VENDOR AWARDS NOMINATION TIME EXTENDED

The deadline to enter the 2009 LTN Vendor Awards has been extended to August 31:

To refresh your memory: Here’s how it works:

There are three  food groups: 1) Vendor Awards, 2) Law Firm & Legal Department Awards, and 3) a brand new category, Lifetime Achievement Award. Law Technology News subscribers vote for the Vendor Awards; an independent jury of three members of LTN’s editorial advisory board select the LF/LD awards, and I will pick the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement accolade, who will be chosen from our wonderful legal technology community. 

To win a vendor or LF/LD award, the organization or person must be nominated. It’s a very, very, easy process — just download the form www.lawtechnologynews.com/awards and return it to us — by 8/31/09 for vendor categories, and by 11/6/09 for LF/LD nominations.

You can also use the LF/LD form to nominate a candidate for the Lifetime Achievement award (limited to age 55+), but in that category, unlike the lottery, you can win even if you are not nominated. (But I welcome all suggestions!) 

Got questions? Contact Kevin Iredell or Nabia Jenkins-Johnston or  visit our website www.lawtechnologynews.com/awards.

UM, ER, BRIAN....

Close the deal, eh???

We want to see this dude in pinstripes, pronto!

TIA,

Mrs. Chamberlain-Burnett 

ps. thx to SFJ for pix

MAILBAG #090730

Rummaging through the in-box:

Monty Lunn has answered the siren call of New Orleans, and moved back. He most recently was a director at Huron Consulting Group. We'll letcha know when he gets settled in with new contact info.

* Connie Moser, formerly of Elite, has joined another Elite-ite, Mark Goldin at American LegalNet. Goldin's the new CTO, Moser's the new marketing director She'll be at ILTA so you can reconnect with her there, or reach her here.

*Angelique Schaffer checks in from Thomson Reuters to advise us that Legal Current has replaced Westblog. Check it out!

* Herbert Roitblat of Oratec forwards  this encouraging article chastizing local governments for their version of "solution-speak." Note the list of 200 no-no words, including "beaconicity," "holistic governance," and "incentivising."

* Better late than never: This slipped thru my inbox cracks, so it's a bit old now, but still interesting: Katherine Petusek, of the National Association of Women Lawyers and its foundation, are conducting a fourth annual survey on retention and promotion of women in the largest 200 U.S. firms. Contact Cheryl Oblander here for an update. Copies of past surveys can be viewed here.

*Finally, a treat courtesy of SheFanJane (Jane Heller). A fun YouTube that you can embedding where appropriate. (BTW, she just featured an excerpt of my book review of her terrific new book, Confessions of a She-Fan)  on her book's website (scroll down below "advanced praise.")  Full review here. And I've also started posting my book reviews on Amazon (username Monica Bay. We'll use it to close out this edition of TCS: 

BASICS OF ACCOUNTING FOR LAWYERS

Want to see me turn purple with anxiety? Put me anywhere near an Excel spread sheet. I may be a decent storyteller, but I'm notoriously awful with digits. My bosses long ago gave up on sending me anything that involves opening Excel, and even John Tredennick, author of two books on how great Excel is, couldn't get thru my brain lock. (He did teach me PowerPoint, but that's another story).

I write. And talk. That's what I do best. This is why I work for a company and I'm not a solo -- so that other people who are brilliant at numbers can work their magic and I don't have to!

But there is help for those of you who share my affliction: My friend Terry Lloyd (who guides me through the numbers I must crunch in my life) helps demystify accounting for our profession. Lloyd is a CPA/CFA and a director at the Finance Scholars Group in Orinda, Calif., and is part of the team presenting a two-day "Basics of Accounting for Lawyers 2009," for the Practising Law Institute. The road trip wraps up today and tomorrow in Chicago, (they've already  been in New York and San Francisco) but you can still get an MP3 audio, audio CD, or a DVD of the program. It will be released on Sept. 4.

Terry was part of the San Francisco program and live webcast, which was co-chaired by Curtis Burr (Burr, Pilger & Mayer) and Lawrence Cirelli (Hanson Bridget), and also included A. Christine Davis (Hemming Morse), David Evans (Haight Brown & Bonesteel), Christopher Holland (Krieg, Keller, Sloan, Reilley & Roman), Michele Kyrouz (Latham & Watkins), Robert Leach (SEC), Moji Saniefar (Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe) and consultant Rashell Young.

