Women Attorneys Network of the South Shore

WANSS Meeting - Wed. September 14, 2011

Happy New Year! (Yes, the WANSS Year, like the school year, starts in September.)  And just like we hope that students are smarter, more mature and happier at the end of the school year than they were at the beginning, the goal of WANSS is to make your practices smarter, more profitable and more enjoyable at the end of the year than they were at the beginning. 

We want to help you build your ideal practice, so September's meeting will focus on your vision for your practice.  What types of cases and clients you want, how you want your office run, what your day is like, all those things.  We will work on writing out our visions for our practices, while we catch up with colleagues, meet newcomers, and talk about the upcoming WANSS year and opportunities to get more involved. Future WANSS meetings will help make your vision a reality. I can't wait to see you all again!

Meeting is on Wed. September 14th from 6-8pm in the first floor conference room of 160 Old Derby St. in Hingham. Meeting fee is $20.00. Light dinner (suitable for vegetarians & vegans & most others) is served. 

Please email Laurie@WANSS.org to RSVP.

Can't wait to see you all again!

Our sponsor for this meeting is Darcy Schram of Advanced Court Reporting:  Advanced Court Reporting is a woman-owned, independent agency that has been providing outstanding court reporting and transcription services to the greater New England legal community since 1973.
Client satisfaction is their number one priority.  Whether you take depositions on a regular basis or just every now and then, working with one of their experienced, highly-trained, professional court reporters will ensure a smooth deposition, an accurate transcript and the best service you can provide for your clients.  www.AdvancedCourt.com

The WANSS 2011-2012 Season: Ch-ch-ch-changes.

The WANSS 2011-2012 season is starting soon and we wanted to update you on the exciting changes we have in store. We have a wonderful group of dedicated members who contribute so much, and are so excited to kick off the new year with a bang!  

What Is Changing?

1. Leanna Hamill & Alexis Levitt founded this group and have run it together for the last 4 years.  Alexis will be stepping down this year due to her children’s extracurricular activity schedules and I, Leanna, will remain as Director.
   
   
2. Many of you have asked about chance to get more involved with WANSS and we now have those opportunities.  I’m envisioning an advisory board, a programming committee, a membership person and would love to have people who love WANSS be on board.  These are volunteer positions that bring only prestige and the knowledge that you are helping your fellow lawyers.  If you love WANSS, have the time and inclination to offer your enthusiasm and creativity, and want something to beef up your resume and AVVO profile, please email me at Leanna@HamillLawOffice.com 
   
   
3. Meeting fees are going up to $20.00 per meeting.  In its early years, WANSS was run out of the pockets of Leanna and Alexis.  As business women we realized this was not a sustainable business model both cost-wise and energy-wise.  “Hidden” costs like web hosting, paying our VA to manage the email list, paying our other assistants for meeting set-up, buying paper, ink, name tags, forks, knives, speaker gifts etc. really add up. (By the way, if money talk makes you uncomfortable, we’ll have some meetings where you can work on that.)
   
   Also, in order to attract outside speakers sometimes they want to be paid, and it would be nice to be able to pay them. 
   
   By sharing the costs with our members, we make sure that WANSS remains sustainable, and that no one person is bearing all the costs.  
   
   
4. There will now be an optional yearly membership fee of $175.00.  If you decide to become a paying member you will receive the following benefits:            
   
   
   1. You will pay a $15 fee for the meeting.
   2. You will receive a “Bring A Friend For Free” pass good for 1 friend at 1 meeting.
   3. You receive a profile on our website, which gets very good visibility for people looking for attorneys on the South Shore.
   4. You have access to post classifieds on the website.
   5. You will have access to whatever other membership benefits we come up with during the year.
      
      If you choose this option you should be comfortable with the fact that the new website will not be up right away since the membership fees will be funding it. It should be up by October or November, and the membership will remain active until next September.  If this makes you really uncomfortable, please don’t choose this option. Wait until next year. 
      
      
   6. Meetings will be staggered between the first and second Wednesdays due to holidays, but they will be 4 weeks apart. Put these on your calendar now: September 14, October 12, November 9, December 7, Jan 11, Feb 8, March 7, April 4, May 2, June 6. 

That’s a lot of changes! What is staying the same?

I recognize that not everyone is comfortable with change, and that’s ok! If WANSS isn’t right for you, or the changes make you uncomfortable we still love you and understand. 

