SOLO AND SMALL FIRM CONFERENCE
You do not have to
be in a smaller firm to benefit from the Solo and Small Firm
Conference June 14-16. You will find a wealth of valuable practice
and substantive-law information to be gained at this conference
offering some 25 sessions, including general sessions and concurrent
breakouts. The program planners brought in well-known speakers
from outside Nebraska as well as Nebraska experts to talk about
issues ranging from collecting fees to ethical marketing, staying
on top of tech and law practice management trends, and more –
family law, estate and probate, DUI, and real estate issues.
If you are a solo or in a smaller law firm, you should make it
a point to go to this event, even if it is the only program you
attend this year.
Click here to
view the brochure or
here to register online.
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RULES
FOR MANDATORY LEGAL EDUCATION FOR NEBRASKA LAWYERS
Comments are requested on the proposed Rules Relating to
Continuing Legal Education for attorneys admitted to the practice
of law in Nebraska.
To review the proposed rules and the Nebraska State Bar Association's
petition, go to the Judicial Branch Web site at:
http://court.nol.org/rules/index.shtml
Comments are needed no later than August 1, 2007 in writing
to the office of the Clerk of the Supreme Court and Court of
Appeals, P.O. Box 98910, Lincoln, Nebraska 68509-8910, or via
e-mail to lasmussen@nsc.state.ne.us
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CHARITABLE
FUNDS INC. UPCOMING EVENTS
Please mark your calendars for any or all of the upcoming
CFI events in 2007.
August
20, 2007- 11th Annual NSBA-CFI Golf Scramble, Oak
Hills Country Club, Omaha. Registration includes, golf cart,
driving range, lunch
and
dinner. Prizes awarded to top teams
in two flights, along with hole prizes and raffle items.
Proceeds will benefit VLP. If you wish to be a sponsor,
click here.
THANK YOU TO OUR 2007
SPONSORS FOR THE ELEVENTH ANNUAL VLP
GOLF SCRAMBLE!!
If you or
your members are interested in further information on any of
these
events, please contact Sam
Clinch at 800-927-0117, ext. 25.
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PROPOSED STANDARDS
FOR APPOINTED COUNSEL IN CAPITAL, OTHER FELONY AND MISDEMEANOR
CASES-SECTIONS IV AND V(a) and (b)
The Nebraska Supreme Court invites interested persons
to comment on sections IV and V(a) and (b) of the proposed Standards
for Appointed Counsel in Capital, Other Felony and Misdemeanor
Cases. Section IV sets forth indigency attorney fee structures,
and section V(a) and (b) addresses reimbursement for expenses
in cases involving appointed counsel.
Anyone desiring to
comment on sections IV and V(a) and (b) of these proposed standards should do so in writing prior to June 16, 2007.
The Clerk of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals P.O. Box
98910 Lincoln, Nebraska 68509-8910 or via e-mail to lasmussen@nsc.state.ne.us
Sections IV and V(a) and (b) of the proposed standards are available
for
review on the Nebraska Supreme Court’s website at http://court.nol.org/rules/amendments/ProposedStds4ApptdCoun.pdf
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ATTORNEY SCHOLARSHIPS
AVAILABLE FOR THE NACC
Attorney Scholarships are available for the NACC (National
Association of Counsel for Children) 30th National Juvenile and
Family Law Conference, Achieving Quality Legal Representation
for Children, Families, and the State in Keystone, Colorado.
Click
here for additional information.
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POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT-NEBRASKA APPLESEED EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Nebraska
Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest, Lincoln, NE
Nebraska Appleseed, a nationally regarded nonprofit, nonpartisan
law project, seeks a new Executive Director to lead a staff of
11 highly dedicated professionals in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Executive
Director leads the fundraising, day-to-day operations and staff.
Nebraska Appleseed’s 2007 budget is $650,000. Its revenue base
consists of public support from individual donors, law firms,
foundations, and other grantmakers.
