It’s hard to believe that this 2018-19 bar year is already halfway over. We are so proud of what the NCBA YLD has accomplished in the first half of this year and what is in the works for the rest of the year. We are also beginning the process of planning for the 2019-20 bar year and we need your input. Please respond to this survey regarding your interests and thoughts for the 2019-20 bar year by 5 pm on Friday, February 8, 2019.

Your responses are critical to helping us plan for the best 2019-20 YLD bar year possible!

Also, please mark your calendars: our annual planning meeting will be in Charlotte on Saturday, March 30, 2018 from 9am-2pm. Details will follow soon. We hope to see you there.

Dates To Know

January 4, 2019-February 23, 2019 | Legal Feeding Frenzy Kickoff | Various Events Across the State | Find your city’s event HERE!

January 23, 2019 | The YLD: Brewing for the Greater Good to Benefit the NCBF | Raleigh | 5:30 p.m. | DETAILS HERE!

January 26, 2019 | ¡Adelante! Moving Forward | Minorities in the Profession Committee Law Student Outreach Event | Cary | 8: 30 am

January 31, 2019 | Labor & Employment Networking Event | Durham | 5:30 pm

February 7, 2019 | YLD Brewery Event | Charlotte | 5:30 pm

March 30, 2018 | YLD Annual Planning Meeting | Charlotte | 9:00 am

Committees and Sections Updates

Legal Feeding Frenzy 2019: On Tour in NC. We invite you to join us this year at the LFF KICK-OFF EVENT at your local food bank. We’re hosting events at food banks across the state throughout January and February 2019, leading up to this year’s contest March 1-30. With Hurricanes Florence and Michael, this has been a rough year for families across the state and they need your support now more than ever. Attorneys, paralegals, legal assistants, practice administrators, law professors and students are invited to network with colleagues, give back to our communities, and see firsthand how the LFF impacts our neighbors. “Click here for event dates, times, and locations, and contact Michele Livingstone at [email protected] for information or to sign up.”

Scholarship and Grants Committee: The Scholarship and Grants Committee of the North Carolina Bar Foundation continues to evaluate applications that have been submitted to the Jane B. Weathers Lawyer Helping Lawyers Fund. The purpose of the fund is to assist North Carolina lawyers experiencing financial hardship due to difficult circumstances including medical, personal or professional challenges. If you or someone you know is a lawyer that needs help, please do not hesitate to apply. The deadline is April 15, 2019. More information and the application can be found here.

The NCBA YLD Law Student Outreach Committee needs volunteers for two new programs.

Grab a Coffee

We are looking for volunteers who are willing to get together with current law students over coffee at a location that is convenient for you. This is a great opportunity to connect with a law student and pass on valuable insight you may have about succeeding in law school, passing the bar exam, or entering the practice of law. This is only a one (1) time commitment of 30 minutes of your time, but could have a lasting impact on a student.

Resume Review

We are looking for volunteers who can to review law student resumes and provide anonymous feedback. After signing up, we will provide you with as many resumes as you would like to take on (we ask that you commit to at least two) and spend 10 to 15 minutes reviewing each resume and completing an anonymous one (1) page form that will be returned to the student.

If you are interested in participating in either of these programs, please contact Eric Spose at [email protected].

Bar Exam Committee is Looking for Tutors: The Bar Exam Committee is looking for volunteers to tutor test-takers as they prepare for the February Bar Exam. Tutors will be partnered with an examinee who needs extra help with the essay writing portion of the exam. Don’t worry, no substantive knowledge is required! Tutors are only responsible for reviewing the structure and grammar of the applicant’s essays, paying particular attention to the IRAC style of writing. If you are interested in participating or would like more information, contact Allie Moore at [email protected]

Nominating Committee: The Nominating Committee will begin accepting nominations for candidates for the offices of Chair-Elect, Secretary, and Administrative Division Director for the 2019-2020 bar year on January 17, 2019. To submit a young lawyer for consideration by the Nominating Committee, please email our NCBA Staff Liaison, Andrea Bradford at [email protected]. Your nomination should include the following:

Nominee’s name
Nominee’s contact information (including email, phone number, and physical address)
Nominee’s firm or employer
The position for which you are nominating the nominee (Chair-Elect, Secretary, Administrative Division Director)
Nominee’s date of birth (to confirm eligibility)
A brief statement of support
Please confirm that you and the nominee are NCBA members

Nominations must be properly and completely submitted by March 1, 2019. The Nominations Committee will announce its nominees on or about March 22, 2019.

