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GPSolo Magazine - December 2005

DIVISION NEWS
GENERAL PRACTICE, SOLO AND SMALL FIRM

2006 ABA Midyear Meeting
February 8-13
Hyatt Regency Chicago
Chicago , Illinois

Please plan to join us for the 2006 ABA Midyear Meeting in Chicago. The Division will hold activities Thursday, February 9, through Sunday, February 12. Highlights will include a mini Solo Day program featuring three hours on “Protecting Your Practice and Being Proactive Against Natural Disasters.” Other programs will include “What Every Lawyer Needs to Know About Real Estate Leases”; “Business, Bankruptcy, and Commercial Law Program”; and a Military Law Day focusing on “The Politicalization of Military Law.” There will also be an honorary luncheon and a Solo and Small Firm Lawyers Caucus to discuss current issues of importance to our constituency. Be sure to register at www.abanet.org/midyear/2006 if you haven’t already done so, and also check the Division’s Events Page at www.abanet.org/genpractice/events to find out more information, including social event details.

Committee Profile: Bankruptcy

Led by Larry B. Feinstein and Marc S. Stern, the Bankruptcy Committee is one of the Division’s most active groups. In addition to running a listserve that keeps its members apprised of the newest updates on bankruptcy law, the Committee has been involved in the following activities:

Committee Co-Chair Marc S. Stern represents the Division as a member of the Task Force on Attorney Discipline. The Task Force recently issued the report Attorney Liability under §707(b)(4) of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005. The report is designed to give some guidance and lend some certainty to the scope of “reasonable inquiry” required by §707(b) as revised by the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act (BAPCPA) of 2005. The report explains the factors that go into a reasonable inquiry and contains case annotations that support the Task Force’s conclusions. For a copy of the report, please visit www.abanet.org/genpractice/ReasonableInquiry.pdf.

The Bankruptcy Committee also develops numerous CLE programs presented at the Division’s meetings. The program Attorney Ethical Obligations under the New 2005 Bankruptcy Bill, presented at the 2005 ABA Annual Meeting, is just one example. If you didn’t make it to the Annual Meeting, you can still access this program and get CLE credit (and save $50 if you’re a GP|Solo member) by going to www.abanet.org/genpractice/westlegaledcenter/home.html.

The Division’s Book Publications Board has also gotten on board with the Bankruptcy Committee efforts and recently released two new publications designed to help bankruptcy lawyers with their practice and get up to speed on the new law. Letters for Bankruptcy Lawyers: Essential Communication for Clients, Creditors, Opposing Counsel and Others by Joel Pelofsky and Marc S. Stern, and the downloadable e-product Nine Traps and One Slap by Catherine E. Vance and Corinne Cooper are both available through the ABA Bookstore at www.abanet.org/abastore.

Want to get active in the Bankruptcy Committee and stay up to date on the state of bankruptcy reform? Join today at www.abanet.org/genpractice/cmtees/index.html.

Law Student Mentoring Program

Where most mentoring programs are based on occasional meetings between seasoned practitioners and young lawyers, GP|Solo’s Law Student Mentoring Certificate Program does more. The program, aimed to fill some of the gaps of traditional law school education, focuses on introducing law students to the practical aspects of being a lawyer through real-world activities and the mentor’s insight and guidance. Further, the program is flexible, enabling the law student to pick his or her own mentor and tailor the program’s criteria to his or her own interests.

By completing the nation’s only law student mentoring certificate program, students will establish a strong relationship with their mentors, witness several legal proceedings of their choosing, and gain valuable insight to the things law school doesn’t teach. Each student who successfully completes the program earns a certificate as a token of his or her accomplishment.

All GP|Solo law students are eligible to participate in the program. Law students are free to choose any licensed attorney practicing in any area in any legal setting to serve as a mentor, regardless of the attorney’s membership status with the ABA or GP|Solo. Students complete the program at their own pace, so long as all certificate materials are submitted by the April 19, 2006, deadline.

To learn more about the certificate requirements and to register for the program, please visit www.abanet.org/genpractice/lawstudents/mentoringcertificate.html.

Solosez Supreme Court Swearing-In Ceremonies

Five years ago, the local Solosez lunch group in the Washington, D.C., area had an idea: plan a small gathering for a group admission ceremony to the Bar of the United States Supreme Court. The idea quickly went national. Now Solosezzers from across the country get together each year in Washington with friends and family for a group admission ceremony. For many participants, being admitted in front of all nine Justices is a highlight of their legal career. After the ceremony, the group and their guests are able to stay for one or both of the oral arguments, then have a VIP tour of the Court and the White House. For more information on how you can participate, visit www.solosez.net.
Note: This event is now sold out.