NATLE FYI

Good Afternoon and Happy Friday!

Our Zoom Series on Monday was an informative presentation from Jennifer Adams, Editor in Chief of AAJ’s Trial magazine, on the findings from their recent reader survey.  The recording (Passcode: !8SKJ.sy) isn’t from the beginning, but Jennifer shared her PPT which was very self-explanatory.  (I forwarded the PPT and their article submission guidelines to the registrants.)

During the Winter Meeting in Phoenix, we will have a Working Lunch to brainstorm for our Strategic Planning teams.  If you're interested in getting involved, please let me know and we'll find the best team strategy for you.  If your team has any questions or ideas you’d like brainstormed, this is your chance!  Barbara and I will co-facilitate and all responses will be shared after the conference with your team leader to work into your goals.

If you are planning to attend the Winter Meeting, please register so I can provide an accurate count for the hotel this afternoon.

That’s the NATLE Weekly Wrap.  Have a great weekend!

P.S. in case you’re still here…now that Vermont actually has snow – enough to make a decent base on the trails – I’m getting together with a few friends on Sunday for our first XC ski day.  This full-body exercise gets the blood pumping and gives the lungs a workout.  The hair-raising downhills make all of the uphills totally worth it.  Even the occasional face-plant is a price I willingly pay for the chance to get outside and enjoy the birds, the woods, and the gift of good friends (who never tell anyone how high your voice gets as you shriek your way down a narrow, windy, tree-lined trail).

Good Afternoon and Happy Friday!

The Executive Committee met on Tuesday and delivered reports from each of the respective Strategic Plan teams.  If you had indicated an interest in participating on a team, by now you will have had an initial meeting to discuss action items, expectations/outcomes, and milestones.  If you're interested in getting involved, please let me know and we'll find the best team strategy for you.

Please join us this coming Monday for January’s installment of our Zoom Series.  Jennifer Adams, Editor in Chief of AAJ’s Trial magazine, will report on the findings from their recent reader survey and highlight takeaways for TLA publications.

Registration for our Winter Meeting in Phoenix is up to 26.  I’ve heard from one member who said AAJ’s room block for Saturday night is full and the hotel won’t budge to let AAJ expand the block.  There is a list of nearby hotels on AAJ’s website.  The NATLE event page is open for business!

That’s the NATLE Weekly Wrap.  Have a great weekend!

P.S. in case you’re still here…YES!!  The sailboat has been sold to a nice couple and they are coming back tomorrow to hitch it up and tow it away.  Now it’s just the smaller sailboat, two canoe trailers, the enclosed trailer (a totally pimped out toy box with a price tag that scares people off), the 24’ Atlantic Salmon fishing canoe, and a gorgeous handmade wooden canoe.  Oh, and those last two have never touched water!

Good Afternoon and Happy Freaky Friday!

Just a reminder that the Executive Committee has its next meeting on January 17 and a big portion of the agenda will be discussing the Strategic Plan, as well as looking ahead to where we should be by the March EC meeting.  If you had indicated an interest in participating on a team, by now you will have had an initial meeting to discuss action items, expectations/outcomes, and milestones.

The Zoom Series this month, Monday, January 23, will be Jennifer Adams, Editor in Chief of AAJ’s Trial magazine.  She will report on the findings from their recent reader survey and highlight takeaways for TLA publications.  Please join us!

Registration for our Winter Meeting in Phoenix is up to 25.  I’ve heard from one member who said AAJ’s room block for Saturday night is full and the hotel won’t budge to let AAJ expand the block.  There is a list of nearby hotels on AAJ’s website.  The NATLE event page is open for business!

That’s the NATLE Weekly Wrap.  Have a great weekend!

P.S. in case you’re still here…After treasuring a blissful two weekends in a row without a trip to my dad’s house in NH, I’ll head down there tomorrow to sell (and help load) 4 cords of very well-seasoned firewood and, hopefully, a sailboat.  The house is empty, but there are several big things left in the barn.  The realtor has been busy with showings, but the only serious offer pulled out after we politely declined their request to take the house off the market while they got around to selling theirs.  Is that even a thing??

Good Afternoon and Happy Friday!

I hope everyone’s holidays were happy and healthy.  My scale tells me I’ve put on my winter coat…and I’m not talking about a new parka.

The Executive Committee has its next meeting on January 17 and a big portion of the agenda will be discussing the Strategic Plan, as well as looking ahead to where we should be by the March EC meeting.  If you had indicated an interest in participating on a team, by now you will have had an initial meeting to discuss action items, expectations/outcomes, and milestones.

Our registration for the Winter Meeting is holding steady at 21 and I know of another half dozen who are waiting to see what their legislatures serve up early in the session.  Rumor has it that there’s a golf tournament in the Phoenix area that overlaps our meeting so rooms are going fast.  If you’re are even just thinking about coming, please register with AAJ and get a room!  I don’t have any leverage when it comes to AAJ’s room block.  The event page is open!

That’s the NATLE Weekly Wrap.  Have a great weekend!

