Generation J.D.

I had the pleasure Thursday night of attending my first Baltimore County Bar Association banquet, colloquially known as “The Prom.” The Prom was held at Martin’s West, a place I had not been – coincidentally – since my own high school prom.

In the weeks leading up to the event, I heard great stories about bar banquets past. Only lawyers and judges can attend the Prom, and the lack of spouses and significant others may account for the legendary tales.

While last night was not as rowdy as days of yore, one great tradition remained intact: throwing rolls at the keynote speaker. I’ve asked around the courthouse to see if anyone knows the origin of the tradition to no avail. But I learned it is upheld no matter the level of dignitary at the podium. Spiro Agnew once gave the keynote while vice president; even with the Secret Service in the building, he was still pelted with dinner rolls. Last night’s keynote, Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz, came prepared with a basket of rolls to fire back at the crowd.

Throwing rolls is indicative of the general mood at the Prom. Even though everyone is dressed in their finest black-tie garb, no one takes themselves too seriously, and I think that’s precisely why it was so much fun. (The lobster dinner and open bar didn’t hurt, either.) It was a great opportunity as a young lawyer to see respected judges and lawyers let their hair down, a reminder they like having a good time just as much as the next guy.

Even though the banquet is a great party, it’s also a good place to make connections. The guest list is a who’s who of Baltimore-area lawyers and judges. One person last night told me that he gets more business in an hour at the Prom than in a week at the office, and I don’t doubt it. For every law school classmate, law clerk and former coworker I caught up with last night, I met three new lawyers.

If you’ve never been before, the Baltimore County bar banquet is a rite of passage that can’t be missed – and one professional event you won’t dread attending.

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As a Baltimore-based recruiter, I see people all the time who want to make the transition here from Washington. They’re either tired of the commute or want a different quality of life.

And while both cities offer great opportunities for legal professionals, there are definite differences between the two legal markets.

For some people, Baltimore just isn’t going to cut it.  When I was a tour guide at the University of Maryland School of Law, there was more than one prospective student who said that they applied thinking the school was in College Park. These students weren’t sold on the idea of going to school in Baltimore.

Despite my love of Charm City, I do see their point. Washington has more large firms to offer, and D.C. is often viewed as more metropolitan; there’s more to do, you can rely completely on public transportation and the city draws transplants from all over the county.

But the transition from D.C. to Baltimore can be really difficult to make. Washington has thriving practice areas Baltimore really doesn’t have: immigration, intellectual property and defense contracting. There are also more opportunities to work with the government and nonprofits in the D.C. area. Not to mention salaries in Washington can be up to 20 percent higher than in Baltimore, although the cost of living in Baltimore is much lower. Baltimore law firms could be hesitant to hire someone if they think they are really set on D.C.

For new law school graduates, it’s important to think about where you want to live, what you want to practice and how those two things are going to meld together. Law schools offer lots of opportunities to work in different cities and practice areas while in still in school through internships, externships and law clerk positions. This is a great way to figure out what you want to do without the commitment.

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The Baltimore County Council approved a measure Monday night that allows county employees to resolve labor disputes through binding arbitration.

Police officers and firefighters have been able to resolve labor disputes through arbitration for some time; the new policy will allow general county employees, including nurses and 911 dispatchers, to resolve salary and pension disputes through arbitration. The measure also allows employees to utilize nonbinding arbitration for disputes about employment conditions.

Alternative methods of dispute resolution are receiving increasing attention lately. There are many reasons to choose arbitration over litigation:

– It’s usually cheaper and faster than litigation

– It’s touted as a less adversarial method of dispute resolution

– It requires more collaboration than litigation

– The proceedings are also completely private, which can be great for highly-publicized disputes

Litigation really isn’t the best solution for all disputes; it’s routine for attorney bills to exceed the amount being contested by the parties. And this doesn’t only apply to small claims. In fact, some have argued that arbitration is the only way to resolve some major disputes, such as labor issues in professional sports.

Maryland law schools and courts are also recognizing the value of ADR. Law schools are offering courses and certification for law students interested in the field,  and there is an ADR program in every county in Maryland.

In fact, arbitration programs, particularly those within law firms, are experiencing growth that is expected to continue. In this tough market , having some familiarity or certification in ADR can help law students get in the door to law firms and more rounded litigators.

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Practicing law is not easy.

In fact, the inherent challenge of the profession is one of the reasons why I love it so much. That said, I am all ears when it comes to tips on making my life easier at work.

Last week, the Baltimore County Bar Association hosted its 2nd Annual Technology Expo. Twenty-five vendors presented demonstrations and pitches describing how their products or services could improve the productivity and efficiency of a law practice.

