14th Annual Wine & Beer Tasting is coming up!

The 14th Annual Wine and Beer Tasting is coming up! For those of you who have attended before, you know what a great event this is.  Not only is it a great time to socialize with colleagues and friends, but also benefits a great cause.  There are so many people in our community who are in need of low cost or free legal assistance, and this event helps us do our part in supporting those services. 

Here are the details:  

MASQUERADE:  14th Annual New Lawyers Section and El Paso County Bar Association Wine & Beer Tasting...and so much more!

Friday, October 22nd, 6:00 -9:30 pm, Julie Penrose Room, St. Paul's Church, 9 El Pomar Road

An evening of fun and collegiality benefiting legal services for the poor, Colorado Legal Services and the Pikes Peak Pro Bono Project. Join us for wine and beer tasting provided by Vintages, food from a variety of local restaurants, shop the beautiful works by local artists, and make sure to bid on our great silent auction items!

More information is available here. 

Tickets are $35.00 in advance and $55.00 at the door($25.00 is tax deductible per ticket).

Tickets must be paid for at the time they are ordered, tickets will be mailed to you if purchased more than seven (7) days priorto the event. Otherwise they will be available for pick up at the door. Checks and/or Visa and MasterCard are accepted. Please make checks payable to the Pikes Peak Community Foundation.

Tickets are available by contacting Jennifer M at 719-637-4558 or Jennifer J at 719-459-9774.

The Wine & Beer Tasting is a component fund of the Pikes Peak Community Foundation and contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Thank you to our sponsors:
Colorado Springs Business Journal
The Transcript
Blattner & Associates, LLC
Deanne M Cain, PC
Henry B Eastland, PC
Nan Scranton, Esq
Melanie Douglas PC
Winston Law Firm
Donley Law, PC
Sherman & Howard
Johnson & Cord, PC
Hanes & Schutz, LLC
Alpern Myers Stuart, LLC
Sparks Willson Borges Brandt & Johnson, PC
psg design
Pikes Peak Community Foundation
Vintages Wine & Spirits
Judge Baldwins Brewing Company
Jack Quinn's Irish Pub and Restaurant

Thank you to our artists:
Laura Reilly
Tom Owens
Richard Pankratz
Ken & Tina Riesterer

Costumes are encouraged! But certainly not required... :)

Thank you to our Attorneys who have taken a Pro Bono case over the past year!

Attorneys socializing at the Pikes Peak Pro Bono Project's Volunteer Thank You Reception

Legal Websites We Love!

Here it goes...in no particular order.

Legal Websites (and blogs!) We Love!

http://lawyerist.com/

http://www.bitterlawyer.com/

http://thelearnedlawyer.com/

http://whatlawilearnedfromtv.blogspot.com/

http://www.planningandprobate.com/

http://www.lawweekonline.com/

http://www.nofunnylawyers.com/

http://abovethelaw.com/

http://legalblogwatch.typepad.com/

http://www.smallfirmsuccess.org/

Know Your Judge

Often, when voters see judges on the ballot who are standing for retention, they will skip that part, vote all yes, vote all no, etc...without truly being educated about the judges and the recommendations from the Judicial Performance Commission. 

On behalf of the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System at the University of Denver and their partners, the Colorado Bar Association, the Colorado Judicial Institute, and the League of Women Voters of Colorado, www.knowyourjudge.com was created to help Coloradans make informed decisions when choosing judges on this fall’s ballot. The hope is that this website will offer a comprehensive tool for voters to help guide them during this election season. Also, keep your eyes and ears open for television and radio public service announcements.

The website gives simple, impartial, and nonpartisan facts about judges and the information from the Judicial Performance Commission.  The hope is that,  this fall, through this campaign, voters will be more informed, educated, and interested when voting for judges' retention. 

Social Networking for Attorneys

Yesterday, the Solo/Small Firm Practice section of the EPCBA presented "Social Networking: Getting Your Feet Wet."  Thomasz Stasiuk, a local attorney and self-proclaimed "tech geek," and Ali Gerkman, Special Projects Program Attorney and Manager of Online Content and Development with CBA-CLE gave attorneys an overview/tutorial on Twitter, blogging, Facebook, and LinkedIn.  

Amongst the multitude of interesting and educational information that was shared by Thomasz and Ali, a few interesting points stood out for me.

An attorney asked about the ethical implications of blogging and creating a blog that was limited to 'legal information' rather than 'legal advice.'  The local Bar Association, in all of its publications and social networking sites, makes sure to note that any information contained within the document is not legal advice or opinions.  It's good practice to make sure when you are putting anything into the cyber world that you use a disclaimer.  When blogging, many attorneys have told me that they consistently ask themselves, 'is this advice or information?'  If its on the borderline, they don't post it.  Make sure to cover your bases, and you'll have a successful, interesting, and (hopefully) client-producing blog.


Another item that I found interesting was the personal vs. professional Facebook account dilemma.  Ali described the exact situation that most people are in ... you have a Facebook page for friends and family, fellow parishioners at your church, old friends you've recently connected with ...but you have been receiving friend requests from colleagues.  To friend or not to friend...that is the question!  At the El Paso County Bar, we have a Facebook page where individuals can 'Like' the Association.  This is not only a useful tool for relaying information to members and friends of the association, but its the perfect way to impart information about your practice/firm to potential clients AND other attorneys...without friending them or having to maintain a separate Facebook page for colleagues.  


Don't forget, there are MANY ways to stay involved with the EPCBA and the CBA through social networking.  Check them out today as you get your feet wet in the world of social networking!


El Paso County Bar:

Facebook  
Twitter
Blog
Website

Colorado Bar Association:

Facebook
Twitter
Blog
Website

Committee Preference Sheets

Last month, the EPCBA sent out a Call for Committee Members and a Committee Preference Sheet.  There are many opportunities to become involved with the Bar Association and to help shape the future of your local Bar Association.  The Military Relations Committee has seen a great amount of interest, as has the Bench-Bar Committee.  The Bar greatly appreciates the interest that we have seen so far and the folks who have returned their Committee Preference Sheets.  

This morning, our intern, Cassmir, was compiling the most recent group of Committee Preference Sheets, and noted that there was a lack of interest in these volunteer opportunities.  With a membership of approximately 1000 attorneys, less than 25 members have responded, a 2.5% response overall thus far. 

There are so many opportunities to become involved in the Bar Association.  Member involvement is what makes an association go from good to excellent.  El Paso County is extremely fortunate to have a wealth of attorneys that are compassionate, interested, hard-working, and committed to our community.  The Bar Association has been an integral part of the legal community in the Pikes Peak Region for over 107 years, and, with the help of our members, can continue this tradition of excellence.  

If you haven't sent back your Committee Preference Sheets, and are interested in getting involved with the Bar Association, send them back today!  We especially could use volunteers for the Free Legal Clinics and Law Week Activities, and Ask-A-Lawyer.   P.O. Box 429, Colorado Springs, CO, 80901 or fax them to us at 719-473-9216.  


Claire and Cassmir

Postal Rates Increase

Yet another increase in postage from the USPS.  2 cent rate increase to 46 cents.  What are these increases doing to your law practice?  Are you sending less mail?  Sending more documents electronically?  Using websites and email more regularly? 


Let us know what this increase means to you and your firm.

More information at the CSBJ.