1. Leanna will remain as director, our VA, Laurie at www.HALOSercretarial.com will stay on as Email Wrangler, and Chrissy and Gennie from Admins and Errands will stay on as WANSS Elves who do all the meeting set-up.
   
   
2. We will still bring you great speakers, wonderful colleagues, fun events and new ideas.  Some of the topics we have are planning are:
   1. Amy Martell returning in October for an experiential follow up to her talk on law as a peace making profession. 
   2. Working Well With Others: Managing Staff, working with VAs and making your firm into the team you want it to be.
   3. Getting It All Done: Strategies for Being Boss, Attorney, HR Person and Window Washer and Still Having Time to Be YOU.
   4. Raise Your Fees: Work Through The Discomfort, Make Commitments and Find the Right Numbers for You.
   5. Panel discussion on the intersection of family law, elder law, bankruptcy and more.
   6. Role playing exercises around asking for money, dealing with difficult clients and related topics.
   7. Yearly business planning in small groups,
   8. Other topics that you want!

Happy rest of summer and we’ll see you in September!  The September 14^th meeting announcement will be sent out in a couple of weeks.

Love,

Leanna, Laurie & the WANSS elves.

May 4th - Lawyers As Peacemakers & Problem-solvers

Date: Wed. May 4th.  Time 6-8pm.  Place: 160 Old Derby St., 1st Floor Conf. Room. Hingham. Fee: $15.00 Dinner is served.  Please RVSP to Laurie@WANSS.org if you are attending.  We can't wait to see you!

Amy Martell will be speaking about Lawyers as Peacemakers and Problem-Solvers

In 1984, former Supreme Court Justice Warren Burger said, “We ought to be healers of conflict. Should lawyers not be healers? Healers, not warriors? Healers, not procurers? Healers, not hired guns?”

The stereotype of the attorney is the ruthless adversary, the mythical "zealous advocate" who asserts her client's position at all costs.  Even when we practice transactional law  or settlement-based litigation,  the specter of this adversarial model of lawyering still can haunt our practice.  This presentation will offer an alternative – a “paradigm shift” -- which invites us to practice as peacemakers and problem-solvers, rather than warriors, regardless of whether we practice in estate planning or family law litigation.

Drawing from the writing of visionaries in the field along with her own background as a mediator, collaborative attorney, Buddhist and mother, WANSS Member Amy Martell will present an overview of this paradigm shift and will lead the group in several exercises to help us open our minds and hearts so that we may practice as peacemakers, transforming not only our work as lawyers, but also transforming ourselves and the world around us.

Our Sponsor is Maryellen Jones from MJ Design Studio, a professional photographer in Hingham.  Maryellen Jones began MJ Design Studio with the hope that with her work she would be able to freeze those special moments throughout our day that we all take for granted.  MJ  Design Studio is an interactive design firm specializing in photography and graphic design. Maryellen's designs and photographs are meant to be stories, bringing the observer to a place they want to remember.  "If the personality of my subjects remain pure in my work, then I have done my job." If her clients’ needs are simple or complex,  MJ Design Studio has the solution.

On a personal note, Maryellen has lived in Hingham, Massachusetts for the past twenty one years with her husband and four sons.  She holds a masters degree in business and graduate certificate in design.     Her current affiliations include Member South Shore Camera Club, National Association of Photoshop Professional member and  Member Resource Center at Boston University. She is a frequent award winner at the South Shore Camera Club Members’ Competitions and her work has been exhibited at the South Shore Art Center.

Remember that Clio is offering a discount on their online practice management and billing system (that Leanna uses and loves!). Clio offers a FREE 30-day trial, and they are offering WANSS members a 25% discount off of the first 6 months of their Clio subscription if they sign up by April 30. Sign up at http://www.goclio.com and use promotional code WANSS by April 30!

Upcoming WANSS Events!

Despite this poor neglected website, WANSS has actually been meeting over the last few months.

In February we had a fun open networking meeting with a bunch of new folks, and great sponsors from Eastern Bank.

March brought a wonderful talk on delegation and time management, with a bonus explanation of concillation by our very own Melissa Whish, and we found out that one of our newest members, Kristen Testaverde, started a blog, The Probate Lawyer. Go check it out!

And we continued to have the wonderful services of Admins & Errands to help us pick up the food and get the room ready. If you are ready to start delegating personal errands and business tasks, too, they are the folks to call!

