ABA GP|Solo - The Buzz - February 2007

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The Buzz

February 2007

In this issue:

07/08 Committee Appointments — Applications Due March 1st
Solo & Small Firm Day at ABA TECHSHOW
Now Seeking Applications
- Diversity Fellows Program
- Young Lawyers Fellowship
Swearing In Ceremonies at GP|Solo 2007 Spring Meeting
Goal IX Honor Roll Achievements
E. Smythe Gambrell Professionalism Award
GP|Solo Books: The Lawyer's Toolkit
Popular Topics on Solosez

Note: Information on all this and more can be found on our Website at http://www.abanet.org/genpractice.

07/08 Committee Appointments — Applications Due March 1st

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.

Solo & Small Firm Day at ABA TECHSHOW

Solo/Small Firm Day at ABA TECHSHOW 2007 is co-sponsored by the ABA Law Practice Management Section and the ABA General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Division and will take place on March 23, 2007 at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers. While taking advantage of all that ABA TECHSHOW has to offer, solo and small firm attorneys won't want to miss the special programming designed just for them. Two parallel Solo/Small Firm tracks provide eight CLE sessions on legal technology topics specifically geared to solo and small firm attorneys. The sessions will cover various topics including client development, e-discovery, information management, going paperless, billing and more! A one-day pass is available at a special rate of $295.

Now Seeking Applications

GP|Solo is seeking applications for its Fellowship Programs within the Diversity Committee and the Young Lawyers Committee.

Diversity Fellows Program

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.

Young Lawyers Fellowship

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.

Swearing In Ceremonies at GP|Solo 2007 Spring Meeting

The Opening Session of the GP|Solo Spring Meeting 2007 will include Swearing In Ceremonies for both the Supreme Court of the United States and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.

For information on how to apply, please visit the GP|Solo Spring Meeting Homepage. The deadline for applications to the U.S. Supreme Court is April 2, 2007. The deadline for applications to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces is April 18, 2007 (Note: Civilian attorneys are encouraged to apply for admission to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.). The Swearing In Ceremonies will be held on Thursday, May 10, 2007, 4:00 p.m., at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, 450 E. Street, NW, Washington, DC 20442-0001. Appropriate dress is Business Attire or Military Uniform with Blouse and Tie.

Goal IX Honor Roll Achievements

We’re proud to announce that the General Practice, Solo & Small Firm Division has been awarded the ABA's Goal IX Honor Roll by the Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law and the Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession.

The ABA's Goal IX seeks “to promote full and equal participation in the legal profession by minorities, women and lawyers with disabilities.” Each Commission's report includes an Honor Roll of those ABA entities that have demonstrated the ABA’s commitment in this area. Not only did GP|Solo appear on both honor rolls, but it is also pointed out the Division was the only entity to have a person of disability participate in its CLE programming and author one of its publications.

Download the Complete 2007 Goal IX Report from the ABA's Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law Website.

E. Smythe Gambrell Professionalism Award

From the ABA Center for Professional Responsibility: Nominations are now being accepted for the Seventeenth Annual E. Smythe Gambrell Professionalism Awards, recognizing projects that enhance professionalism among lawyers. Bar associations, law schools, law firms and other not-for-profit law related organizations are eligible for the awards.

In conjunction with the ABA effort to better serve solo and small firm practitioners, the Standing Committee on Professionalism would like to remind potential applicants that programs designed to provide guidance to lawyers with practice management and skills issues are eligible for Gambrell Awards. These programs are particularly helpful to the solo practitioners (and small firm lawyers) who often find themselves the subject of complaints to disciplinary agencies, but who need practice assistance rather than discipline.

The ABA Standing Committee on Professionalism will present up to three awards of $3,500 each during the 2007 ABA Annual Meeting in San Francisco, California. The deadline for entries is March 30, 2007. Entry forms, guidelines and information about previous award recipients are available online at http://www.abanet.org/cpr/awards/gambrell.html. Questions regarding the awards should be directed to Kathleen Maher (312) 988-5307, e-mail: maherk@staff.abanet.org.

GP|Solo Books — The Lawyer's Toolkit

The Lawyer's Toolkit

An essential resource for any lawyer interested in starting or growing a law practice. It includes: Attorney and Law Firm Guide to the Practice of Law, Second Edition; How to Capture and Keep Clients: Marketing Strategies for Lawyers; Letters for Lawyers: Essential Communications for Clients, Prospects, and Others, Second Edition; and Exercise Your Options: Evaluating, Selecting, and Budgeting Case Management Software.

Price: $221.00
GP|Solo members: $183.00

Find out about other GP|Solo books at our bookstore.