Nashville Bar Journal | December 2015/January 2016

Nashville Bar Journal DEC 15/ JAN 16- VOL 16, NO. 11Nashville Bar Journal

NITS AND NATS OF NETWORK NEUTRALITYDavid Winters

NBA ANNUAL MEETING & BANQUET

LAW PRACTICE TIPS: PRACTICE MANAGEMENT SOFTWAREBarbara Moss and Ashish Karvé

NO FIRM IS TOO SMALLFOR A COMPREHENSIVE AND AFFORDABLE RETIREMENT PLAN.

The aba retirement funds program (“the Program”) has provided retirement plan services to firms of all sizes – even solo practitioners – since 1963. We believe today, as we did then, that the unique needs of the legal community are best served by a retirement Program built exclusively to benefit its members.

The Program is available through the Association of Legal Administrators, an ALA Value In Partnership Program Provider as a member benefit. This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, or a request of the recipient to indicate an interest in, and is not a recommendation of any security.Securities offered through Voya Financial Partners, LLC (Member SIPC).The ABA Retirement Funds Program and Voya Financial Partners, LLC, are separate, unaffiliated companies and are not responsible for one another’s products and services.

CN0228-8312-0315

Call an ABA Retirement FundsProgram Regional Representative today at 866.812.1510. www.abaretirement.com [email protected]

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!Check the NBA website atwww.nashvillebar.org

LIVE WEBCASTSAttorneys attending the live webcasts at the

NBA office will earn “live” CLE credit.

FEB17,2016 ETHICSFORCORPORATELAWYERS

FEB19,2016 ETHICSFORFINANCIALINDUSTRY LAWYERS

MAR2,2016 PSYCHOLOGICALISSUESIN EMPLOYMENTLAW

MAR16,2016 HOWTOREADFINANCIALSTATEMENTS

APR20,2016 FINANCIALSERVICESCONFLICTSOF INTEREST&FIDUCIARYDUTIES

JUN2,2016 APPELLATEADVOCACY

NBA Calendar of Events

Golden OldieWe have a big one for you this month! Identify the individuals in the photo. Be the first to email the correct answer to [email protected] and your name (along with your correct entry) will appear in next month’s issue.

Columns

Articles Departments

DECEMBER 29, 2015CLE Movie Festival: Ethics & Professionalism in the Movies: My Cousin Vinny

DECEMBER 30, 2015CLE Movie Festival: Ethics & Professionalism in the Movies: Anatomy of a Murder, The Verdict

JANUARY 7, 2016Diversity Committee Meeting

JANUARY 8, 2016Committee Chair Orientation

JANUARY 8, 2016New Board Member Orientation

JANUARY 9, 2016NBA Board Retreat

JANUARY 26, 2016President's Reception

FEBRUARY 17, 2016 Ethics for Corporate LawyersLive Webcast

FEBRUARY 19, 2016 Ethics for Financial Industry Lawyers Live Webcast

MARCH 2, 2016 Psychological Issues in Employment Law Live Webcast

6 Nits and Nats of Network Neutrality David Winters

8 NBA Annual Meeting & Banquet 10 Law Practice Tips: Practice Management Software Barbara Moss and Ashish Karvé

16 Law Practice Tips: How to Set Up Your Website Barbara Moss and Ashish Karvé

12 Gadget of the Month Bill Ramsey, Neal & Harwell, PLC Phillip Hampton, LogicForce Consulting

2 From the President

4 Communique • Legal Aid Society • NBF Grant • Golden Oldie • Liberty Bell Awards

CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATIONCENTER SECTION

22 Disclosure - Announcements • Welcome New NBA Members • Premier Members • Dial-A-Lawyer

24 Classified Listings

Nashville Bar Journal - December 2015 / January 20162

'

HEADLINE

TosaythatitisanhonortorepresentandleadtheNashvilleBarAssociationisagrossunderstatement.And,itiswithgreathumilityandrespectthatIacceptmyroleasyourPresident.IstandontheshouldersofmanygreatNBAservants,includingthefiveotherwomenandtwolawyersofcolorwhohavehadtheprivilegeofleadingthisgreatorganizationbeforeme.IalsostandontheshouldersofotherswhowerenotabletoserveintheNBAbutwhohelpedshapeourcommunityforthebetter.IwanttothankandacknowledgeNapierLoobyandLAWforprovidingmewithleadershipopportunitiesovertheyearsthathavebeenintegraltomyworkwiththeNBA.

IwouldberemissifIdidn’tacknowledgeandthankmyfamily,friendsandcolleaguesatLittlerMendelson,P.C.aswellasmyfamilywhoarewithmespirit,includingmydearlydepartedparentswhowerethetwobestrolemodelsinmylife.Particularlymymother,whopassedawaybeforeIbeganpracticinglaw,butwhohadlonginstilledinmetheimportanceofserviceandforgingapathforgenerationstocome.Shealwayssaid,“Idon’tcarewhatyoudoinlifeaslongasyouareliftingothersasyouclimbhigher.”

MypresidencyisanexampleofhowtheNBA’sexecutionofawell-articulatedvisioncanchangeacity,changeacareerandultimatelyimpacttheleadershipofourBar.Youmostlikelyknowthatintheearly1990s,theNashvilleBarAssociationsetouttocreateapipelineofdiverseattorneysinNashville.Oneofthewaysthatthebarsetouttoaccomplishthisgoalwasthroughthecreationofthe1Ljobfair,executedbywhatwasthenknownastheMinorityOpportunitiesCommittee.TheideawasthatifthebarassociationcouldattracttalentedstudentsfromdiversebackgroundstotheNashvillelegalcommunity,theresultwouldbeasustainablepipelinefromlawschooltoeventualleadershipwithinourcommunity.YoumostlikelyknowthatNashville’sJobFairisoneofthelongestrunning,mostsuccessfulandmosthighlyratedjobfairsinthecountry.

WhatyoumaynotknowisthatIwasaparticipantinthe1Ljobfairin1999.IwillconfesstoyouthathailingfromMacon,Georgia,IhadalwaysthoughtIwouldenduppracticinginAtlantaorinWashington,D.C.whereIattendedcollege.Butthe1999jobfairandsubsequentclerkingexperiencesexposedmetomanyamazingNashvilleattorneyswhowouldlaterbecomemymentorsandfriends.ItalsoexposedmetothepracticeoflawinourgreatcityandthetrueessenceandresponsibilityofwhatitmeanstobeamemberoftheBar.ThisBar’sexecutionofasincerevisionchangedthetrajectoryofmycareerandofmylife.Soyousee,Iknowfromfirst-handexperiencehowimpactfulwhatwedocanbeonthelivesofourmembers—particularlywhenwedoitwellanddoittogether.

Oneofthegreatestattributesthatwehaveasanassociationisthatweareabletotakeonlocalandnationalissueswithasenseofhumanity,fairnessandcollegiality—or,asIliketocallit—“theNashvilleWay.”ThatiswhyIcametothiscityandbecameamemberoftheNashvilleBarAssociation14yearsago.ItisalsowhyIhaveremainedamembereversince.WhatwasattractivetomethenandevenmorevaluabletomenowisthatourBarwasnotafraidtolead.

Aswehavedoneinthepast,theNBAmustdecideitsmissionforthenext15yearsandexecuteonthatvision.Thelasttwopresidentshavestressedtheimportanceofmembership.Withoutourmembers,wedon’thaveabarassociation.Myfocuswillbetobuildontheconceptofgrowingourmembershipandexecutingourstrategicplanto

From the President

Joycelyn A. Stevensonby:

Nashville Bar Association150 Fourth Avenue North

Suite 1050Nashville, TN 37219

615-242-9272 Fax 615-255-3026www.nashvillebar.org

Joycelyn A. Stevenson, Publisher

William T. Ramsey, Editor-in-Chief [email protected]

Eleanor Wetzel, Managing [email protected]

Editorial Committee:Kelly L. Frey

Kathleen PohlidTim Ishii

Tracy KaneEverette Parrish

Bill RamseyRita Roberts-Turner

Eleanor WetzelDavid WintersVictoria Webb

No part of this publication may be reprinted without written permission of the Nashville Bar Journal Editorial Committee. The Nashville Bar Journal is not responsible for the return or loss of unsolicited manuscripts or for any damage or other injury to unsolicited manuscripts or artwork.

All Articles and Letters contained in this publica-tion represent the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Nashville Bar Association.

