“The Artist” took home the Oscar for Best Picture last Sunday during the 2012 Academy Awards. Adele won the Grammy for Record of the Year (among a score of other wins) last month for her album, “21.” And, right now, we are in the midst of awards season for attorneys.

Each year, a host of awards are provided by different organizations in Maryland, including the Maryland Bar Foundation, Pro Bono Resource Center, The Daily Record and the American Bar Association. These awards include honors for young lawyers.

For those of you whose practice reached beyond billable hours to focus on the betterment of the community through pro bono work, public service or professionalism, then recognition is deserved. And while you may not focus on trying to win an award when you are helping a pro bono client deal with legal issues or spending Saturday afternoons serving food at a soup kitchen, young lawyers that are “do-gooders” should be recognized.

So, if you are one of these people or know someone that fits the bill, there is an application waiting to be filled out. The list below, while not exhaustive, is a starting point for awards.  Consider nominating someone that has made a different and helped out profession.  They deserve it.

– The Maryland Bar Foundation’s Edward F. Shea, Jr. Professionalism Award is given to a young lawyer who demonstrates pride, dedication  and adherence to the highest standards of integrity, civility, and compassion.

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One of the partners at my law firm is a walking legal database. Whether I need to know a case dealing with fiduciary duties of a prior owner of a company or the last case in Maryland dealing with notices for mechanic’s liens, there is a high probability that he will know the case (or have information to quickly locate the case).

We all know of these individuals (and some of the readers of this blog may be those individuals). I’ve heard of stories about recently retired Court of Appeals judge who could not only cite cases regarding various legal topics but provide footnotes and pin cites.

Alas, I am not one of those individuals. To make up for my inability to recall the specific passage and verse of every single case I have ever read, I needed to develop a system to ensure that I was up to date with each new opinion pertinent to my practice. Fortunately, as a business attorney with a focus on construction law, I do not need to read every single opinion that is drafted and published (though I enjoy reviewing some of the criminal law opinions because they made for some good story telling).

So, I’ve developed a personal law library. In order to keep track of new opinions, I initially review the Maryland Lawyer section in Monday’s Daily Record, which provides a list of all of the previous week’s cases and a handy summary for each case. I circle cases I deem important for my practice and then have my legal assistant download them from the Judiciary’s website (a process that is free and environmentally friendly).

After I review the case and make electronic notes (I’ve only scratched the surface of PDFs’ wonderful features, though John Cord has written about this), I save the electronic version of the case in a folder in my Dropbox account (a cloud account that is free for the first 2GB).

Over the past few years, I have created an online, readily-available personal law library for myself. If a legal issue comes up, I can quickly determine if it’s something I already have researched. Obviously, I make sure the law is still good, but its the start that saves me time and our client’s money.

While this method works for me, are there any other methods that you use to help organize relevant cases you use?

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Between revisions for the Bowie & Jensen website, trying to organize a Team in Training team for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and debating the importance of a Pinterest account with staff members, I have been dealing with firm-related issues for the better part of the morning.

Most of these issues involve working with our staff. Like any other organization with lots of people, there is a hierarchy that exists. When I was a law clerk for Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge M. Brooke Murdock, I assumed the hierarchy was either judge/legal assistant/law clerk or legal assistant/judge/law clerk. (Notice how the law clerk was always last.)

In a law firm, you have different groups, including partners, associates, paralegals and staff. Early in my career, I was provided with two pieces of sound advice: if you find a good secretary/legal assistant, never let him or her go; and always be nice to those you work with (and the court clerks).

Paralegals, legal assistants and interns can save you (and your case) when time is short and a deadline is near. Staying late, working through lunch and taking extra care with the task at hand comes easier when a mutual respect exists. Talking down to or poorly about your staff to others only builds resentment. And blaming others for something that is ultimately the attorney’s responsibility is merely trying to deflect responsibility from yourself. As a general rule, it is my responsibility to make sure that there are no mistakes in any document that has my signature on it.

As such, I want to take the time to thank the staff and paralegals I work with and assist me in the zealous representation of our clients. Thanks Tina, Erin, Laura, Brad, Colleen, Tina M., Lisa N., Lisa B., Jean and Nancy.

