Improve Professional Development: Conduct A Formal Associate Program Evaluation
October 01, 2004
Gone are the days of the Internet chat rooms for disgruntled associates. Gone are the multitude of public surveys where law firms learned, only after survey publication, how poorly associates rated their firms in terms of professional satisfaction. <br>These days, associates are less vocal about their dissatisfaction with their firms and the opportunities afforded them for professional development. Nonetheless, associates are still on the move, and firms continue to struggle to find effective ways to retain them. <br>Firms have made significant investments in improving their associate programs, including hiring Professional Development Administrators. Now, rather than ignoring issues related to professional development and satisfaction, firms are evaluating all aspects of their associate programs. They no longer want to leave the surveying to someone else.
Law Firm Political Contributions: Why And How
September 29, 2004
A&FP got lucky this summer when I sought an expert to advise our readers on law firm political contributions. Not only did Kurt Salisbury help me recruit his Arent Fox colleague Craig Engle, but he agreed to perform the interview on my behalf. Our readers thus gain not only the perspective of a major firm's PAC Director but also the perspective of the same firm's CFO.
Controlling The Information Flood: Are You Ready To Wade In These Waters?
September 28, 2004
When talking about the Internet, we are usually confronted with a good news/bad news situation. The good news is that the volume of information readily accessible via the Internet continues to grow exponentially. The bad news is that the overwhelming volume of Internet sources and content makes finding relevant information inefficient and often frustrating. The challenge is to find the proverbial needles in this ever-expanding haystack, which some sources say is expanding by 20 million pages per day.
Citywide Internet Access?
September 28, 2004
Talk about technology becoming more accessible. The City of Philadelphia is considering turning its entire expanse of 135 square miles into the world's largest wireless Internet zone. For approximately $10 million, small transmitters would be placed around the city. Each transmitter, probably placed on the top of lampposts, would then be capable of communicating with a computer-networking card. It would be the City's goal to offer the service either for free, or at costs far lower than those charged by commercial providers.
The Perfect Conversion Utility for All Your PDFs: ABBYY PDF Transformer
September 28, 2004
For many of today's leading law firms PDF (Portable Document Format) files are the way to send their documents over the Internet, thus keeping a handle on others not changing the work product from what was sent! But many times, while there is a need to keep the formatting, as well as the layout and look of a document, there also may come a time when the need exists to convert a PDF file into an editable file format. <br>Many times I have found the necessity to be able to unlock and reposition and/or repurposing information from a PDF file. The question is how do we achieve that goal?
The Wizards Of Ozmosys
September 28, 2004
In my more than 20 years as a librarian, I've seen many changes in formats and methods of delivery of publications; paper, microforms, and CD-ROMS. The Internet, of course, has become the medium of choice for many publishers and organizations, replacing paper with digital delivery of daily news and newsletters. But just like their paper relatives, it takes time to slog through a bunch of Web pages and e-mails each morning ' and time is generally at a premium for most of us. How do you make this task easier?
Law Firms Focus On Internal Systems
September 28, 2004
Law firms are starting to spend on technology again, focusing on projects that will help the enterprise run more smoothly and efficiently. Not that many years ago, before the economic downturn, firms were toying with Web-based systems to manage client relationships and other newfangled ideas. In the lean years, those projects fell by the wayside, and firms show no signs of reviving them anytime soon. <br>The central theme of the ninth annual survey conducted by Legal Tech's sibling publication AmLaw Tech, is simple: Firms are making roof repairs rather than remodeling the kitchen.
'An Ounce Of Prevention Is Worth A Pound Of Cure'
September 28, 2004
In 1998, the Supreme Court reminded employers that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Today, as a result of <i>Faragher v. City of Boca Raton</i>, <i>Burlington Indus. v. Ellerth</i>, and the many cases that followed, in-house counsel are responsible for ensuring that their companies avoid harassment and, if it unfortunately occurs, what steps can be taken to preserve the <i>Faragher/Ellerth</i> affirmative defense. <br>Every in-house counsel should adopt these nine steps to prevent and defend against a harassment claim.
Bankruptcy Behind Closed Doors
September 28, 2004
There has been a perceptible increase in the number of bankruptcy transactions taking place with the underlying arrangements being placed under seal. In other instances, the debtor indicates in its motion seeking approval of the transaction that it will not be providing the underlying agreement on which the transaction is based except to the major parties in the case (typically the judge, the creditors' committee, the DIP lenders and the United States Trustee). The burden then shifts to parties in interest to seek to obtain the information if they desire to review it. Part One of a Two-Part Article.
Countdown Begins for the Revised FTC Franchise Rule and UFOC
September 22, 2004
On Aug. 25, 2004, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released its long-anticipated report on its proposed changes to the FTC Rule on Franchising and Business Opportunity Ventures (FTC Rule). When the new FTC Rule comes into effect, franchisors will have to make significant changes to their existing disclosure documents and follow new rules for how and when they are delivered to prospective franchisees. There are also new exemptions for large transactions and large franchisees, and the FTC Rule will not apply to international franchise locations.