P.S. in case you’re still here…Hoping to keep the riff raff at bay around my dad’s empty house (that’s on the market in NH), I installed a Ring camera down there just before Christmas.  No sightings of wayward miscreants, but I enjoyed unnerving the realtor when I said “hi” through the camera.  It stopped him short and he looked around for me until I clued him in to the new camera.  The propane delivery guy got a disembodied “thank you”, too.  Who knew stalking could be so fun?

Good Afternoon and Ho-Ho-Ho- Happy Friday!

The wind is howling and the sky to the west is really dark, so I want to get this posted before the power goes!

Strategic Planning teams have been meeting to discuss action items, expectations/outcomes, and milestones.  At least a few strategies involve collecting input from membership.  Rather than bombard members with a bazillion emails, you will see a monthly email with the questions and/or requests for materials, etc.  Hopefully, this will be more tolerable and encourage responses.

Trial Structure is sponsoring the Sunday breakfast during the Winter Meeting.  The Planning Committee is looking forward to a good turnout given the relevant and timely topics.  Please help to spread the word that we’re trying a Saturday-Sunday program this year.  After the event, I’ll solicit feedback on the switch.  The event page is open and accepting registrations!

That’s the NATLE Weekly Wrap.  Have a wonderful holiday weekend!

P.S. in case you’re still here…I noticed something missing when I pulled into the driveway at Dad’s NH house last Saturday.  The realtor’s lock box with keys for both the house and barn was gone.  So was the doorknob it had been hanging on.  The only thing left behind were fresh footprints – clearly made after the snow had stopped that morning.  The realtor arranged for a locksmith to replace/re-key the locks that night and the local police will now make routine checks when they’re in the area.  On the plus side, the deadbolts worked and the would-be burglar wasn’t serious enough to break any windows, so nothing was missing.  I’ll be so happy to see this chapter in the rearview.

Good Afternoon and Happy Friday!

Justice Partner, SBA Funding delivered a webinar on Tuesday that reviewed the program and its benefits to TLA members and NATLE’s TLAs.  Dan and Steve also explained SBA Funding’s role in stepping up to issue PPP loans early on in the pandemic when many banks were not offering the service.  About 1/3 of our US TLAs participate in the program mostly through NATLE-initiated emails with links to TLA-branded webpages (as demonstrated in the webinar).  The most salient point, for me, was that since 65% of all law firms are owned by baby boomers, the trend in the next 10 years will be a shift in firm ownership to younger partners.  For illustration, SBA Funding closed six loans for working capital last year, and already have 30 pending now.

Justice Partner, Ringler Associates is sponsoring one of the working lunches during the Winter Meeting.  The event page is open and accepting registrations.

That’s the NATLE Weekly Wrap.  Have a great weekend,

P.S. in case you’re still here…I’ll be forever grateful to my friend, Sara, for introducing me to Pure Barre.  By the end of my first 50-minute class just over 5 years ago, I was hooked.  Since then, I love going up to new-comers after a class to check in, welcome them, and laugh together over how hard many of the moves are, even for long-timers.  At the beginning of the pandemic, the instructor was alone in the studio to livestream classes and keep us from turning into soft, inactive lumps.  A few months into it, a mask requirement in the studio made breathing an exercise in itself, but gave us the chance to socialize, commiserate, and sweat together again.  I’ve made new friends, met a neighbor (I knew she looked familiar!), and just took my 1000th class on Monday.  See you at the Barre?

Good Afternoon and Happy Friday!

Our Finance Committee met this week to discuss several topics, including instituting a non-member rate (add’l $125) to the Winter and Annual Meetings.  (This rate will not apply to TLA leadership attending the GAC.)

The (member) registration rate for the Winter Meeting is $325 and the program will include working lunches on both Saturday and Sunday to accommodate the abbreviated schedule ending the day at 2pm.  The event page is open and accepting registrations – we have 6, so far!  I’m aware that members are having difficulty reserving rooms within AAJ’s block for Friday night, so I’ve followed up with Urania to confirm (and beg for more).  I’m working on sponsorships to cover breakfasts and lunches, so let me know if you have contacts with a vendor interested in forming a relationship with NATLE.

The recordings of our previous (open-to-all) 4th Monday Zoom Series programs are now on our website.  The list and links are accessible (for members only) under the Events tab in the main navigation bar.  Since this month’s 4th Monday falls on Dec 26th, we are holding our next program on January 23rd.  Jennifer Adams, AAJ’s Senior Director of Publications & Education, will present the results of their 2022 Trial survey.

I’m excited by the response from TLAs with the dates of their major events for our Master Calendar!  You can send your dates at any point and the calendar will be updated and uploaded immediately.

The Salary Survey report is coming.