The Nashville Bar Journal, ISSN 1548-7113, is published monthly by the Nashville Bar Association at 150 Fourth Avenue North, Suite 1050, Nashville, TN 37219, (615) 242-9272. Periodicals Postage Paid, Nashville, TN (USPS 021-962). Subscription price: $25 per year. Individual issues: $5 per copy.

POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to Nashville Bar Journal, 150 Fourth Avenue North, Suite 1050, Nashville, TN 37219

Nashville Bar Association Staff

Monica MackieExecutive Director

-----------

Susan W. BlairDirector, Continuing Legal Education

Shirley ClayFinance Coordinator

Wendy K. CozbyLawyer Referral Service Coordinator

Jessica HillDirector of Communications

Traci L. HollandsworthPrograms & Events Coordinator

Malinda MoseleyCLE Coordinator

Judy PhillipsCLE Coordinator

Vicki ShouldersMembership Coordinator/Office Manager

A Monthly Publication of the Nashville Bar Association

Nashville Bar Journal - December 2015 / January 2016 3

Got an Idea for an NBJ Article?We want to hear about the topics and issues readers think should be

covered in the magazine.Send it to

[email protected]

NASHVILLE BAR ASSOCIATION

Eachday,weworkhardtohelppeopleandbusinessesinourcom-munity.TheNBAhasawideva-rietyofservicesandprogramsthat

canhelplawyersworksmarter,stayinformedandkeepconnectedwithfellowattorneys.Fromsolepractitionerstothelargestfirms,

fromlegalaidattorneystothoseinprivatepractice,theNBAsupportsallofussowecanbetterserveour

clientsandthejusticesystem.

OurBarAssociationismuchmorethanjustacollectionofservices.

Thepowerofourmembershipliesinthepowerofthepeople.

WEaretheBar.Andtogether,weshapethefutureofthelegal

profession.

obtain,retainandreclaimmembers.Therearemanywaystodothisbutwewillfocusheavilyonrobustcommunityserviceandleadership,andmeaningfulnetworkingopportunitiesforlawstudents,membersandnonmembers. TheNBAmustcontinuetogivelawyersreasonstobemembersandremindsomeofourrichlegacy.Ourchallenge,likemostassociationsistoremaininclusive,torecognizeandnurturetalent,andtoremainrelevantinanever-changingworld.Wecannotbeafraidtoembracechange,norcanwebeafraidtoacknowledgethatchangeisnecessaryforourBartotakeitsrightfulplaceamongsttheeliteBarAssociationsinthisnation.AneliteBariswhatourBarhasalwaysbeen,anditiswhatourBarwillcontinuetobewithyourhelpandsupport.Ourmemberswillnotalwaysagree(Imean,wearelawyers),butourBarshouldalwaysbeapartofimportant,controversialandsometimesuncomfortableconversationsaboutthedirectionofourprofessionandlegalissuesoftheday.

TohelpusgrowandimproveourAssociation,Iwouldliketoissueachallengetoeachindividualmember: 1.Dosomethingoutsideofyourbarassociationcomfortzone. Forexample:Serveonacommittee,writeanarticle,ifyouseesomeone youdon’tknow,introduceyourselfandaskhowyoucanmaketheir experienceintheNBAbetter; 2.Inviteatleastonenon-membertoabareventthisyear. 3.Submitoneideathisyearonhowyouthinkwecanimprovethebar. Whilewecertainlyappreciateourindividualmembers,wealsounderstandandappreciatethesupportthatwereceivefromthemanylawfirms,governmentoffices,corporationsandthejudiciary.Ifyouarealeaderinoneoftheseinstitu-tions,pleasebeonthelookoutformycalloremailonhowwecanworktogethertostrengthenthebar.

Iwouldliketooffersimilarchallengestoourinstitutionsincludingthefollowing: 1.Becomeamemberofthe100%clubandsponsormembershipforyour employees; 2.Sponsorahappyhoureventorhostaneventatyourofficessothatwe canincreaseournetworkingcapabilities;and 3.Signuptoemployahighschoolstudentwhoparticipatesinthe DiversityCommittee’sHighSchoolInternshipProgramand/oran internfromthe1LJobFair

Wemusthavecommittedinstitutionalinvolvementtomakeourbarsoarandwearereadytoearnand/orsustainyoursupport. Inclosing,theworkofthisBarstartedmeonmyjourneyallofthoseyearsago.Thiscitywelcomedmewithopenarmsandmanybarmembershavenurturedmethroughoutmypractice.IwasgivenanopportunitytoservetheNBAin2001asamemberoftheMinorityOpportunitiesCommitteeandIhavegladlyservedtheNBAinsomecapacityeveryyearsince.Iamgratefulfortheprivilegetoleadanassociationthathasgivensomuchtome.IamveryproudtoserveasyournewPresident.

2016 NBA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Joycelyn A. Stevenson, PresidentNathan H. Ridley, President-Elect Matt Potempa, First Vice President

Andrea P. Perry, Second Vice PresidentApril Knox , Secretary

Eric W. Smith, TreasurerEdward D. Lanquist, Jr., Immediate Past

President Justin McNaughton, YLD PresidentLela Hollabaugh, General Counsel

Irwin J. Kuhn, First Vice President-ElectClaudia Levy, Second Vice President-Elect

Mark S. BeveridgeRobert C. Bigelow

Hon. Joe P. Binkley, Jr.Hon. Sheila D. Calloway

Kay CaudleJacqueline B. Dixon

Samuel P. FunkMargaret M. Huff

Hon. William C. Koch, Jr.Ryan D. Levy

Wendy LongmireHon. Randal S. Mashburn

Erin Palmer PollyDavid L. RaybinSara F. ReynoldsSaul A. Solomon

Laura Smith TidwellM. Bernadette Welch


communiquéNashville Bar Foundation Grant 2016TheNashvilleBarFoundationisnowacceptinggrantapplications.Ifyouknowofany501(c)(3)organizationsthatmaybeeligibleforaFounda-tion Grant,pleaseletthemknow.

Requestsmustbesubmittednolaterthan4:00 p.m.onJanuary 15, 2016inaccordancewithgrantguidelines.Viewgranteligibilityandap-plicationguidelinesatwww.nashvillebar.org

https://www.facebook.com/NashvilleBarAssociation

@theNashvilleBar

Trey Harwell to Serve as Chair for Legal Aid Society 2016 Fundraising CampaignLegalAidSocietyofMiddleTennesseeandtheCumberlands,Tennessee’slargestnon-profitlawfirm,announcedtodaythatTreyHarwell,attorneyandpartneratNealandHarwell,PLC,willserveasthe2016chairoftheCampaignforEqualJustice,anannualinitiativethatraisesfundsforLegalAidSociety.

HarwelljoinedNeal&Harwellin1996,andhisprincipalareasofpracticeareincivillitigation,white-collarcriminaldefenseandcrisismanagement.HeisagraduateofVanderbiltUniversityLawSchoolandisaFellowoftheAmerican,TennesseeandNashvilleBarAssociations.HeisalsoformerpresidentandcurrentpremiermemberoftheNashvilleBarAssociation,aswellasamemberoftheNashvilleBarFoundationBoardofTrustees.

AnactivememberoftheNashvillecommunity,HarwellservesasacommissioneroftheMetropolitanNashvilleAirportAuthorityandasaboardmemberoftheMiddleTennesseeCouncilofBoyScoutsofAmericaandFriendsofWarnerParks.

Harwellhasputtogetherthefollowingforhiscommitteein2016:

•LargeFirmCo-Chairs:Dewey BranstetterofSherrard&RoeandKatieEdgeofButlerSnow•SmallFirmCo-Chairs:Jonathan FarmerofFarmerPurcellWhite&LassiterandEmily ShouseofPattersonIntellectualPropertyLaw•GovernmentChair:Bob WatsonofMetropolitanNashvilleAirportAuthority•JudgesCo-Chairs:Judge Lynda Jones,GeneralSessionCourtDivIX,andJudge Philip Smith,20thJudicialDist.,Div.IV•CorporateChair:Laura TidwellofNashvilleElectricService•WilliamsonCountyCo-Chairs:Joanie AbernathyandVirginia Story,bothofStory,Abernathy,&Campbell

Tomakeyourowntax-deductiblegifttoLegalAidSociety,goonlinetowww.las.orgorsendcheckspayabletotheLegalAidSocietyto300DeaderickSt.,Nashville,TN37201.Formoreinformation,contactCindy [email protected](615)780-7125.


