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The GP|Solo Buzz

GP|Solo Division Notes:

• Second Annual National Solo & Small Firm Conference
• 2007-08 Diversity Fellows Announced
• 2007-08 Young Lawyer Fellows Announced
• Highlights from Annual Meeting in San Francisco

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

Have you registered yet for the National Solo and Small Firm Conference?

Now is the time to register for second annual conference, taking place October 5-6, 2007, in Philadelphia, PA, at the Hyatt Hotel Penn’s Landing, in conjunction with the American Bar Association’s General Practice, Solo & Small Firm Division’s Fall Meeting.

Scheduled presentations include:
The fast paced and ever-popular 60 Tips in 60 Minutes
The Lawyer as Employer: Hiring, Firing, Managing and More
E-Discovery for the Rest of Us: Essential Small-Firm Primer
Keeping Them Satisfied: Exceeding Client Expectations Everyday!
15 Tips for Stress-LESS Solo & Small Firm Practice in 60 Minutes
Immigration 'Gotcha’s' for Non-Immigration Lawyers
How NOT to Commit Malpractice With Your Computer

Solo and small firm conferences have gained popularity nationwide. They are typically hosted by state and local bar associations. The GP|Solo Division created the National Solo & Small Firm Conference in 2006 to allow solo and small firm lawyers to take the concept one step further, building networks and developing referral sources from all across the country. This is also being promoted as a chance for the members of the very active online community Solosez to have a nationwide face-to-face meeting.

The CLE offerings at the conference feature presentations from a mix of nationally known legal technology experts, veteran active members of the GP|Solo Division with advice to share, practice management advisors, and even active participants from the Solosez online community.

Already the conference is generating buzz, including a recent mention by the National Networker. To see all of the speakers and scheduled presentations, and to get more information about the conference and register, visit the National Solo & Small Firm Conference website at:

» www.abanet.org/solo «

The Diversity Fellows 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. Each year the Division’s Diversity Committee and Membership Board identifies and nominates four such candidates to be appointed by the Chair-Elect to funded fellowship positions within the Division, effective during the following bar year.

The Division welcomes the Diversity Fellows for the 2007-2008 bar year!

Artika R. Tyner, St. Paul, MN
Cassandra J. George, Pittsburgh, PA
Jeffrey Robinson, Selma, AL

The GP|Solo Division is committed to increasing the participation of young lawyers in Division activities. The Young Lawyer Fellows program provides young lawyers the opportunity to become actively and integrally involved in the Division’s meetings and committees. Selected fellows are appointed to the GP|Solo Young Lawyers Committee and one other committee of their choosing to engage in substantive work. The fellows are also expected to complete a substantive project for the Division.

The Division welcomes the Young Lawyer Fellows for the 2007-2008 bar year!

Jennifer S. Hilsabeck, Henderson, NV
Christine G. Albano, Ellicott City, MD

It was another productive Annual Meeting in San Francisco, as many GP|Solo members flocked to the Bay Area to participate in the many ABA and Division events held from August 9-11.

Passing of the Gavel…

Per Division tradition, Outgoing Chair John P. Macy passed the gavel to Incoming Chair Keith B. McLennan at the Division’s Council Meeting on Saturday, August 11th. The new Division Chair is joined by his fellow officers for the 2007-08 bar year: Robert A. Zupkus (Chair-Elect), James M. Durant, III (Vice Chair) and jennifer j. rose (Secretary).

Chair McLennan then announced the Division’s new theme for the year as “Simplify… Your Practice, Your Profession, Your Life.” To learn more about Mr. McLennan’s plans for the 2007-08 bar year, read his Chair’s Corner column from the March 2007 issue of GPSOLO magazine.

Division Honors…

Outgoing Chair Macy and Incoming Chair McLennan accepted a certificate on behalf of the GP|Solo Division from the ABA Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law recognizing the Division’s 2007 Goal IX Honor Roll achievement.

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. The Report points out that 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.)