In transition? Don’t let it bring you down

I just recieved a great article from Michael Moore Esq. and wanted to share it in it's entirety.

Lawyers are facing an unprecedented period of transition. Good lawyers who’ve done everything right are now unemployed. Ambitious, bright law students have no jobs. Many other lawyers face reduced hours, reduced pay, and lateral options appear limited. In these challenging times, every lawyer should know any transition, no matter how difficult, can be turned into an opportunity.

My own career includes transitions from private practice to corporate counsel to legal coach. Certain fundamental tactics give any lawyer the ability to make successful transitions. These tactics may appear disarmingly simple. However, if you execute them on a regular and consistent basis, you can create a positive transition.

First, take a deep breath and focus

In my 25-year career I have been downsized, right-sized and outsourced. In each case, taking the time to make a plan created a successful transition. Assess your skills, work your network, and be creative. Use resources available to you. Stay current in your area of law. Set realistic daily goals for your job search, and do your best to meet them. Develop a rhythm that works for you. Exercise. Enjoy your family. Hang out with friends. Read an absorbing novel. Remind yourself of the things for which you are grateful, your employment status notwithstanding.

Don’t bury your head in the sand

You are not alone. Thousands of lawyers are in the same situation. Avoid the temptation to isolate yourself. In challenging times, personal connections offer the most direct route to discovering opportunities. I personally use LinkedIn and Facebook as well as email and phone calls. Join groups on LinkedIn and contribute to the discussions going on. Use Facebook to keep in touch, locate old contacts, and expand and enhance your network. People prefer to hire and work with those they know, like, and trust. To become known, liked, and trusted, it’s critical to interact with the same people on a continuing basis.

Get smarter

Broaden your skill base, write articles, and seek out speaking engagements. Find CLE seminars or other training opportunities, read books and journals, or consider working with a professional coach. Your first response might be that you don’t want to spend money on education (formal or otherwise) right now, but that’s exactly the wrong response. Be selective, and choose learning opportunities that will give you the skills and knowledge to gain a competitive advantage.

Learn Business 101

Law is a business, and depending on the size of your firm you may need to develop basic business knowledge and management skills. Take charge of your career; learn to think like an owner, and focus on those things you can control. You must also learn about your clients’ businesses. One frequent complaint from clients is that their lawyers don’t always understand the context of a representation or how a certain issue fits into the bigger business picture.

Be a listener

You will be most effective in offering assistance to clients or network sources if you first ask questions and practice effective listening skills. Lawyers often take on the role of the expert too quickly, offering solutions before fully appreciating the depth of the problem or the desired outcome. Pay attention not just to the words but also to tone of voice, word choice, body language, and other nonverbal communication.

90 percent of success is just showing up

Successful lawyers understand the need to network with clients, potential clients, referral sources, and other contacts now more than ever before. They also understand the need to connect with one another. Building strong connections with reliable confidants offers an antidote to many of life’s challenges. My rule of thumb is to always have a full two weeks on your calendar of connections. Include breakfasts, lunches, or just-for-coffee get-togethers. When you show up with the right people in the right way, you become a top-of-mind presence with your contacts.

If you are seeking a new opportunity, joining a group of lawyers with a similar goal can help you keep your focus without becoming discouraged about the inevitable disappointments.
These fundamental tactics will help any lawyer make a successful transition. Trust that all of your efforts will ultimately yield to a positive outcome, the only variable being precisely how long it will take. Present yourself to the market, to clients, and to your network by communicating a message of confidence and optimism. Remember, for those who plan with audacity and execute with vigor, progress is the magnificent byproduct.

Michael Moore, Lewis and Clark 1983, is a professional coach for lawyers and the founder of Moore’s Law, Milwaukee. He specializes in marketing, client development, and leadership coaching for attorneys at all levels of experience. Moore also advises law firms on strategic planning and resource optimization. He has more than 25 years’ experience in private practice, as a general counsel, in law firm management, and in legal recruiting. For more information, visit http://www.moores-law.com/.

For information on Advantage Legal Seminars CLE programs call (888) 267-6097 or go to www.AdvantageLegalSeminars.com

You Have the Ability to Choose!

