Section News

(Still More) Call for Nominations
Egads. How could this have happened?? When we solicited nominations for committee leadership positions for the upcoming 2009-2010 year, we accidentally left off two very important things.

Diversity Committee
If you're interested in becoming an Executive Member of this committee, we'd like to hear from you. The Diversity Committee meets at our Spring and Fall CLE Conferences. Read more about the duties of an Executive Member (scroll down in linked document), then fill out the online application.
Application will be open until January 30, 2009.

Diversity Committee Application

Schwab Essay Contest: Judges Needed
Want to read some interesting essays on family law topics? Become a judge for the 2009 Schwab Contest (and/or the 2010 contest)!

Being a law school faculty member is a plus, but not required. Judges will grade/score essays only; judges are not asked to provide detailed commentary. Essays are approximately 25 pages in length; we receive around 30 or so entries each year. Judges will typically have over a month to score the essays.

If you're interested in becoming a judge, please fill out the online application. If you're not a law school faculty member, but have experience reviewing and editing writing, we encourage you to apply. (Please include your experience in your statement of background.)

Application will be open until January 30, 2009.

Apply to be a Schwab Contest Judge

More about the Schwab Contest

Hone Your Trial Skills
Register for the 2009 Trial Advocacy Institute

Looking to improve your trial skills? Ready to immerse yourself in a weeklong experience learning from experts? Apply for a spot in the 2009 Trial Advocacy Institute, the nation's premier trial training program sponsored by the ABA Section of Family Law!

The Institute will take place May 16-23, 2009, at the University of Denver in Denver, Colorado, and enrollment is limited to 48 attorneys.

Tuition for the program is $3600, with a special discounted rate of $3400 for ABA Section of Family Law members, and is payable in full at the time of your application. This fee includes 7 full days of instruction including simulated trial practice, special workshops, course materials, textbooks, videotaping, daily lunches, transportation between the hotel and program site, and refreshment breaks. (Travel, lodging, and other meals are not included.)

For more information about the program, or to apply, visit the Trial Advocacy Institute website.

The Perfect Gift

Apple iPod nano Family Law Edition
If you need a gift for your fellow family lawyers--or just want to treat yourself--look no further! The new Family Law edition of the Apple iPod nano is just the ticket! Pre-loaded with CLE programs from our recent Family Law 101 series, this iPod includes content such as building the financial aspects of a divorce case; preparing a custody case; family law discovery; preparing for trial; and commencing representation (initial client contact and beyond).

For pricing information (Family Law Section members get a discount!) and other details, or to order online, just visit the ABA Web Store.

Law Student Corner

Seeking 2009 Schwab Essay Entries
Just because we're still rounding up all our judges doesn't mean you shouldn't start working on your Schwab essay, especially since this year's deadline is a bit earlier than usual.

Just pick a topic in the field of family law, get about 5,000 words down, and you're good to go.

If you win, we'll tell your Dean, you'll likely be published in Family Law Quarterly (and on the Family Law website), and you'll get a nifty certificate, too.

This contest is open to all law students, not just those who are Section of Family Law members, so feel free to spread the word and mention it at your study group. The more entrants we have, the better you can feel about winning.

More information about the contest--rules, eligibility, etc.--is available at the Schwab website.

Deadline for entries: April 3, 2009

Publications

Collaborative Law, Second Edition
Pauline H. Tesler


Product Code 5130160

Since the first edition of this groundbreaking book, there has been an explosion of interest in this dispute resolution method. Now substantially revised and significantly expanded, Collaborative Law serves as the most comprehensive introduction to collaborative legal practice as well as a state-of-the-art reference. This new edition covers the theoretical and practical advances that have been made in the field since publication of the first edition and features significant additional information on topics such as ethics, marketing, and public education, as well as new forms for use in a collaborative law practice.

More information

To order today, call the ABA Service Center at 800-285-2221 and request Product Code 5130160 or order online.

Best of the List Serve

The "Best of FamLawEsq" column is on winter break. Look for it in the next issue of the Family Law Section eNewsletter.

Not on the list? All of our lawyer members are encouraged to join this popular discussion list. Read more about How to Join FamLawEsq in the Members Only section of our website.

CLE Calendar

Family Law Spring Conference
April 22-25, 2009
Hilton Baltimore
Baltimore, MD

Join us for the spring meeting, where we'll be delivering a slate of CLE programming sure to fit your needs. Some of the programs will be produced in cooperation with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). Sessions will focus on a variety of topics such as international law, ethics, law practice management, marital property, alternative dispute resolution, domestic violence, child support, alimony, custody, and more.