Tennessee Supreme Court Historical Society Annual Cocktail Reception TheTennesseeSupremeCourtHistoricalSocietyispleasedtoannouncethatitwillholditsannualcocktailreception,honor-ingthemembersofTennessee’sSupremeCourt,onTuesday, February 9, 2016at5:30p.m. TheSocietywillalsocelebratetheopeningoftwonewMuseumalcoves,honoringtheroleofwomenandminoritiesthroughoutTennessee’slegalhistory. Forthefirsttimeever,thereceptionwillbeheldintheTennesseeSupremeCourtBuilding. TheSocietyasksthatfirmspleaseconsidersponsoringthisevent(platinum$5,000,gold$2,500,orsilver$1,000sponsorshiplevels). Sponsorswillenjoythebenefitofadvertisingcommensuratewiththeirsponsorshiplevel,aswellasasmallblockoftickets. Individualticketswillbesoldfor$100(individualticketsdefraythecostoftheevent,butdonotcontributetotheSocietyorhelpsustaintheMuseum).

Spaceinthecourtroomislimitedto150attendees,sopleaseRSVPassoonaspossibletoRachelThomasatrachelthomas@rachelthomaslaw.com.

Nominations Sought for Liberty Bell Award

NominationsarebeingsoughtfortheLibertyBellAwardthatwillbepresentedduringtheNBA'sannual Law Day Luncheon during Law Week.DeadlinefornominationsisMarch14,2016.

Thisawardisgiventothatpersonorgroup(notnecessarilylawyersorlawrelatedgroups)whohaspromotedabetterunderstandingoftheruleoflaw,encouragedgreaterrespectforlawandthecourts,stimulatedasenseofcivicresponsibility,orcontributedtogoodgovernment.

NominationsfortheLibertyBellAwardshouldbeaddressedtotheNBABoardofDirectorsandsenttoTraci [email protected]

-Golden Oldies

James C. Hofstetter of Hofstetter & Hofstetter correctly identified the individuals in the November 2015 Golden Oldies photo.

Pictured are: Bert Haywood, Doug Fisher and Nancy Corley


OnNovember20,2014,PresidentObamaannouncedsweepingchangestoimmigrationpolicywhichwillallowupto5millionundocumentedworkerstoobtainworkauthorizationcardsforthreeyearsandnotbesubjecttodeportation(alsocalledremoval)duringthissamethree-yearperiod.Inaddition,PresidentObama’sImmigra-tionActionswillexpandthe“provisionalwaiver”program,clarifythemeaningof“extremehardship”inprovisionalwaivercases,andtakeactionstobetterenableU.S.businessestohireandretainhighlyskilledforeign-bornworkers,expandopportunitiesforstudentstogainOccupationalPracticalTraining(OPT),andsetnewremovalpriorities.Thisarticlewillanalyzethe

ThematterofInternetNetworkNeutralityhasfurtivelyappearedinourheadlinesforyears,now.Thisimportantissuehasremainedunresolvedforsolongthat,impatientlyskippingtheestablishedstatu-torilymandatoryrule-makingprocedureslastyear,PresidentObamapreemptedtheFederalCommunicationsCommissionandannouncedthatnetworkneutralitymustbeourwayhenceforth.

Butformostofus,theconceptisamystery.Manydonotvaguelyunderstandwhat“NetNeutrality”meansorwhatitsimpactwouldbe.Thisbriefpieceattemptstoexplaintheessentialswithoutresortingtounnecessarytechnicaljargon.Lawyersneedtounderstandit.

“Wordshavemeanings.”1So,letusfirstdefine.Theexpression"NetNeutrality"describesanInternetwhereintransmissionsaretreatedequally,nomatterwhattheircontent,size,orsource.2

Simple,atleasttheoretically.

Tolawyers,socialactivists,andotherchampionsofjustice,thissoundspleasinglyegalitarian.Itpracticallyscreamsequalityandjustice.After

NITS AND NATS OF NETWORK NEUTRALITY

Feature

David Wintersby:

allwhatcouldbemorefairthantreatingalltransmis-sionsthesamenomatterwhattheysay,howmuchtheysay,orwhosaysit?3Butthisperspectivehijacksanen-gineering/operationsissueandtriestoshoe-hornitintoanimaginedsocialjusticeconstruct.Itignoresabsoluteandunavoidablephysicalrealities.Thisissilly.Thelawsofphysicscanbeneitherrepealed,noramended.Engineeringandoperationsaregovernedbyrealtime,space,andmatter,notbysocialtheories.Inshort,“NetNeutrality”makesforaslickslogan,buterroneousengineering.

Toavoidtechnicaljargonwhileexplainingthisweshallemployafamiliaranalogy,thecommongrocerystorequeue.

WhenIwasyoung…younger…Okay,alotyounger,lifewasslowerandsowasgroceryshopping.(Wecalledit"trading.")Grocerystoresweresmall,and“checkout”wasaccomplishedatamanual,keypoking,bell-ringing,hand-crankedcashregister.Allcustomerslinedupandwaitedfortheirturnatthecashierwiththeirassortedbags,baskets,boxes,andcarts.

Thissystemrepresentsnetworkneutralitywithrespecttotransmissionsizeorcomposition.Everybodygottreatedonafirstcome,firstservedbasis.ItdidnotmatterwhetherwewantedtopurchasejustonepackofLuckyStrikes,orthreehandcartsofmilk,eggs,meat,andveggies,weeachwaitedourturnsinthesamequeue.


Continued on Page 13

Thingsaredifferentnow,andIforoneamglad.Grocerystoresthesedays,establishspecialpurposecustomerlines.IfIhavetenitemsorfewerinmycart,there'sadedicatedcashierjustformeandforotherswithsimilarlylightloads.Wegetthisprivilegebecausedealingwithoursimple,smallpurchases(“transmissions”)willbequickandwillquicklyleavespaceforthenextbriefcustomers.Hencearisesourspeedlaneprivilege.ThisisblatantlyNON-neutralwithrespecttotheamountortypeofgoodsIwanttopushthroughthetransmissionqueue.

Ifmycart,however,happenstoincludeapackageofpipetobacco,Imaybeshuntedintoanentirelydifferentqueueestablishedtodealwiththetime-consumingprocessofinspectingmycredentials(“cardingme”)toensurethatIameligibletomakemydesiredpurchases.ThatwayIwon'tdelayeveryoneelse.Sothesystemalsoisnotneutralwithrespecttothetypeofgoodsinmypurchase“transmission.”Fur-ther,whenIreturntoshoplater,andfillfourfullgrocerycartsofassorteditems,Iwillfindmyselfrelegatedtoaslow-movinglineofsimilarhighvolumeshoppers.

Areallshopperstreatedequally?No.Butisthisinnovation desirable?Wellitcertainlyappearstobe.Customerslikeit. That'swhygrocerystoreskeepdoingit.Andintheendmostshoppersbenefit,soonerorlater.Ashopperwhoneedstocheckoutquicklyhasanincentivetotailorhispur-chaseforfastestprocessing.Someinstitu-tionsevenprovidepermanentlypreferredcustomerstatustothosewhopayaccord-ingly.Convenienceisasalablecommodity.Butfunctioningunderasystemthatworksasnetworkneutralityworks,we'dallbelinedupinthesamequeueduringthesamehours,nomatterwhatorhowmuchwehaveinourbaskets.Nomatterhowbigour"transmissions"are,orwhattheycontain,wemustawaitourneutrally

allottedslots.

Tomorespecificallyapplythistotheinter-net,understandthatvideosandmoviesarehighinformationcontenttransmissions.Theyare,bydefinition,comparativelybig.Fixedgraphicsandvoicetransmissionsarealsolarge,butnotsolargeasvideos.Texttransmissionsarerelativelysmallandquicktoslipthroughaqueue.Apracticalapproachgivessmaller,simpler,transmis-sionssuchastheseafastlanearoundthe18-wheelersizedtrafficsuchasmovievideos.

Wecanseethebeneficialeffectoftreatingtheseinanon-neutralwaybyconsider-inghowyourcellphoneworks.Whenyousendatextonyourcellphone,itgetsslippedintotheholesandgapsinvoiceandgraphicstransmissionsandcostsverylittleinqueuewaitingtime.Youneednotevenwaitforadialtone.Itgetsspecialtreatmentandgetsthrougheventhoughyoumaynotbeabletogetavoiceconnection.4Further,inanemergency,youcanevenconnectto911onaphonethathasnopaidserviceprovideratall.Thesearefunctionsofspecialprivilege,notequality.

