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Start Page: Microsoft Outlook distribution lists reduce email frustration
Have you ever used the “reply all” option on an email that has multiple recipients, only to get a return email notifying you that one (or more) of the email addresses was typed incorrectly by the original sender? Or, do you frequently email the same group of people by typing one email address at a time, only to realize that you forgot to include someone (usually right after you hit send)? The solution? Use distribution lists in Microsoft Outlook.
Thomas: When drafting a will, be as specific as possible
To ensure that your client’s property will go to the beneficiaries of his or her choosing, as opposed to the beneficiaries that the state chooses, it is imperative that the last will and testament be very specific and provide for as many contingencies as possible.
Alerding/Latterell: A 2014 view of portability
Gift and estate tax planning has gotten easier for married couples thanks in part to a relatively new concept: porting of the federal gift and estate tax exemption to a surviving spouse.
Dean’s Desk: Distance learning comes of age at NDLS
Thanks to distance-learning technology, professors as well as students have much more flexibility than previous generations did. Today a professor might teach in Chicago one week and in South Bend the next.
Deveau: RCRA threatens validity of brownfield redevelopment
During the past 12 months a troubling trend has developed in the area of brownfield redevelopment. In several routine property transactions, buyers, sellers and lawyers have had the unpleasant experience of having their deals scuttled by a questionable application of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
Inside the Criminal Case: Can your lyrics be used against you in court?
It is common knowledge that what you say can and will be used against you. But what about what you sing or intend to sing?
Federal Bar Update: Proposed rule changes, redacting documents
The Judicial Conference Advisory Committees on Civil Rules has published proposed amendments to several rules and is seeking public comment.
Editor’s Perspective: Another crack in the glass ceiling
I’d like to make a suggestion to Indiana lawmakers when they return for the 2015 legislative session. I am not telling you how to do your jobs, but this suggestion falls under the guise of editing, so I feel I’m within my bounds.
Hammerle On…’Guardians of the Galaxy,’ ‘Boyhood’
Bob Hammerle says there isn’t a mother who won’t shed a tear watching “Boyhood.”
Hammerle On … ‘Wish I Was Here,’ ‘Life Itself’
Bob Hammerle says “Wish I Was Here” is one of those overlooked films that answers the question, “Is there anything worth a damn playing in the theater?”
Remembering former Indiana Justice Dixon W. Prentice
A former law clerk of Justice Dixon Prentice reflects on his time working with the justice.
Book review: Divorce case allows glimpse into amusing law firm matters
It begins with a ten year old’s Happy New Year greeting to her grandpa, including the sentence, “Mommy and Daddy are cranky.” It ends with a brief reminder on a lawyer’s personal legal stationary. In between these handwritten notes, “The Divorce Papers” tells a story about a divorce through legal documents, emails, court filings, news articles, a psychiatric report, statutes, judicial opinions, billable hour reports, invitations, and, of course, offers and counter-offers.
Cox: Common mistakes of young lawyers
The practice of law takes practice. Experience is required to hone the skills necessary to be an effective advocate and to keep existing clients satisfied as well as attract new clients. There are, however, some common mistakes made by young lawyers that, with forethought and planning, can be avoided. Work to avoid these bad habits and your learning curve will be significantly shorter.
Making Rain: When a room full of strangers freaks you out
As most good rainmakers know, it is all about networking, and sometimes this means talking to people who are total strangers. It can be daunting to attend an event that your firm is sponsoring or a conference that your target market attends and be expected to “go out there and make new friends.”
Gruber: NLRB announcement shakes up joint-employer standard
It is ironic that the week after Burger King’s new CEO is heralded for a profitability plan designed around the increase of franchises and the reduction of company-owned locations, the general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board directed officials to treat McDonald’s USA as a “joint employer” with its franchisees for purposes of the National Labor Relations Act.
Column: ENDA would protect sexual orientation, gender identity
With same-sex marriage gaining momentum in Indiana and across the nation, it is no surprise that protection from discrimination in the workplace based on sexual orientation and gender identity is most likely on the horizon.
Whaley: Adventures in e-discovery and social media
With the amount of social media people use, it is not surprising that social media can have a significant impact on litigation and discovery. Occasionally something dramatic provides a cautionary tale, like the confidential settlement in a Florida employment discrimination case that the defendant private school voided when the plaintiff’s daughter bragged about it on her Facebook account. But there are many aspects of social media which, while not flashy, present interesting e-discovery challenges.
Hammerle On … ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,’ ‘Begin Again’
Bob Hammerle says if you loved “Once,” then you should see “Begin Again.”
Bell/Gaerte: 3 things to know about ethical advocacy in closing argument
Recently, several published decisions have found attorneys to have engaged in improper advocacy. Here are three things to know about ethical advocacy in closing argument.