#myNCBA: The New Way To Share Social Media Love

We want to let the world know what the NCBA means to you. So, we’ve created a new hashtag – #myNCBA – that will allow all of us to share thoughts, feelings and photos about this fellowship we know as the N.C. Bar Association.

Whether it’s grabbing coffee with another member, working with a group on a pro bono project or attending a CLE and loving the auditorium music playlist, we want to know what makes the NCBA special for you.

Here’s how it works: Include the hashtag #myNCBA in your social media posts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Anyone else who has a public social media account and uses #myNCBA will be automatically shown all other public posts that include the hashtag. And you can find fellow members’ posts with #myNCBA, too.

Share all the events, memories and interactions that make your NCBA membership meaningful to you. During the month of September, show us your NCBA moments with #myNCBA for a chance to win a weekly prize. For example, post a photo of one of your favorite speakers from this year’s Annual Meeting with a caption telling us why you enjoyed the speaker and include #myNCBA.

Each week every post that includes #myNCBA will be entered into a prize drawing. So tell us about your favorite Annual Meeting, section networking event, member event, or anything else NCBA-related that brings a smile to your face. We can’t wait to see what makes your membership in NCBA special to you!

 

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Go Back To School With NCBA Member Discounts and Student Involvement Opportunities

By Josh McIntyre

Big box store checkout lines are longer, rush hour traffic has doubled and, if you’re a parent, your wallet may be a bit lighter. That’s right, back-to-school season is upon us, and the North Carolina Bar Association is here to help.

Our Member Discount program with Office Depot means members get contract pricing on almost everything in the store, including items on that long list of school supplies from your child’s teacher. Prices are often discounted up to 40 percent, and members can order online through a dedicated NCBA webpage or in person with their NCBA Store Purchasing Card. This card is stored automatically in the Member Benefits App, and the membership department can also mail a physical card to any member who requests it. We hope this program helps get you what you need for the classroom. Meanwhile, the NCBA is getting in the classroom, too!

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‘For Want Of a Comma’: The Latest In the Oxford Comma War

By Laura Graham

“For want of a comma, we have this case.”  Thus begins the opinion in O’Connor v. Oakhurst Dairy,[1] a 1st Circuit case decided in March that has rekindled a long-standing debate: Should the Oxford comma be used or not?

The Oxford comma—also known as the serial comma or the Harvard comma—is the comma between the penultimate and final items in a written list. For example, in the sentence, “The American flag is red, white, and blue,” the comma after “white” is an Oxford comma. Punctuation purists insist that the Oxford comma should always be used; but other constituencies argue that it is usually superfluous and unnecessary and should be reserved for sentences in which the absence of the comma would create ambiguity.

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‘Where She Has Practiced Her Entire Career’: Reflections On Coming a Long Way

By Bettie Kelley Sousa

A recent e-bar announced the installation of Caryn Coppedge McNeill, the new president of the North Carolina Bar Association, and the election of the president-elect, Jacqueline D. Grant. A demanding, virtually full-time job spanning three years, the NCBA presidency often is held by big-firm lawyers who can commit such time to the profession and continue to feed their families. What’s not as common—the appointment of back-to-back female presidents.

Having practiced for 36 years, I believe it’s only happened once before.* My first reaction to this girl power moment had me nodding “ ‘bout time.” But, my second reaction was in response to the end of the paragraph about each woman. Listed after her firm was the phrase “where she has practiced her entire career.” Yes, I thought. I’m not surprised. Firm longevity is getting rare, but I’ll bet women constitute, percentage-wise, more of those who stay with the same firm from bar passage to retirement.

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Why Haven’t You Signed Up For the NCBA’s Weekly Job Alerts?

By Josh McIntyre

Most of my friends from law school switched jobs within the first two years of their practice, and I was no exception. Whether we felt unfulfilled, undervalued or we were just unhappy, job transitions within my peer group were common. Based on the communications we receive in the membership department, the desire to find new employment hasn’t changed much in the past six years.

Now entering my seventh year as a licensed attorney, I’ve held three different jobs, and each time I was looking for a change, the job search seemed more daunting than before. From custom-writing each cover letter to tweaking resumes, job searching can be a job within itself. That’s why I wish that I had known about the NCBA’s online Career Center.

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Legislative Update: Where NCBA-Supported Legislation Stands As Of Aug. 2

This article appears in the  August 2017 edition of North Carolina Lawyer. The N.C.  General Assembly convenes again on Aug. 3, 2017.

By Michelle Frazier

The first five months of the 2017 legislative long session proceeded a bit more slowly than usual, but the action was fast and furious in June. Much of the early focus on Jones Street and in the Executive Mansion revolved around two highly controversial issues: the ongoing power struggle between Gov. Cooper and the Republican-dominated legislature and the repeal of House Bill 2.

Although the power struggle between the governor and Republican legislators continues to make its way through the courts, the March repeal of House Bill 2 cleared the way for consideration of other legislative priorities such as the budget.

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Acclaim For NCBA CLE Publication ‘How To Try Your Case Like a Professional’

N.C.Bar Association, May 2016, 75 pages, $40 for members/$45 for nonmembers

Congratulations to NCBA member Christopher Parrish and NCBA CLE Publications Coordinator Laura Bonfiglio for nabbing an ACLEA Outstanding Achievement in Publications award with the book “How to Try Your Case Like a Professional: Tips & Procedures for the ‘Relatively’ New Trial Lawyer”!

The Association for Continuing Legal Education will honor their efforts on the book, authored by Parrish and edited by Bonfiglio, at its annual conference this week. The book aims to help litigators get familiar with the procedures and expectations of a real-world courtroom.

Among the many tips included:

  • Don’t get on the jury’s nerves; filter your objections.
  • Don’t get into a verbal altercation with an expert. You will lose.
  • Don’t bore the jury.

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How Much Weight Could You Lose If You Believed You Could Lose Weight?

By Russell Rawlings

Who would have imagined that a blog series on weight and wellness could generate so much interest among legal professionals?

This thing is literally feeding itself.

One member writes in to compliment me on losing over 100 pounds and keeping it off for nearly 40 years. He adds that he is on a similar quest and is over halfway toward his goal.

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Let the NCBA Help You Find Your Path to Wellness

In August, the NCBA is bringing you a free, month-long e-course on mindfulness. Register here. 

By Joyce Brafford

Once, there was a woman walking down a path who saw a baby drowning in the water. She rushed in to save the baby. As she returned to the bank with the baby in her arms she saw another child thrashing in the current. She braved the river again to save the second child. Before she could return, she saw another baby in the water. A man who was walking down the path offered to help. Soon more good Samaritans joined in to pull child after child from the water. Each passing person offered to help. Everyone helped except one woman who dared ask, “Shouldn’t someone investigate why there are babies in the river?” **

This parable reflects our lives in so many ways. We tackle problem after problem, and never stop to investigate the larger context. It’s the same with our mental health. We patch up and move on, never stopping to investigate how or why we are anxious, moody, unfocused or fatigued.

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