Topics included Understanding GAAP, GAAS, and the Accounting Cycle: Framework & Principles; Anatomy of the Balance Sheet; Anatomy of the Income Statement; Understanding the Statement of Cash Flows: Follow the Money -- Cash is King; The Importance of the Notes to the Financial Statements; Avoiding Legal and Accounting Ethical Issues; Effectively Using Financial Experts; Lawyers' Use/Misuses of Financial Language; SEC Enforcement Actions/Priorities; Fraud and Other Issues on the Horizon.

I'm so glad there are Terry Lloyds in the world who can 'splain it all to those of us who would rather eat pins than even look at an Excel icon.

ASBPE GOLD x2

Craig Ball is a magician -- he can turn the dryest, most esoteric nuance of e-discovery into a compelling story that rivals the latest Grisham offering. His vocabulary is unmatched; he always finds the perfect word to illuminate the most dense concept, yet never succumbs to jargon. Like other exquisite storytellers, he uses everyday analogies -- comparing EDD processes to television shows (CSI),  murder scenes with blood hounds, or World War II challenges faced by his father.

And he is an editor's dream: his copy comes in crisp and on time, and he always monitors the published version for mistakes (which speeds online corrections). Not only does Ball write for Law Technology News, he also is a steady, pithy contributor to EDD Update www.eddupdate.com.So it's no surprise that Ball has collected a basket full of awards for his fine work. Last night, he won another gold, for "best contributed column" in the Northeast regional competition of the American Society of Business Publications. Check out "SNAFU" and "Brain Drain."

We were also were thilled to learn that my article, "Can You Adapt?"  which analyzed the changing roles of EDD attorneys, paralegals, and litigation support staff, also won gold, in the "best technical article" category. Of course, our  amazing art director Shane DeLeers shares the glory in both wins -- he always finds the perfect illustration that makes our words sizzle!

That brings us to five awards for our work in 2008 -- the most we've ever won in a single awards season: A design award from GD USA; two ASBPE gold, and two honorable mentions from the Tabbies!  Thanks to our entire team!

ANGELS UNVEIL 2010 ALL STAR LOGO

Particularly neat how they have incorporated the signature "halo" from the stadium!

Way kewl!

USF LEGAL EMPLOYMENT SYMPOSIUM

My alum, the University of San Francisco School of Law, is offering a symposium on 9/17 to help law students and lawyers negotiate the changing legal landscape. It will include four panel discussions, featuring legal commentators, practitioners, and folks (like me) who have pursued non-traditional legal careers.

The program will focus on:

* The business of running a successful law practice.

* Nuts and bolts of going solo/small firm. 

* Alternative careers for lawyers who don't practice law. 

* Possible law firm models for the future.

For more info, click here.  Panelists here.

PRO BONO NET GOLDEN VENTURE FUNDRAISER

I turn the mic over to Pro Bono Net's Pam Weisz:

"We've teamed up with the director of Golden Venture, an acclaimed documentary about the struggles of the 286 passengers of the infamous immigrant smuggling ship that ran aground near New York City in 1993. Pro Bono Net's co-founders met working on pro bono asylum cases stemming from the incident.

The DVD can now be purchased (here) -- with half the proceeds going to Pro Bono Net, to support our mission of ensuring the availability of high-quality, low-cost legal services for those in need. The film, narrated by Tim Robbins, follows four of the Golden Venture passengers through detention and what follows for each of them. 

It was an Official Selection of the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival and the 2006 Amnesty International Film Festival. It's an eye-opening look at U.S. immigration policy - and deeply compelling."

Note: Bill Pollak, Incisive Media's North America CEO, serves on Pro Bono Net's board of directors.

THE BOOKS OF SUMMER

Going through beisbol withdrawal as the boys take their All Star break? Never fear, here are three books that will tide you over until Friday:

Munson: The Life and Death of a Yankee Captain, by Marty Appel, is a rich and poignant account of #15, Thurman Munson, who was killed while flying his private jet.
I'm about half-way through the book, and it is a tearjerker, but so worth the read.

I was once talking to my brother about kids who get too upset when they miss a play or strike out, and Bill's reaction was "It's all about the fathers."

Munson's father was the definition of an undermining bully, and Appel's understated exemplars of his cancerous behavior towards his son are as compelling as Joe Torre's sad tales of his father's abuse.  But don't let that deter you from this book. It's a wonderful biography.

