Committee Highlight

Young Lawyers Committee Connects Networking and CLEs for a Perfect Pairing

If you are looking to network and become a leader and true professional, consider the Young Lawyers Committee of the ABA Solo, Small Firm and General Practice Division (GPSolo)! The committee has a plan that unites CLEs with social events to maximize your membership and your time with the committee―a perfect combination.

It’s moving forward quickly. The Young Lawyers Committee has three events in the planning stages that will be at held at meetings throughout 2013. It is an excellent opportunity to participate and network with other young lawyers from across the United States and abroad, and with officers of GPSolo and ABA.

The next event is planned during the Midyear meeting in Dallas at the Comet Room, which has fantastic views. The Midyear Meeting is free. No excuses―we want to see you there!

Late Night Lounge — GPSolo Young Lawyers Committee

Friday, February 8, 2013
Hilton Anatole
Comet Room, 27th Floor, Tower
10:30 p.m.–12:00 a.m.

It is a ticketed event (and free), so attendees must register for the ABA Midyear Meeting (which is also free!), and then register for the “Late Night Lounge.” Registration is required.

Register now.

For more details about this committee, go to its website page. Also, contact Alyssa Ehrlich at alyssakayehrlich@gmail.com or Richard Williamson, rich@nvlawyers.com, co-chairs of the Young Lawyers Committee, if you are interested in joining this committee or want more information about the event.

For more info on Rich Williamson in the Members Spotlight this month, please see below.

Member Spotlight

Richard (Rich) D. Williamson

1. Where do you live?
   I live and work in Reno, NV.
2. What group do you practice with as an attorney?
   I am a partner with Robertson, Johnson, Miller & Williamson, and the firm generally handles real estate and litigation matters.
3. How long have you been practicing law?
   I graduated from American University Washington College of Law in 2005, clerked for one year, and then went into private practice in 2006.
4. When I was young, I wanted . . .
   To be a politician! That is actually why I originally went to law school; however, I have enjoyed the practice too much to try anything else.
5. What is your favorite part of your role as an attorney?
   I think that my favorite part of being an attorney is when I get to collaborate with clients, other attorneys, and other professionals. Whether in litigation or in accomplishing some other task, it is fun being part of a team.
6. What in your profession are you most passionate about as an attorney?
   I am most passionate about developing successful strategies for my clients. This can take the form of legal research, exchanging drafts of briefs, or brainstorming. As I mentioned in my previous answer, being part of a team is always enjoyable. It is even more fun when you are competing as a team and working together to develop arguments and strategies to achieve a shared goal.
7. What is the most interesting experience you have had in the legal profession?
   It is hard to point to one “most interesting experience”; however, one of the most unique and memorable experiences came one summer when a partner and I flew in a helicopter to a ski resort, rode up to the top of the mountain in a four-wheel drive vehicle, and then hiked a disputed boundary line. It sure beat reading a survey map.
8. How long have you been a member of the ABA?
   I have been a member since 2006.
9. What ABA sections or groups do you belong to?
   I am very active in GPSolo, including the Membership Board and the Young Lawyers Committee. I am also active in the Young Lawyers Division.
10. What do you find most valuable about the ABA?
    For me, the best part of the ABA is the ability to get to know people across the country with whom you do not compete for business. It allows you to develop friendships that are based on shared interests and ideas without concern that you may end up on opposing sides of a case. I really enjoy participating with state and local bar associations, too. Each group has its own characteristics, and the ABA’s commitment to collegiality and professionalism is fantastic.
11. How has ABA benefitted you personally or professionally?
    Obviously, the ABA has given me a whole new circle of friends and colleagues that I would not have known otherwise. It has also exposed me to larger debates about rules, ethical standards, common practices, and other points of debate that I would not have known about—or that would have been presented in a final form to our state. The ABA offers its members the opportunity to help debate and formulate policies before they become standard practice. You feel that you are helping direct the profession, rather than reacting to changes as they happen.
12. Do you belong to any other professional organizations?
    I do. I am active in the State Bar of Nevada. I am also a member of the Washoe County Bar Association and the Western Trial Lawyers Association.
13. Other awards or honors?

• Named to the “2011 Legal Elite” by Nevada Business magazine, June 2011.
• Named to the “2012 Legal Elite” by Nevada Business magazine, June 2012.
• Named a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers magazine, Mountain States edition, 2012.

Contact info: 

Richard D. Williamson
Robert, Johnson, Miller & Williamson
50 West Liberty Street, Suite 600
Reno, NV 89501
Telephone: 775-329-5600
Fax: 775-348-8300
Email: Rich@NVLawyers.com
Website: www.nvlawyers.com

Tips for New Members

Letters for Small Business Lawyers

Letters for Small Business Lawyers, by Jean L. Batman, is a guide for general practitioners, small firm attorneys, and lawyers and the companion book to the author’s practice guide, “Advising the Small Business: Forms and Advice for the Legal Practitioner.” Both books are published by the ABA. The samples letters in the book provide a speedy and efficient way to smoothly start your correspondence and include examples for emails. The accompanying CD provides an instant start and a definitely an excellent tool for your “practice management tool box.” The e-book is also available. The book provides tips and reminders on electronic correspondence; however, points out that electronic correspondence with clients should be kept to a minimum due to confidentiality and reservation of the attorney-client privilege.

There are eight chapters in this 192-page book that includes topics such as reaching out; engaging to disengaging the small-business client; forming or dissolving entity; entity compliance and maintenance; protecting intellectual property; contracts; compensation and raising money in private placements.

As a GPSolo member, save yourself some time in your busy practice, review the letters and templates in the book and the enclosed CD makes it an instant hit to launch using them. Click here for more details.