Solo Practice University® » Faculty Announcements

Faculty Announcement – Anne-Marie Rábago

Susan Cartier Liebel — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:30:06 +0000

Anne-Marie Rábago is a tax attorney in San Diego. She will teach the course, "Introduction to Taxes for the Solo/Small Firm Attorney" at Solo Practice University®.

Born in Ohio and raised just outside Washington, DC in Lanham, Maryland. Ms. Rabago returned to Ohio to attend Ohio University; where she graduated Cum Laude and was a member of Golden Key International Honour Society and Lambda Pi Eta Communication Honor Society. In addition, she was honored to be named an Ohio University Outstanding Senior Leader.

Prior to her legal career, she worked in nonprofit fundraising for the San Diego Repertory Theatre and as a human resources professional for Capital One Financial Services.

Almost ten years after completing her undergraduate studies, she enrolled at California Western School of Law. While attending California Western, she was invited to compete as a member of the trial team and the American Bar Association's National Appellate Advocacy Competition team. She was selected as an Honors Instructor for legal research and writing courses, received the Dean's Merit Scholarship, and was named a Distinguished Advocate for her First Place finish in the First Year Appellate Competition.

After completing her Juris Doctor, she attended Northwestern University School of Law; where she received a Master of Laws in Taxation, and won First Place in the LL.M. Division of the American Bar Association's Law Student Tax Challenge.

Upon graduation, she worked for the accounting firm of Price Waterhouse Cooper in the area of International Tax Services. Ms. Rabago advised multinational clients in a variety of industries on complicated domestic and international tax matters. Rábago Law is the realization of her aspirations – to partner with individual taxpayers and small business owners to understand their unique circumstances, simplify their obligations, ease their tax concerns, and help them build strong financial futures. Ms. Rabago is licensed to practice in the states of California and Texas.

Ms. Rabago stays active in the San Diego legal community as a volunteer attorney with the Legal Aid Society's Low Income Taxpayer Clinic and a member of the San Diego County Bar Association. She is the Vice President of Philanthropy for the Chi Omega Alumnae Group of San Diego. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of the East Village Association Business Improvement District. In her spare time, she can generally be found enjoying the sights and sounds of San Diego's East Village. where she is an avid craft beer enthusiast and enjoys traveling abroad with her husband.

Syllabus

Introduction to Taxes for the Solo/Small Firm Attorney

Course Objective

At the end of this course, students will have the resources and knowledge needed to operate a tax efficient and compliant law practice. The course will cover key tax considerations in starting, running, and growing a solo or small firm law practice.

Class 1: Choice of Entity
The session explores business structure options and develops an understanding of tax filing, compliance, and payments effected by choice of entity, including discussion of the following:

Solo practitioners
Small firm principals
Employer identification number (EIN)
Income tax
Payroll tax
Required tax filings
Limiting liability – professional vs. general vs. personal
State and state bar limitations and compliance

Class 2: Tax Deductions
Students will learn the difference between personal expenses, business expenses, and capital expenses and how to identify valid business deductions, including a discussion of the following:

Vehicle expenses
Travel expenses
Meals and Entertainment
Gift Expenses
Library Expenses
Business Use of Your Home

Class 3: Books, Records, Reporting
Students develop an understanding of how to comply with tax filing and reporting requirements, as well as recordkeeping and substantiation documentation, including a discussion of the following:

Bank accounts
Cash payments
1099 Reporting
Documenting deductible business expenses
Depreciation schedules
Paying taxes
Record retention

Class 4: Attorney Audits
Students will learn what to expect in an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) audit of their law practice, including a discussion of the following:

Risk of audit
IRS Notices
Types of audits
Information Document Request
Attorney-client privilege
Report of Income Tax Examination Changes
Audit appeal rights

Class 5: Circular 230 and Professional Responsibility
The session covers Treasury Circular 230, its implications for tax practitioners and all attorneys, including a discussion of the following:

What is Circular 230?
Do I need a disclosure at the bottom of my emails?
What is the IRS Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR)?
Am I under the jurisdiction of the IRS OPR?
Overlap between Circular 230, the Internal Revenue Code, Rules of Professional Responsibility
Common tax crimes

Class 6: Crossover Areas of Law
Students will learn about some of the most common tax issues present in various areas of law practice, including a discussion of the following:

