About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

33 Affiliate 1 (2007-2008)

handle is hein.journals/aff33 and id is 1 raw text is: Defending Liberty Pursuing Justice American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division 321 North Clark Street Chicago, IL 60610-4714 ISSN: 0360-5485 The newsletter and resource guide for bar leaders nationwide A Publication of the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division 9 www.abanot.org/yid Wills for Heroes-Answer the Call By DanielJ. T McKenna n August 11, 2007, during the ABA Annual Meeting in San Francisco, the ABA Young Lawyers Division officially introduced its 2007-2008 Public Service Project, Wills for Heroes, a program created by Anthony Hayes and Jeff Jacobson that pairs volunteer attorneys with first responders who need help with estate planning. Since the creation of Wills for Heroes, the program has posi- tively impacted first responders nationwide by fulfilling a real need in our communities. In conjunction with the Annual Meeting, the ABA YLD held its first Wills for Heroes program of 2007 at a San Francisco firehouse. YLD and Wills for Heroes Foundation members attended a preliminary training course pro- vided by a local trust and estates lawyer before their participation in the firehouse visit. Throughout the day, local volunteer attorneys helped thirty-nine first responders and their families to create estate planning paperwork using a LexisNexis system called HotDocs. Danielle Barger, a San Diego trusts and estates lawyer, quarterbacked the event and ensured that the testamentary documents complied with California law. Representatives from LexisNexis Cares also attended the event to answer any questions the volunteer attorneys encountered. Over the course of the day, members inter- acted with a number of first responders who recognized the importance of estate planning but had never taken the time to do it. Before leaving the firehouse at the end of the day, the group had already received requests to hold a fol- low-up event for first responders in San Francisco who could not attend. The energy created by the event was tremendous and turned the media on its head by highlighting positive con- tributions of our legal community. As a result of an Associated Press article by a reporter who visited the fire- house that day, the Foundation has already received over ten requests from first responder organizations in California to hold Wills for Heroes programs in their areas. I experienced the personal impact of the Wills for Heroes program as an alarm bell sounded at the fire- house. An announcement followed the bell that prompt- ed virtually every firefighter to rush out of the room with- in seconds, leaving the remaining volunteer lawyers star- ing at empty seats. We looked around, quizzically won- dering where the firefighters had gone and for what rea- son. Then, it dawned on me: not a single firefighter hesi- tated for even an instant before responding to the alarm. At first, they may have been unsure about what kind of emergency they were responding to, just as I was when attending my first Wills for Heroes event. But they knew they had been called on to protect someone and that it was their responsibility to answer the call-and that was all they needed to know. Wills for Heroes reminds us that as attorneys we have a similar responsibility-to protect the members of our communities. And, it is time for each of us to answer the call. Local young lawyer organizations can easily and immediately implement the Wills for Heroes program. The ABA YLD and the Wills for Heroes Foundation can provide the necessary documents and materials to con- duct the program and will ensure that the free software conforms to your state's requirements. The Foundation will also assist you in developing partnerships with local first responders. Then, once the program is implement- ed, it is yours to manage as you see fit. In addition many firms provide pro bono credit for the time spent by attor- neys on the program. If you are interested in instituting Wills for Heroes in your affiliate, please visit www.abanet.org/yld/wills and com- plete the Wills for Heroes Implementation Forms, or con- tact Dan McKenna at mckennad@ballardspahrcom. Please also plan to attend the Wills for Heroes program at Fall Conference in Charlotte, which is being sponsored by the North Carolina Bar Association YLD. 1 Y ou are holding in your hands a copy of the first is- sue of this year's The Affiliate. Ever heard of us? If not, read on .... What Is The Affiliate and Why Are You Receiving It? The Affiliate is the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division newsletter written by young lawyersfor young lawyers. The newsletter is published six times a year and is sent to young lawyers who are leaders in their local, regional, state, or national young lawyer divisions and sections. Remember to visit www.abanet.org/yldl affiliateleaderslupdate.html to update the contact informa- tion for the leaders of your young bar organization so the newsletter continues to fall into the right hands. The main goal of The Affiliate is to provide practical and timely information about programs and services that affili- ates can immediately implement in their local or regional young lawyers organizations, such as articles on program- ming, fundraising, and membership recruitment. Each issue of The Affiliate includes profiles of sucessful programs held by state or local young lawyers organizations that can inspire other local young lawyers organizations and lay the groundwork for some great nationwide programs; Around the Country, where we publicize local and state YLD activities, events, accom- plishments, and news, to serve as a springboard for other groups looking for new ideas (for example, why re-invent the entire moot court competi- tion, when affiliates can borrow ideas from Iowa's decades-long, successful competition, which is conveniently profiled in this edition of the newsletter?); and *useful advice on how to implement membership and diversity programs in your young lawyers or- ganization. The Affiliate also strives to bring you the information you need to make the most of upcoming ABA YLD meet- ings and conferences. The quarterly YLD events provide a wealth of networking and learning opportunities and through The Affiliate, you will get advance notification of what is going on and when, as well as a description of oth- er opportunities you can take advantage of during your experience. We will also help you to learn the best way to obtain funding for your organization's members as well as the best way to conserve funds while attending the events. We Need Your Help! Now that you know who we are and what we do, we need your help! The editorial team of The Affiliate wants to hear from each one of you and your members about the types of articles you would like to see fill these pages. We want to write articles that are most helpful to you, that inspire your organization, and that give you informa- tion you need. We do not want to end up in your circular file or under your bird cage! By submitting information about your group's events and letting us know what types of articles are most help- ful to your organization, you can help us improve the quality of the newsletter, and make it an even more valu- able tool for you and other young lawyers across the na- tion. Please take five minutes to complete the online survey we have created at www.abanet.org/yldl affiliatesurvey to let us know what you really like about this publication, what you want more of, and what you find least useful. You can also use the survey to suggest article ideas directly to us. Go on, we can handle the truth! And thanks, in advance, from all of us here at The Affiliate. Q On the Road with Justin Goldstein, page 2 Past YLD Leaders: An Interview with Laura Farber, page 2 Twenty-Five Years of Mock Trial Competition Success, page 3 Affiliate Partners to Give Back to Veterans, page 3 Keys to Success in the Coming Year, page 4 Attending Conferences Can Be Affordable, page 4 San Francisco Annual Meeting Update, page 5 ABA YLD Continues to Promote Diversity, page 5 YLD District Reps-Affiliates' ABA Connection, page 6 Free Assistance from the ABA YLD, page 6 2007-2008 ABA YLD District Representatives, page 7 Year at a Glance, page 8 November/December Recap of Fall Conference (October 4-6, 2007, Charlotte, NC) Recap of Affiliate Summit/Young Bar Leader Summit (Fall Conference) Preview of Midyear Meeting (February 7-9, 2008, Los Angeles, CA) January/February Recap of YLD Women's Summit (November 7-9, 2007, Chicago, IL) Preview of Spring Conference (April 16-19, 2008, Washington, DC) Tell Us What You Really Want! By Melissa Dewey Brumback

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most