Core Values. Common Ground. Equal Justice. These are Nebraska
Appleseed’s guiding principles, and have been since the Center
started “sowing the seeds of justice” in 1996: a focus on advancing
policies and practices that promote self-sufficiency for Nebraska’s
working poor families, promoting the integration and participation
of immigrant populations in communities across Nebraska, providing
safe and adequate child welfare and foster care services to children
who need protection, increasing low-income people’s access to
the legal system, and supporting democracy by removing barriers
to low-income people’s participation in the electoral and public
policy decision-making processes. Our goal is equal justice for
all Nebraskans, we focus on core values we all share, finding
common ground we all can agree on, and ensuring everyone has
a voice.
Through our staff and volunteers, Nebraska Appleseed has a unique
combination of expertise, flexibility, and independence to help
achieve progress for people who need it. Our staff includes lawyers,
social workers, community educators, law students, and webmasters,
who join their skills with private law firms, civic leaders,
other professionals, and community members to seek lasting public
interest solutions. We use many different “paths to justice”
– community education, negotiation, research, network building,
legislation, and precedent-setting litigation.
Nebraska Appleseed is affiliated with the national Appleseed
organization of Washington, D.C. Appleseed Centers (currently
there are 16) are independent organizations linked by a national
network. Each Center recruits its own leadership, pursues its
own sources of funding, and develops its own projects and strategies
for reform, although, there are issues on which Appleseed Centers
work collaboratively.
Nebraska Appleseed is governed by a fifteen member Board of
Directors.
The new Executive Director must have the following qualifications:
Passion for Nebraska Appleseed’s mission;
Ability to provide vision and strategic thinking, identify and
analyze Nebraska’s important public interest issues, master
complicated legal issues, and a commitment to enhancing the
impact of the organization both locally and nationally;
Ability to inspire, mentor, and lead an experienced, dedicated,
and harmonious staff;
Astute political sensitivities for working with public officials
on the local, state, and national level;
Experience with fundraising;
Strong communication, writing, and media skills;
Communicate effectively with Board members and fundraising sources.
Compensation
Nebraska Appleseed offers a competitive nonprofit compensation
and benefits package for this position that is commensurate with
skill and experience.
Application
Please forward a cover letter, resume, writing sample, and references
to:
Allen Overcash, President, Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law
in the Public Interest
aovercash@woodsaitken.com (Please place “Appleseed Search” in
the subject line.)
Do not send your application to the Nebraska Appleseed office.
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NSBA 2007 PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD NOMINATIONS
The NSBA is accepting nominations for the 2007 Public Service
Awards. The deadline for the nominations is June 1, 2007. Go
to www.nebar.com for the award criteria, nomination form and
list of past recipients.
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NEW SURVEY: PARALEGAL COMP SHOWS SOLID INCREASES
(Newtown Square, PA, May 22, 2007) The 2007 Annual Compensation
Survey for Paralegals / Legal Assistants and Managers has just
been released. The survey, which reports on eleven distinct paralegal
positions in law firms and corporate law departments, was conducted
by Altman Weil Publications, Inc. in partnership with the International
Paralegal Management Association (IPMA).
“The survey shows solid increases in median total cash compensation
for most paralegal positions,” notes Altman Weil principal James
Wilber. “These numbers not only reflect solid economic growth
in the legal industry, especially among law firms, but also the
growth and increasing sophistication of the paralegal profession.
Legal organizations that want to attract and retain talented
paralegals must compensate them competitively.”
PARALEGAL COMPENSATION
Nationally, the median salary for Paralegals is $53,500 according
to the survey. An annual bonus adds $2,500 to cash compensation.
Median overtime compensation is reported at $4,177/year. In law
firms, 82.9% of Paralegals receive overtime compensation, as
do 28.3% of paralegals in corporate law departments. Total cash
compensation nationally for the Paralegal position is $59,973,
up 9% from 2006.
