New Lawyers Section Election Results

The election of the 2009 governing board of the New Lawyers Section of the Maine State Bar Association is now closed. Your 2009 governing board is:

Chair
Shane Wright, Isaacson & Raymond, Lewiston
Chair-elect
Frank Bishop, Pierce Atwood, Portland
Immediate Past Chair
Scott Quigley, Laskoff & Associates, Lewiston
Secretary
Mikaela Sturrock, Elliot & MacLean, Camden
Treasurer
Mark Beaumont, Eaton Peabody, Bangor
MSBA Board of Governors Representative
Peter Felmly, Drummond Woodsum, Portland
SBA Representative (term ends upon election of new SBA president)
Nathanial Hull, University of Maine School of Law, Portland
Directors
Justin Weiss, Digital Policy Group, York
Hanna Sanders, Legal Services for the Elderly, Scarborough
Felicity Soles, International Association of Privacy Professionals, York
Jason Dionne, Isaacson & Raymond, Lewiston
Jeffrey Schwartz, Jeffrey A. Schwartz, LLC, P.A., South Portland
Stacey Stitham, Brann & Isaacson, Lewiston
Courtney Beer, PTLA, Portland
Amanda Doherty, Strike, Goodwin & O’Brien, Portland
Chelsea Fournier, Preti Flaherty, Portland

Congrats to those who won a spot; welcome to the new members; welcome back to the incumbents! 2009 is shaping up to be a good year with a lot of events. Stay tuned for further information . . .

Young Lawyers Happy Hour TODAY!

Sorry for the short notice, but a group of young Portland lawyers have put together a monthly happy hour which will take place today, Wednesday, December 17th from 5-7 at RiRa. This is an excellent opportunity to hobnob with attorneys from other firms and disciplines.

The event has been organized by Kristy Smith at Preti Flaherty, among others. Hope to see you there.

Best Law Blawgs 2008

The 2nd annual ABA Journal top 100 Law Blawgs are listed in this month's magazine.

From the article:
"This year, blogs that aren't updated at least weekly- no matter how interesting- often didn't make the grade. We put a premium on blogs that broke news in 2008, or were among the first to provide trenchant analysis of one or more breaking legal news stories. We also gave props to bloggers who made the most of audio or video (in our new podcast category) or social networking applications."

Check out the list in the December issue...perhaps a peek at Taxgirl may help you when 2009 rolls around!

Nominees for 2009 Governing Council

The nominating committee of the New Lawyers Section governing board is pleased to announce the nominees for the 2009 governing council of the New Lawyers Section of the Maine State Bar Association. The nominees are:

Chair-elect
Frank Bishop, Pierce Atwood, Portland
Secretary
Joseph Bethony, Gross, Minsky, and Mogul, Bangor
Mikaela Sturrock, Elliot & MacLean, Camden
Treasurer
Mark Beaumont, Eaton Peabody, Bangor
Director (9 positions open)
Justin Weiss, Digital Policy Group, York
Hanna Sanders, Legal Services for the Elderly, Scarborough
Felicity Soles, International Association of Privacy Professionals, York
Jason Dionne, Isaacson & Raymond, Lewiston
Jason Barrett, Eaton Peabody, Ellsworth
Jeffrey Schwartz, Jeffrey A. Schwartz, LLC, P.A., South Portland
Stacey Stitham, Brann & Isaacson, Lewiston
Courtney Beer, PTLA, Portland
Amanda Doherty, Strike, Goodwin & O’Brien, Portland
Chelsea Fournier, Preti Flaherty, Portland
Tony Haagan, Preti Flaherty, Portland.

The election will occur in mid-December and NLS members should receive a ballot by email on or before December 15, 2008. If you do not receive access to a ballot and want access, please contact Scott Quigley, chair of the governing council, at Laskoff & Associates in Lewiston.

ABA Journal Survey on the Job Market / Economy

The ABA Journal is surveying lawyers about the job market and the current state of the economy. To contribute to the survey, check out: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=9Dhw2g7bX_2bxfq4mW8eB1Cg_3d_3d

Survey results will be published in the January ABA Journal. Answers will be kept confidential and used only in combination with all other responses received.

