. He can be contacted at shh@pattersonbuchanan.com.

• Expanding the Pie in Employment Mediations »
  By Nancy Maisano
• Attorneys, Meet GINA »
  By Scott H. Husbands
• Separation Pay and IRC Section 409A: A Little Planning Can Go a Long Way »
  By Amber K. Quintal
• Understanding Franchise Law »
  By Leslie D. Curran
• Location, Location, Location: Same-Sex Relationship Rights by State »
  By Daniel R. Pinello

• Civility: A Rational Approach to Combat Discovery Abuse »
  By Jeffrey S. Becker
• A New Addition to the Alternative Dispute Resolution Practitioner’s Toolkit: The Exploration of Restorative Justice and Practical Implementation »
  By Artika R. Tyner
• Ten Things Your Expert Neglected to Tell You »
  By Francisco Ramos, Jr.
• How Do You Mediate a Criminal Case? »
  By Jean Whyte

• Two Lawsuits Seek to Block Project Approvals Based on Failure to Mitigate Climate Change Impacts »
  By Steven Jones
• Tenant’s Remedies for Landlord’s Unreasonable Refusal to Consent to a Sublease »
  By Ruth A. Schoenmeyer
• Enforceability of Prepayment Premiums: Language Does Matter! »
  By John C. Murray
• Another Nail in the MERS Coffin: Arkansas Court Rules That MERS Was Not a Necessary Party to a Foreclosure Action in Which MERS Served As Lender’s Nominee on the Senior Deed of Trust »
  By Kathleen E. Kraft
• Standards for Determining What Constitutes Reasonable Grounds for Landlord Withholding Consent Or Conditioning Consent to a Request by Tenant to Sublease Office Space »
  By Tami P. Daniel

• Paper Cut: Best Practices for Avoiding the Sting of a Paperless Law Office »
  By Todd C. Scott
• Seven Questions You Must Ask When Choosing an LPO Provider »
  By Kevin Chern
• Today's Legal Market Demands Broad Business Solutions »
  By Daniel Cherrin
• Disability Insurance to Protect Your Most Valuable Asset »
  By Reneé Leskiw
• Expand Your Client Base With Group and Prepaid Legal Services Plans »
  By William R. Go

• How Social Media Helped Jump-Start My Practice »
  By Cari Rincker
• Advice for Your First Client Interview »
  By Adam J. Post

• Featured Author

  Bradly S. Shear is managing partner of the Law Office of Bradley S. Shear, LLC, located in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. His practice focuses on estate planning, entertainment law, and social media law. Bradley has blogged and lectured about the need for a social media executor when creating an estate plan. His nationally recognized blog, http://www.shearsocialmedia.com, is the leader in discussing legal issues that affect social media content providers and users. Bradley can be reached through his website at http://www.shearlaw.com or at 240-743-8880.

• Endowment Spending: What’s a University to Do? »
  By Susan N. Gary
• Trusts, Estate Planning and the Family Jet »
  By Michelle M. Wade and Dillon L. Strohm
• Estate Planning for a Family with a Special Needs Child »
  By Sebastian V. Grassi, Jr.
• Estate Planning for Entertainers and Professional Athletes »
  By Bradley S. Shear

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