That’s the NATLE Weekly Wrap.  Have a great weekend,

P.S. in case you’re still here…the moving sale at Dad’s in NH was a bit of a bust because of the chilly drizzle, but the nextdoor neighbor kept me company – again, I’ll miss that.  Another bright spot came when a lady asked how much we wanted for the ski lift chair.  (Dad had bought two chairs for $75 when Pat’s Peak renovated one of their lifts several years ago.  He gave one to a friend and had the other mounted under his 2^nd floor deck.)  When I said, “Well, we were thinking it would stay with the house when it sells.”  She made a frowny face and said, “I’ll give you $900 in cash right now.”  Struggling to keep a straight face, I accepted her offer!  Can’t beat that ROI.

Good Afternoon and Happy Friday!

The Salary Survey report is coming.  Our consultant, The Spark Mill, initially shared a static dashboard, that was similar to the previous compensation reports and isn’t as useful as the sortable excel doc that Sadwith/Comer produced.  I’m adding a few more variables to that format, so my plan is to have it to Barbara on Monday and distributed to the participating TLA EDs shortly thereafter.

Winter Meeting Planning Committee co-chairs, Steve Pontoni and Ben Goldstein, met with Barbara and me on Monday to work on the program for a Saturday/Sunday schedule and determine a registration rate ($265).  Once we confirm the option of tickets for boxed lunches, I’ll update the event page and open registration. 

Our 4th Monday Zoom Series this week covered sponsors and how to help them be better sponsors.  The plan is to create a 1-pager to help convey these tips and expectations collected from a quick 2- or 3-question survey to our members.

The Minutes for the EC and Business meetings are on [still] the drafting table.  The NATLE Member TLA Event calendar idea, Winter Meeting planning, conversations with our Justice Partners about goals and expectations, as well as the 2023 GAC’s final contract negotiations, elbowed their way to the front of the line.

That’s the NATLE Weekly Wrap.  Have a great weekend,

P.S. in case you’re still here…I’ll be back in NH this weekend for one last moving sale at my dad’s.  I’m so grateful for the neighbors who’ve helped is so many ways, like posting the sale on the local community FB page, hauling the heavy things, and generally lifting our spirits.  I won’t miss the house or the 5-hour round trip, but I will miss the camaraderie that comes with country living and neighbors coming together to give each other a hand.

Good Afternoon and Happy Friday!

It was really great to see you in New Orleans!  Of the 14 evaluations that have come in for the GAC, 2/3 indicated that it “exceeded” expectations.  Comments included, “unbelievably helpful and informative”, “awesome and informative”, “we should give more time to AAJ State Affairs staff”, and “great spectrum of speakers and topics”.  Thank you notes are going out to speakers, sponsors, and the planning committee this afternoon.

The Winter Meeting Planning Committee, co-chaired by Steve Pontoni and Ben Goldstein, will be working with the Saturday/Sunday schedule to put together the topics and speakers for Phoenix.  Please let me know if you have ideas you’d like covered.  Once a registration rate is confirmed, I’ll open the event page and send out the first announcement to sign up.  In the meantime, I’ve let Urania know that their convention registration page says the Marriott is $329/night, but OnPeak’s rate is $359/night.

The Minutes for the Business meeting are on the drafting table.

That’s the NATLE Weekly Wrap.  Have a great weekend,

P.S. in case you’re still here…as we approached the gate in Newark, the flight attendant announced that a handful of passengers at the back of the plane had tight connections, including yours truly.  In a rare, beautiful show of humanity, the usual cluster of aisle hogs parted like magic and let the harried bunch get through to the front.  The moment was tempered slightly when the gate bridge driver failed to get close enough and the whole plane had to move.  Instead of making us more harried, we were allowed to kneel in the aisle until they could open the door.  Once free, I ran like my hair was on fire only to discover that my connecting gate had been changed to just a few doors away.  Yes, I felt guilty and hoped no one from that flight saw me.  Anyway, I wasn’t expecting the inch of snow on the ground when I landed in Burlington, but it’s already mostly gone.  I guess it’s time to gas up the snowblower!

Good Afternoon and Happy Friday!

The GAC has an opening speaker for Sunday morning.  Mitch Landrieu’s office says he looks forward to joining us, so fingers crossed that his schedule doesn’t change in the next two weeks.  Our registration looks to be within a half dozen of last year’s numbers, and I know of at least two more yet to come in.

Our Salary Survey link closed this morning and Courtney (The Spark Mill) is going to be crunching the responses in time for the Membership Business Meeting on Monday, Nov 14.  I believe our response rate is around 80% or better, so that definitely lends it credibility and helps its usefulness.

I’ve heard of a few Strategic Planning Teams that are looking forward to a kick-off meeting.  It’s OK if NATLE members serve on more than one Team.  Let me know if you didn't fill out the wufoo form indicating your preferences for a team and/or haven't been called by an Executive Committee member...I can connect you.  We will also be talking more about this at the Membership Business Meeting.

That’s the NATLE Weekly Wrap.  Have a great weekend,

P.S. in case you’re still here…the trees are getting bare and the leaf peepers have gone home!  The weather this weekend will be spectacular and my fingers are crossed that the moving sale at Dad’s house in NH tomorrow will be a smashing success!