YLD e-Blast: January 2022

By Claire O’Brien and Michael Cohen

DATES TO KNOW

February 1 | Corporate Counsel Section Spotlight | 6:30 p.m.
February 25 | Legal Feeding Frenzy Kickoff Event | 1 to 3 p.m.

March 1-31 | Legal Feeding Frenzy

 

SECTION SPOTLIGHTS

Corporate Counsel Section Spotlight 

The YLD and Corporate Counsel Section Knowledge Resource Committee is hosting a panel of top legal professionals who will speak on the exciting intersection of technology, innovation, and the law.

In-house counsel and their clients are presented with new technologies and innovations on a near daily basis. The panelists will discuss the growing legal technology fields such as legal operations, legal tech applications in areas such as contract automation and artificial intelligence, and transactional practice areas such as intellectual property licensing, software-as-a-service agreements, privacy, and media.

During this event, the panelists will address the impact of new technologies and innovations, including any privacy and cybersecurity concerns, and how attorneys might anticipate and evaluate the impact of new technologies and innovation.

Register here: https://membership.ncbar.org/s/community-event?id=a1Y3i000006l8TjEAI.

Bankruptcy Section Spotlight

The YLD and Bankruptcy Section held “Bankruptcy Basics for the Non-Bankruptcy Practitioner” on January 24 that was moderated by Matt Tomsic and featured Brian Behr, Koury Hicks, and Chuck Ivey as a panelists. In case you missed it, you can view the recording here.

Legal Feeding Frenzy

The 2022 Legal Feeding Frenzy, sponsored annually by the Office of the Attorney General, the NCBA Young Lawyers Division, and the North Carolina Bar Foundation and Feeding the Carolinas, is scheduled for March 1-31, with registration opening on February 14. Until then, keep in mind that food banks across our state are struggling to meet the increased demand caused by the ongoing pandemic and are in need of your support. Be on the lookout for the 2022 informational fliers, including details for an in-person volunteer Kickoff Event on February 25 from 1 to 3 p.m. Learn more here: https://www.ncbar.org/members/communities/divisions/young-lawyers-division/legal-feeding-frenzy-2022. Feel free to reach out to NCBA YLD LFF Committee Chairs Spencer Fritts ([email protected]) or Meredith Brewer ([email protected]) for questions.

Foundation and Development Committee  

In its first year, the YLD Season of Giving Recurring Gift Campaign has been the most successful appeal the YLD has partnered with the NCBF on. We would like to sincerely thank all YLD members who made recurring gifts to the NCBF. The funds raised from this effort will help fund the virtual platform that hosts the Wheels for Heroes Clinics across the state, support Disaster Legal Services efforts, and the costs of the 4ALL Statewide service day. 

Law Student Outreach Committee

Firsthand Experiences with Salary Negotiations

In November, we heard from Karen Chopra, LPC, CCC, NCC, founder of ChopraCareers, who discussed salary negotiations from the perspective of a career counselor. (ICYMI – you can view the recording of the event here.) This month, in the second part of this series, we heard two attorneys and a law firm recruiter share their firsthand experiences with salary negotiation in the legal field. You can view a recording of the second event here.

Law Week and Liberty Bell Committee

The Law Week and Liberty Bell Committee is gearing up for the 2022 Law Day on Friday, May 6, 2022. The committee hosts five competitions that bring together teachers, students, attorneys, and law students across the state. This year’s Law Day Theme is “Towards a More Perfect Union: The Constitution in Times of Change.” We will celebrate all participants, contest winners, members, volunteers, and legal community members at the Law Day luncheon on Friday, May 6, 2022. Please see a brief description of each competition below and view more details on the website here: https://www.ncbar.org/members/communities/divisions/young-lawyers-division/young-lawyers-division-law-week/.

Liberty Bell

The Liberty Bell award is one of the most prestigious awards a North Carolinian can receive. The award is given to individuals who have made significant contributions or exemplify lifelong service to the law in North Carolina. Past recipients have included prominent lawyers, judges, and legislators. To be considered for the Liberty Bell award a person must be nominated, and once all nominations are received the Law Day Committee determines the annual winner. The deadline for Liberty Bell Award nominations is Friday, March 18, 2022. You can find the nominations form here: https://www.ncbar.org/members/communities/divisions/young-lawyers-division/liberty-bell-award/. For more information, please contact Vince Walton, [email protected].

