Good afternoon Family Law Section members,
On Saturday, April 1, NJICLE in cooperation with the NJSBA Solo and Small Firm Section will present the 2023 Solo and Small Firm Conference, In-Person at the New Jersey Law Center and Webcast, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The Solo and Small Firm Conference is back! Join the NJSBA/NJICLE and your esteemed colleagues and friends at the New Jersey Law Center for the CLE event of the year, with networking, fun and CLE seminars especially designed for solo and small firm attorneys.
Register today to come away with a wealth of knowledge to help you better represent your clients in 2023. You will be able to choose the topics that resonate most for you.
FACULTY
Solo and Small Firm Section Officers:
Laura M. Fisher, Esq.
Chair, NJSBA Solo and Small Firm Section
Law Office of Laura M. Fisher LLC, Jersey City
Robyn E. Ross, Esq.
Chair Elect, NJSBA Solo and Small Firm Section
Ross & Calandrillo, LLC, Mountainside
Catherine Finnerty, Esq.
Secretary, NJSBA Solo and Small Firm Section
Goldman & Beslow, LLC, East Orange
George Veitengruber, Esq.
Immediate Past Chair, NJSBA Solo and Small Firm Section
Veitengruber Law, LLC, Wall Township
Speakers:
Hon. Jeanne T. Covert, AJSC
Burlington
Lauren Baptiste
Chief Empowerment Officer
Acheloa Wellness, New York
Lori Ann Buza, Esq.
KS Brannigan Law, PC, Montclair
Greg Cooke
Vice President
USI Affinity, Philadelphia
William E. Denver, Esq.
The Denver Law Firm, Red Bank
Hanan M. Isaacs, Esq.
Kingston Law Group, Princeton
Jeralyn L. Lawrence, Esq.
President, NJSBA
Lawrence Law, Watchung
Joseph Novello, CPA, MBA
Director, Financial Training Organization, Metuchen
Andy Oeftering
President, Chief Technology Officer
UpTech 360
Alice M. Plastoris, Esq.
Law Office of Alice M. Plastoris, Morristown
Rebecca Rakoski, Esq.
XPAN Law Partners, Marlton
Maritza Rodriguez, Esq.
Rodriguez Law, LLC, Newark
Elliot Stern
Chief Executive Officer
Accel Marketing Solutions, Inc., Montvale
Kimberly A. Yonta, Esq.
Past President, NJSBA
Yonta Law, LLC, New Brunswick
Program agenda:
9:00 Opening Remarks – Laura M. Fisher, Esq.
9:05 Hitting the off Switch – How to Take Care of Yourself When so Many Depend on You
Kickoff the morning with 2 NJSBA Presidents! Join our current leader, Jeralyn L. Lawrence and one of our past presidents, Kimberly Yonta, along with a panel of wellness experts to get your day started!
Less than a year ago, the New Jersey Law Journal published an article called “Lawyer Mental Health in Crisis.” It stated, “These issues should not be ignored and cannot be addressed adequately with just more of the status quo.” The results of their recent survey were shocking – 19% of those surveyed contemplated suicide. New Jersey lawyers have been under a tremendous amount of pressure and solo and small firm attorneys even more. From the backlog in the courts to dealing with the pandemic, from heavy workloads to financial problems, we try to take care of everyone but ourselves.
Join a panel of wellness experts and attorneys who have navigated through anxiety and depression to discover ways of achieving and maintaining mental health through this highly pressurized career. Moderator: Lori Ann Buza, Esq.; Speakers: Lauren Baptiste; Jeralyn L. Lawrence, Esq.; Maritza Rodriguez, Esq.; Kimberly A. Yonta, Esq.
11:10 Financial Management Musts for Solo and Small Firms
Joe Novello, CPA, MBA, has vast experience working with domestic and international Fortune 500 companies. Since founding the Financial Training Organization in 2010, Joe has presented his finance programs to thousands of lawyers across the U.S.A. and Canada. In this special presentation designed for solo and small firm attorneys, Joe will provide you with insights that will help you increase profit, decrease expenses and be an overall more competent manager of your firm. - Moderator: George Veitengruber, Esq.; Speaker: Joseph Novello, CPA, MBA
12:10 Lunch and Presentation of the Solo and Small Firm Attorney of the Year Award
1:00 How to Be Found and Look Good! Digital Marketing Tips that Will Help You (Ethically) Get Results
This isn’t your typical marketing presentation! Join an ethical marketing expert as he shows you how to be found on the internet by potential clients, how to present yourself in the best light when you are found, and other essential tips for marketing yourself in a digital world while staying within the ethics boundaries.
· Components of a well developed website
· Best place to invest your dollars on the Internet
· How to handle negative reviews
· Incorporating social media into your marketing strategy
· How to show up in the Maps section
· Ethics changes on rules of advertising in NJ
Moderator: Robyn E. Ross, Esq.; Speaker: Elliot Stern
2:00 What the Court Wants You to Know about Succession Planning, and Tips for Creating the Plan (Featuring a Presentation by the Hon. Jeanne T. Covert, AJSC)
When an attorney dies without a succession plan, the onus often falls on the Court and the attorney’s family to wind down the practice and ensure that the clients are protected. Families who are grieving then have to deal with additional stress, and the overburdened assignment judges need to find lawyers who can take over after an unexpected death. The results are often messy, and the Court is urging attorneys to develop succession plans to avoid the morass.
Watch a special presentation by The Hon. Jeanne T. Covert, AJSC as Her Honor explains the problems for an attorney’s family, the Court and their clients when a lawyer dies without a succession plan. Then, hear from attorneys who will show you how to create a plan that is right for you and your practice. Moderator: William E. Denver, Esq.; Speakers: Hon. Jeanne T. Covert, AJSC; Hanan M. Isaacs, Esq.; Alice M. Plastoris, Esq.
3:15 Break
3:25 You’ve Been Hacked – What’s Next and How to Avoid it in the First Place
By now, we are all aware that law firms are vulnerable to cyber-attacks. The prospect of becoming the victim of a data breach or a ransomware attack is a frightening one for all lawyers, but especially for solo and small firm attorneys who do not have the luxury of calling the tech department with a problem.
In this important segment, the speakers will address how to avoid a breach and provide you easy to follow steps you need to take if you become a victim. Moderator: Catherine Finnerty, Esq.; Speakers: Greg Cooke; Andy Oeftering; Rebecca Rakoski, Esq.
4:25 Wrap Up
4:30 Adjourn
Wine and Cheese Reception to Follow
CLE Credits:
NJ CLE information: This program has been approved by the Board on Continuing Legal Education of the Supreme Court of New Jersey for 7.6 hours of total CLE credit. Of these, 1.2 qualify as hours of credit for ethics/professionalism.
NJ CLE: This program has been approved for 7.6 credits (50 minute hour), including 1.2 ethics/professionalism credits
PA CLE: 5.0 substantive and 1.0 ethics credits pending ($24 fee – separate check payable to NJICLE must be submitted at the end of the program)
NY CLE (nt): 5.0 professional practice, 1.0 ethics and 1.0 cybersecurity privacy and data protection general credits
CPE: 1.0 finance credits
The tuition for NJSBA members is $180. The general tuition is $225.
Click here to register for the 2023 Solo and Small Firm Conference.
Click here to register for Webcast- 2023 Solo and Small Firm Conference.
For questions or to register by phone, please contact an association representative at 732-214-8500, or by email at [email protected].
All the best,
Barb
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Barbara Straczynski
Director of New Media and Promotions
New Jersey State Bar Association
New Brunswick NJ
(732) 937-7524
[email protected]------------------------------