e-Journal
05-31
Tonight's 2012 MBA Annual Dinner sold out
Event will feature keynote speaker Victoria Reggie Kennedy, the presentation of the Legislator of the Year Award to Speaker Robert A. DeLeo and the Annual Access to Justice Awards
The Massachusetts Bar Association will hold its 2012 Annual
Dinner tonight at the Westin Boston Waterfront, 425 Summer St.,
Boston. The event is sold out. In addition to a keynote address by Victoria Reggie Kennedy, the
dinner includes the presentation of the Legislator of the Year Award to Speaker Robert
A. DeLeo and the annual MBA Access to Justice Awards.
The
MBA thanks its 2012 Annual Dinner sponsors.
Click here to view a current list of sponsors.
Look for event converage in next week's e-Journal and
in the July Lawyers Journal.
News from the courts
JNC seeks applications; BMC Standing Order 1-09 amended as a permanent order effective as of May 14
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JNC seeks applications
The Judicial Nominating Commission seeks
applications for two new vacancies at the Probate and Family
Court and three new District Court vacancies. The application
deadline for the Bristol and Norfolk Counties Probate and Family
Court vacancies is Thursday, June 28. The application deadline for
Fall River, Stoughton and Uxbridge district courts is Thursday,
July 12.
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BMC Standing Order 1-09 amended as
a permanent order effective as of May 14
The Boston Municipal Court Department
recognizes the hardships faced by individuals of limited economic
resources with criminal records, and the burdens they face when
seeking to seal their criminal records at the various court
divisions. In an effort to alleviate these hardships and burdens,
as well as to promote judicial economy, Standing Order 1-09 is
amended as a permanent order to allow for the filing of a single
petition to seal three of more dismisslas and non-conviction
criminal records.
Photograph by
Marc D'Antonio
From left to right: Conference co-chair Thomas J. Flannagan, Esq., conference keynote speaker Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe and conference co-chair Margaret H. Paget, Esq.
Annual Labor & Employment Conference provides updates in case law, trends in wage enforcement and more
The Labor & Employment Section hosted its annual spring
conference on May 18 at the Colonnade Hotel in Boston. Conference
Co-Chairs Thomas J. Flannagan and Margaret H. Paget provided
attendees with an opportunity to listen to substantive panel
discussions throughout the day-long event. In addition, conference
attendees were treated to a keynote address from Boston
Globe sports columnist Bob Ryan.
Panelists covered a variety of topics, including an update on
the most important employment law case developments, a discussion
of the soon-to-be enacted "Transgender Equal Rights Act," and
emerging trends and issues in the areas of wage and hour
enforcement and worker misclassification. Additionally, seasoned
employment litigators joined Superior Court Judge Janet L. Sanders
in providing attendees with practical tools and tips for improving
courtroom advocacy. The day concluded with a panel of commissioners
from the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, who
discussed current trends in employment discrimination law and
recent and planned regulatory and procedural changes at the
agency.
Keynote speaker Ryan touched on the current state of the
relationship between players unions and team owners in professional
sports. Now that the NFL and NBA have negotiated new collective
bargaining agreements, Ryan indicated that "the NHL will be the
next labor negotiation to keep an eye on since the current CBA is
set to expire in September of this year." Ryan also spoke about how
the influx of statistics and the "fantasy league" culture that has
developed over the last decade is taking away from the pure
enjoyment of sports.
"With the wealth of information through blogs, social media and
talk radio, fans have a forum to express their opinions like never
before, making sports columnists dinosaurs," Ryan said.
U.S. Court for the First Circuit seeks bankruptcy judge applicants
The First Circuit Court of Appeals is seeking applicants for a
bankruptcy judge position for the United States Bankruptcy Court
for the District of New Hampshire headquartered in Manchester.
Attorneys with broad or specialized litigation or commercial
experience are encouraged to apply, whether or not such experience
is in bankruptcy law. Interested applicants may obtain an
application from the Circuit Executive's Office, from the
Bankruptcy Court Clerk for the District of New Hampshire, or by
accessing the Court of
Appeals' website. Persons interested in applying for this
position should send their applications to:
Susan J. Goldberg, deputy circuit executive
Office of the Circuit Executive
John Joseph Moakley U.S. Courthouse
1 Courthouse Way, Suite 3700
Boston, MA 02210
Applicants must possess and have demonstrated outstanding
legal ability and competence as evidenced by substantial legal
experience, ability to deal with complex legal problems, aptitude
for legal scholarship and writing, and familiarity with courts and
court processes. Applicants must also possess demeanor, character,
and personality to indicate that they would exhibit judicial
temperament if appointed to the position of U.S. Bankruptcy Judge.