I recently received an e-mail from a friend of mine regarding choices specifically a person's ability to choose their own attitude of mind and how one can look at any situation either positively or negatively and its direct effect on the outcome of that particular situation.

Even though we may not believe it we all have the ability to choose and make decisions, even though we may not like the choices presented. My question is what choices will you make today, tomorrow and in the future. Are you going to make different choices regarding yourself, your family and your business relationships?

Remember, on planet Earth if we are not moving forward, eventually, the world will leave us behind. If you do choose to move forward in a positive direction do you have a plan? The majority of people I meet don't have a plan and to quote many business management gurus and philosophers “No plan is a plan to fail”.

I believe that we must start to ask ourselves the tough questions in order to achieve our goals. I have a question that I pose to people everywhere I go.

The question I ask is “What do you want to be when you grow up”? To date an overwhelming majority of the people I ask answer “I don't know”.

Isn't it time you figure this one out! As far as I know from all my medical training we have one shot on this planet to create a life we desire and we are not coming back. Therefore it's important for us to make decisions that will lead us in the direction that we desire. Now for the troublesome part for those of you who answered I don't know to the question what you want to be when you grow up? You're probably wondering how I figure this out.

Lately I've been using the obituary method of goal setting, and that is, I ask myself the question, what would I want my obituary page to say about me after I passed this planet. Do I want it to say, that I was a good parent and husband or do I want to leave a legacy of contributions to mankind.

I come up with these answers by utilizing a simple technique I learned from Stephen Covey who says in his book titled Seven Habits of Highly Effective People “Begin with the End in Mind”. You need to know what you want first and work your way backwards. This gives you the ability to come up with a clear picture of what you actually want and ways that you can best accomplish and reach your goals.

So what's it going to be? Are you willing to do what it takes to create the perfect life one that achieves all your goals and dreams? The only thing stopping you right now is you. With your ability to choose combined with specific goals and action steps for their accomplishment the sky’s the limit.

Dr. Rick Goodman speaks from real -Life experiences and achieves great results! Dr Rick’s newest book Living a Championship Life "A Game Plan for Success" has been widely acclaimed since its release.

Dr. Rick Goodman is a professional speaker and author who will give your audience specific tools and systems that get great results. Dr. Rick is also the President of Advantage Legal Seminars one of the leading providers for online continuing legal education in the United States.

For more information on Rick's speaking programs Consulting Programs and Training programs contact (888) 267-6098 or on the web at www.DrRickGoodman.com

For information on Advantage Legal Seminars CLE programs call (888) 267-6097 or go to www.AdvantageLegalSeminars.com

Five Steps for Succeeding In a Difficult Economy

If you are struggling in today's economy and are looking for ways to secure your position or are one of the thosands of people in the United States that are looking for a new job opportunity here are five basic rules to live by.

Attitude Is Everything!

The individuals that are going to succeed in this economy, must have a positive attitude regarding their employment situation. If they can have a positive attitude regarding their employment situation. There are a the vast amount of opportunities e for employment for the right person in the United States you just have to keep your focus!


Employees Need to Look for Ways to Expand Their Levels of Expertise.

The individual that broadens their skill level enhances their ability to retain their position. In addition they will notice with the new skills they have acquired their future employment opportunities will be enhanced.


Have a Game Plan for Success.

In this world, successful people all have a game plan for success with planned action steps for their achievement. This is a must if you're to retain your job or are just looking for opportunities on the horizon. This must be a written and well thought out plan.

Persistence and Perseverance the Keys to Winning the Big Game.

Many people in this world, including world-class athletes, stopped just short of success. The importance of persistence and perseverance cannot be understated. If you're looking to retain your job or if you're searching for a new career.

Decide Whether or Not You're Truly Doing What You Love to Do.

It's been my experience that the more you do what you love to do, the more fun you will have and generally the more money you will make. This just may be a great time to make a career change and do something you've always wanted to do. There are more opportunities than ever before in different segments of our economy for individuals with a great attitude, an excellent set of skills, and a game plan for success that they're willing to follow until they achieve their goals.



Dr. Rick Goodman speaks from real -Life experiences and achieves great results! Dr Rick’s newest book Living a Championship Life "A Game Plan for Success" has been widely acclaimed since its release.