Business
Bankruptcy
Employment/Labor
Estate Planning
Family
Immigration
Personal injury
Real Estate

Class 7: Growing your law practice
In this final session, students will discover tax considerations and implications of managing the growth of their law practice, including a discussion of the following:

Worker classification
Payroll and withholding
Trust fund recovery penalties
Choosing the right professionals
Planning for retirement
Insurance considerations

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel

Faculty Announcement – David Schnurman

Susan Cartier Liebel — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 11:30:18 +0000

David Schnurman is an entrepreneur based in New York City. He will teach the course, "Building Blocks for Successful Entrepreneurship" at Solo Practice University®.

David Schnurman is a passionate entrepreneur whose primary focus is creating a collaborative environment where individuals can actively learn and share their knowledge. He is the founder of two e-learning companies, Lawline.com, the leading provider of online Continuing Legal Education in the country and TrueNYC.com, an online website that features video interviews and advice from entrepreneurs.

His number one priority has always been to create a company culture that encourages learning, collaboration and innovation. Over the past few years Lawline.com’s unique company culture has been recognized by many organizations, including: Crain’s #21 Best Company to Work for in NYC; named #11 Best Small Business by New York State Society of Human Resources; and most recently won the Human Resources and Leadership Award by the New York Enterprise Report. In addition, David's success has been recognized by The Wall Street Journal, Inc. Magazine, Entrepreneur.com, Crain's NY, New York Post, and Law.com.

David is the host of the longest running legal show, LAWLINE, which currently airs on WNYC among other networks around the country. David actively speaks at high schools, colleges, associations, and businesses about topics ranging from marketing, leadership, e-learning, hiring, culture, networking and entrepreneurship. He is a regular guest speaker at SUNY LEVIN Institute FastTrac program which the City of New York partnered with the Kaufman Foundation to help business owners grow their companies. He also taught as an adjunct faculty member at Pace University's continuing adult education program.

David is very active in the entrepreneur community including being a member of Entrepreneur Organization and on the Young Entrepreneur Council. He is also a licensed attorney in New York State. Lastly, David has a love for adventure and discovery. He has paraglided in the Colorado Mountains, gone skydiving, and taken flying lessons. David currently lives in Park Slope, Brooklyn with his wife Kelli and twins Joshua & Leila.

Syllabus – "Building Blocks for Successful Entrepreneurship"

I. Are you an Entrepreneur?
Assess your match with entrepreneurship and learn key traits and characteristics that the most successful entrepreneurs share. Learn the overall mindset of an entrepreneur that creates the tipping point of success over failure.

In this session you will learn:

What it means to be an entrepreneur.
How to effectively assess your strengths.
How to craft a vision based off your passion.

II. Crafting your Vision
In this session, you will learn how to create a strategic vision for your company. You will learn the unique method and story behind Lawline.com's strategic vision, and how it set the crucial framework for direction and success.

In this session you will learn:

How to create a strategic vision in 10 minutes.
How to prioritize your vision into actionable steps.
How to take action and start seeing results.

III. Building your Brand
In week 3, David will show you how he built a brand upon his personality. You will learn the value of forming your strategic vision into a personality that reflects who you are.

In this session you will learn:

The essentials to building the brand behind your strategic vision.
How service will differentiate you from the competition.

IV. Leadership and Management
An essential component of successful entrepreneurship is relationship building. In this course, you will learn how to create meaningful relationships with clients, employees, and partners to further build your brand.

In this session you will learn:

How to communicate your vision to employees.
The essential differences between leadership and management.
The value of creating lasting and meaningful relationships.

V. Taking Risks
Complacency is the number one way to halt growth. Learn how Lawline.com took calculated risks to grow its brand, and how avoiding complacency through consistent urgency can create a dynamic, fun, and thriving business.

In this session you will learn:

How to evaluate crucial decisions that can change your business forever.
The power of the word "Yes."
How to recover and stay positive when plans do not work out.

VI. Business and Life
As an entrepreneur, the end goal does not stop with your business. Your business is a part of your life, and because of that, you are simultaneously crafting the life of your dreams. In this final session, learn how David has integrated his business as a part of his life to maximize the value, enjoyment, and happiness that each day brings.

