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In this issue:
- 2007 ABA Midyear Meeting
- Solo & Small Firm Breakfast Caucus
- Military Law Event: Keithe E. Nelson Memorial Luncheon
- Military Law Program: "New Rules in Military Pension Division: Tips and Traps"
- Focus Group Invitation
- 07/08 Committee Appointments Application Now Online
- Apply Now for ABA Presidential Appointments
- 07/08 Nominating Committee Report
- Upcoming "Practice Builders" CLE Teleconference
- Solo Lawyers Highlighted in ABA Journal
- Now Seeking Applications
- Diversity Fellows Program
- Young Lawyers Fellowship
- Midyear Committee Reports
- GP|Solo Books — Americans with Disabilities Act
- Solosez Threads
Note: Information on all this and more can be found on our Website at http://www.abanet.org/genpractice. |
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 February 8-11, 2006 in Miami, FL
Don't miss the 2007 Midyear Meeting, where more than 3,000 lawyers and their families will enjoy sunny Miami. Visit the ABA Midyear Meeting Website for more information, as well as free registration and online booking for your hotel.
The GP|Solo Division's headquarters will be the Hyatt Regency Miami. Download the GP|Solo Midyear Meeting Schedule [PDF].
And don't forget to visit ABA Online Travel for exclusive airfare discounts to the Meeting.
Some Meeting Highlights:
Sunday, February 11, 2007
7:30am until 9:00am
Hyatt Regency Hotel
Miami, Florida
Johnson I/II, 3rd Level
Registration is free.
Solo & Small Firm Lawyers Breakfast Caucus
The ABA General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Division invites you to attend the Solo and Small Firm Lawyers Breakfast Caucus at this year's Midyear Meeting in Miami. This is your chance to have your ideas and concerns heard!
Registration is free. Please RSVP by February 5, 2007 (acceptances only, please) to genpractice@abanet.org. Be sure to indicate the names and number of people from your party who plan to attend.
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Friday, February 9, 2007
Noon – 1:30pm
Hyatt Regency Hotel
Miami, Florida
Orchid B/C, Terrace Level
Click to Purchase Tickets
Military Law Event:
Keithe E. Nelson Memorial Luncheon
A bi-annual event honoring the life and legacy of Major General Keithe E. Nelson (USAF, Retired), the ninth Judge Advocate General, who died of cancer July 18, 2002.
Guest Speaker: ABA Executive Director, Henry F. White Jr.
Friday, February 9, 2007
2:00pm – 5:00pm
Hyatt Regency Hotel
Miami, Florida
Tuttle North, Terrace Level
Military Law Program: "New Rules in Military Pension Division: Tips and Traps"
By Mark E. Sullivan, COL, USAR (Ret.)—Chair, Military Committee, ABA Family Law Section; Author, The Military Divorce Handbook
Co-sponsored by the ABA Family Law Section
The division of military retired pay is big business for the lawyers handling a divorce for a service member or service member's spouse. While the pension is a very valuable asset, the division is complicated, confusing and dangerous because the rules are not written down in one place, the terms are hard to understand, and the concepts are frequently illogical. Starting in 2003, a new set of statutes made important changes in what CAN be divided in the military divorce and what CANNOT. Come to this session and learn how to conduct a negotiation, handle a trial or draft an order for the division of military retired pay without stumbling on a land mine! |
Thursday, February 8, 2007
1:00pm – 2:00pm
Hyatt Regency Hotel
Miami, Florida
3rd Level, Board Room
Focus Group Invitation
GP|Solo is developing an array of publications, products, and services to assist and support solo and small firm lawyers. We seek your input to assist us in providing the information and services you need most.
You are invited to participate in a one-hour focus group during the ABA Midyear Meeting to discuss the creation of Spanish language versions of the popular "Letters for Lawyers" series. We are especially interested in hearing from lawyers with Spanish-speaking clients. As thanks for providing your insights, you will receive a $100 gift certificate towards the purchase of any GP|Solo Book(s). If you are interested in participating, please contact the Division Office at (312) 988-5648 or email genpractice@staff.abanet.org by Monday, February 5, 2007 and provide your name and contact information.
Please note: We kindly ask that no attendee be an author/editor for the GP|Solo Division or for any other ABA entities.
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Chair-Elect Keith B. McLennan
Each year the Division’s Chair-Elect appoints more than 250+ members to leadership positions within the Division. This year, GP|Solo's Chair-Elect, Keith B. McLennan, will be appointing everything from active Committee and Board Chairs who attend all GP|Solo meetings to Committee Member appointments that work via Listserv®.
If you are interested in getting involved, please visit the Division’s Appointments Information and Application Webpage. The deadline for applying is March 1, 2007.