PARALEGAL MANAGERS
Paralegal/Legal Assistant Managers (full-time managers of a
paralegal program) take home a median $102,000 in salary nationally,
plus an additional cash bonus of $8,500. Only 10% of Paralegal
Managers report receiving overtime, and those that do earn just
$1,936 in overtime pay. Median total cash compensation for the
Paralegal Manager position in 2007 is $109,303, up 7.2% from
last year.
SPECIALISTS
Paralegals with specialized training or expertise, such as nurse
consultants, environmental technicians or CPAs, earn $77,940
in salary, $4,484 cash bonus and $7,824 in overtime. Median total
cash compensation for the Paralegal Specialist position in 2007
is $84,000, up 6.5%.
LAW FIRMS VS. LAW DEPARTMENTS
Nationwide, Paralegals in law firms earn 9.5% more in median
total cash compensation than Paralegals in law departments. Legal
Assistant Managers in law firms earn 29.4% more; and, Specialists
take home 24.6% more in total cash compensation than their law
department counterparts.
PRACTICE AREAS
In law firms, Paralegals working in an IP/Patent/Trademark practice
earn the highest total cash compensation, $69,675. That’s 16.2%
higher than total cash compensation nationwide, and 46% higher
than the lowest paid law firm practice area for paralegals -
Family Law. In law departments, paralegals in Corporate practice
earn top dollar, $70,098, while those in a Government/Legislative
practice earn least at $41,523 in total cash compensation.
BILLING RATES AND BILLABLE HOURS
The survey reports median billing rates for Paralegals at $160/hour,
up 6.7%. Paralegals billed a median 1,490 hours/year in 2006,
up 4.5% from the previous year. Insurance Paralegals in law firms
logged the highest number of hours at 1,638 hours/year, followed
by Litigation Paralegals at 1,562 hours/year.
DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING
The 2007 Annual Compensation Survey for Paralegals / Legal Assistants
and Managers is based on data collected in spring 2007 from 274
law firms and 78 law departments and reports on a total of 14,052
paralegal positions.
ABOUT ALTMAN WEIL
Altman Weil Publications, Inc. conducts and publishes numerous
surveys on the legal profession including the Survey of Law Firm
Economics and the Law Department Compensation Benchmarking Survey.
For additional information or to purchase a survey, visit our
website at www.altmanweil.com/ParalegalComp.
ABOUT THE IPMA
The International Paralegal Management Association (IPMA), formerly
known as the Legal Assistant Management Association, promotes
the development, professional standing and visibility of paralegal
management professionals. More information on the IPMA can be
found at www.paralegalmanagement.org.
Altman Weil, Inc.
Two Campus Boulevard
Newtown Square, PA 19073
(610) 886-2000
www.altmanweil.com
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NATIONAL DRUG COURT MONTH IN NEBRASKA
May is National Drug Court Month in Nebraska. A public proclamation
signing ceremony was held on May 16, 2007, in the State Capitol
declaring May as Drug Court Month in Nebraska. The proclamation,
signed by Governor Dave Heineman, was presented to Statewide
Coordinator for Problem-Solving Courts Scott Carlson who accepted
on behalf of the seventeen drug courts across Nebraska.
Nebraska currently has a variety of drug and problem-solving
courts in over half of the twelve judicial districts across the
state. Seventeen adult, juvenile, and family drug courts along
with other problem-solving courts can now be found in courthouses
from Gering to Omaha, with four more currently under development.
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JUDICIAL NOMINATING COMMISSION FORWARDS NOMINEES TO GOV. HEINEMAN
FOR SECOND JUDICIAL DISTRICT
The Judicial Nominating Commission for the County Court,
Second Judicial District, has forwarded the names of four nominees
to Gov.
Dave Heineman for his consideration in naming a judge to fill
a vacant seat on the county court bench.
The nominees are Michael Smith of Springfield, Jeffrey Funke
of Nebraska City, Christopher Lathrop of Papillion, and Steven
Delaney of Bellevue.
Gov. Heineman will schedule interviews with nominees in the
coming weeks.
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