Coffin Lecture Tonight: Judge Judith Kaye, Chief Judge, State of New York

The Honorable Judith Kaye, Chief Judge of the State of New York, will present this year’s Frank M. Coffin Lecture on Law and Public Service.

Judge Kaye serves as the 16th annual Coffin Lecturer. She will deliver her lecture this evening Thursday, November 6, 2008, at 7:00 pm, at the Abromson Community Education Center, located at 88 Bedford Street in Portland, Maine.

The Honorable Judith Kaye was appointed New York State’s Chief Judge in 1993 by Governor Mario M. Cuomo and has served in that position for over 15 years. She was the first woman to serve on the New York Court of Appeals, which she joined as Associate Judge in 1983, and the first woman to occupy the State Judiciary's highest office as Chief Judge. She chairs the Permanent Judicial Commission on Justice for Children and co-chaired the ABA Commission on The American Jury. Judge Kaye served as President of the Conference of Chief Justices and Chair of the Board of Directors of the National Center for State Courts. She is the author of numerous publications dealing with legal process, state constitutional law, women in law, professional ethics and problem-solving courts. A graduate of Barnard College and New York University School of Law, Judge Kaye has received many awards and several honorary degrees.

Established in 1992, the Frank M. Coffin Lecture on Law and Public Service honors a distinguished member of the United States judiciary and a long-time friend of the University of Maine School of Law. Judge Coffin was appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965, served as Chief Judge from 1972 to 1983, and assumed Senior status in 1989. A graduate of Bates College and Harvard Law School, Judge Coffin’s commitment to public service spans a wide-ranging career, including roles as a member of Congress, Deputy Administrator of the Agency for International Development, and Chair of the Committee on the U.S. Judicial Branch for the Judicial Conference. Judge Coffin is an active member of the University of Maine School of Law Board of Visitors.

FMI, you can call (207) 780-4344

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS FOR GOVERNING BOARD

The election of the 2009 governing board of the New Lawyers Section will occur in December of 2008. The nominating committee has been working for a little while to secure nominations for the upcoming election, and, now, the nominating committee invites nominations from you.

This year, there are as many as nine open positions. They are:

Chair-elect
Secretary
Treasurer
Director (at least three, but no more than nine, must be elected).

As of Monday, the nominations were:

Chair-elect
Frank Bishop, Pierce Atwood, Portland
Secretary
No one has been nominated
Treasurer
Mark Beaumont, Eaton Peabody, Bangor
Director
Justin Weiss, Digital Policy Group, York
Hanna Sanders, Legal Services for the Elderly, Scarborough
Felicity Soles, International Association of Privacy Professionals, York
Jason Dionne, Isaacson & Raymond, Lewiston
Jason Barrett, Eaton Peabody, Ellsworth
Stacey Stitham, Brann & Isaacson, Lewiston

As you can see, there are open positions and there are, presently, uncontested positions. If you wish to nominate somebody, including yourself, to any of the open positions, the deadline to do so is November 15, 2008. There are two possible ways to nominate someone: 1) recommend them to the nominating committee which will then consider adding them to the slate of candidates, or 2) secure the recommendation of three members of the New Lawyers Section in which case the nominating committee must add them to the slate of candidates.
The nominating committee is: Scott Quigley, Shane Wright, Dennis Carrillo, Mark Beaumont, Barbara Slote, Frank Bishop and Hanna Sanders. We should all be in the bar directory. If you wish to contact the nominating committee by email, please write to sq@laskofflaw.com.

Come Welcome Our New Members

This Thursday, November 6, we will be hosting a reception to welcome our newest members. The reception is at 5:00 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn in Freeport. The reception is immediately after the first day of Bridging the Gap. Please join us, and, more importantly, come welcome our newest members.

Admission to other jurisdictions - Some Resources

For those of you with eyes fixed on other pastures, figuring out what the bar admission requirements may be for a given jurisdiction, and whether you can "waive in" to the bar there, can be tedious. Here are some resources to help you along in your research. . .

The American Bar Association has several references for information on admission by motion to the bar of other states.

The “Reciprocity, Comity & Attorneys Exams” chart lists the requirements for the fifty states (2005).

“Admission by Motion Rules” lists the links to each state’s admission by motion rules (2007).