The term of office is 14 years and the current salary is
$160,080.
Upcoming CLE seminar and program schedule
Register for the June 14 "Latest in the Law" seminar for critical labor and employment developments over the last 12 months.
To register for the following
programs, call MBA Member Services at (617) 338-0530,
[e-mail membership] or visit the
CLE Web site. 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.
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
Health
Law Legal Chat Series: Session IV 
Friday, June 1, noon-1 p.m.
NOTE: There is no on-site attendance for Legal Chats.
Law
Practice Management Section Educational Series:
Cloud
Computing
Wednesday, June 6, 12:30-1:30 p.m.
MBA, 20 West St., Boston
Lifecycle
of a Business Part 4: Mergers & Acquisitions &
Bankruptcy
Wednesday, June 6, 5-7 p.m.
MBA, 20 West St., Boston
Taxation
Practice Series:
Tax
Implications of Divorce, Taxation of Litigation Proceeds and
Spotting Issues on Tax Returns
Thursday, June 7, 4:30-6 p.m.
MBA, 20 West St., Boston
Latest in
the Law: Labor & Employment Update
Thursday, June 14, 5-7 p.m.
MBA, 20 West St., Boston
Health Law Legal Chat Series: Session V
Friday, June 15, noon-1 p.m.
NOTE: There is no on-site attendance for Legal Chats.
LOMAP
Super Marketing Conference II
Tuesday, June 19, noon-7 p.m.
MBA, 20 West St., Boston
Law
Practice Management Section Educational Series:
Top 10
Practice Management Tips
Wednesday, June 20, 12:30-1:30 p.m.
MBA, 20 West St., Boston
Taxation
Practice Series:
Tax
Issues Related to Entities and Real Estate
Thursday, June 21, 4:30-6 p.m.
MBA, 20 West St., Boston
MBA co-sponsors program:
IMLA Land Use Seminar
Thursday, June 21-Friday, June 22
Harbor Events Centerm Portsmouth Garden Hilton, Portsmouth,
N.H.
Health Law
Legal Chat Series: Session VI
Friday, June 22, noon-1 p.m.
NOTE: There is no on-site attendance for Legal Chats.
Health Law
Conference
Tuesday, June 26, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
MBA, 20 West St., Boston
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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.
Conference moderators (from left to right): Jared D. Correia, Esq. and Rodney S. Dowell, Esq. of the Law Office Management Assistance Program in Boston.
FREE "LOMAP Super Marketing Conference II" set for June 19
Attend for marketing and client tips, networking and more.
The Massachusetts Law Office
Management Assistance Program and North Carolina Bar Association's
popular
Lunch Hour Legal Marketing Series pushes away from the lunch
table once each year to expand its programming into a half-day
conference format. This will be LOMAP's second annual legal
marketing conference; but, unlike many sequels, this one promises
to be even better than the first.
Speakers will present long-form and short-form talks and offer an
array of marketing experience and expertise, coupled with a
willingness to share some of their best tips with you.
Whether you're just starting out, and need to bring in your first
client, or you're looking to get more, or better, clients, this
conference can help you to get there.
In addition to what you'll learn from presenters, numerous
marketing breaks, opportunities to access speakers and a closing
networking reception will afford you the opportunity to meet with
colleagues and to expand your contacts.
Click here to
register for this FREE conference.
Unable to come to Boston? This program is available as a real-time
Webcast. When registering, participants can choose to attend
virtually from a home or office computer. If you choose to attend
the program via real-time Webcast, space is limited. Registrants
will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis.
LPM Tip
When it comes to generating business, forget your ABCs and remember your ABGs
In the movie Glengarry Glen Ross, actor Alec Baldwin schools his
salesmen on the ABCs of business conversations (i.e. Always Be
Closing). In Alec Baldwin's world, every business conversation
should steadily move the prospect in the direction of making a
purchase.
While this may be an effective tool for consummating the sale of
investment property, ABC is probably not the best tactic for
lawyers who want to sell legal services. That's because people hire
attorneys they know, like and trust. And pressuring someone
is generally not the best way to build trust. Instead, trust is
built through a series of small acts over time. By investing in
relationships, we build trust.