In this session you will learn:

How to effectively delegate as your business grows.
How to build your business into your overall life from the start.
How to have the business and life you have always dreamed.

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel

Faculty Announcement – Allison Wood

Susan Cartier Liebel — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Allison Wood partners with solos and firms to provide ethics counsel. She will teach "Legal Ethics" at Solo Practice University®.

Allison L. Wood, is the principal of Legal Ethics Consulting, P.C., where she provides preventative ethics counseling; research for ethical inquiries; and disciplinary and malpractice defense.

Prior to starting her firm, Ms. Wood served nearly five years as Litigation Counsel with the Illinois Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission (“ARDC”), where she investigated and prosecuted cases of attorney misconduct; and handled over 400 ethical inquiries from Illinois attorneys. Ms. Wood also served five years as a Hearing Board Chair for the ARDC where she managed a case load of attorney misconduct cases; and presided over these cases as part of a three member final who made findings of misconduct and recommended sanctions. Ms. Wood has over 20 years of litigation experience which includes representing corporate clients in tort and business litigation; as well as individuals in employment and criminal matters.

For more than a decade, Ms. Wood has been an adjunct professor and lecturer at the following area law schools: University of Chicago; DePaul University College of Law; and The John Marshall Law School, relating to pre-trial skills, trial skills, and professional responsibility courses. She was admitted to the practice of law in 1987; the Federal Bar in 1989; and the Federal Trial Bar in 1990. She is a member of the Chicago Bar Association’s Editorial Board for the CBA Record; and a member of the CLE Committee for the ABA’s Center for Professional Responsibility.

You can follow her on Twitter at @ethicsforsolos.

Syllabus – Legal Ethics

Managing the Attorney-Client Relationship. The vast majority of disciplinary claims and malpractice claims stem from issues that arise in the attorney-client relationship. Many claims can be avoided with effective and consistent communications with your clients and an understanding of the ethical rules that apply. Learn practical ways you can better manage your relationships with your clients and reduce your risk of becoming the subject of a disciplinary or malpractice claim.

Navigating Social Media Ethically. In recent months, disciplinary charges have been brought against attorneys relative to misrepresentations on their websites, statements made on blogs, and most recently, posting a discovery video on YouTube. Learn the ethical traps of using social media and what you can do to avoid them.

How to identify and analyze a concurrent conflict. Although it may sound obvious that you can’t represent both parties to a transaction, many attorneys do it anyway and rationalize that they can objectively represent both parties with consent. Don’t rely on your intuition and your gut alone. Learn how to identify a conflict and how to make informed decisions about continued representation when a conflict arises.

How to analyze a potential conflict with a former client. Attorneys are always hopeful that Joe Client will give them repeat business after a current matter closes. While you are waiting for Joe to call, you get a call from Joe’s competitor, Bob who has a load of cases he wants to send you. Learn how to analyze conflicts regarding former clients and the duties owed to them when the representation ends.

Your duties to the courts. What do you do if your client tells you that he will perjure himself on the witness stand? What if during a hearing, your client makes a misrepresentation to the court? Or, what if your opposing counsel cites a case in his brief for a proposition that the case does not hold? Learn the applicable ethics rules and how to navigate these and other similar issues.

Legal fees and reasonableness. If you set your fee to low, your clients may not appreciate the value of your legal services. If you set it to high, there is a fear the client will not retain you. Learn how the ethical rules provide guidelines to assess the reasonableness of your fees and how you can best communicate your fee arrangements to your clients.

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel

Faculty Announcement – Vonda K. Vandaveer

Susan Cartier Liebel — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 12:30:16 +0000

Vonda K. Vandaveer is an immigration lawyer with a practice based in the Washington, DC area. She will teach a course called “Introduction to Immigration Law” at Solo Practice University®.

Vonda K. Vandaveer is admitted to practice law in California and Washington, DC. Her practice is based in the Washington, DC area, where she represents clients in their international business transactions, U.S. government contracting efforts, and immigration matters.

While living in Tunisia and Brussels for the last six years, she has worked virtually with her law office in the United States.

Prior to opening her own practice, Ms. Vandaveer worked at law offices in Atlanta, GA and Kuwait, City, Kuwait. In addition to private practice, she has worked at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan on rule of law and capacity building in the justice sector and at the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina in the consular section.