The National Conference of Bar Examiners publishes, and updates annually, the “Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admissions Requirements” (2008).

Have at it -- but always remember where you came from!

Reviews & Raises

I saw a segment on the ABC news last night reporting on the economy (of course) and the current economic downturn's effect on pay-raises. It suggested that in many fields an employee's increase in annual pay isn't keeping up with inflation, if an increase even occurs.

Many firms conduct annual reviews in Q4, if yours happens to be one have you had a similar experience? Are tensions running high because of the media coverage of economic troubles or is your firm still faring well? Does your firm have a plan to ride-out slower than average quarters, even if those quarters add up to a full year?

Dress Code for Court?

Gossip around the water cooler suggests that Androscoggin county may be considering a dress code for female attorneys appearing in court. Hmmmm. Certainly begs the question "why?" I'm trying to imagine my peers dressing so outrageously or inappropriately that they would offend the sensabilities of the bench.... and I'm hard pressed to conjure up that image.

In Cumberland County, I have seen Birkenstocks in court on both men and women attorneys, which do look a bit "hippiesque." (And I have seen cowboy boots that just look silly.) There is certainly a relaxed manner of dressing for some. However, I have yet to see an outfit (or shoe style) that seems truly inappropriate. So, I'm very curious to hear more from the Ando area...
Ladies??

Canadian Bar Admission

Does anybody out there know if/how an American lawyer can gain admission in a Canadian jurisdiction? Like say, Ontario?

July 2008 Maine Bar Exam Results Posted

To all of those that hope to be able to congratulate friends or colleagues among the recent test takers you can find a listing of successful bar examinees here.

Congrats to Michael J. Anderson who took the Clegg Award this time around.

West Coast Law School Blawgger Calls for Advice!

I went to law school on the west coast and am not sure what to expect from the Maine bar. How do most people study? Would you recommend taking BarBri, or doing self-study? Any suggestions on how to get hold of bar review materials?

Next Round of Maine Bar Exam Results

A little birdie told us that they should be posted and public on Monday. . . per custom. Good luck to all! Fingers crossed.

The "Active" Practice of Law

Many state bar associations predicate the ability to move for admission without taking the bar exam on the ability of an applicant to document (or at least attest to) the fact that he or she has been engaged in the "active" practice of law in a certain other jurisdiction for a certain minimal length of time.

What quasi-law related roles should not "count" as the active practice of law? Although certain jurisdictions try to define what is included in this definition, it is not necessarily consistent nationally. Nor do many attorneys agree on what should be included. Clerking (researching, but without representation) usually counts for this purpose, but not when in the private sector. Should this turn on how one holds themselves out?

Comments helpful.

Finding a Mentor

From blawgger Nancy Gibson:

Mentoring is a hot topic in legal circles right now . Robert Denny Associates’ December 2007 What’s Hot Report notes mentoring is an effective way for large firms to pass on skills, wisdom and professional knowledge to younger lawyers. Why do new attorneys need mentors to learn these things? CLEs alone are not enough. Let’s face it: there are many aspects of lawyering best learned through experience. Does this mean that if you don’t work at a large firm you can’t have a mentor? Of course not—you can make it happen on your own. You know better than anyone what it is that you need to learn. In my work advising lawyers on career issues, I find that those with the greatest job satisfaction are the ones who take an active role in managing their careers. They’ve thought about what it is they want from their work life and strive to create the circumstances to allow it to happen. A mentor may be a key component of your plan for a successful career.

What types of things can you learn from a mentor?
•Skill development: How do you develop and deliver a great closing argument? Negotiate a favorable lease agreement? Take a deposition?
•Marketing/Business Development: How do you approach the potential client whose business you would love to bring in? How can I become more comfortable doing public speaking?
•Interpersonal relations: How do I handle a client who lies to me? What do I do about that obnoxious opposing counsel?
•Work/life balance: What are some strategies for handling the demands of a full-time law practice while raising a family? How can I balance my law practice with my interest in competitive running?