There are many ways to build trusted relationships. The most
important way is to do what you say you are going to do. If you
meet someone at a networking function and agree that you would like
to meet for coffee, follow up within 24 hours to schedule coffee.
If you promise a referral source to send them an article, forward
the article when you get back to your office.
There are many other ways to build trusted relationships. Some
of them are highlighted in
an article I published in Massachusetts Lawyers
Weekly. The common theme in all of these trust
building activities is that they involve doing something for the
other person. So rather than focusing on closing when you are
relationship building, focus on your ABGs (Always Be Giving).
In other words, you should always be looking for ways to give
value to your business relationships, whether it is with
prospective clients or with people who might refer you work.
If you want to build a law practice, never forget your ABGs. If
you focus too much on your ABCs, people will understand that you
are just in the relationship to get something out of it and that
will hurt your opportunity to build business and referrals.
Tip courtesy of Stephen Seckler, president, Seckler Legal
Consulting and Coaching.
Published May 31, 2012
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To learn more about the Law Practice Management
Section, which is complimentary for all MBA members,
contact LPM Section Chair Thomas J. Barbar or Vice
Chair Stephen
Seckler.
Series to offer practical tax theory application tips
Register today to learn more about the tax aspects of various transactions.
The Massachusetts Bar Association's
Taxation Law Section and Young Lawyers Division are presenting the
second and third parts of a continuing legal education series in
June. The affordable series provides a solid tax foundation for
general practitioners, and others, who would like to learn more
about the tax aspects of various transactions. The series is also a
rare opportunity for law students to learn practical application of
tax theory.
Unable to come to Boston? These programs are available as
real-time Webcasts. When registering, participants can choose to
attend virtually from a home or office computer. If you choose to
attend the programs via real-time Webcast, space is limited.
Registrants will be taken on a first-come, first-served
basis.
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Taxation Practice Series: 
Tax Implications of Divorce, Taxation of
Litigation Proceeds and Spotting Issues on Tax
Returns
Thursday, June 7, 4:30-6 p.m.
MBA, 20 West St., Boston
- Divorce
- Taxability and deductibility of alimony;
- What is alimony?;
- Taxability and deductibility of child support; and
- Dependency exemptions.
- Taxation of Litigation Proceeds
- Scope of personal injury exemption;
- Punitive damages; and
- Taxation of other damages.
- Reviewing Tax Returns and Spotting Issues
- Federal and Massachusetts Individual Returns; and
- Federal and Massachusetts Entity Returns.
Click
here for a list of faculty and to register.
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Taxation Practice Series:
Tax Issues Related to Entities and Real
Estate
Thursday, June 21, 4:30-6 p.m.
MBA, 20 West St., Boston
- Tax Issues Related to Entities
- Choice of entity when establishing a law practice;
- Comparison of tax implications of corporations, partnerships,
limited liability companies and associations; and
- Difference between C and S corporations, including requirements
for S election.
- Tax Issues Related to Real estate
- Mortgage interest;
- Points;
- Exclusion of gain from sale of principal residence;
- What is a principal residence and requirements of living
there?;
- Principal residence exclusion when portion of property
rented;
- Tax effect of a foreclosure; and
- Home office deductions.
Click
here for a list of faculty and to register.
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Did you miss the May 17 "Taxation Practice
Series: Estate Planning, Basis
and Forming a Nonprofit Organization?" Click here to
watch the program anytime, anywhere via MBA On Demand.
Have you taken advantage of FREE classifieds?
Post an MBA classifieds ad today
MBA Classifieds provide MBA members and non-members the
opportunity to post and view employment/internship opportunities,
office share/rental options, as well as lawyer-to-lawyer services
and other specialized categories.
Classified postings are FREE to members and are
available to non-members for $25.
Post an ad today and take advantage of this opportunity to reach
members of the commonwealth's legal community, through its largest
bar association.
Click here to post an MBA classified
ad.
Section News: Upcoming meetings and special section events
Attend the June 5 Health Law Section Council meeting. Join in the June 7 Public Law Section Council meeting.
Health Law Section Council
Meeting
Tuesday, June 5, 5:15-6:45
p.m.
MBA, 20 West St., Boston
The next meeting of the Health Law Section Council is scheduled
for Tuesday, June 5 from 5:15 to 6:45 p.m. All section members are
invited to attend.
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Public Law Section Council
Meeting
Thursday, June 7,
5:30-7 p.m.
MBA, 20 West St., Boston
The next meeting of the Public Law
Section is scheduled for Thursday, June 7 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. All
section members are invited to attend.