ABA Section of Business Law

Section sound bites

Spring Meeting

Reminder: Hopefully, you are planning to attend the Section’s Spring Meeting in Philadelphia, March 22-25, 2001. By now, you should have received detailed information on registration. The information is also on the Section’s Web site at www.abanet.org/buslaw.

Also returning to the Spring Meeting is the ABA Career Desk. Kathy Morris, director of the ABA Career Resource Center, will be available to provide resume tips and guidance, as well as to introduce you to the ABA Career Counsel, the career ABA’s Web site — at www.abanet.org/careercounsel.

Important deadlines for the Spring meeting: Jan. 26: early-bird registration (and its discounts) . . . Feb. 21: hotel reservations . . . March 2: advance registration.

New class of ambassadors

The Business Law Ambassadors Program announces its second class. The 2001-2003 "Ambassadors" are Lillian G. Apodaca, Albuquerque, N.M.; Hugo Chaviano, Chicago; Muzette Hill, Dearborn, Mich.; Patricia Reeves, Sacramento, Calif.; Willard Tom, Washington.

The program was developed to provide opportunities for lawyers of color to participate actively in the substantive work of the Section and to facilitate their progression into future leadership positions.

Jurisdiction Project update

Leaders of the Business Law Section have called on policy makers, business leaders and elected representatives from around the world to help implement the solutions proposed in its report on cyberspace jurisdiction issues, which was released in London in July.

The report, titled "Achieving Legal and Business Order in Cyberspace: A Report on Global Jurisdiction Issues Created by the Internet," is a first-of-its-kind study on whose laws apply when and where in the borderless frontier of cyberspace.

Among its proposed solutions is the formation of a Global Online Standards Commission to further study jurisdictional issues and develop uniform principles and standards.

Chair list update

Allow us a correction to our committee chair list in the November/December 2000 issue, page 49: Raymond J. Kulla, past chair, Corporate Counsel Committee, was inadvertently listed as the 2000-2001 chair. The current Corporate Counsel Committee chair is Lynn J. Tomeny of Terex Corp. in Westport, Conn.

Glass Cutter Award

Nominations are being accepted for the Ninth Annual Glass Cutter Award. This award is presented annually by the Section’s Women’s Caucus to a woman in the Section who has made significant contributions to the Section and the profession.

Public Service Award

Nominations are open for the Section’s 2001 National Public Service Award. This award, sponsored by the Pro Bono Committee, recognizes pro bono legal service that shows a commitment to providing services to the poor in a business context.

The Pro Bono Committee presents two awards — one for the pro bono contributions of an individual and one for those of a firm/company.

Student Writing Contest Award

The deans of all ABA-accredited law schools are invited to nominate a paper on a business law topic for the 2000-2001 Mendes Hershman Student Writing Contest. Papers — whether or not they were published in a law review or legal journal — must have been written during the 1999-2000 or current academic year.

The first-prize winner will receive $2,500 and an all-expense paid trip to the ABA Annual Meeting in Chicago.

Nominations for these three awards are due in the Section office by Feb. 1, 2001. For complete information and award criteria, call 312/988-5588 or e-mail businesslaw@abanet.org.

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