Young Lawyers Division 2000-2001

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 1999

Around The Country

Maricopa County Bar Association

The Maricopa County Bar Association in Phoenix is gearing up for Domestic Violence month in October and will host its annual Domestic Violence Drive, which in the past has received thousands of donations, including food, clothing, beds, and children's toys, to assist those fleeing from violence. This year's theme is "If you had five minutes to flee, what would you take?"

For more information, contact Susan Wissink, district representative, at 602/916-5319.

Los Angeles County Bar Barristers

The Los Angeles County, California, Bar Barristers and the Artists and the Law Committee are sponsoring "Follow Your Muse," a luncheon program featuring a panel of lawyers who have successfully pursued careers in the creative arts, including Patric Verrone (writer/producer on The Simpsons, Futurama), filmmaker/actor Daniel Coplan (The Dragon Gate), and stand-up comic Jason Kuller ("Goodbye Yellow Brick Joke").

For more information, contact William Vu Tam Anh at 310/556-8778.

The Los Angeles County Bar is also looking forward to another successful run of its civil litigation training program for new attorneys in the new year: "Nuts & Bolts of Civil Litigation: A Training Course for New Attorneys." The program is actually five programs in as many months covering the topics of complaints and responsive pleadings (February 1), discovery (March 7), depositions (April 4), law and motion practice (May 2), and trials and arbitration (June 6). It has been received with great interest by the legal community.

California State Bar

The California State Bar Annual Meeting will take place from September 30 through October 3 in Long Beach, California. Up to 3,500 California lawyers are expected to attend.

Upcoming legislation: The dues bill for the California State Bar is up for a vote in the very near future. If approved, it will reduce the annual dues, reduce the required hours necessary to complete the continuing legal education requirements in California, and, last but not least, will bring back the California State Bar.

Young Lawyers Division of the Bar Association of Baltimore City

The Young Lawyers Division of the Bar Association of Baltimore City recently donated $1,500 to Francis Scott Key Elementary so that the school could purchase books about the American legal system and biographies of key figures in the judicial system. (In order to make room for a computer lab, the school's library had been temporarily dismantled. School administrators and the PTA were seeking to rebuild the library's holdings.)

In addition to the donation to Francis Scott Key Elementary, the YLD of the Bar Association of Baltimore City also made a $1,000 contribution toward the preservation and refurbishment of the Children's Waiting Room located in the Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr., Courthouse. The Waiting Room provides a safe and pleasant environment for thousands of children who must accompany their parents to the courthouse.

Mississippi Young Lawyers Division

The Mississippi Young Lawyers Division, in conjunction with the newly formed Law School Professionalism Task Force, has developed a professionalism program at both the state's law schools. The half-day professionalism program was conducted as part of the fall orientation program at each law school. Each program consisted of a keynote address by Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice, Lenore Prather. The keynote address was followed by small breakout sessions in which groups of eight-ten students discussed professionalism issues using hypothetical situations. Practicing attorneys and judges served as facilitators for the breakout sessions. The program is the first of its kind in Mississippi.

New Jersey Young Lawyers Division

The New Jersey Young Lawyers Division recently announced the winners of its annual awards. Four awards were presented:

• Richard C. Strobel, an attorney with the Burlington County Board of Social Services, received the Service to the Community Award, presented each year to a young lawyer who has devoted substantial time and energy to community-oriented activities such as pro bono work, government service, charity work, or public service.



• Eloisa V. Castillo, a sole practitioner in Union City and trustee of the Hudson County Bar Association, received the Service to the Bar Award, presented to a young lawyer who has devoted substantial time and energy to bar activities at the county, state and/or national level, including specialty and minority bars.



• Loria B. Yeadon, assistant general counsel of intellectual property at AlliedSignal, Inc. in Morristown, received the Professional Achievement Award, presented to a young lawyer who has received professional recognition through publications, excellence in a particular area of law, a significant verdict or law-changing appellate decision, or other such professional achievement.



• Christine Cartwright, an associate with Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP in Princeton, received the Young Lawyer of the Year Award, presented to a young lawyer whose personal and professional achievements merit special recognition and who has contributed to and excelled in all of the above areas.

North Carolina Bar Association YLD

The Bar Exam Writing Committee of the Young Lawyers Division of the North Carolina Bar Association (NCBA), in conjunction with the Minorities in the Profession Committee of the NCBA, held its semi-annual writing clinic July 17 at North Carolina Central University's law school. According to Brian Beverly, chair of the Bar Exam Writing Clinic, the clinic focused on writing techniques, bar preparation, and stress management.