Do you have staff that you want to commend? Do so in the comments section.

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The weather has been warmer than normal in Maryland this winter season, but Jan. 28 at Sandy Point State Park, I don’t think I will be thinking about the abnormally warm weather or the fact that the Chesapeake Bay is one- or two- degrees warmer as a result.

Most likely, my thoughts will range from, “Why am I doing the Polar Bear Plunge again?”, “When — or will — I get the feelings in my fingers and toes back?”, and “Should I do this again next year?”

I recently had a discussion with a colleague regarding my quasi-work related commitments, which include work with the Maryland State Bar Association, Baltimore County Bar Association, and construction-related trade organizations.  (Polar Bear Plunge falls under the MSBA.)

“Why get involved,” he asked, “when it takes time away from work or family or recreation?”

My response: first, it is work-related; and second, it’s for a good cause. Taking part in activities, both substantive and for pleasure (if jumping into 33-degree water can be defined as pleasurable), with bar associations and trade organizations is work. These activities are part networking, part marketing and part educational.

There are obvious benefits to being active in a trade organization that may lead to potential clients, but bar associations participation also leads to referrals and business development. Further, it’s surprising how one bonds with his or her fellow attorneys after spending 10-to-20 seconds in freezing cold water together.

Additionally, most bar association work falls within the “good cause” category. Whether it is the betterment of the profession or raising money for the Maryland Special Olympics or providing pro bono assistance to individuals in need, there are a number of reasons why an attorney should be active in their local and state bar associations.

So, for me, plunging into the deep blue bay on a cold day in January to raise money for the Maryland Special Olympics is just another day at the office. If you are interested in taking the plunge, check out this flyer and sign up.

Photo courtesy of the Maryland Special Olympics

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I got a promotion. As of Jan. 1, I am officially part of the membership of Bowie & Jensen LLC. I have been elevated to partnership status, elected into the exclusive club.

It is a milestone event for me. There has been little noticeable difference in my daily routine this week, but there has been additional, internal work-related pressure.

On one hand, the method in which I handle cases, clients and myself should not change. A couple of years ago, a senior member of the firm gave me the following advice: “If you want to be a partner, start acting like one.” So I took control of my cases, began to market myself to prospective clients (and therefore market the firm) and took an active role in the business of the firm.

The business of law is something that is not taught in law school, though it should be. Any successful business, including a law firm, runs on the basic tenet that it should bring in more money than it spends. As a young associate in private practice, the tendency is to focus on learning the law, learning the practice of law and hitting your billable hours. There is no concern for where the next file is going to come from or for collection of the hours billed or the expenses of the firm.

Law schools teach the law, but lawyers learn how to run their businesses through on-the-job training. Obviously, there are bankers and accountants and finance people to help out, but it doesn’t fall squarely on their shoulders as it does when you have a vested interest in the business.

Further, as Uncle Ben told Peter Parker, with great power comes great responsibility. In this case, the responsibility involves the firm’s governance, human resource issues, decisions related to office expenses (who knew that a new telephone system costs so much?) and other things that I don’t even know about yet.

Essentially, on top of all of the billable work, there is a lot more non-billable work. I am looking forward to this new year and the new challenges it will present and hope to give Generation J.D. readers a fresh perspective in 2012.

Did anyone else make partner Jan. 1 or in the last few months? Do you feel any different?

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On April 2, I posted a blog about perspective and the Bond family. In brief:

[A] story comes along that gives you a dose of reality and perspective in one huge package. Mine came from a Facebook update about someone I knew in high school. … Nate Bond is 38, married with an 18-month-old daughter in Brooklyn, N.Y. He was diagnosed with Stage 3 colorectal cancer on Feb. 14. Nine days later, his wife, Elisa, at the age of 36, was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer.

Well, here’s the update: After being given a 16 percent chance to live, Elisa’s cancer has responded to therapy and there is no evidence of disease. Nate is scheduled for surgery the first week in January. The family is celebrating the holidays — together.

So, as we all try to take a couple days for the holidays to spend with family and friends, think of the Bonds and how lucky we all are. Happy holidays and new year’s!

(Photo from friendsofnathanandelisa.blogspot.com)

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