I don’t know anyone who does all these things well and chances are neither do you. That’s why you’ll probably want to have different mentors for different needs. How do you identify who they might be? Look to people whose skills you admire in particular areas. For example, the rainmaker who seems to have a great way with people may be just the person to look to for advice about approaching potential clients. The partner who has a successful practice yet runs in a fair number of road races could teach you about balancing work with outside interests. In other words, someone who is competent at the skill you’d like to improve. It should also be someone who likes to help people and can describe how it is they achieve what they do. There are competent attorneys who are not interested in helping or teaching and may not have the faintest idea how to articulate how they do what they do. Needless to say, these are not people you want as mentors.

Where are they? Look around. It doesn’t have to be someone from your firm, or even your town. You’ll meet them in court, at closings, at bar association functions, on the softball field, or at social activities. Keep your approach low key. Asking someone “Will you be my mentor?” may give them doubts about whether they are up to what sounds like a daunting task. Instead, try something like this. “Hey Paul, I notice that you seem to do a great job of participating in your kids’ activities like coaching Little League. I’d love to talk to you about how you make that happen.” Or, “Sarah, I’m finding it a challenge to not let it get to me personally when opposing counsel acts like a jerk. I’ve seen you handle those situations very effectively. Would you be able to give me some pointers?” If, after you meet once, you think that a few more discussions with them would be useful in the same topic area, ask them if they are open to it. “This has been really helpful. I do have other questions I could use your advice on along these lines. Do you think we could continue this discussion in a few weeks?” All it takes to constitute a mentoring relationship is for the person to have an ongoing interest in your career growth—no official mentoring title needed. If you follow these suggestions, you’ll ensure a successful experience:

1.Be respectful of their time. Make an appointment and keep it! Stick to the time limit they’ve set.
2.Use their time wisely. Come prepared with a few topics you’d like to discuss.
3.When you’re done, thank them and set up a time to meet again.

When you find you’ve outgrown the need for a mentor in that particular area, say goodbye. Ending the relationship should be a sign of success. Once you’ve moved on, take the time to look around and see if there’s an attorney that you can mentor and return the favor.

POST BAR EXAM COCKTAIL RECEPTION AT LOCAL 188!

We are hosting a cocktail reception after the Maine Bar Examination on Wednesday, July 30, from 3:30-5 at Local 188 in Portland (http://www.local188.com/). Local 188 is located at 685 Congress St. near Longfellow Square. Come commiserate with the next batch of Maine lawyers! For directions or questions, email Frank Bishop at fbishop@pierceatwood.com.

Homers by NLS Officers

The Androscoggin County Bar Association held its third annual summer softball game and picnic (this year, a lobster bake) at The Great Outdoors in Turner. This year, two NLS officers not only played in the game, but played well. Reportedly, both NLS Chair-Elect Shane Wright and NLS Chair Scott Quigley managed to hit home runs in the game (the Chair does not really remember the Chair-Elect's home run). The fact that both teams were short an outfielder should be ignored. The lobster, clams and other fixings were, of course, excellent, and those present with their families had a great time in the game, on the beach and on the lake. Rumor is that there are some embarrassing pictures out there somewhere--they shall not be posted.

The annual event came about, three years ago, as part of a joint effort between the governing board of the NLS and the Androscoggin County Bar Association. It was a revival of a tradition of games in Androscoggin County between "new" lawyers and "more experienced?" ones. Members of the NLS should take note that, for next year, a few more "ringers" might be helpful.

Sea Dogs Game July 17th - Join the Gang!

UPDATE: THE "NLS" OPTION ON THE DROP DOWN MENU IS NOW WORKING. BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW!

The annual Sea Dogs game get together hosted by yours trulies (the NLS) will be on Thursday, July 17th at 7 p.m. Ticket prices are $24/person and include the following: a ticket to the game in the Picnic Area, which contains both stadium style and picnic table seating and unlimited hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, coleslaw, beans, assorted Coca-Cola products and Sea Dogs Ice Cream Biscuits (veggie burgers are also available upon request). Food will be served from one hour prior to the game until one hour after the first pitch. To purchase your tickets click on "NLS July 17," and select either NLS option in the Ticket Type drop-down menu via this link.

We'll see you on July 17th!

Fuel Cost - is it on your mind?

Maine is a large state with little public transportation so commuting and off-site meetings usually require some amount of driving. How are you dealing with the rising gas prices? Are you cutting back on off-site meetings? Do you still rely on the firm's mileage reimbursement programs? Are these programs being cut at all? How about commuting? Have you broached the subject of working from home a few days a week? Are you car-pooling?