She is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and American Bar Association, has served as Vice-Chair of the ABA's Humanitarian Law Committee of the Section of International Law, and is published in the ABA's publications Middle East Commercial Law Developments and International Lawyer.

She also has received professional training in consular processing at the U.S. State Department's Foreign Service Institute and has performed consular services at the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Prior to earning her law degree and license, Ms. Vandaveer worked for 10 years as a journalist on the east and west coasts of the United States, winning awards for her news coverage.

Ms. Vandaveer earned her bachelor's degree from the University of California, Irvine and her law degree from Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA.

Syllabus – Introduction to Immigration Law

Big Picture

Practice area overview
Visa types (immigrant and nonimmigrant)
Immigration organizational structure (roles of the agencies)
The law and resources
Admissions process
Visa vs. I-94
Nonimmigrant visa application process
B1/B2 visa eligibility criteria
Visa vs. Visa Waiver Program
214(b)
221(g)

NIVs Part II: F-1 Student Visa

Change of Status
Extension of status
30/60/90 Rule
Maintenance of status
Unlawful presence
F1 student visa
Duration of Status (D/S)
OPT/CPT

NIVs Part III: H-1B Work Visa

Eligibility criteria
- BA vs. MA for category
- ETA
- Job zones/SVP
- Quota
Application process
- LCA
- I-129
Resources

NIVs Part IV: Other Visa Types

Eligibility criteria for key visa types
- J
- E
- L
- TN
- I
- O
- P
- Q
- R

Immigrant Visas Part 1: Overview and Family-Based Visas

Immigrant visa types (Family, employment, refugee/asylum)
Visa availability/backlog
Adjustment of status vs. consular processing
Family-based immigration petitions
K Fiance/e nonimmigrant visa
Resources

Immigrant Visas Part 2: Employment-Based Immigrant visas

EB-1
EB-2 (compared to H-1B)
EB-3 (compared to H-1B)
PERM
Forms I-140/I-485
Resources

Criminal immigration law

Grounds/Inadmissibilities
Waivers
Deportation/removal process
Relief from removal
Resources

Naturalization/citizenship

Basic eligibility criteria
Continuous residence/physical presence
Exceptions
Good moral character and overcoming problems
Application process
Resources

Client Relations

Ethics (joint representation)
Dealing with clients
- Intake form with questions geared toward immigration status and ineligibilities
- Fees (flat vs. hourly)
- Internet based – amenable to unbundled services
LPM/Technology in the Immigration Practice
- Form and case management programs

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel

Faculty Announcement – Gene Goodsell

Susan Cartier Liebel — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:30:52 +0000

Gene is a sports and entertainment lawyer based in Sydney, Australia. He will teach "International Sports Law" at Solo Practice University®.

Gene has experience dealing with cross-border transactions, particularly those involving U.S. parties. He has lived in Los Angeles and frequents Los Angeles and New York on business.

Gene has a business degree, a law degree with honors and a post-graduate certificate in legal practice from the University of Technology, Sydney. He is currently studying for his Masters of Laws at the prestigious University of Sydney.

Gene currently works for Burgess Sport & Entertainment – one of the only sports and entertainment law firms in Australia. The firm acts for many major sporting and entertainment bodies, as well as for elite athletes and entertainers. All staff have sport and/or entertainment law experience.

Gene is also the C.E.O. of Gum Leaf Management – a sports and entertainment management firm with a strong overseas focus.

Prior to working for Burgess and Gum Leaf, Gene worked as a lawyer for leading professional services firm KPMG, as well as for one of Australia’s largest and most prestigious top-tier commercial law firms, Minter Ellison.

As well as having private practice experience, Gene has worked for one of Australia’s most successful sports and entertainment management firms – AMI Sport & Entertainment (now aspire management). AMI managed the careers of some of the most accomplished and successful athletes and entertainers in Australia (such as Wendell Sailor, Willie Mason, Matt Giteau and Drew Mitchell).

Gene is a member of the Australia and New Zealand Sports Law Association and the Australian Film Institute. He has written articles for encore; leading legal publication mondaq; Sports Agent Blog and Entertainment Agent Blog; as well as winning a prize for pro bono work contributed to the Arts Law Centre of Australia. He is on the Committee of the Universal Film & Festival Organization and a is a member of the Beverly Hills Bar Association.