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President-Elect William H. Neukom
ABA President-Elect William H. Neukom is seeking applications or nominations for appointed positions throughout the ABA. President-Elect Neukom will be filling approximately 600 vacancies on the ABA Standing and Special Committees, Commissions, Working Groups, Task Forces, and other ABA entities for the 2007-2008 Association year.
All Association members are eligible for a Presidential Appointment. Please note that all recommendations must be made using the online nomination form. The deadline for submitting recommendations is March 1, 2007.
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The Nominating Committee of the American Bar Association’s General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Division, consisting of Chair Karen Mathis, Paula Frederick, Betty Smith Adams, Elio Martinez, and Patricia Sexton, met in Milwaukee on October 21, 2006. They have submitted the following slate for the election of officers and council members for the 2007-2008 bar year:
| Vice Chair |
Council Member-at-Large |
| James M. Durant III (Hill AFB, UT) |
Jennifer J. Ator (Miami, FL) |
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Keith E. Brown (Anchorage, AK) |
| Division Secretary |
Bruce E. Hopson (Saint Louis, MO) |
| jennifer j. rose (Morelia, Mexico) |
George C. Johnson (Columbia, SC) |
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David Levesque (Newcastle, ME) |
The complete report will be available the following week on the Division’s Website.
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A 90-Minute Practice Builders Series Teleconference and Live Audio Webcast
Thursday, February 1, 2007
1:00 PM-2:30 PM Eastern | 12:00 PM-1:30 PM Central
11:00 AM-12:30 PM Mountain | 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM Pacific
General practitioners and clients are often called upon to appear before local boards. Because there are distinct differences in the approach and techniques used in dealing with local government officials and those needed in courtroom presentations, attorneys and clients need to work together for a winning performance. Join us to discover practical approaches for working with your clients to get them through these pressure-packed situations.
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The ABA Journal dedicates a column to solo lawyers' issues in each edition, called "Solo Network". Visit the Journal online and read January's article on Living Large at a Smaller Size, about top-tier law grads and big-firm hot shots taking their smarts to smaller practices.
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GP|Solo is seeking applications for its Fellowship Programs within the Diversity Committee and the Young Lawyers Committee.
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The ABA General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Division is seeking applications for its 07/08 Diversity Fellows Program. The program is designed to promote diversity within the Division and the ABA, while providing leadership development opportunities within the Division for attorneys of color, women and those with disabilities.
The Division’s Diversity Committee and Membership Board identifies and nominates four lawyers of diverse backgrounds and experience who will be appointed by the Chair-Elect to funded fellowship positions within the Division, to be effective during the following bar year.
For a complete description of the Diversity Fellows Program and application process, please visit our Diversity Fellows Homepage. Applications must be submitted or postmarked by April 30, 2007.
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The ABA General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Division is seeking applications for its 07/08 Young Lawyers Fellows Program. The program provides leadership opportunities for young lawyers. The GP|Solo Division is committed to increasing the participation of young lawyers in Division activities. This program will provide young lawyers the opportunity to become actively and integrally involved in the Division’s meetings and committees.
The Division’s Young Lawyer Committee will identify and nominate two young lawyers who will be appointed by the Chair-Elect to funded fellowship positions within the Division to be effective during the following bar year.
For a complete description of the Young Lawyers Fellows Program and application process, please visit our Young Lawyers Fellowship Homepage. Applications must be submitted or postmarked by April 30, 2007. |
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Attention Committee Chairs!
Even though the Division Council will not meet at the Midyear Meeting in Miami, GP|Solo Division Chair, John P. Macy, requests that Committee Chairs submit a written report. All materials should be sent directly to the GP|Solo Division Director, Alexa Giacomini at GiacomiA@staff.abanet.org or by fax to the Division Office at (312) 988-5711, with a copy to your appointed Division Director. The deadline is Monday, January 29, 2007.
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This book demonstrates that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is not just a law, but a way of life and discusses preventive lawyering with regards to the ADA. This second edition includes the Supreme Court decisions not included in the first edition and some of the appellate opinions that have come down since then are analyzed to provide the reader with an understanding of the workings of the ADA as it exists today.
Price: $69.95
GP|Solo members: $54.95
Find out about other GP|Solo books at our bookstore. |
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 Solosez is an email discussion list for solo and small firm lawyers that has grown to be by far the ABA's busiest list.
For a taste of what Solosez has to offer, check out the popular threads on Solosez's Website. Recent threads include:
- What Is Solosez?
- IOLTA Account at Same Bank as Operating Account
- Google Etiquette
- AGGGHHHH!!! When Your Hard Drive Goes Bad...
- Billing
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