Butinatrulyneutralnetwork,texttransmissionswouldbenomoreeasilyconnectedthanvoicetransmissions.Wewouldbeforcedtodoaseveryonedidintheearlydaysofdatacommunications.Wewouldwaitforadialtone,dialthenumber,establishaconnection,andthenhookupourdatatransmitter(frequentlya“modem”boxconfiguredtofitatelephonehandset).Ifthelinesweretoooverloaded,wecouldnotconnect.Everyuser’scom-municationlaneswouldbeequallysloworequallyoverloaded.Likesocialism,itwouldensureequaldistributionofhard-shipwithoutcreatingincentiveformini-mizingorefficientlytailoringtransmissioncontentorsize.Thisishowtelephone

baseddatatransmissionsystemsworkedasregulated“commoncarrier”utilities,andthisisessentiallyhowInternetnetworkneutralitywouldwork,exceptwithoutthemanualdialingandthehandsets.Ifyouhavenevertriedit,don’t.Youwouldnotlikeit.5

Incommunicationsnetworks,ofwhichtheinternetisbutone,sundryotherformsofabsolutelynon-neutralprivilegemaybebestowedtofitneedsofparticularusersorproviders.Forexample,contractualprovi-sionshavelongbeenavailablefortelecom-municationscustomerswhohaveexcep-tionalneedforunfailingcommunications.Foragivenpremium,onecanpurchaseavirtualguaranteeagainstanyoutageatanytime.Thisratheramountstobuyingyourwaytoheadofthelineandluxuryseatinginfirstclass.Itcomesonlyatsignificantexpense.However,governmentandbusi-nessfrequentlyrequirethissortofdepend-ability,andpayaccordingly.Thismaybeunquestionablynecessary,thesameastheprivilegeexercisedbyafiretrucktohavepriorityatstoplights.Butitcertainlyisnotneutral.ItisnotNetworkEquality.

Inatrulyneutralnetwork,notransmis-sionwouldhaveprivilegeoveranyother.Baretexte-mailtransmissions,strippeddowntotheirspeedos,wouldhavenoaccesstofastlanesthatgetbymonsterbandwidthconsumingvoiceandvideodata.Everybody’sservicewouldbeequallysloworequallyoverloaded.Heavilyladenflatbedroadhogswoulddeterminetrafficspeedforeveryone.Atitsextreme,emer-gencydefenseanddisastercircuitswouldshareequalprioritieswithsocialnetworksandsiteaddressesendingwith"XXX."Likesocialism,NetNeutralitywouldre-quirevastamountsofcomplexregulation,6andwouldensureequaldistributionofhardshiporinconveniencewithoutcreat-ingincentiveforminimizingtransmissioncontent,form,orsize.Thisishowabsolute


OnDecember3,2015,attheMusicCityCenterindowntownNashville,therewasmorethanenoughcollegialitytogoaroundattheAnnualMeeting&BanquetoftheNashvilleBarAssociation. ThepassingofthegavelfromPresident Ed LanquisttoPresident-Elect Joycelyn Stevenson,introductionoftheNBAofficersfor2016,andawardswereallontheagendafortheevening.TheNBAwaspleasedtoannouncethatLew Connerwastherecipient ofthe2015 John C. Tune Award.

Thankyouagaintoallofourgeneroussponsors--TITLESPONSORS:First Tennessee BankandIPSCO;BANQUETSPONSORS:Thomson ReutersTheawardsgivenwereasfollows:

President’s AwardsGailAshworthRobbBigelowRyanLevyJohnMcLemoreAndreaPerryErinPalmerPollySaraReynoldsEdYarbrough

CLE Excellence AwardJudgeRandyKennedy

NBJ Award: Article and Contributor of the YearJohnMcLemore

Emeritus

JohnW.Barringer Hon.JoeB.Brown


ThomasI.Carlton,Jr.DavidDentyCheathamHon.FrankF.Drowota,IIISenatorJoeM.HaynesWilliamPorterAldenH.Smith,Jr.ClarkH.Tidwell

Legal Aid Society/ Volunteer Lawyers Program Pro Bono Leadership AwardBoneMcAllesterNortonNeal&Harwell

John Tune Award LewConner

YLDPresident's AwardJessicaJernigan-Johnson

YLD Enterprise AwardBeauCresonGilSchuette

Thank you again to all of our generous sponsors:

BakerDonelsonBearmanCaldwell&Berkowitz,PCBassBerry&Sims,PLCBoneMcAllesterNorton,PLLCBradleyArantBoultCummings,LLPBurr&Forman,LLPButlerSnow,LLPCornelius&Collins,LLPCumberlandTrustDickinsonWright,PLLCDodsonParkerBehm&Capparella,PCFrostBrownTodd,LLCGullett,Sanford,Robinson&Martin,PLLCLeitner,Williams,Dooley&Napolitan,PLLCLittlerMendelson,PCMartinHellerPotempa&Sheppard,PLLC MiddleTennesseeCollaborativeAlliancePattersonIntellectualPropertyLaw,PCProchaskaQuinn&Ferraro,PCSherrard&Roe,PLCWaypointLaw,PLLC

PhotoscourtesyofJohnMcLemore


Law Practice Tips: Practice Management Software

Feature

Barbara Moss and Ashish Karvéby:

Whetheryouhandlealargevolumeofcasesthatconcludewithinashorttime(weekstomonths),oryouworkonmorecomplex,longer-termmatters,youneedanorganizedandsystematicwaytomanageclientinformationandfiles.Fortunately,attorneyscannowchoosefromamongaseeminglyendlessvarietyofpracticemanagementsoftwaretomeetsuchchallenges.Thisarticlere-viewscommontypesofsoftwareandexploresbestpracticestogetthemostefficiencyandutilityfromwhateverapproachyoutake.

What do you want the case management software to do?

1.Trackandassociateallinteractionsrelatedtoindividualclients.Wheneveryouhaveameeting,aphonecall,oranemailexchangewithaclient,thatdatashouldbeenteredintothesoftwareforrecordkeepingpurposes.Ifyou’redefendingaconservatorshipcaseandthefamilyadvisesyouthatyourclienthasbeenadmit-tedtothehospital,thatconversationshouldbeincorporatedintotheclient’sfileandeasilyaccessedandreferencedatamoment’snotice.

2. Manage documents.

Whetheryoudraftcomplexestateplansorsimplefilingswiththecourt,youlikelygenerateahugeamountofpaperwork.Goodsoftware,wellimplemented,reducesclutterandallowsyoutoin-dex,searchandcataloguedocumentsfasterandmoreaccurately.Thisefficiency,inturn,shouldfreeupmoreofyourtimetofocusonbuildingthefirm,generatingbillablehours,andmanagingtheteam.

3. Ensure fair and accurate billing.

Smoothrunningsoftwareletsyoubillclientsaccuratelyandcre-ateprecisedescriptionsofyourservices,soyourclientscansee

whythey’rebeingcharged.Suchsoftwarealsooffersinsightintowhereandhowyou’respendingyourtime.Areyouworkingontherightcases?Whatareyourmostproductivehours?Whatarethemostproductivetypesofactionsyoutake?

Withdata-drivenanswerstothesequestions,youcanshuffleyourmarketingaccordingly,offloadprojectstoaparalegal,andoptimizeyourgrossincome.

4. Obtain and track useful marketing information.

Howdoyourclientsfindyou?Whathappensduringthesalesprocess?Howdoyourrelationshipsend?Howdoyouoryourparalegalhandlefollow-upsandreferralrequests?Greatsoftwareprovidesdatatoanswerthesequestions.

Two Main Types of Practice Management Software

Server-based software,suchasTimeMatters,AmicusandTabs3,ishousedonaserverinyouroffice.Ontheplusside,youarenotdependentonInternetaccessandyoualsohavemorepersonalanddirectcontroloversecurity.Ontheotherhand,apoweroutageornetworkdisruptionwillpreventyoufromaccessingkeyclientdata.

Cloud-based approaches,suchasClio,LEAP,MyCaseandActionstep,alloweasierremoteaccessandnowincludelotsofsafetyfeaturestoshielddataandprivateclientinformation.Thesedaystherearealsofree,ornearlyfree,cloudbasedprogramsthatconnectwitheachotherinawaythatcanfunctionasaclientman-

Continued on Page 14


GADGET OF THE MONTH

BILL & PHIL'S

WesawitadvertisedonTV.Itlookedsilly,slightlyweird,andnotreallyapracticalgadget.So,ofcourse,weboughtit.We’retalkingaboutAmazon Echo,asortofwirelessspeaker/cloudconnectedknow-it-all/digitalassistant.Preconceivednotionsaside,however,Echomadeagreatfirstimpressiononus,andwehavebeenusingitquiteabiteversince.