This is Appel's second book about Munson; the first was written with Munson (his official authobiography). But Appel said he wanted the proverbial second bite (sorry, I couldn't resist) so that he could explore the more personal side of the player. Well done indeed, and just as with Torre's story, it is so very important for youngsters who are abused, emotionally and/or physically, to help them realize they are not alone -- and that their heroes overcame abuse, and they can too.

The Little White Book of Baseball Law, by John Minan and Kevin Cole, from the American Bar Association, covers 18 "Innings" of key beisbol cases, staring with "Ticket Seller 'Scalps' Police,"  Lanier v. City of Boston, to "Fan Cries Foul," (Jeffery Swiecicki v. Jose Delgado). Minan is a law prof at the Univ. of San Diego; Cole is the dean of its law school.

Confessions of a She-Fan: The Course of True Love with the New York Yankees, by Jane Heller. Despite living in Santa Barbara, novelist Jane Heller  is a die-hard Yankees fan. (She has NY roots, of course.) Heller normally focuses on "chick lit" books (Some Nerve, An Ex to Grind), but this is her first non-fiction book.

It all started when she wrote an hysterical essay in early summer 2007 in The New York Times, demanding a "divorce" from the Yankees -- that infuriated and delighted fans across the country. That lead to a book contract, and Heller and her husband Michael hit the road, with the goal of attending (almost) every game, talking to players, and writing about the 2007 season from a "she fan's" POV.

The result is a funny yet amazingly nuanced non-fiction book that reads like a juicy novel. After hunting for it all over NYC (Hey! Barnes & Noble - get your act together) I finally found a copy at the Wall Street Borders. I started reading it at the beginning of Monday's Home Run Derby, which proved no distraction, and didn't go to sleep until I had finished it.

I've always wondered why I care so very very much about games that I absolutely have no control over -- and that's a constant theme in Heller's book.  (Yes, part of it is that the Yankees tend to end up in the playoffs despite all odds  and I'm the world's most competitive person -- I once had my friends form a tenants' union against me when playing Monopoly). 

My recessive sports gene did not kick in until I moved to New York in 1998, and  became curious about why Joe Torre switched pitchers. Within a year I was drinking the Kool-Aid.

My biggest revelation after becoming a beisbol addict was how powerful a baseball game is as "social networking" -- it empowers you to talk to just about anyone in this baseball-crazed city, from cab drivers to top executives. But it ALSO teaches intense lessons about how to succeed in business (a theme explored years ago by Betty Harragan, in Games Your Mother Never Taught You.)

But as much as I love the game, I'm so not a "groupie" -- I have zero interest in meeting (most) players, or getting autographs (although one of my favorite possessions is a signed pix of Scooter with Sinatra, that my bro gave me). Think about it -- would you really want to endure a long dinner with 80% of the players? Sure, Moose, Leiter, Mo or Jeter -- but I'd be bored to tears if I had to spend 15 minutes with preening A-Rod, and I don't speak Spanish so that would rule out Melky. I'm much more interested in talking to the managers, administrators, and media -- especially folks like Michael Kay, Joe Girardi, Brian Cashman, and Kevin Dart. I'd happily give up a weekend in Hawaii to have a quiet lunch with any one of them.

And that turns out to be the real heart and soul of Heller's book -- her plot line revolves around whether she'll be able to break through the NYY administrative moat (which makes getting a visa to Cuba look easy) and get the coveted press credentials she needs to get  access to players for her book. In the end, the book is more about the beat reporters and the "traveling circus" of away games -- and that's what makes it absolutely magical. I won't give away the ending, but let's just say it involves one of my all-time favorite players.

I flat-out loved this book on so many levels:

• As a journalist, I resonated to her subtle revelations about how tough it is to cover the Yankees, and how guarded folks like Suzyn Waldman and John Sterling must be to cope with all the demands on them, and yet how warm and caring they prove to be.

• Because I go to a lot of away games as part of my job, I thought she absolutely nailed the "traveling circus" -- including  the dynamics of rooting against the home team (especially at Fenway). And the unique rituals of away parks (eg, the "O" at Camden, the umpire intros at McAfee, etc.)

• Her light, respectful touch gave dignity to even some of the young naive women who don't really understand the Jose Canseco perils of being too eager of a fan. And she gracefully explores how much going to even one game can mean to many folks who are facing astounding personal challenges.