There will also be a program track for assisted reproductive technology (ART) practitioners.

For more information about the meeting--CLE topics, events, hotel/airport information, and online registration-- please visit the Conference website.

(Registration is not yet open, but you can reserve your hotel room now.)

We look forward to seeing you in Charm City in April!

Stay up-to-date on CLE offerings with our CLE Calendar.

Unable to attend a teleconference or a Section CLE conference? Not to worry, you can learn on your own time when you purchase the CLE materials.
See a listing of available CLE materials

AICPA Corner

A column by members of the AICPA's Forensic and Valuation Services Section
This month's column looks at the many different ways in which CPAs can assist in family law cases.

   —This month's contribution is from Michelle Gallagher, CPA/ABV/CFF, (Lansing, MI) mfg@gallaghercpa.com

Read this month's AICPA Corner: Hiring CPAs in Family Law Cases (You will need to log in to the ABA website.)

Tech Corner

Twitter Your Way to Professional Success
Social media is all the rage in practice management and legal marketing circles these days, so there's a good chance you've at least heard of Twitter. There's also a very good chance you've dismissed it as useless and--let's be honest--a little bit silly. The truth, however, as many Twitter-ing attorneys are beginning to learn, is that Twitter is an incredibly easy and effective way to communicate with peers and potential clients alike.

For those unfamiliar with Twitter, it's often described as a "microblogging" tool, meaning it allows you to write short blog posts (called "tweets") of no more than 140 characters, or about one sentence. Your tweets are posted to your Twitter page and are delivered to other Twitter users who subscribe--or "follow"--your tweets. You can choose to follow as many other Twitter users as you'd like.

How can lawyers use Twitter professionally? Here are three key uses:

Stay current. In addition to your fellow attorneys, many news agencies, legal publications, and experts use Twitter to share information and links on the latest happenings in the profession. Follow those whose interests and goals are similar to yours and you'll be amazed at the amount of information streamed directly to your Twitter feed in short, convenient snippets.

Promote yourself. Written an article? Teaching a CLE seminar? Just received an award or recognition? Twitter is a great way to promote your work and help shape your reputation within the legal community. You can also use it to funnel traffic to your blog or to your firm's website.

Network. Building a network through Twitter is as easy as clicking the "follow" button. In a surprisingly short amount of time, you can build up a large network of attorneys around the country who are happy to share expertise, opinions, and opportunities with their fellow Twitterers. And, of course, there's always the chance that your network will grow to include potential clients as people increasingly look to the web and social media when searching for legal representation.

Used carefully, Twitter will give you some of the best features of blogs and other social media--the social interaction, the ease of use--without requiring that you invest in an elaborate website or spend hours each week writing detailed blog posts or managing social network profiles. Best of all, Twittering takes just minutes per day and costs absolutely nothing. Ready to get started? Visit twitter.com.

   —Joshua Poje, ABA Legal Technology Resource Center
Follow LTRC on Twitter

Ask Us! Is there a technology question that's been on your mind? Ask us about it! We may answer your question in a future edition of the eNewsletter. If there's some other technology you would like us to investigate, just e-mail glazerh@staff.abanet.org. Keep the Tech Corner working for you!

Other Programs of Interest
Mindbugs: The Psychology of Ordinary Prejudice
Friday, February 13 (ABA Midyear Meeting)
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Hynes Convention Center

Sponsored by the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession (and co-sponsored by the ABA Section of Family Law), this program promises to be a fascinating and highly informative discussion of how human interactions are greatly affected by implicit and unconscious biases. These biases have significant implications for all members of the legal profession, particularly women and minorities, as they impact decisions with respect to hiring, assignments, evaluations, promotions and layoffs. The program will be interactive and include audience participation. A nominal advance registration fee will be charged; $20 ABA members, $30 non-members, and $10 for law students.
View more information

Call for Solo and Small Firm Program Awards
Deadline: February 2, 2009

The ABA General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Division is pleased to announce a call for nominations for its annual 2009 Solo and Small Firm awards. The annual awards program recognizes dedication to the practice of law as general practitioners or solo or small firm lawyers. Each year the Division honors outstanding solo and small firm practitioners, as well as bar leaders and bar associations at the Division's Awards Ceremony held at the Spring Meeting. Recognition is given for Solo and Small Firm Lifetime Achievement, Solo and Small Firm Project Award and Solo and Small Firm Trainer Award.

View more information about the awards or download instructions and application.