EchoisreallyjustaBluetoothwirelessspeakerthatcomesequippedwithvoice-activatedsoftwarethatallowsyoutodictatecommands,suchasplaymusic,readthenews,giveaweatherupdate,orjustanswersomeoff-the-wallqueriesálaSiri.Thespeakeritselfishousedinaweirdlookingtubethatwillnotbemistakenforadecorativevaseinyourofficeorhome,butasfarasBluetoothspeakersgo,it’sactuallyprettygood.Itwon’treplaceourBoseorSoundBlasterRoarasourspeakerofchoice,butit’salotbetterthanoursmartphonespeakersandsomeoftheotherlessexpensivepiecesinourgrowingBluetoothspeakercollection.

WhatmakestheEchomorethanjustanice-soundingspeaker,though,isthevoiceactivationfeaturethatconnectsyoutoAmazon’scloudresourcesviavoicecommands.Theout-of-the-boxcodewordtogetEcho’sattentionis“Alexa”(nice,wealwayswantedanassistantnamedAlexa).Onceyousayhername,theEchodevicelightsuptoindicatethatit’slistening(again,somethingwe’vealwaysdreamedaboutinanassistant).YoucanthenaskEcho(wemean“Alexa”)anynumberofthings.Forexample,BillaskedAlexatoplaysometunesfromLoudonWainwrightIII.ImmediatelyAlexarespondedwith“shufflingmusicfromLoudonWainwrightIIIfromGoogleMusic”andstartedplayingoneofBill’sfavoritesongs,“DeadSkunk.”Alexaalsoconnectsyouwithaselectgroupofmusicstreamingservices,includingPandoraandiHeartradio.SadlyforBill,though,thereisnocurrentintegrationwithSpotify.

YoucanalsohaveAlexagiveyouthelatestnewsheadlinesorsportsscoreupdates;giveaweatherforecast;setanalarm;orpreviewtoday’seventsfromyourGooglecalendar(assumingyouuseGooglecalendar…wedon’t).Notsurprisingly,ifyouareanAmazonPrimecustomer,Amazonallowsyoutore-orderpreviouslyordereditemsfromPrimewithnothingmorethanavoicecommand.Thatmayprovetobejusttooconvenient.Fromthere,it’sjustaninteractivegametoseewhatAlexawillrespondtoandhowshewillrespond,e.g.,”Alexa,whatisthepopulationofBotswana?”

Eventhoughwehavethistypeoffunctionalityonoursmartphones(SiriontheiPhoneandGoogleNowonourAndroids),Amazon’sversion,nicknamed“Alexa”,seemstoworkbetterandtobemore“intelligent.”Amazontoutsitscloud-basedsystemasever-learning,gettingtoknowitsmaster’sspeechpatterns,preferencesandproclivities(thatreallyscaresus),andgettingsmarterthemoreyouuseit.Inaddition,Echowillinteractwithaselectgroupofhomeautomationcontroldevices,suchasWeMoandInsteon,allowingyoutoturnonlights,coffeepots,etc.withvoicecommands(spookybutsocool).

Echo’smarketingcollateraltoutsits“far-fieldvoicerecognition”asadifferentiator,sowegaveitatest.WesettheEchoupinoneroom(withmusicplaying)andwentabout20or30feetintoanotherroomtoseeifitwouldrespondtoourvoicecommand.Wehadtoraiseourvoicealittle,butitworked.Echoheardthecommandandobeyed.Wow…soyellingatourelectronicdevicescannowtranslateintoresponsiveaction.Thatisadreamcometrue.

Abouttheonlythingwedidn’tlikeabouttheEcho(orwishedwasdifferent)isthatitdoesnothaveabattery.Ithastobepluggedintoapowersourceallthetime.Sothisisnotadevicethatyouaregoingtocarryaroundwithyouinyourbackpack.But,youmightstartoutwithoneatyourhouseandthendecidetobuyasecondonefortheoffice.Yes,weboughttwo.

ThebottomlineisthatEchorepresentsapromisingnewentryintothegrowinggenreofso-calledintelligentpersonaldigitalassistants.WelikewhereAmazonisgoingwiththis.Whileitmightseemalittlecreepytohavethiscloud-connecteddevicesittinginyourhouselisteningtoyourvoiceallthetime(ok…somaybeit’sreallycreepy),wereallylikehavingthisdigitalassistantfaithfullyobeyingourcom-mandsandpullingdatawereallyneedfromthecloud–whenweneedit.Alexa,keepitup.Weloveyou,Alexa. Seeyounextmonth,—Bill & Phil

Amazon EchoBy: Bill Ramsey, Neal & Harwell, PLC and Phill ip Hampton, LogicForce Consulting

Nashville Bar Journal - November 20152

Nashville Bar Journal - November 2015 3

Nashville Bar Journal - November 2015 5


https://books.google.ca/books?id=bBBBt1qBBesC&lpg=PT358&dq=karla+homolka+flashlight&pg=PT358&hl=en#v=onepage&q&f=false

Nashville Bar Journal - November 2015 7 CLE 9

CLE 10

NBA CLE EXCELLENCE AWARD

The NBA CLE Excellence Award is given to an NBA member in recognition of exceptional service to the Nashville Bar Association’s Continuing Legal Education Program. The Award recognizes an NBA member who has demonstrated dedication and commitment to the NBA’s mission to provide quality continuing legal education to improve the knowledge and practice skills of lawyers. The individual shall be an individual who, through NBA programs, has significantly advanced the education of the bar.

Judge Kennedy has shown – and continues to show - dedication and commitment to the NBA’s continuing legal education program. For more many years, Judge Kennedy has shared his practice expertise and judicial perspective to enhance the skills and knowledge of lawyers at all levels of practice. His many years of leadership, service and commitment significantly advances the mission of the NBA’s continuing legal education program.

JUDGE RANDY KENNEDY'S BIOGRAPHY

RANDY KENNEDY is Judge of the Seventh Circuit Court for Davidson County, handling all probate, estate administration and conserva-torship cases in Nashville. Appointed by Governor Bredesen in 2003, Kennedy was elected in 2004, and reelected in 2006 and 2014. Kennedy served as Presiding Judge of the 20th Judicial District from 2005 through 2007.

Prior to taking the bench, Kennedy was in private practice for 26 years and served as managing partner of Kennedy & Brown.Kennedy served as a member of the Metropolitan Council of Nashville/Davidson County for two terms, and on the Metro Charter Revision Commission from 1995 thru 2009.

A graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and the Nashville School of Law, Randy also attended the National Judicial College at the University of Nevada. Judge Kennedy served as Vice-President of the Tennessee Trial Judges Association from 2009-2013, First Vice President of the Nashville Bar Association in 2012, and is a member of the Tennessee Bar Association. He is a member of Harry Phillips American Inn of Court, a Fellow of the Nashville Bar Foundation, and the National College of Probate Judges.

Kennedy is an Instructor at the Nashville School of Law and a frequent lecturer on Probate Practice, and has taught at the Tennessee Judicial Academy. Kennedy is married to Debbie Kennedy; and they have two children, one of whom is an attorney,and three grandchildren.

Honorable Randy Kennedy - Seventh Circuit Court Judge- Probate Court- receives the NBA CLE Excellence Award from the CLE Committee Chair, Irwin Kuhn, at the NBA Banquet. The banquet was held on December 3, 2015 at the Music City Center.

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Continued from page 7

Nits and Nats of Network Neutrality

NetNeutralitywouldwork.Itdoesnotappearattractive.Anditispreciselytheoppositeofwhattheinternetwascreatedtobe.7

Sotosummarize,networkneutralityisinfactattainable,butnotdesirable.Inourfrontierworldofcommunicationsinnova-tion,thelastthingweneedisregulatoryconstraintsbasedonoutdatedorinap-propriateconceptsoftechnology.Tosomethismayseemabiasedconclusion.Butitisactuallyquiteobjective.Aqualityuniversallypossessedbyobjectivismwithrespecttophysicalrealityisthatittendstowardinexorable,demonstrabletruth,nottowardideasoropinions.