• Her insight into the politics of access to the team, and how "who you know" can make all the difference in the world; and yet how the surprises of unexpected encounters ultimately prove productive. 

• Why it's a lot more fun, if you are a true baseball fan, to sit in the upper deck, and why night games are usually better than weekend games.

• The sheer joy of watching nine talented athletes take the field almost every day of summer, and the sheer bliss in February when Pitchers & Catchers finally report.

Here's a video trailer.

And a review on Yankees.com

Follow Heller on Twitter: @shefanjane.

CHRIS ANDERSON'S BOOK FREE ON ITUNES

I turn the mic over to Jon Moreland:

Hello, Monica!

You turned me on to Chris Anderson’s book, The Long Tail, via The Common Scold, and I’ve recommended it to several friends and colleagues since then.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that his new book, entitled “Free: The Future of a Radical Price,” is available in audio format on Apple iTunes’ home page for FREE (literally) as of yesterday.

It will likely stay free through next Tuesday, so you may want to tell your readers about it.  I downloaded it yesterday and have been listening to it on my DC commute. Anderson mentions in the book that he has been experimenting with his publisher about ways to share his book for free, and this is apparently one of the ways he’s elected to do so. Because he’s chosen to give me the audio book for free, I plan to go to Amazon.com and buy 2-3 copies of the book to give to family and friends.  I want his experiment to be financially favorable! Anyway, I thought you would enjoy reading (listening) to this book and telling your loyal Common Scold readers about this exciting opportunity.

Jon Moreland
Vice President of Sales, eTERA Consulting
Washington, D.C.

Mon update: I'm a half-hour into it, and already hooked. Check out Malcolm Gladwell's review in The New Yorker (hat tip to David Brown).

TABBIES 2009 HONORS

We were delighted to learn today that Law Technology News has won two TABBIE awards, from the Trade Association Business Publications International.

 • Our former colleague, Claire Duffett, who is now working as a reporter based in Cambodia, won one of two  honorable mentions in the Best Department category, for her stellar Technology on Trial articles.

The War of Words chronicled how the father of a soldier killed in Iraq successfully sued religious fanatics who picketed the son's funeral with homophobic signs.

Repeatable Defense covered how Orrick partner Peter Bicks developed protocols and templates to help the firm defend Union Carabide Corp. on multiple claims.

• We also took one of three honorable mentions in the Editor's Column category, for my rant about gender pay inequality in the legal profession, and my account of a trip with my mother to the Flight 93 memorial.

We are absolutely thrilled. To read about other winners, visit the TABPI site.

7th ANNUAL TWINS/YANKS FEST

Bye Bye Dome.... The 7th annual Twins/Yanks fest was, as always, Big Fun -- a chance to connect with the terrific Twins Cities tech community and say goodbye to the Metrodome... (well, unless we meet again in October!)

As always, it was a jam-packed three days of vendor meetings and beisbol! We started off the trip with our annual visit to Thomson Reuters, with huge thanks to John Shaughnessy (far left), Gretchen DeSutter (below)  and Scott Augustin (left) for setting up a day of helpful briefings. We had a chance to say a quick hello to Allison Guidette, who has returned to Eagan as vp of litigation (she was headed to the airport for a trip west); then visited with Preston McKenzie, vp of  Hubbard One (which includes ContactNet, Hubbard One and Monitor Suite). Then we got a fascinating update from Rob Sargeson, senior vp & CIO, about the company's expansion plans for its massive data centers.

Over a yummy evil midwest lunch, (TR's commissary is just too tempting!)  Mike Abbott and Stephanie Krause updated us on pro bono projects designed to help displaced legal professionals. It's always great to see vp Laurie Zenner and the corporate communications team, which also includes Kevin Hunt and Michele Endgahl in addition to the aforementioned folks.

Then Denis Hauptly (vp strategic development), who has just returned from a long stint in Switzerland, offered his mighty wisdom about uber search and other trends on the horizon. Here's a link to his new book, Something Really New, which I will be reading shortly!

Next on the agenda was a briefing on the Westlaw Business' global outreach, with marketing vp Gus Thompson)  and sr. director Rob Kirchstein (with Gretchen, above).  The day wrapped up with sr. director Brian Knudsen mktg mgr John Vonhor offering me a tour of the company's PeopleMap public information software that helps everybody from litigators to skip tracers track down 411 on folks.