Away from work, Gene enjoys running, golf and tennis and watching all sports, including Fighting Irish Football and the 49ers.

Syllabus

International Sports Law

Session 1 – What is international sports law?
Session 2 – Mediating altercations
Session 3 – Gambling on sports
Session 4 – Regulation of the sports industry by sports entities
Session 5 – Anti-discrimination
Session 6 – Competition law
Session 7 – Documentation between U.S. and foreign sports leagues
Session 8 – Intellectual property law
Session 9 – Intellectual property law (continued)
Session 10 – Intellectual property law (continued)
Session 11 – Global Event Sponsorship

For a more detailed syllabus, click here to view the PDF.

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel

Faculty Announcement – Martha Sperry

Susan Cartier Liebel — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 11:30:53 +0000

Martha Sperry will teach "Everything Google – Using Free & Cheap Tools To Ease Your Workload And Budget" at Solo Practice University®.

Martha Sperry, Esq. has been an attorney for more than twenty years, serving the domestic and foreign insurance industry in a variety of capacities. She is admitted to practice in Illinois and Massachusetts. She currently is in-house counsel for the claims department of a national specialty lines insurance company located in Massachusetts. Martha also has a consulting practice offering assistance to professional clients on new media, technology, branding, and professional development. She has assisted major insurance agencies with the creation of white papers and marketing pieces, leveraging technology to provide the best possible product. An avid follower of new media and technology trends, Martha has been approached by the press for her views on these subjects, as well as on modern search techniques and mobile tools. She writes on issues of law, technology, research and writing at her blog, Advocate’s Studio.

Martha graduated from the New England School of Law in 1990, summa cum laude, after serving as Executive Lead Articles editor for her school’s Law Review. She started her legal writing career with a published article on hostile environment sexual harassment that was cited twice in the Worth Reading column of the National Law Journal. She hasn’t stopped writing since.

Martha’s experience has run the gamut from a top 100 law firm, to a corporate legal department, to a small firm managing the insurance coverage practice, to her own business as a consultant. This breadth of professional experience gives her perspective on the different ways one can practice law. One idea holds true no matter the position: the more one becomes acquainted with the tools of the trade, the easier it is to master the job. The tools of the legal trade these days are rooted firmly in technology.

Martha’s views expressed here are her personal views and do not represent the view of her current employer. You can learn more about Martha at her website AdvantageAdvocates. Or check out her profile on LinkedIn.

Syllabus

"Everything Google – Using Free & Cheap Tools To Ease Your Workload And Budget"

Introduction to Google

What is Google
- First Product
- History
- Current Crop of Applications
What’s In It for Google
What’s In It For You
- Free Tools
- Cheap Storage
- Website Hosting
- Social Networking
Issues to Be Aware Of
- Free Has A Price
- Security
- Privacy
- Data Ownership
Web Applications
The Google Cloud
Desktop Applications

Gmail & Google Calendar

Gmail
- What is it?
- Why Use it?
  - Features & Benefits
- How Does It Work?
  - On The Web
  - On The Desktop
  - On the Mobile Device
- Tweaking Your Gmail with Google Labs
- Modding Your Gmail with Extensions and Apps

Google Calendar
- What is it?
- Why Use It?
  - Features & Benefits
- How Does it Work?
  - On The Web
  - On The Desktop
  - On The Mobile Device
- Tweaking Google Calendar
- Modding Your Calendar

Google Docs, Spreadsheets & Presentations

Google Docs
- What is it?
- Why use it?
- How does it work?
Google Spreadsheets
- What is it?
- Why use it?
- How does it work?
Google Presentations
- What is it?
- Why use it?
- How does it work?