It seems as though the Marginal Way commuter lot in Portland is getting more use these days and the nightly news certainly keeps us abreast of (if not panicked by) the rapidly rising fuel costs. So, Maine lawyers, how are you dealing?

Poll 3: Your Wish Granted - You Win!

31% of you now have the numbers needed to win the lottery, but for those of you that watch Lost, you know that having the right numbers is not always enough to win your heart's desire. . . but is usually enough to defeat a smoke monster.

25% jumped straight to a spending spree, and decided to jetset around the world. Bravo. Enjoy some sushi in Tsukiji for us during your Tokyo stopover en route to the Beijing Olympics.

Struggling Nerds and Artists split the next categories, with 12% interested in more assignments to make their billables and 12% absolutely ready to take their turn on the CW red carpet.

A resolution to rising gas prices would be soul-stirring for 6% of you, and at least 6% of you are fashionistas for whom a new work wardrobe would be tops. 6% of you are willing to share your dream with us in comments to this post ("Other"), and finally -- no one cares that much about a widescreen TV or visiting Presque Isle, perhaps because a chunk of you are watching yours in 'Almost Island' as we speak.

Law Court On Husson Law: Thumbs Down for Now

For those of you following this issue, on June 3rd the Law Court denied the Husson College School of Law Petition to allow its prospective graduates to sit for the Maine State Bar Examination. The Court identified three major defects in the Petition at this time, but did not foreclose the possibility that a future petition that remedies these defects could overcome the Court's concerns. The three major gaps in Husson's proposal were:

1. Lack of track record to provide a basis for evaluating the quality of the legal education offered. Cf. Massachusetts School of Law, which had been open 8 years before its Law Court petition.

2. Unaddressed concerns about the pedagogical method to be used at the school -- a core group of professional law professors using law school methodology may be required. The current proposal does not address concerns about teaching method and credentials of faculty raised by the Maine State Board of Education review team.

3. There should be a law-school-specific alternative to ABA accreditation, more than mere NESC accrediation, as a baseline requirement. Cf. Massachusetts School of Law review by the Massachusetts Board of Regents of Higher Education (specifically reviewing the level and quality of instruction, the quality of full-time faculty, the size and depth of the library collection, and the qualifications of the law librarian.) The MSBE has no such jurisdiction, but expressed concerns about the Husson proposal along these lines. No review can occur in any event before there is a class that has begun instruction at Husson College School of Law.

There are some interesting reader comments on the Maine Today site related to this case. Also, feel free to comment here!

Type or Write the Maine Bar Exam?

This just in from an anonymous blawgger:

"Thank you for the useful link [to the Maine Bar Review Podcasts on the Maine Law Website]. I am going to take the ME Bar Exam this summer and was curious if there was a strong preference for typing over writing? I recently took the MA Bar Exam where everyone had to write the essays. Since I was successful, I thought I might write the essays for the Maine Exam but was wondering if this would be a great disadvantage. Also if one chooses to write the exam, are they placed in a separate room than the typers?

Thank you in advance for your help."

Comment to this post and let him/her know about your recent experience, or thoughts on this. . .

CLE sale at the MSBA

The Maine State Bar Association just announced a 50% off sale on continuing legal education products if you pay for them by Monday, June 2nd. Even though MSBA Practice Series Publications and Title Standards are not included in the sale, a lot of people are trying to clear out their CLEs by August and if you're strapped for cash it is good to consider taking advantage of the discount. . .

Poll 2: As "Faux" Lawyers Go, You Say Denny Crane is Tops

You were asked to identify your favorite "faux" lawyer on TV. The votes are in and William Shatner (31%) seems to have it going on for the bare majority of you. Jason Bateman (26%) came a close second and took the silver, with Jeremy Piven grabbing Bronze (21%). Calista was a ways back (10%) with very little support for the Prosecutors of Law and Order (5%) or Nancy Grace (0%). The latter done got a whuppin' by "Other" (5%).

So anyone that wrote "other," tell us who it is and why! Just add a comment to this post.

Successful Feb 08 Maine Bar Exam Applicants Posted Today

For those of you with friends or rivals that sat for last February's Maine Bar Examination, the results are in.

