e-Journal
07-15
New site unveiled
Check out improvements to www.massbar.org
The MBA is proud to launch a new and improved www.massbar.org. The updated version
of the site includes new Home page features, streamlined navigation
and enhanced search functionality. Modifications to the site were
based on important feedback from a membership survey conducted this
spring.
Click here to share your additional feedback and
suggestions.
Membership notice
July 21 membership meeting set to vote on MBA Bylaw Amendments
The House of Delegates has approved amendments to the Bylaws for
the Massachusetts Bar Association, and now a membership vote is
needed in order for these to take effect. The Bylaw amendments were
drafted and submitted for approval to the House of Delegates by the
Governance committee, which was appointed in 2009 by then President
Edward W. McIntyre. The Governance Committee was chaired by Past
President Warren F. Fitzgerald, with John J. Carroll Jr., Walter A.
Costello Jr., Mary Jo Kennedy, Robert J. Kerwin, Martha Rush
O'Mara, James T. Van Buren and Daniel B. Winslow. The Bylaw
amendments were approved for a vote of the membership by the House
of Delegates at its May 19, 2010 meeting. The Governance Committee
reviewed and considered all sections of the Bylaws and, as a
result, amendments are contained throughout the proposed
Bylaws.
To view the proposed Bylaws, click here.
To view the redlined version, click here.
The
membership of the Massachusetts Bar Association will meet next
Wednesday, July 21 at 4:30 p.m. at the MBA, 20 West St., Boston to
vote on approving the proposed amendments.
Legal Chats @ Noon
Sign-up to participate in a series of interactive Webcasts, including the upcoming "What's New in Personal Injury Law Practice: Some Cases, Ideas and Advice"
This summer, participate in a series of 60-minute real-time,
interactive Webcasts you can watch, and participate in, from the
comfort of your home or office during your lunch hour.
Legal Chats @ Noon
Only available via real-time
Webcast. No live meeting will be taking place.
What's New in Personal
Injury Law Practice:
Some Cases, Ideas and Advice 
Tuesday, July 20
Featuring Marc L. Breakstone and David W. White Jr.
of Breakstone, White & Gluck PC, Boston
Click here to register.
Increasing Your Business by
Working with Realtors
Tuesday, Aug. 17
Featuring Elizabeth J. Barton of CATIC, Wellesley and Michael P.
Krone
of Kriss Law, Newton
Click here to register.
After live events, recorded
programs available at www.MassBar.org/OnDemand.
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Can't watch the real-time
Webcasts?
The following programming is
available at www. MassBar.org/OnDemand.
Featuring Rodney S. Dowell of
Massachusetts Law Office Management Assistance Program, Boston and
Alan J. Klevan of Klevan & Klevan LLP, Wellesley
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Roth IRA Conversions: An In-Depth
Discussion,
Including the Rules in a Nutshell, Strategies and Tax Traps
Available beginning Tuesday,
August 3
Featuring Stephen A. Colella of DiCicco, Gulman & Company LLP,
Woburn
Creative video entries score students scholarship prizes
High school students Elvis Guilamo,
Mark Hurley and Kyle Peters
received first place, second place and honorable mention
respectively in the Massachusetts Bar Association's 2010 Law Day
Video Contest. Guilamo and Hurley are from Lawrence and Peters is
from North Adams.
The 2010 contest theme was "Diverstity in the Law." The winners
received scholarship prizes for their creative and thoughtful
entries. Submitted videos were judged by MBA President Valerie A.
Yarashus; Norfolk Probate and Family Court Judge Angela M. Ordoñez;
and WGBH-TV producer Jared Bowen.
This was the first year a contest of this nature was held by the
MBA and was coordinated by the Law Day Committee, led by co-chairs
Marc C. Laredo from Laredo & Smith LLP and Michael P. Sams of
Kenney & Sams PC. Scholarship prizes were funded by the MBA's
Diversity Task Force.
In addition to honoring Law Day, the contest supported the MBA's
ongoing efforts to raise awareness of the legal system's important
role in society as well as exposing students to the careers in
law.
LPM Tip
Avoiding traps when office sharing
Sharing office space is a great way to save money, develop
professional relationships, and referral sources. However,
liability and disciplinary issues may arise if you fall into an
unnecessary trap when practicing in a shared office space. Remember
these simple rules and avoid headaches in the future.
- Avoid the use of a firm name that implies a partnership
exists;
- Do not advertise in a way that implies a partnership
exists;
- Each attorney should maintain a separate sign on the door, have
separate business cards and stationery, and should not refer to
each other as "my partner" or "my associate;"
- Remember to maintain confidentiality of communications by
maintaining an independent facsimile machine, a separate telephone
line and email, and ensure that you have a secure independent data
storage area for your electronic files and paper files; and
- Remember to keep client files out of shared office space.
This tip of the week is courtesy of the Massachusetts Law
Office Management Assistance Program. You can contact MassLOMAP at
[e-mail info] or call (857)383-3250 for free and
confidential consultations.