Google Search

What is it?
How does it work?
What can it do for you?
- Advanced Search & Limiters
- Google Scholar
- Google Custom Search Engines
- Google Social Search
- Google Alerts
- Google Maps
- Google Earth
- Google Data
- Google Books
- Google Local
- Google Trip Planning
- Miscellaneous

Google +

What is it?
Why use it?
How does it work?
- Profiles
- Circles
- Sharing
- Search
- Hangouts
- Huddle
- Photos
- Chat
- Where + Is Going
Incorporation of Google properties or the Plus-ification of Everything Google
Data ownership – It’s Not Facebook

Google Sites and Apps

What is it?
Why use it?
How do they work?
- Free versus Paid and What You Get
- Suite of Tools
- App Store

Google Chrome

What is it?
Why use it?
How does it work?
- Speed, Speed and More Speed
- Extensify Your Experience
- Chrome Apps Store

Android – Your Mobile Operating System

What is it?
Why use it?
How does it work?
- Smartphones
- Tablets
- Integration with Other Google Products
- The App Market

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel

Faculty Announcement – Deborah Gonzalez

Susan Cartier Liebel — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 09:20:08 +0000

Deborah Gonzalez will teach the course "Social Media & the Law" at Solo Practice University®.

Deborah Gonzalez, Esq. is the founder of Law2sm, LLC, a new legal consulting firm focusing on helping its clients navigate the legal issues relating to the new digital and social media world.

Deborah graduated from New York Law School in 1997. Following graduation, she built a successful boutique practice in New York City, focusing on the arts, music and entertainment scene. In 2007, Deborah relocated to Georgia where she was employed by the University System of Georgia. In 2008 she was granted reciprocity to practice law in Georgia.

Deborah’s practice has taken her from an inner-city arts community center in NYC to a sidewalk café in Eastern Europe; from preparing programs for diplomats in the EU to assisting medical missions with refugee communities in Thailand; from protecting against music piracy in the US to protecting against bio-piracy in South America. And now it is transporting her beyond the Internet to the social space where the physical and digital dimensions of her clients co-exist and where she can leverage her legal expertise to their benefit.

Deborah enjoys engaging with those around her – so social media is a natural fit. But it is her skill in being able to connect the dots to understand the next big paradigm shift in global communication and legal application that makes her a leader in social media law.

In addition, Deborah speaks on the legal issues relating to intellectual property; art, music, and digital entertainment law; and social media legal trends and practices in various venues throughout the United States and abroad. Connect with Deborah - LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Blog Website

Syllabus – Social Media & the Law

An overview of topics is listed below. For more information, see detailed syllabus (pdf).

Intro to Social Media and the Law for Solo Practitioners
Social Media Legal Profiles
Social Media & Online Disclaimers
E-Professionalism & Social Media for Law Students
E-Professionalism & Social Media for Attorneys
Privacy & Social Media
Social Media & Employee Mishapps
Social Media Employee Policies
Badvocacy
Social Media & Copyrights
Social Media & Trademarks
Social Media & Defamation/Publicity Rights
Social Media & Family Law
Social Media & Criminal Law
Social Media & E- Discovery
Social Media & Monitoring
Social Media, Media & Law
Social Media, Healthcare & Law

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel

Faculty Announcement – Marc Garfinkle

Susan Cartier Liebel — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 11:30:05 +0000

Marc Garfinkle is a criminal and civil trial lawyer in New Jersey. He will teach "Criminal Law – 101″.

Marc D. Garfinkle, Esq. “hung out a shingle” in San Francisco on the day of his swearing in, back in 1978. A few years later, he moved to the Garden State where he again hung out a shingle. Today, his practice emphasizes criminal defense matters and licensing issues involving attorneys and other professionals.

In addition to his practice, Marc is Adjunct Professor of Persuasion and Advocacy at Seton Hall Law School, municipal Public Defender in Livingston, NJ, and teaches skills to law students for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA). Marc is a former investigator and past chair of the NJ Supreme Ct. Dist. Attorney Ethics Committee, and is Chair of the Essex County NJ Bar Association Solo and Small Firm Practice Committee.

Marc is a member of the Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the American Association for Justice, the Association for Continuing Legal Education (ACLEA), the American Bar Association and Phi Beta Kappa.

Marc’s popular book, “$olo Contendere: How to Go Directly from Law School into the Practice of Law Without Getting a Job” offers advice and inspiration to a generation of new lawyers who go out on their own. Marc has also written “The Hip-Pocket Guide to Testifying in Court,” “The New Lawyer’s Hip-Pocket Guide to Appearing in Court,” and the “Law Enforcement Officer’s Hip-Pocket Guide to Testifying in Court."