Dr. Rick Goodman is a professional speaker and author who will give your audience specific tools and systems that get great results.

Dr. Rick is also the President of Advantage Legal Seminars one of the leading providers for online continuing legal education in the United States. For more information on Rick's speaking programs Consulting Programs and Training programs contact (888) 267-6098 or on the web at www.DrRickGoodman.com

For information on Advantage Legal Seminars CLE programs go to www.AdvantageLegalSeminars.com

Where Do You Find Exceptional Employees?

It's been my experience as a business owner that exceptional employees can be found almost anywhere in fact some of the most unlikely places happen to be the simplest areas to find the right employee.

Let's start with your own backyard, after hiring thousands of individuals over the last 20 years I found exceptional employees can sometimes be right under your nose.

For instance take a look at your best employees and ask them a key question;

Who do you know that is just like you?

It's been my experience that people do business with people who they like that are like them. In other words your employee’s friends have similar likes, dislikes and personality traits as many of their friends. I've yet to find instances where opposites attract as friends.

Suffice to say if your employee is a good one is a very good chance that their friends will similar qualities. In addition I found many employees would tell me to hire even not higher their friends because of direct reflection on themselves.

So the next time that you're looking for exceptional employees look close to home first within your own business, because that is where you might find a diamond in the rough!

Dr. Rick Goodman is president of Advantage Legal Seminars one of the leading providers of continuing legal education in the United States and abroad. Advantage legal seminars has over 100 programs in 26 categories and is approved in 36 states. For more information go to http://www.advantagelegalseminars.com/ or call 888-267-6097.

When Socia Media Collides

If you're like me and millions of people around the world who are using social media you probably discover that your world has just gotten much smaller. Just the other day I was writing an article on my favorite site jobing.com. The article that I wrote was titled "When You Fall off the Horse Don't Lose Your Blackberry

It was a story about commitment perseverance and our dependence on technology in order to accomplish our goals and objectives. After writing the article on the jobing site I immediately receive responses on my twitter account it was amazing to me this meeting at which the response had come people from around the world began to comment on the article.

As if that wasn't enough I started to get responses from many of my friends on face book commenting on that same article that I'd written on the jobing site. But I wasn't quite prepared for what would happen next at 10:30 a.m. on that same day I received a direct message from the Michael Dresser radio show "Dresser after Dark". They had seen the response regarding my article and were also interested in interviewing me for my new book Living a Championship Life.

Let me tell you how amazed I was that my world had become smaller by the moment and as the Law of attraction would have it, my worlds collided, overlapped, and became infinitely smaller. If it's not obvious to you right now it sure is obvious to me that if you want to grow your business and reconnect with the world social media and all its legs is certainly a great way to go.

It's time for you to get on the train before it leaves the tracks!

Dr. Rick Goodman is a consultant author and professional speaker and is the president of Advantage Legal Seminars. Advantage legal seminars is one of the leading providers of continuing legal education programs in the United States for more information go to www.advantagelegalseminars.com or call 888-267-6097

Understanding The Annual Federal 529 Gift Tax Exclusion

The annual federal 529 gift tax exclusion is available for parents and grandparents who make contributions to the section 529 plan on behalf of their child or grandchild. The amount is $12,000 (or $24,000 for married joint filers) per year, per child.



Simply stated, you can contribute up to $12,000 without incurring a federal gift tax. Any amount exceeding the 529 gift tax exclusion limit is considered a taxable gift and must be reported on your federal gift tax return.


Ways to Benefit from the 529 gift tax exclusion


There are ways to make large contributions as a 529 gift tax exclusion and avoid paying the gift tax. You can contribute one lump sum that is equal to five times the annual amount, up to $60,000 and still avoid the gift tax. The lump sum payment is treated as if you made the contributions evenly over a five year period. Any amount beyond the $60,000 within the same five year period is subject to the gift tax.


Another benefit to the 529 gift tax exclusion is that you can move assets from your estate that is otherwise taxable and still have ownership and control of those assets.


Misconceptions About the 529 gift tax exclusion


Parents and grandparents are often confused about the tax rules concerning the 529 gift tax exclusion. Some people assume that money given to someone for any purpose is taxable income that must be reported. The annual 529 gift tax exclusion is separate from income reported on your tax return. This income includes wages and profits from a business.