April's meeting (on the 6th) brings us Rodney Dowell from the Law Office Management Assistance Program (LOMAP) to talk about ways to make our practices more profitable, enjoyable and effective.

May 4th will bring us Amy Martell, attorney & mediator, to talk about law as a peacemaking profession. If it's felt less than peacemaking for you, you won't want to miss this.

June 1 will find us heading across the street to Dancing Crow Yoga, for a very special yoga class for lawyers! Whether you are a complete novice or can pop up into Adho Mukha Vrksasana on your first try (in which case, please give me some pointers!) you will love this class. Even if you just lie on your mat and take a little snooze, you'll have fun.

July and August we usually break for summer, although sometimes we have some sort of outdoor gathering involving cold drinks, so stay tuned!

To make sure you don't miss any announcements, please email Laurie@WANSS.org to sign up for our mailing list and get the details of the meetings! 

We look forward to seeing you!

Leanna (and Alexis)

Flat Fee Billing Discussion - Nov. 3

Flat fee billing in a divorce?  Are you kidding?  Really, it's true.  As requested by you at our September meeting, we are bringing in Steve McDonough of the Divorce Collaborative for our November WANSS meeting.  Based in Franklin and Bedford, Steve is an attorney, mediator, and principal of The Divorce Collaborative.  He offers clients the option of traditional hourly billing or flat fee billing - whether they are using him as a mediator or a litigator.  Steve will share with us his secrets for how to make flat fee billing a winning business model, whether you practice family law or any other field.  He'll also be sharing what hasn't worked for him, and how he deals with retainers and keeping his accounts receiveables in check.  Check him out at www.divorcecollaborative.com. 
 
November's meeting is sponsored by Horizon Business Valuations.  At Horizon Business Valuations, we perform business valuations and litigation support services for a wide range of businesses and law firms.Attorneys also commonly seek our services for litigation support concerning matters of economic damages, forensic and investigative accounting, and matrimonial litigation.

Location: 160 Old Derby St. First Floor Conference Room, Hingham.
Time: 6-8 p.m.

The meeting fee is $15.00.  This fee is for the meeting. The dinner is free. 
Please bring your checkbook or $15.00 in correct change, as we may not always have change.

Please RSVP to Laurie@WANSS.org to let us know you are coming.

As always, expect a lively and engaging discussion with your colleagues and friends.  Looking forward to seeing you!

No More Bad Clients! WANSS October 6th Meeting

Are you taking every client who walks in the door? Do you cringe when you phone rings and it's your worst client, again? Do you need tactics to spot a bad client from a mile away and a script to politely send them along to someone more suitable? Come and learn from your peers about turning down bad clients, using a Client Worthiness Scale to quantify whether or not you should take a client, and what to do with the time freed up by not taking on a stinker.

A copy of Seth Godin's "The Dip", about when to quit and when to keep going, will be raffled off, and everyone will receive a Client Worthiness Index to take with them and begin using immediately in their practice. 

Location: 160 Old Derby St. First Floor Conference Room, Hingham.
Time: 6-8 p.m.  Dinner is served. 

Also a reminder:
The meeting fee is $15.00.  This fee is for the meeting (and the hard work of our hostesses and assistant). The dinner is free. 
Please bring your checkbook or $15.00 in correct change, as we may not always have change.

Please RSVP to Laurie@WANSS.org so we know you are coming. We can't wait to see you!

Leanna & Alexis .

2010-2011 Calendar for WANSS

We are busy planning our 2010 - 2011 calendar for the Women Attorney's Network of the South Shore!

Our planned topics this year include:

• Last Quarter Kick Off! Revisiting Goals & Ending the Year with a Bang!
  
• Estate Planning & Divorce: What Your Clients Need to Know.
  
• When Your Client (or their Kid) Gets Arrested and You Aren't A Criminal Defense Attorney (What To Do When They Call You First)
  
• Bankruptcy & Your Clients: How It Affects Their Divorce, Estate Plan and Other Matters.
  
• Financial Management for a Healthy Practice
  
• Law Practice Secrets for Profitability and Happiness 
• Healthy Cooking On The Go 
• Chair Yoga & Calming Practices Before (or After) a Stressful Meeting

We are looking for sponsors for these meetings! You have a great opportunity to gain exposure to an enthusiastic group of attorneys at a great price. Email Laurie@WANSS.org for sponsorship details. 

The email with the details of the first meeting will be going out soon so stay tuned. We can't wait to see you all again!