Syllabus

Criminal Law – 101

The Criminal Practice

Options and opportunities
The reasons we do it
A few things you should know

Developing a criminal clientele

Referrals from lawyers
Marketing and networking
Creating a great reputation

Initial client interview

Getting clients into your office
What to find out
What to say
How to get paid

Visiting clients in jail

Jail vs. Prisons
What to expect
What is expected of you

Bail

How it works
Bondsmen and other alternatives
Bail reduction
Source hearings

Representing a criminal defendant in court – some basics

Local courts
State courts
Federal courts

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel

Faculty Announcement – Rochelle Richardson

Susan Cartier Liebel — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 11:30:07 +0000

Rochelle Richardson will teach "Introduction to Veterans Law" at Solo Practice University®.

Ms. Richardson is a Washington, DC attorney and veterans advocate. Her law office, Rochelle E. Richardson, Attorney at Law, PLLC, offers general legal services to families, individuals, and businesses in the District of Columbia and provides representation to veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, nationwide, in their claims for benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Prior to starting her current solo practice, Ms. Richardson served as Associate Counsel to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. During that time, she served as the Board’s attorney in over 400 matters concerning veterans’ benefits. She is proud to bring this extensive experience to veterans as they pursue their claims for veterans’ benefits.

Ms. Richardson is a member of the DC Bar and its Administrative and Agency Practice Section. She is an accredited attorney of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and is admitted to practice at the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. She is a member of the National Organization of Veterans Advocates (NOVA), serves as a Volunteer Attorney with the Veterans Pro Bono Consortium, works with Public Counsel Law Center’s Center for Veterans Advancement, and has served as a member of the Exploratory Board of the Veterans Foundation/ Veterans Law Project.

Ms. Richardson received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois and her Juris Doctor degree from the Appalachian School of Law in Grundy, Virginia.

Syllabus – Introduction to Veterans Law

Establishing Service Connection for VA Disability Compensation

The Claim for Service Connection: What is it?
The Requirement of Veteran Status: Who may file a claim?
The Requirement of a Current Disability: What is/is not a “disability” for the purposes of VA compensation?
Theoretical Bases of Entitlement
Evidentiary Considerations
Standards of Proof/Review

The VA Claims Process: The Path of the Veteran’s Claim

Filing the Claim: What Constitutes a Claim?
VA’s Duties to Notify and Assist
The Regional Office (RO) Decision: The Grant or Denial of the Claim
The Veteran’s Notice of Disagreement
The Statement of the Case: The RO’s Response to the NOD
Perfecting the Appeal to the Board: Filing a VA Form 9
Appealing the Board’s Decision: The Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims

The Disability Rating

VA's Schedule for Rating Disabilities
The Claim for a Higher Initial Rating
The Claim for an Increase in an Existing Rating

Examples

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel

Faculty Announcement – Celeste H.G. Boyd

Susan Cartier Liebel — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 11:30:15 +0000

Celeste H.G. Boyd will teach a course about freelance lawyering at Solo Practice University®.

Celeste H.G. Boyd is a Freelance Attorney licensed in New Mexico and North Carolina, a Yale Law School graduate, and a military spouse (among other things). Recently, in addition to her freelance practice, Celeste also began serving as Of Counsel to The Paynter Law Firm, PLLC (a former freelance client), for whom she works on a wide variety of cases, mostly involving intellectual property, consumer protection, and antitrust law. [And, in her “spare” time, she also runs Stiletto Gear, a company that makes clothing for military families.]

During law school, Celeste worked as a Summer Law Clerk at the Legal Aid Society—Employment Law Center in San Francisco, and as a Summer Associate for the litigation department of Morrison | Foerster in San Francisco, in anticipation of relocating to San Francisco after law school. But alas, those plans came to a screeching halt when, shortly before graduating from law school, she fell for and married an officer in the U.S. Army. His career meant that they would “get” to move to new and exotic locations (like Ft. Leavenworth, KS or Ft. Bragg, NC) every 1-2 years, which presented an interesting puzzle: how to create a thriving legal career in the face of constant geographic insecurity? Thus was born her practice as a Freelance Attorney.