The gift tax is related to estate taxes that the government charges a person who dies with an excessive amount of money. Any person who dies in the United States with more than $2 million is charged a death tax if the excess amount goes to anyone other than their spouse.


The IRS has placed limits on the amount a person can gift to a person in one year. This is to prevent someone from giving away all of their money before they die to avoid paying estate tax. The current amount is $12,000 per recipient, per year. Any amount above the $12,000 is subtracted from the $2 million limit.


Another misconception many have about the 529 gift tax exclusion is that this amount is not taxed. The recipient of the gift amount that exceeds the estate tax exemption is taxed for that amount if you, the donor, are still alive and refuses to pay the gift tax.

Advantage Legal Seminars is one of the leading providrs of continuing legal education in the U.S. for more information on Advantage Legal Seminars CLE programs go to http://www.advantagelegalseminars.com/ or call (888) 267-6097

Visa Information Updates

New I-9 (Employment Verification) Rule Effective April 3, 2009

On December 17, 2008, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued an interim final rule changing the acceptable identity documents an employer may accept when verifying their employees’ eligibility to work when filling out Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. The crux of the new rule is that employers may not accept any unexpired documents, such as passports, permanent resident cards, employment authorization cards or I-94s as proof of verification of an employee’s eligibility to work in the United States. While originally intended to go into effect on February 2, DHS has extended its effective date to April 3, 2009, with the notice and comment period extended to March 4, 2009. This extension is in response to President Obama’s recent request to all federal agencies that pending regulations be subject to the review and approval of his appointees.

Applications for Naturalization Must Be Filed at USCIS Lockbox Facilities

As of January 22, 2009, those seeking to be naturalized (except for military cases) must submit their citizenship applications (N-400) and supporting documents to two USCIS lockbox facilities, one located in Phoenix, Arizona, the other in Lewisville, Texas, depending on the state of residence of the applicant.


Outgoing Attorney General Mukasey Issues Decision on
Right to Counsel in Removal Proceedings

On January 7, 2009, Attorney General Michael Mukasey ruled that aliens in removal proceedings have no constitutional right to counsel, including government-appointed counsel, because such proceedings are civil, not criminal, in nature. Therefore, an alien in removal proceedings has no basis on which to complain about ineffective assistance of counsel. However, the Attorney General also ruled that the Department of Justice may, as a matter of administrative grace, reopen proceedings where an alien shows that he was prejudiced by the actions of private counsel. To show prejudice, an alien seeking to reopen proceedings must show that his lawyer’s failings were egregious, and that it is more likely than not that, but for the lawyer’s failings, the alien would have been entitled to the relief he was seeking. In cases where the alien does not seek to have his case reopened within the applicable time limit (generally, thirty days), he must show he exercised due diligence in discovering and seeking to cure his lawyer’s allegedly deficient performance. Matter of Compean, et al., Interim Decision #3632, 24 I&N Dec. 710, (A.G. 2009).
Did You Know?

DHS to reconsider license provisions of Real ID Act.
New Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said that she will rethink a federal program that would require every state to issue secure driver’s licenses following minimum standards set by the 2005 Real ID Act. Currently, states have until the end of 2009 to issue new licenses that, prior to issuance, would require applicants to prove they are in the country legally under Real ID. Some states, such as Washington, have been offering enhanced licenses on a voluntary basis, requiring proof of citizenship and identity but do not meet the standards of Real ID. Programs such as Washington’s cost less than compliance with the Real ID law.

Source: Thomas Frank, Feds to rethink license mandate, USA Today (January 22, 2009).

U.S. Department of Justice Orders Collection of DNA from Immigrant Detainees. The Department of Justice issued a new regulation allowing for the collection of DNA samples from non-citizen, non-resident persons detained under the authority of the United States, which includes those undocumented persons in immigration detention centers. The final rule went into effect on January 9, 2009.

Advantage Legal Seminars is one of the leading providrs of continuing legal education in the U.S. for more information on Advantage Legal Seminars CLE programs go to http://www.advantagelegalseminars.com/ or call (888) 267-6097