June 2 - Keeping Yourself & Your Office Safe

The next meeting of the Women Attorneys' Network of the South Shore is June 2:  Keeping Yourself and Your Office Safe. Meeting is from 6 -8. Admission is $10 (cash or check made out to "Alexis Levitt") and dinner is served. 

Learn from Officer Ford of the Hingham Police Department about how to protect yourself while walking alone or meeting with a client, why listening to your gut is the most important thing you can do, and easy ways to keep your office safe from break-ins.  Don't miss this important, action-packed work shop. There will be a demonstration and group activities of self-defense moves.  Remember to wear comfortable clothes and sneakers. 

Email Laurie@Wanss.org to let us know if you'll be joining us.

Advanced Court Reporting

Our sponsor for this meeting is Darcy Schramn of Advanced Court Reporting:  Advanced Court Reporting is a woman-owned, independent agency that has been providing outstanding court reporting and transcription services to the greater New England legal community since 1973.

Client satisfaction is their number one priority.  Whether you take depositions on a regular basis or just every now and then, working with one of their experienced, highly-trained, professional court reporters will ensure a smooth deposition, an accurate transcript and the best service you can provide for your clients. 

www.AdvancedCourt.com

We will be raffling off a copy of Kathleen Burns Kingsbury's latest CD "Creating Wealth From the Inside Out."  This CD is filled with insights and helpful, concrete exercises to help you change your "money mind."  You can also purchase the CD from Kathleen's Website at http://www.kbkwealthconnection.com/

Hope to see you there!

Leanna & Alexis

April Meeting - Tuesday April 6 at Burton's Grill, Hingham

This month's meeting is a free, mingle, meet and greet at Burton's Grill at the Derby St. Shoppes on Derby St. in Hingham. From 5:30-7:30pm. Come and have a drink (you pay), snack on some appetizers and socialize with your colleagues!  Email Laurie@Wanss.org to let us know if you'll be joining us.

Hope to see you there!

Leanna & Alexis

Our sponsor this month is Law Charge: merchant accounts designed by an attorney for attorneys: 

More than ever before clients and potential clients are asking if they can pay our fee by credit card. You can now accept credit card payments with confidence. Law Charge provides merchant- account programs that will help you increase revenue and reduce write-offs while staying in compliance with proper IOLTA/trust account management. You determine where the funds should be deposited- your IOLTA or your operating account. We debit the fees from your operating account only. There is no co-mingling of funds, and both you and your new client are now ready to move forward with the case at hand. People are holding onto their cash in these uncertain economic times – give them the option to pay YOU.

Mention WANSS to receive a 20% discount

Tracy L. Griffin, Esq., Law Charge, Inc.
11550 NW Hwy. 225A, Reddick, FL 32686
800-451-7011/ lawcharge@lawcharge.com
LawCharge.com
 
Law Charge: merchant accounts designed by an attorney for attorneys

March 3, 2010 - From Hiring to Firing & Everything In Between

The next meeting of the Women Attorneys' Network of the South Shore is on Wed. March. 3, 2010!  Location - 160 Old Derby St. in Hingham, basement conference room.  Meeting time 6-8.  Meeting fee: $10.  Light dinner from Whole Foods is served.  Take a minute now to RSVP by responding to this email.  And as always, if you know some fantastic women attorneys who would make a great addition to the group, please invite them.

Attorney Julie Halaby will talk about what you need to know about hiring employees, firing employees, when someone is a contract employee and when they are not. Leanna and Alexis will share tips on finding the right person and the hiring process (which they just went through).  This is essential information for your growing law practice whether you are adding a part-time assistant or a full time associate.

RSVP to Laurie@Wanss.org

What a great meeting we had last month with Kathleen Burns Kingsbury.  If you attended the meeting please take a minute to take her follow-up survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7LYF636

 March Meeting Sponsor

CLIO

"Solos and Small Firms won't even think twice before giving Clio a try" says Law.com. Why? Clio is a web-based practice management system that simplifies the process of tracking your matters, contacts, to-dos, time, and billings. Since it's web-based, there's no software to install or configure and no up-front cost. You can access your practice from home, from your office, or while you're on the road. Clio offers a FREE 30-day trial, and we're offering WANSS members a 25% discount off of the first 6 months of their Clio subscription if they sign up by March 15. Sign up at http://www.goclio.com and use promotional code WANSS by March 15.