Celeste’s clients include attorneys from across the country—solo practitioners, law firms of all sizes, corporate in-house counsel, and nonprofits—and the legal services she provides them are as varied as the clients themselves. In the last few years, Celeste has seen interest in freelance lawyering steadily increase (the word “explode” might even be appropriate), and she regularly gets calls and emails asking about how to be a freelancer. She hopes this SPU course will provide a great starting point for anyone looking for the freedom and flexibility of a freelance practice.

For more information, please see www.celesteboyd.com.

Syllabus

Footloose and Fancy-Freelancing: Lawyering on your own terms

Class # 1 – So You Wanna Be a Freelancer?

Lawyers come to the world of freelancing from many different backgrounds and for many different reasons. Although there’s no single recipe for a successful freelance practice (after all, part of the allure of this career path is the flexibility to do things your way), there are certain questions you need to ask from the get-go to ensure that you’ve at least thought about where you’re going and why. What’s your vision of this career move? Are you ready to dive right in, or should you test the waters a bit before you jump? And most importantly, are you ready for everything that comes with being an entrepreneur? Because that’s what freelancing is: entrepreneurship. It’s turning your career into a business, your bosses into clients, and yourself into your boss. Confused yet? Hopefully this class will help clear up some of that confusion.

Class # 2 – The Ethics of Freelancing

Freelancing is not exactly a brand-new phenomenon, but it’s new enough that anyone who’s read the Model Rules can tell you they’re not written with freelance attorneys in mind. Even so, freelancers are still attorneys, and we’re still governed by the same ethical standards and regulations as other attorneys. This session will point out some of the trickiest ethical issues facing freelancers, including regulations governing the unauthorized practice of law, the definition of law practice (and lawyer-client relationships), virtual law practices, multi-jurisdictional practice, and malpractice insurance. I can’t possibly resolve all the questions you might have about legal ethics and freelancing, but the idea is to give you a solid heads-up about some of the issues you should be considering before you start your practice.

Class # 3 – Catching the Work (Marketing)

Freelance lawyering is not a field of dreams—if you build it . . . they may or may not come. The single most common question I get about freelancing is “How do I find work?” And it’s the most common question precisely because it’s the most difficult—especially for attorneys, who, let’s face it, are generally not used to questions that can’t be answered by Lexis or Westlaw. While there’s no one-size-fits-all, magic recipe for finding work (I don’t care what the sales “gurus” say), this session seeks to provide some tips on how to approach marketing yourself as a freelance attorney—and maybe more importantly, how to avoid some marketing pitfalls that stand between you and a successful practice.

Class # 4 – Pinning the Work Down (The First Phone Call)

So you’ve worked hard to set up your practice, and you finally get that phone call: “Hi, I’m Lawyer X, and I’m interested in your services.” Ummm . . . now what? This session seeks to prepare you for that phone call by discussing key issues that need to be resolved before you start working. This includes dealing with the second-most common question I get about freelancing: “What do I charge?” But it also includes the other basic questions you’ll need to cover in that first phone call, such as project timing, project scope, and work product format. Plus, we’ll talk about whether you need a professional services agreement, and what needs to be included in it.

Class # 5 – Doing the Work, Part I: Logistics

So you think you’re an attorney, right? Wrong. You’re now an attorney, a paralegal, an administrative assistant, an office manager, a marketing director, and a general gofer. Depending on where you’ve come from in your career, you may be used to performing some of these roles—but you’re probably not used to performing ALL of them at once. This session will cover the nitty-gritty of time and task management, invoicing, and the other logistics involved in running your own home office, including some tips on technological solutions for maximizing your efficiency.

Class # 6 – Doing the Work, Part II: The Actual Legal Work.

If you’ve been a working attorney up until now, you probably think doing the actual legal work of a freelancer is the least of your worries. After all, you went to three years of law school to learn how to do it, and you’ve been practicing for [insert number] years. How different could it be, right? Well, you’re partially right. In many ways the work you do as a freelancer is very similar to the work you’ve already done as an attorney (or a law clerk / intern). But there’s a key difference: you no longer have a boss—you have clients. And a successful freelance practice depends on understanding the subtle distinctions between the two types of relationships. This session will discuss these distinctions, and how to navigate the client–freelancer relationship effectively so that your clients keep coming back.

Written by Susan Cartier Liebel