Thatsaid,nowthattheNetNeutralityverdicthasessentiallybeendictatedbeforetheevidencewasheardandconsidered,theFCCisinabitofatoughspot,beingexpectedtoretroactivelycreatereasonedsupportforthepresident’spredetermineddecision.Perhapswecanhelpthemoutbyteachingtheabovebasicstoourlegislators.Perhapstheycanstillwieldsomesortofusefulinfluence.Alternatively,wecanjustsitbackandwatchourtwenty-firstcenturytechnologybepoundedintonineteenthcenturymoldsbyobsoletebutcompulsiveregulatorystructures.

(Endnotes)

1 Variation of quote by Associate Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia (“Words no longer have mean-ings if… .”).

2 Wikipedia defines “net neutrality” as follows:Net Neutrality (also network neutrality, Internet neu-trality, or Net Equality) is the principle that Internet service providers and governments should treat all data on the Internet the same, not discriminating or charging differentially by user, content, site, platform, application, type of attached equipment, or mode of communication. Net Neutrality, Wikipedia, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Net_neutrality.3 And, of course it goes without saying, without regard to sex, race, orientation, national origin,

political affiliations, gender identity, religion, intimate practices, kosher standards, halal tastes, bacon preferences, or views on live bait fishing.

4 This is important to know in disaster or other mass emergency situations when voice networks are overloaded. Cellphone text transmissions act like little motor scooters maneuvering past a traffic jam. They will probably get through even while voice connections grind to a halt.

5 See Telecommunications Act of 1996 declaring the Internet an “unregulated information service.” Pub. LA. No. 104-104, 110 Stat. 56 (1996).

6 See Internet Radio Equality Act H.R. 2060, S. 1353, 110th Cong. (2007-2008).

7 When pressed the author will occasionally confess using the Internet before Al Gore invented it. Back then we called it DARPANET or ARPANET, a free-wheeling paradise that existed precisely to avoid the sorts of obstacles Net Neutrality now proposes. (Insert here Roy Rogers background rendition of 1934 hit song Don’t Fence Me In with Lyrics that were written by, no kidding, Department of Highways engineer, Mr. Bob Fletcher.)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David Winters is a patent attorney. In circuitous route to this profession, he specialized for a time in international data communicationssecurity from which he progressed to free-lancing as a techno-pirate, weaseling his way through loopholes in treaties and FCC regulations. (Details available in Wikipedia.) He is author of The Pirate’s Guide to Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights available on Amazon.com

SAVE THE DATES:

January 26President’s ReceptionNBA Conference Room

January 29-30 Job FairWaller

March 3 Diversity SummitBass Berry & Sims & Frost Brown Todd

April 21-25Sister Cities Caen Delegation May 26Memorial ServiceDowntown Presbyterian Church

November 17 Memorial Service Downtown Presbyterian Church

December 8Annual Meeting and Banquet


My Experience

IdecidedthatIdidn’twantthecostandcommitmentofbuyingaserverandthatI’mcomfortablewithmanagingclientsanddocumentsonthecloud.TheTennes-seeBarAssociationendorsesClioPracticeManagementSoftwareandoffersmembersa10%discount.AccordinglyIstartedwithClioandmadeoneunsuccessfulforayintoanotherprogram.MyonlycomplaintaboutClioisthatthesoftwaredoesnoteasilyaddemailmessagestoafile.I’mtoldthatClioisworkingonthis.Ontheplusside,Cliohasgreatsupport.

agementsolution.GoogleAppsmoduleslikeGoogleCalendar,ContactsandGoogleDriveareexamplesofapplicationsthatcanbecombinedtocreateyourownclientinformationmanagementsystem.

Regardlesswhichtypeofsoftwareyouchoose,findaprogramthatintegrateseas-ilywithyourothersoftware,suchasMi-crosoftOutlook,Gmail,orQuickBooks.Integrationsthatsynchronizedataelimi-natetheneedtoenterdataintwodifferentplacestocreateefficiencyandeliminatethepossibilitiesoftranscriptionerrors.

More Tips

Prepare for trial and error.Whenadoptingnewcasemanagementsoftware,budgettimetoworkoutthekinks.

Ensure consistency.Everyoneonyourteamshouldusethesoftwareinthesameway,sothatcasesarehandledsystemicallyandsoyoucanmoreeasilytrainnewemploy-eesandspreadoutworkloadwhenyouoryourstaffgetsickorgoonvacation.

Choose a system that is easy to use and acces-sible.Thisincreasesthelikelihoodthatyouandyourstaffdefaulttoworkingthroughthatsoftwareonaconsistentbasis.Mobileappsaddanotherlevelofconveniencethatmayfurtherhelpyoukeepinformationupdated.

Keep it simple, and refine your approach based on what’s working and what isn’t. Youdon’tneedtouseeveryfeatureofthesoft-waretoenjoysignificantbenefits.Justgetstarted,andimproveandoptimizeyourpracticemanagementovertime.

Remember TITO(trashintrashout).Thesoftwareisdependentonyoutoentertheinformationcompletelyandaccurately.

Continued from page Law Practice Tips: Practice Management Software

Elder Law of Nashville was founded by Barbara J. Moss, who practices elder law, Medicaid (“TennCare”) planning and crisis management, asset protection, conservatorship, estate planning,probate and trust administration, and Veterans benefits. She has been listed in Best Lawyers in America® since 2005 and has been named multiple times by her peers as one of the 100 best lawyers in Nashville (most recently in 2015) in the NashvilleBusinessJournal’s “Best of the Bar.” She is currently listed in Nashville’s Best Lawyers, and is designated a “Super Lawyer” by Law&PoliticsMagazine. She is consis-tently named by MemphisMagazine as one of the top 50 women attorneys in the mid-south.

TheNashvilleBarAssociation'sannual Damali Booker First Year Minority Clerkship Job FairwillbeheldonSaturday, January 30, 2016,inNashville,TN.ThiseventwillbeginwithareceptionforallcandidatesandparticipatingemployersonFriday,January29,2016at5:30p.m.attheWallerlawfirm,511UnionStreet,Suite2700,Nashville,TN37219.

AlistofparticipatingemployersispostedontheNBAwebsiteforthestudentstoreview.

If you are an Employer interested in participating in the 1L Job Fair, please contact:

Traci HollandsworthNashvilleBarAssociation1504thAve.N.Nashville,TN37219Phone:615-242-9272Fax:615-630-7050E-mail:[email protected]


Nashville Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Board Directory

EXECUTIVE BOARD

PresidentJustin F. McNaughton

President ElectLauren Paxton Roberts

SecretaryMatthew J. Kroplin

TreasurerTera Rica Murdock

Immediate Past PresidentRyan Levy

Events DirectorRachel Ross Rosenblatt

Public Service DirectorPeter Robinson

Professional Development DirectorWill Hicky

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

CLEBen GoldammerTaylor Sutherland

MembershipScott DouglassBrent BaxleyJoseph Hubbard

ABA LiaisonBlake Bernard

TBA LiaisonCole Rogers

Napier-Looby Bar Association LiaisonTBD

PUBLIC SERVICE COMMITTEES

Community OutreachPeter MalanchukLauren KilgoreMollie Gass

Mock TrialRob Laser IIICasey MillerTara Sarosiek

Law WeekBeau CresonGil Schuette

EVENT COMMITTEES

Carbolic Smoke BallJeremy OliverBahar Azhdari

Race JudicataPaige AyresEmily Mack

Arts ImmersionLauren SpahnKelly Donley

Social & PromotionJessica Van DykeGulam Zade

Social & Promotion (Tech)Wade Sims

Important DatesFebruary26-27,2016

Mock Trial Competition

April9,2016Race Judicata

May25,2016Arts Immersion

2016 Board Directory


Law Practice Tips: How to Set Up Your Website

Feature

Barbara Moss and Ashish Karvéby:

Ifyourwebsiteneedsupdatingorremodeling,oryou’rehopingtobuildanonlinepresencefromscratch,youmightbeconfusedandoverwhelmedbytheproject.

•Whatelementsdoyouneedtohaveinplaceforyourwebsite?•Howmuchwilltheworkcost,andhowlongwillittake?•Whattimeandmoneywillyouhavetocommit?•Whatpartsoftheprocesscanyououtsourceandtowhom?•Howcanyouensureaestheticandstylisticcontrol?•Whatshouldyoudotomaximizethelikelihoodofasolidreturnonthemoneyyouspendonyourwebsite?

Thisarticlecannotanswerallthesequestions,butitcangiveyousomeinsighttogetstarted.

Naming Your Website

AsNobelLaureateLinusPaulingonceobserved,thewaytogener-ateagreatideaistohavelotsofideas.Tothatend,brainstormmanysitenamesbeforeselectingone.Shouldyouchooseyourfirm’snamefortheURL,agenericnameoranamerelatedtoyourfavoritepracticearea?