Here are some of the highlights:

• Baltimore County Circuit Court Law Library – Working at a small firm, we have limited access to Westlaw and Lexis.  For instance, if I want to search for a source that’s beyond our “Maryland” subscription, the firm has to pay extra.  The Circuit Court Law Library, however, provides unfettered access to these databases at no cost to the user.  So, if you’re looking for that obscure law review article or for that 9th Circuit case, rest assured that you can search for it without cost at the law library.  Additionally, the law library can assist with your trial demonstrations with its Nomad: Court Presentation System.  This device can project DVD/VHS videos, documents, PowerPoint presentations and much more to the target audience in the courtroom.

• Yodle – Unfortunately, as I am not the most technologically advanced person, my description of what Yodle can do for you will not do it justice.  But Chris Longden, the account director at the expo, described Yodle as “online marketing … on steroids!”  In short, the platform can create (or update) your Web site, optimize the content, publicize on the best local directories and monitor the site’s performance with the most popular search engines.  Based on complex algorithms that exceed my ability to comprehend, Yodle works to make your Web site one of the first few options when certain key search words are used in Google, Yahoo!, and Bing.  Such optimization can generate specific leads that may enhance and grow your practice.

• Byte Right Support – Among other things, this technology solutions provider was showcasing software called Worldox GX2.  Described as a document management solution, Worldox centrally manages files by integrating documents in various formats (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Adobe) into Outlook.  The software saves users time by collecting related documents (read: segregating all documents by case) in a central application.

Overall, the expo was a great opportunity to see what products and services were available to attorneys to eliminate some stress, and to optimize the efficiency of practicing.

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On Sunday March 7, the Young Lawyers Committee of the Baltimore County Association hosted its annual bull roast at the American Legion Post No. 22 in Towson.  Each year, the Young Lawyers Bull Roast is the committee’s largest fundraiser of the year, but this year’s event was particularly special in that it was held in the honor of Michael Radcliffe.

Mike, a longtime member of the Baltimore County Bar Association, was diagnosed with ALS in January 2009.  Shortly thereafter, the Young Lawyers Committee rallied around Mike, and, with his help and the support of the entire Bar Association, began raising money for the Robert Packard Center for ALS Research.  The Packard Center at Johns Hopkins is the only international scientific operation dedicated solely to curing ALS.

The bullroast was the third event that the BCBA and the Young Lawyers Committee participated in to raise money for ALS research.  The BCBA hosted a guest bartender event during a Ravens game last November.  It also assembled a group of runners in May 2009 to participate with Team Radcliffe in the Fiesta 5K, a race organized by the Packard Center to raise awareness and money for ALS research.

The BCBA will again participate and support Team Radcliffe in this year’s Fiesta 5K on May 1.

This year, nearly 300 people, including Mike and a huge group of Radcliffes, attended the event, making it one of the most successful ever.  Those in attendance ate and drank to their hearts’ (and stomachs’) content while raising money for a charity that was very near and dear to BCBA. Judge John J. Nagle III and his band, the Mighty Mighty Barristers (pictured), provided the musical entertainment, and generous donations from a variety of vendors created a highly competitive silent auction.

While the atmosphere in the hall was jovial and lighthearted for most of the day, the severity of the cause was reinforced when a 10-minute video was shown to the group.  Produced by Steve Davis, the emotional vignette documents Mike’s battle against ALS, and attaches a personality to an otherwise anonymous disease.  It reiterated why everyone had gathered to raise money for the Packard Center.

If you are interested in further information about ALS, please visit www.alscenter.org.

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On Sunday afternoon, the Baltimore County Bar Association sponsored a guest bartending event at Christopher Daniel restaurant in Timonium.  The event was held to raise money for the Robert Packard Center for ALS Research at Johns Hopkins, and to support Mike Radcliffe (pictured below).

Approximately 150 judges, attorneys and friends packed a private bar at the restaurant to support Mike in his fight against Lou Gehrig’s Disease, and to cheer on the Ravens.  Christopher Daniel’s generously donated a portion of the food and beverage sales, as well as the tips collected by the BCBA’s guest bartenders.

Mike is a long-time member of the BCBA, and a person I am privileged to call my friend.  I met Mike about 7 years ago through mutual family friends while tailgating at a Ravens game.  He immediately became a psuedo-mentor… someone that was always approachable.  He’s still my go-to source for answers to “dumb” questions.  And while his responses might be preceded by a chuckle, or two, his answers are always sincere and extraordinarily helpful.

Aside from the Ravens loss (which was particularly devestating to this writer), the day was a complete success!  Drinks were flowing… raffle tickets were sold… and funds were heading to the Packard Center.  But, the best part to me, was the incredible turnout of young lawyers at this particular event.  Understanding the incredible value of “time off”,” the fact that this group showed up on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in support of a great man and a great cause spoke volumes of their collective character.  It reaffirmed my sentiment that lawyers are always there to lend their support to others… especially in their times of need.

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