Congratulations also to Kevin J. Crosman who took this Feb's Clegg Award for the highest score among the first time takers at that sitting.

Join our group on LinkedIn

The New Lawyer's Section of the Maine State Bar Association has indeed created a group where you can get LinkedIn!

Members of our Section know that networking can be even more fun and effective when you add 21st Century tools. . .

If you are already an NLS member -- we'll approve you immediately. If not, go to the Maine State Bar Association Website and become an MSBA member now - if you're eligible to join our Section, we'd be glad to get you LinkedIn ASAP.

So who is eligible to join the NLS? Any Maine attorney with an active bar license issued within the last five years. Even if you've practiced longer than five years you are still eligible so long as you are under 36 years old.

Poll 1: Do You Like the "Idea" of Being a Lawyer?

The results are in: minimalist expression reigns supreme here in Vacationland.

It makes me cringe: 17%
Ayuh: 58%
Always have always will: 17%
It's not an "idea," it's a way of life: 23%

Make sure to weigh in on Poll 2 . . ."Faux Lawyers" . . .and Poll 3 "Your Specialities" over there in the right column -->

U.S. Supreme Court Justices Interviews

As described in a recent article in Corporate Counsel, In 2006-2007, Bryan Garner interviewed eight of the nine Supreme Court Justices about legal writing and advocacy. These are the complete interviews. Because the files are large, the videos may take a few moments to start playing.

LawProse is making these interviews available as a public service. Anyone may freely use these videos for educational purposes, with appropriate attribution to Bryan Garner or LawProse.

Maine Courthouses - Call for Facade Photos

Next time you go to a courthouse around the state - snap an image with your cell phone or digital camera of the facade. We'll create a rotating slideshow for the blawg so that attorneys can get a visual of where they may need to drive for work one day soon. Extra points for those with an artistic eye . . .

Email images to nlsmainestatebar(at) gmail.com

Warmer Weather Work Clothes

So you're a new-ish lawyer in Maine and you've got your stock of suits . . . .etc. But it just got warmer outside people! We all know that the second the temperature rises and gives us even a glimpse of spring in our spare time the shorts go on and the hiking/running/biking/kayaking/sailing/go-carting and whatever else outdoors urge overtakes. Okay, maybe not go-carting. But then having to wear the suit or whatever else to the office each day when you're not in Court and not at a client meeting cramps your style and compromises comfort even more than usual. Not everyone has the cash to get an entire wardrobe full of "warm weather suits." So. . . gradually within the realm of acceptable the "dressed up" version of "dressy casual" starts to sneak in. . . For men -- I'd be interested to hear what the options are to dress it down a little bit. How flexible is your workplace re: clothing year round? Do rules change with the seasons? For women, is this just an area where things are always more flexible? The WSJ Juggle blog has something to say about pregnant professionals dealing with dress code problems. Sounds rough.

This area is where the non-firm lawyers have everyone beat. Maine feels like a fairly conservative place as far as firm culture goes, which is surprising given how outdoorsy people and their clients are in this state.

U Maine Law's Exam Review Series Podcasts Online

This just in from blawgger "Legally Blonde" :

The University of Maine School of Law's Bar Exam review series has been posted as a series of podcasts on the Maine Law website. This is a great resource for lawyers from out-of-state who need to pass questions 1 & 2 on the exam to be admitted here...

Check it out.

Husson College of Law?

There has been healthy debate about the desirability of multiple law schools in Maine. The Husson College proposal to open a non-accredited law school in Bangor is of great interest. We've heard a lot of pro's and con's. Do you have any opinion?

Maine Law Blawg Launches

Okay - here goes. Maine is fairly remote and sometimes the legal community can feel isolated. This blawg is your outlet to the world. New lawyers - old lawyers - lawyers in between. Lawyers from away that want to experience the way life should be and those from nearby that want to talk about how life could be, this space is for you.

This is a space for serious legal discussion and rumination, feedback and treatment of cutting edge legal issues of interest to lawyers in Maine, nationally and worldwide. This is also a lighthearted forum where it's alright to enjoy a laugh with your colleagues now and again.

Please speak up -- post -- ask questions, and share experiences. We want to hear what you're thinking!