Here’stheshortanswer:whenindoubt,keepitsimple,short,memorable,andeasytospell.

Domainsmustberegisteredthrougharegistrar,suchasGoDaddyorRegister.com,thathavebeenapprovedbytheInternetCorporationforAssignedNamesandNumbers(ICANN).Costsforregisteringadomainvarydependingontheregistrar,buttheycanrunaslowas$10/year.

Considerthefollowingtips:

•Optfor".com"over".org,"unlessyou'reanon-profitorganization.

•Registerrelatedtopleveldomains;e.g.,abclaw.com,abclaw.org,andabclaw.net—topreventotherfirmsorentitiesfrominfringingonyourbrandandcausingconfusion.

Google’salgorithmhashistoricallyfavoreddomainnameswithpopularly-searchedkeywords.AlthoughGooglehasstatedthatthiswouldnotbethecaseinthefuture,indepen-dentresearchindicatesthatdomainscontainingkeywordsstillhaveanadvantage.


Self-Design or Hire Out?

Ifyouaredeterminedtodoityourself,Isuggestthatyoutakealookat“platforms”likewix.comorsquarespace.com.Evenbetter,thinkaboutoutsourcingthiswork.Webdesignmightseemeasyenough—andmoderntoolshavecertainlymadetheprocesssimpler—butunlessyouhaveexperienceindigitaldesign,itcanbeverydaunting.

Professionaldevelopersalsocreateonplat-forms.Usingan“openaccess”platformwillgiveyoualotofflexibilityandcontrolinthefuture.Ifyoudon’tuseanopenaccessplatformandinsteaduseaplatformownedbyaparticulardeveloper,youwillbetiedtothatdeveloperinthefuture.CommonopenplatformsareWordPress,JoomlaandDrupalord.WordPressisthemostfrequentlyused,openlyaccessibleplatform.

Thecostofwebdesigntodayisfairlyaffordable:abasic,out-of-the-boxpro-fessionalwebsitecancostjust$1,000-$1,500.However,youmayneedtopaysubstantiallymoreforcustomfeatures,contentandsocialmediamarketing.Plus,theinitialdesignwon'tcoverthecostofupkeep,whichcouldincludeexpenseslike:

•Hosting:$10-$100/year(dependingontrafficandhostingservices)

•Continualwebsitemaintenance:$500+/year(dependingontheamount/typeofupdatesrequired)

•Analytics:Googleoffersfreelyavailablewebsitemanagementtools,butyoumightwanttopayforextratoolsand/orexpertisetocollectandanalyzesitedataforyou.

Remember the “Don’t Make Me Think” Principle

Studiesshowthatconsumersmakeimportant,make-or-breakjudgments

aboutbusinessesbasedonwebsitequality.Likeitornot,peoplemakethesejudgmentsrapidlyonline.Youhaveliter-allyonlysecondstocapturetheattentionofthosewhofindyouthroughthesearchengines.Tothatend,makethecontentanddesignexperiencedropdeadsimple,andbeextremelyclearaboutyour“mostwantedresponse.”Forinstance,doyouwantthevisitortosignupforyourfirm’snewsletter,callforaconsultation,oremailyourteamtoscheduleanintakeinterview?

Thisquickguidecannotcoverallelementsinvolvedinsettingupyourattorneyweb-site,butnowyouhaveasolidoverviewofthecostsinvolvedaswellasthebasicprocess.

My experience

Idecidedonadomainnameformywebsite,elderlawofnashville,whichwasgenericasopposedtoonebasedonmyname.AgenericnamecanbeavaluableresourceifIeventuallysellmypractice.Iregisteredthedomainnameas.comand.net.Iskimmedthebookcalled“Don’t

Elder Law of Nashville was founded by Barbara J. Moss, who practices elder law, Medicaid (“TennCare”) planning and crisis management, asset protection, conservatorship, estate planning,probate and trust administration, and Veterans benefits. She has been listed in Best Lawyers in America® since 2005 and has been named multiple times by her peers as one of the 100 best lawyers in Nashville (most recently in 2015) in the NashvilleBusinessJournal’s “Best of the Bar.” She is currently listed in Nashville’s Best Lawyers, and is designated a “Super Lawyer” by Law&PoliticsMagazine. She is consis-tently named by MemphisMagazine as one of the top 50 women attorneys in the mid-south.

MakeMeThink,”whichisthebibleforwebdesigners,draftedcopyforthewebsite,andhiredadesignerfamiliarwithWordPress.

Meeting Space @ the nBa centeR

The NBA Center is available for you to host meetings, arbitrations, depositions, and other events. Members may also use the NBA’s Guest Attorney Office when they need an “office away from the office” with internet and phone access.

Contact Vicki Shoulders at [email protected] and indicate the date, time and meeting room preference. Meeting space is subject to availability.


More Annual Meeting & Banquet PhotosPhotoscourtesyofWadeSims

OnDecember3,2015,attheMusicCityCenterindowntownNashville,therewasmorethanenoughcollegialitytogoaroundattheAnnualMeeting&BanquetoftheNashvilleBarAssociation. Pleaseenjoymorephotosfromthisgreatevent!


• Connect with Your Local Legal CommunityThe NBA provides numerous opportunities to meet and connect with other Nashville-area attorneys. Through networking, social events, continuing education, committee work, and other career and personal development opportunities, we help bring our profession together.

• Expand Your Business and Client BaseBuild relationships, network, and gain referrals through activities and programs, CLEs, committee work, volunteer projects, or by joining the NBA Lawyer Referral and Information Service at the member rate.

• Be a Better LawyerLearn from fellow lawyers and judges at NBA events. Enhance your professional development through high-quality CLE programs and committee in-service meetings, and stay informed with insightful and timely articles in the Nashville Bar Journal.

• Sharpen Your Practice Skills with CLEAttend our innovative, and engaging CLE courses featuring local, regional, and national presenters. Our skilled faculty will keep you current on the nuts and bolts of the law, local rules and customs, ethics and professionalism, winning practice strategies, and key practice procedures—all at special NBA member rates.

• Give Back to the CommunityServe the public and help improve the image of lawyers by participating in community service projects offered by the Young Lawyers Division and the NBA throughout the year, volunteer for Dial-A-Lawyer—a free call-in service where members provide general legal information to the public, or help with one of the many projects offered through the Minority Opportunities Program.

• Meet New PeopleDon’t just hang out with familiar faces. Use social gatherings, NBA CLE’s, committee work, and Young Lawyer Division events and community projects to build your network of contacts throughout Nashville and surrounding counties.

• Learn from the ExpertsAttend NBA CLEs to hear from law practice leaders who will share their expertise and practical experience. Be educated, enlightened, and even entertained by keynote speakers and

other special guests from the legal community—local, regional, and national.

• Be a LeaderSet the pace in the legal community by serving on committees, publishing Nashville Bar Journal articles, helping produce or present CLE seminars, joining the Young Lawyers Division, participating on the NBA Board, or working with the Nashville Bar Foundation.

• Refresh and Renew YourselfTake time out from your daily routine to attend a Bar event or activity—such as the annual Golf Tourna-ment, Free Member Picnic or one of our many Happy Hour gatherings—and catch up with old friends or unwind with new ones.

And more…• Use the NBA Center—to hosts meetings, arbitra-tions, depositions, and other events. Members may also use the NBA’s Guest Attorney Office when they need an “office away from the office” with internet and phone access.

• Visit the NBA’s Online Career Center—where you can post your resume, search job postings, and ac-cess the career resources library.

• Receive Announcement Emails—covering timely events, membership news, spotlighted events, and CLE announcements.

• Participate in the NBA’s Lawyer2Lawyer Mentoring program—a web-based resource designed to con-nect experienced attorneys with newer attorneys who desire assistance with substantive legal issues or the personal and professional demands of practicing law.

• Use the NBA Attorney Directory—to find names, photos, and contact information for Davidson County lawyers and judges, firm listings, court information, and areas of practice of local attorneys.

NASHVILLE BAR ASSOCIATIONBenefits of MembershipThe Nashville Bar Association helps build a sense of community and camaraderie among our members and comes with tangible and intangible benefits for your career, profession, and community. Our members come from the public and private sectors, from large multi-state firms to solo practices; they are judges, in-house counsel, law students, paralegals, educators, and everything in between.