Before I headed to the Dome with Teri "Jersey Girl" McCarron and Teddy Lindgren for game 1 of the Twins/Yanks series, Incisive's Michael Medwig and Marnie Maroney (below left in white shirt, with Paul Godlewski from Thomson Reuters) and I  visited 3M -- with mktg communications mgr Joan Olseen and Erik Johnson for an update on the company's popular RFID system that helps law firms and companies track their paper files.(BTW, apparently Teri is not the only "JG" in Mpls -- check out the license plate I saw at Thomson Reuter parking lot!)

Day 2 began with an update from NightOwl, which offers document management services. Scott Sterkel, director of sales and mktg, told us how the company is growing with its e-discovery offerings.

Then it was off to Eden Praire to meet up with the Kroll Ontrack gang, including Christian Betancourt and Megan Kubacki, (left). Kaitlin Shinkle regaled us with reports on her June wedding at the St. Paul hotel (Congrats! plus a shout out to Michelle Lange, who is on maternity leave!)

Finally, we had a very interesting meeting with Avantstar's Matt Knudson about the company's content management system, and how they are getting increasing traction within the e-discovery community.

Then it was to the Dome for the Twins/Yanks fest. Thanks to everybody who joined us, including LTN edit board members George Socha and Tom Gelbmann (right); consultants LaVerne Pritchard and Linda Ulbrich. As usual, the gangs from Thomson  Reuters and Kroll. 

The Dorsey & Whitney crew included partner Melissa Krasnow, left in red -- who with colleague Nick Ackerman, was the star of our May Law Technology Now podcast. Next to Krasnow is her friend, General Mills counsel Cam Hoang. Also from Dorsey was Patrick Courtemanche (in light blue shirt) who has joined the firm's marketing department, with Dorsey marketing colleague Bob Kleiber (in royal blue shirt).

We were also thrilled that LTN's former associate editor Katie Montgomery could come north from Iowa to be with us! Incisive's Rob Hafiz of LegalTech also joined in the fun, as did Curt Meltzer of Meltzer Consulting, and Sean Solberg, of Faegre & Benson (far right).

BTW, we send our best wishes to Linda Will, who's on the DL, for a speedy recovery, and a shout-out to Amy Juers, who missed her first Twins/Fest because she was in California (good excuse!). 

Huge thanks to Luis Breazeale of the Twins for all his help getting us such great seats (behind home plate!) It was a great, tight game, a nailbiter all the way to the end, when Mariano faced Mauer, and for only the third time in our seven year Twins/Yanks fest history, the Yanks actually won. (Sorry, Minnesota fans :) On top of the good game, one of our rows was selected as the Hormel Hot Dog Row of the Game  -- so everybody in the middle of our group got a free hot dog! What a hoot!!

Day 3 started with a few "issues" with my Garmin Nuvi 200 -- actually, it wasn't the tech's fault, it was my fault for not updating the maps. The Twins City is undergoing a massive amount of construction (Three people told me the same joke: "Minnesota has two seasons: winter and road construction") and the whole area is completely chewed up (especially downtown) rivaling Boston's Big Dig. Trying to get to Roseville to meet up with the Merrill gang, I could not find an open on-ramp to 35W North -- and ended up almost at Bloomington trying to get north. I am soooo updating my maps before my next adventure!

But because I'm paranoid and always leave extra time to find new places, even with Garmin's 90% reliable "Jill," I pulled into the parking lot just at the meeting time. Thanks to Leonard Lee and the Merrill team for a terrific conversation about social networking, e-discovery and all the challenges they present. We enjoyed meeting with marketers Scott Snyder, Diana Lepper, and Dawn Edwards!

Finally, before heading back home, I had a chance to visit with Jon Bream, my colleague from my days at the Minnesota Daily, who is the veteran music critic at the Star Tribune. (His latest "coffee table" book is Whole Lotta Led Zeppelin). We headed to Wasabi, which I highly recommend as a terrific Japanese restaurant right about halfway between the  Guthrie theater and the Dome. 

We noticed a lovely new restaurant in the same complex, Sanctuary, and took the opportunity to get a quick tour from Michael Kutscheid, owner and GM. The charming bistro also has a sweet outdoor garden -- and I definitely plan to visit it on my next trip to Minnesota, hopefully in October! 

And if not for post-season, we'll look forward to returning next year for OUTDOOR baseball at the new Target Field (we'll bring our down coats). 

More photos here.