Published July 15, 2010
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For more helpful tips, join the MBA's Law Practice Management
Section. Call MBA Member Services at (617) 338-0530 to join.
To learn more about the Law Practice Management Section,
contact Co-Chairs Andrea
Goldman or
Rodney Dowell.
Upcoming CLE seminar and program schedule
Check out available July courses
To register for the following
programs, call MBA Member Services at (617) 338-0530,
[e-mail membership] or visit the
CLE Web site. To download a PDF of the
July/August CLE brochure, click here.
Scroll down for program
details including dates and registration details.
Recorded session available for
purchase after live program through MBA On Demand.
Real-time Webcast available for purchase
through MBA On Demand.
SUMMER CLE PROGRAMS
District Court Survival Guide - Civil
Practice
Monday, July 19, 4-6:30 p.m.
MBA, 20 West St., Boston
How to Handle a Residential Real Estate
Closing
Tuesday, July 20, 4-7 p.m.
MBA, 20 West St., Boston
Employment Law Basics
Monday, July 26, 4-7 p.m.
MBA, 20 West St., Boston
Fundamentals of Civil Motion
Practice
Wednesday, July 28, 4-7 p.m.
MBA, 20 West St., Boston
Basics of Developing an Estate
Plan
Thursday, July 29, 4-7 p.m.
MBA, 20 West St., Boston
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SAVE THE DATES
20th Annual Family Law Conference
Friday, Nov. 12 - Saturday, Nov. 13
Cranwell Resort, Spa & Golf Club, 55 Lee Road, Lenox
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Unable to attend these seminars?
Purchase the recorded session available after the live program
through
MBA On Demand and watch the presentation from the comfort of
your home or office.
To view a listing of current programs offered on MBA On Demand, click here.
Featured member benefit: Catuogno Court Reporting & Sten-Tel Transcription Services
In need of video conferencing services, verbatim statements and interviews by phone with transcripts?
Catuogno Court Reporting & Sten-Tel Transcription Services
offers MBA members a special rate on technological services,
including court reporting, video
depositions, videoconferencing and
legal transcription.
With five offices located throughout the area (Boston,
Worcester, Lawrence, Springfield and
Providence) the Catuogno offices provide spacious
conference rooms for depositions, client meetings, arbitrations,
mediations, and videoconferencing around the world with over 10,000
sites.
Take advantage of the following discounts using your MBA member
card to reduce costs and increase your bottom line:
-
10 percent discount on deposition services;
-
10 percent discount on transcription services;
-
10 percent discount on video conferencing services;
-
10 percent discount on statements and interviews by phone with
transcript;
-
Waiver of "set up" fee transcription services ($450 value);
and
-
Waiver of "annual support" fee ($250 value).
To take advantage of your special MBA membership discount, visit
Catuogno Court
Reporting or call (888) 228-8646.
News from the courts
SJC approves changes to Rule 4:03; Court Relocation Committee proposes recommendations
The Supreme Judicial Court has approved changes to Rule 4:03 of
the Rules of the Supreme Judicial Court effective Sept. 1,
regarding periodic assessment of attorneys. Click here to view the changes.
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Court Relocation Committee
proposes recommendations
The Court Relocation Committee met
with Chief Justice for Administration & Management Robert A.
Mulligan on July 1 to review and discuss the first phase of its
work.The facilities currently proposed for temporary relocation or
consolidation are listed below. The CJAM stressed that this is the
beginning of a process.
The FY11 budget signed by Gov. Patrick leaves the Trial Court with
a shortfall in excess of $21 million. This significant reduction
requires that relocation efforts move forward more quickly than
originally planned. As with prior relocations, the proposed court
relocations or consolidations will not cause layoffs at those
locations. Any layoffs required by budget cuts will be determined
by a separate process.
The criteria established by the committee to identify potential
sites for relocation and consolidation include lease terms and
expenses, personnel impact and staffing levels, the condition of
facilities, building functions, and geography and transportation
issues.
Court Relocation Committee
Recommendations:
- AOTC
Continue to relocate departments to other facilities, including
John Adams Courthouse
- Berkshire County
Berkshire Juvenile Court / North Adams
- Bristol County
Southeast Housing Court / New Bedford will co-locate with other
courts
[New Taunton Courthouse opening in 2011 may allow better
configuration of operations for several court departments in
Bristol County]
- Essex County
Gloucester District Court
- Franklin/Hampshire Counties
Northampton Superior Court ceremonial courtroom & storage
space; Housing Court ancillary space
- Hampden County
Appeals Court administrative office space in Springfield
- Land Court
Land Court to Suffolk County Courthouse / 3 Pemberton Square
- Middlesex County
Framingham Juvenile Court to Marlborough District Court
- Norfolk County
Norfolk Superior Court Probation and Norfolk County Law Library to
Registry of Deeds building
Norfolk Juvenile Court / Dedham to Stoughton District Court
- Plymouth County
Hingham District Court
Wareham District Court
- Suffolk County
Charlestown Division of the Boston Municipal Court
- Worcester County
Leominster District Court
Westborough District Court