Here are a few of the many reasons to belong to the NBA…


Nashville Bar Association members may send Disclosure announcements

[email protected]

Submissions are subject to editing.

Disclosure \Dis*clo”sure\ (n) The act of revealing, releasing or bringing to light relevant information concerning NBA Members & Staff.

Announcements Kudos People on the Move Firm News

Nashville attorney Zach-ary Wiley has joined the Nashville office of Morgan

& Morgan. He will be practicing primarily in the area of personal injury and worker’s compensation litigation.

After graduating from Tulane Uni-versity Law School in New Orleans, Wiley practiced law with a commer-cial litigation boutique in Boston, Massachusetts practicing primarily in the area of probate, estate, and trust litigation. Wiley relocated to Nashville to accept a term position as a Federal Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable Chief Judge Wil-liam J. Haynes, Jr. in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, and has called Middle Tennessee home ever since.

Mr. Wiley is a member of the Ten-nessee, Texas, Massachusetts and New York bars. In addition to his legal pursuits, he is an avid runner, cyclist, and motor sports enthusiast.

The law firm of Baker Donelson has named Joel Buckberg as the first prac-tice group leader of the

Firm's newly formed Commercial Transactions and Business Counsel-ing Practice Group.

Mr. Buckberg is a shareholder in the Firm's Nashville office, where he counsels clients on business transac-tions and operations, particularly in hospitality, franchising and distri-bution, including strategic planning, development, disclosure, equity and debt financing, mergers and acqui-sitions, system policy and practice development, regulatory compli-ance and commercial contracts.

Prior to joining Baker Donelson, he was executive vice president and deputy general counsel of Cendant Corporation.

Neal & Harwell, PLC, announces that Philip D. Irwin has been named Chief Manager of the firm. Irwin

has been with Neal & Harwell since 1986. Aubrey B. Harwell, Jr., co-founder of the firm and former Chief Manager, remains a member of the executive committee and continues to have an active role in the firm.

The primary focus of Irwin’s prac-tice is civil litigation. In addition to Tennessee state and federal courts, he is admitted to practice before the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the Tennessee Bar Association, and the Nashville Bar Association.

Irwin attended David Lipscomb University, graduating with a B.S. in 1983. He received his law degree from Mercer University in 1986. He has served as a board member at Morning Star Sanctuary, a non-profit corporation assisting victims of domestic violence, a board mem-ber at Adoption Hope Foundation, a nonprofit corporation providing financial assistance to prospective adoptive parents, and is presently a board member at Camp Sycamore Creek, Inc., a nonprofit corporation providing a summer camp experi-ence for inner-city children. He also served on the National Development Board of David Lipscomb University.

Irwin is a resident of Brentwood, Tennessee.

December Volunteers:

Gina CrawleyTom Lawless

Dial-A-Lawyer is held the first Tuesday of each month. The public is invited to call in with basic legal questions.

To volunteer your time, please contact Wendy Cozby, LRIS Coordinator at [email protected] or 242-9272. Pro Bono credit does apply and dinner will be provided.


Welcome New NBA Members!

Rachel C. HoganJoseph B. CraceAmy Victoria PetersAngela Lee BergnmanBrian Francis IrvingKatherine H. BlankenshipLeslie A. Nash Meredith L. TooleMary Julia Bressman HannonLynn M. HammondLarry Wayne BrantlryJulian L. Bibb IVDavid Gareth MarksBrandon Kyle ThompkinsBrittany Renee StancombeHeath Hamilton EdwardsHannah E. HayesRobert R. Campbell IIISarah Marie ThornsberyRobert Charles WalkerWilliam C. Dunlap Ryan SchmidtMonica M. CoakleyJerry Turner SewellMargaret Olvia RowlandDerek LenzenAriel Clorice MasonGarrett Michael HausmanGrant Michael FordW. Lyon ChadwickMeredith Wood Bowen Linda Denise KirklenKatharine Kalinke Decker Michael Collins PolovichKathryn Ann BakerLaura Elizabeth MillerJay C. BallardDixie W. Cooper Patricia J. Cottrell Virginia Chase Crocker John A. Day Joy Day John Franklin Floyd Charles K. Grant John J. Griffin Jr.William L. Harbison Marian F. Harrison Aubrey B. Harwell Jr.Trey Harwell

NBA Premier Membership is a special category that recognizes our members who desire to demonstrate the utmost in commitment and support to the NBA Programs & Services. Contact Vicki Shoulders (615.242.9272, [email protected]) for details.

Frank Abernathy Elizabeth A. Alexander Gail Vaughn Ashworth Mark BeveridgeJoe P. Binkley Jr.Jonathan BobbittLeilani Boulware C. Dewey Branstetter Jr.Kenneth Sherman Byrd Christopher CardwellKathryn Caudle Mark P. Chalos John Ray Clemmons Lewis ConnerPatricia CottrellVirginia CrockerJohn DayJoy DayDavid Downard Blair DurhamH. Naill FallsJohn FloydKeith FrazierGrant GlassfordCharles GrantJohn Griffin

William HarbisonMarian HarrisonTrey HarwellAubrey HarwellLisa HeltonG. HoganPaul HouschMichael JamesonR. Jan JenningsJordan KellerJohn KitchWilliam KockIrwin KuhnEd LanquistAndrew LaufmanThomas LawlessClaudia LevyRandal MashburnAmanda McClendonRocky McElhaneyRobert MendesJeffrey MobleyMarlene MosesPatricia MoskalMichael MossmanDean Newton

2016 NBA Premier memBers:

Listed according to date joined:Jessica Schultz Paul McAdooRyan L. SarrWilliam PorterMatthew James BuchbinderJ. Russell FarrarMarshall Thomas McFarlandAndrea J. SinclairRiddhi ShahWoods DrinkwaterRoger RichardsonKaren Marie BlakeKristen CassCharles Covington McLaurinAngela Kay DanielAdam Grant Province

Ziyan XuePatrick Clayborne PopeNathan Scott HargisMichelle Drinkard BalfourNathan L. BergerLucas Evan Wood JerkinsJason R. NaborsScott Robert BrownTonya J. AustinJeremy Ross HutchisonStephanie MesserTara S. SarosiekRonald David Evans Jr.Mac Mitchell Moorer Jr.Amy Michelle BergamoCarson KingKobina P. AnkumahJoshua SudburyMatt Arvin

Mattison PainterDavid ParsonsGregory PeaseTracy PowellDavid RaybinSara ReynoldsMaira SalasKathryn SasserCarolyn SchottKimberly SilvusElizabeth SitgreavesSaul SolomonJohn SpragensMichael StewartJames StranchClaire ThomasHon. Aleta TraugerHoward VogelMichael WallElizabeth WashkoJames WeatherlyPeter WeissThomas WhiteThomas WisemanStephen Young


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ViSit the NBa'S career ceNter & Get Started:

- Place your job in front of our highly qualified members - Search our resume database of qualified candidates - Manage jobs and applicant activity right on our site - Limit applicants only to those who are qualified - Fill your jobs more quickly with great talent

- Search for & quickly apply to great, relevant jobs - Set up Job Alerts so you are immediate-ly notified any time a job is posted that matches your skills or interests - Create an anonymous job seeker profile or upload your anonymous resume so employers can find you - Access job searching tools and tips

Job Seekers:employers:

Join the NBA LRIS!LriS MarketS & adVertiSeS

YOur SerViceS When you join the NBA LRIS, your practice benefits from the LRIS’ marketing and advertis-ing programs. Currently, LRIS reaches potential clients through advertising in the Yellow Pages in various telephone directories throughout the state. Clients are referred to us through a variety of sources including the courts, Office of the Attorney General, employee assistance programs, other Bar Associations and the Social Security Administration. Also, our on-line pres-ence attracts clients nationwide.

The NBA Lawyer Referral & Information Service is the Ex-clusive Referral Service for the Nashville Bar Association.

JOIN NOWCONTACT: Wendy Cozby, LRIS Coordinator (615) 242-9272 | [email protected]

APPELLATE BRIEFS and ARGUMENT

THOMAS F. BLOOM, J.D. (Emory 1977)(615) 260-5952; www.bloomappeals.com

RetainedbyattorneysthroughouttheStatefor29yearstodraftbriefsand/orarguecasesinover400appeals,StateandFederal.Researchassistancealsoavailable.

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NBJ adVertiSiNG:Contact JESSICA HILL at (615) 242-9272 or [email protected]

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Nashville Bar Journal | December 2015/January 2016

Documents

Transcript of Nashville Bar Journal | December 2015/January 2016