McIntyre Award

The North Carolina Bar Foundation’s McIntyre Youth Leadership Challenge allows middle school and high school students to develop plans to help their communities and share them through public speaking on citizenship. Finalists are invited to attend the Law Day Celebration and the first-place winner will have a $1,000 donation made in the student’s honor to an organization that addresses the issues the student identified through the program. Students will need to sign up by February 28, 2022, on the competition website, and the competition materials will be due later in the spring. Please share with any students, educators, and parents! For more information click here: https://www.ncbarfoundation.org/our-programs/lawyers-in-schools/youth-challenge/, or contact Ashle Page, [email protected].

Essay Competition

The Law Day Essay Contest is a fun and challenging experience for North Carolina students in 6^th-12^th grades and their respective schools to participate in Law Day. Three prizes will be awarded in each category this year. Essays must be postmarked on or before March 4, 2022 and entries should be mailed or emailed to YLD c/o Nicholas Sorenson at 414 S. White St, 306 Wake Forest, NC 27587, [email protected].

Poster Competition

The Law Day Poster Art Contest is a fun and challenging experience for North Carolina students in 3^rd-5^th grade and their respective schools to participate in Law Day. Three prizes will be awarded for each category this year! Posters must be postmarked on or before March 11, 2022 and entries should be mailed or emailed to YLD c/o Chris Flurry, 4131 Parklake Ave, Suite 400 Raleigh, NC 27612, [email protected].

Moot Court Competition

The Moot Court Competition brings together middle and high school students for a chance to take on real life legal scenarios to showcase their preparation, logical reasoning, and oral skills. These students argue in front of volunteer attorneys, and those who reach the final round have a chance to present their argument to N.C. Supreme Court Justice and Court of Appeals Judges. This year’s regional competition will be held virtually on Saturday, March 19, 2022. This will be a great opportunity for students to showcase their skills and network with law students, attorneys, and judges to learn more about the law and what it means to join the legal field. The final competition will be held at the N.C. Supreme Court on Friday, May 6, 2022. Teams must register by Sunday, February 27, 2022. Please contact Kadija Locklear with additional questions at [email protected].

Please share this information with teachers and students in your area. For more information and access registration forms please visit the NCBA 2021-22 Law Day website here.

GET INVOLVED

Connect with the YLD through the Online Community Platform

We encourage all YLD members to connect with the YLD through the Online Community Platform! To learn more about the Online Community Platform, check out this blog post and these FAQs.

Volunteer with the Young Lawyers Division

We want your talents, energy and viewpoints in the YLD! Whether your passion is for serving the public, serving the profession, writing articles for publication, improving the administration of justice, building your skills and gaining experience, or helping those in need, we’ve got a role that’s perfect for you! To get involved and join one of our committees, please review your options and complete this online form. If you have questions about membership or committee participation, please reach out to Administrative Division Director Collins Saint.

NCBA Pro Bono Opportunities

Be sure to check out the exciting pro bono opportunities available across the state! Click here for NCBA/NCBF Volunteer Opportunities.

BarCARES

COVID-19 has brought about many changes to our everyday lives. Oftentimes, unprecedented changes serve as triggers or stressors. BarCARES is an organization focused on improving the mental health and overall quality of life for NCBA members, local bar groups, and law students, offering no-cost assistance in dealing with personal, family, financial, work, and/or career stressors. Visit BarCARES online or call 800.640.0735 to speak to someone immediately or arrange a telehealth appointment.

NCBA Career Center

Our online career center averages between four to seven new North Carolina jobs a week! Members searching for employment can post their resumes anonymously, and members searching for employees receive a 15% discount on postings. Email questions to Tesha Blancett.

e-Blast Ideas? NCBarBlog Post Ideas?

If you’d like to see additional or new content in the e-Blast Newsletter or featured on the NCBarBlog, email your YLD Communications Committee Co-Chairs, Michael Cohen and Claire O’Brien – they’d love to hear from you!