Susan Olive, a veteran member of the Board of Law Examiners, provided the perspective and insight of one who grades the essay exams. She addressed issues ranging from how the Board determines what questions the exam will include to whether the students should use abbreviations or skip lines in their essay books.

"Students are always amazed that they can actually ask questions of one of the persons who will be grading their essay exams," Beverly said.

The clinic also provides an opportunity for participants to answer a test question and have that answer graded and reviewed by a practicing attorney who provides constructive criticism. "In my view, this experience is invaluable," added Beverly.

In a written evaluation of the process, one participant wrote, "The attorney gave me some helpful pointers and critiqued my answers, which I feel will greatly improve my chances of passing the bar the first time."

Tiffanie Wattleton, an attorney with Young, Moore & Henderson who recently passed the bar, gave her insights regarding test preparation, self-motivation, and practical advice. David Cranford, who has a psychology residency at the Durham Veterans Administration hospital, addressed stress management, relaxation, and exercise.

Over fifty-eight students attended the clinic this July, and nine YLD volunteers gave advice regarding the participants' essay responses. Last February, the Committee sponsored a clinic in which sixty-five students attended, the highest attendance since the clinic's inception, according to Beverly.

"Another telling fact about the clinics is the number of attorney volunteers who attended as students before passing the bar exam," Beverly said. "Many of the tutors reveal that they benefited from the clinics when they were preparing for the bar exam and enjoy the chance to help someone else."

For more information on how to organize a similar program in your area, contact Brian Beverly at 919/782-6860.

Virginia State Bar YLD

Over the past year, the Virginia State Bar Young Lawyers Council, along with the Virginia Bar Association Young Lawyers Council, worked very hard to build a coalition to tackle domestic violence in Virginia. Thus, the Virginia Domestic Violence Safety Project was born. This program serves thousands of domestic violence victims yearly by providing them with vital safety information, legal information, and free legal representation. Working with various bar and domestic violence service organizations dedicated to fighting and preventing domestic violence, this program has resulted in the distribution of more than 12,000 Legal Pamphlets.

Free CLE courses are also provided to lawyers committed to representing domestic violence victims on a pro bono basis.

Learn more about this program at the Las Vegas AOP or by contacting Maya Eckstein at Hunton & Williams, 804/788-8200.

Virginia Bar Association YLD

The Virginia Bar Association Young Lawyers Division has launched a new program: The Child Support Enforcement Project. This is a joint project of the VBA-YLD, the Richmond Bar Association, and the Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Virginia. This project was established to assist the Virginia Department of Child Support Enforcement in its effort to collect over $1 billion in unpaid child support. In this program, volunteer attorneys help shoulder the court burden by spending one day at court every six weeks, prosecuting twenty-forty child support cases. The program thus addresses a universal community need and provides young attorneys with an opportunity for hands-on courtroom experience.

Learn more about this program at the Las Vegas AOP or by calling Eric Now, at Hunton & Williams, 804/788-8200.

Iowa State Bar Association YLD

Every night during this year's Iowa State Fair, a judge called a courtroom to order, lawyers and witnesses presented a trial, and a jury rendered a verdict. This is not due to the litigious Iowa fair-goers - this is the "Trial by Jury" program, sponsored by the Young Lawyers Division of the Iowa State Bar Association.

It is estimated that 700 people attended a trial at this year's fair. The response of Ann from Richland, Iowa, is typical. She enjoyed watching the trial so much that she brought her family to watch the next night.

For many audience members, the best part of the program is the opportunity to ask questions about the legal system. As a Pleasantville woman explained, "I am intrigued by the law. I enjoy the judge's explanations. I hope they continue having this program."

For others, the highlight of the program is the fact that audience members serve on the jury. According to ten year old Matthew from Indianola, Iowa, being a juror was both "very fun" and "very serious - like a real case."

Those attending the "Trial by Jury" program do take it seriously. One woman whose husband served on a jury disagreed with the verdict. "He and I will have a lot to talk about on the drive home tonight," she stated.

For more information on the Iowa "Trial by Jury" program, contact Tina Eick at 515/244-0111, or e-mail teick@hopkinsandhuebner.com.

Pima County Bar Association

The Pima County Bar Association in Tucson, Arizona, has announced that it is undertaking monthly community service projects. These have included/will include framing houses for Habitat for Humanity, sponsoring a Christmas party for Big Brothers/Big Sisters, serving meals at homeless shelters, and picking up trash from community streets - truly "pro bono" services!

For more information, contact: Susan Wissink, district representative, at 602/916-5319.