LLOC Nominations are live! The North Carolina Bar Association’s Minorities in the Profession Committee (MIP): MIP is accepting nominations for its fourth annual Legal Legends of Color Awards (LLOC). The awardees will be honored at the Legal Legends of Color Reception during the 2019 NCBA Annual Meeting in Asheville on June 21 at 8:30pm. For a list of our previous honorees, please see here.

Nomination Criteria: To be eligible for nomination, a person must be (1) a lawyer of color practicing (or practiced most recently) in North Carolina for at least fifteen (15) years; (2) have had a legal career with a significant impact in North Carolina; (3) demonstrated a high level of service to his/her local community and/or on an statewide basis; and (4) be a member in good standing of the North Carolina State Bar (active or inactive).

Nomination Guidelines: Nominations for the LLOC Awards should consist of a nomination setting out the name of the nominee and the reasons for the nomination (including information on the nominee’s outstanding career, service, and achievements). Nominations are encouraged for members from any practice area, any employment type (including but not limited to: private practice, government, public interest, the judiciary, corporate/in-house counsel, and academia), and regions across the state. NOTE: This year, for the first time, we are accepting nominations to honor one Legal Legend who has passed away. We welcome your submissions.

Please submit your nominations by February 22, 2019 by clicking here. If you have any questions, please email [email protected] We look forward to seeing you in Asheville in June.

Wellness Committee Tip #12: Get cozy! | Remember, it is important to take care of yourself. You can only be the best parent, the best attorney and the best person if you look out for you first. So pour yourself a cup of hot chocolate, cozy up to a good book, and declare an hour of me time this week. You deserve it. Questions/Comments? Contact your Wellness Committee Co-Chairs: Neubia Harris and Kevin Pratt.

Monthly Features

Raleigh, NC • The YLD: Brewing for the Greater Good to Benefit the NCBF | Join the Young Lawyers Division and the North Carolina Bar Foundation for the Brewing for the Greater Good: On Tap in Raleigh, Tuesday, January 23, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Trophy Brewing Company. Come out to support NC Disaster Legal Services, Lawyers for Literacy, 4ALL Statewide Service Day, Wills For Heroes and NC Bar Foundation’s many other public service and pro bono programs. Your first drink is on us! Don’t wait to register!

Blowing Rock, NC • Blowing Rock Winterfest | January 24-27, 2019| Don’t hibernate – celebrate! Enjoy the fun side of winter as this little mountain town celebrates with hayrides, ice carvings, auctions, dining events, snow sports and more. Signature events include WinterFeast, the WinterFest Chili Challenge, Winter Beer Garden, WinterPaws Dog Show and the Main Event: the Polar Plunge in Chetola Lake. Event locations include Blowing Rock Memorial Park, Blowing Rock School, Chetola Resort, Green Park Inn and Blowing Rock Art & History Museum. More info HERE!

Wilmington, NC • Theatre Art Galleries Fall Exhibition | January 31-February 2, 2019|

Jazz up your January. Enjoy rhythm, blues and funk at one of the largest traditional jazz festivals in the Southeast. Celebrate individuality and cultural diversity while listening to international artists perform for three nights. The festival features a global lineup including Grenaldo Frazier, Bruce Harris, Chuck Redd, Dion Tucker and Cynthi Sayer. The musical weekend kicks off Thursday with Brazilian Jazz. Brazilian born vocalist Maucha Adnet and her husband Duduka da Fonseca joined by NYC’s Harry Allen on tenor sax, re-creating the sounds of Stan Getz; Israeli-born pianist Ehud Asheri. Music and jazz lovers alike will find this three-day festival to be a memorable experience full of soulful tunes and spectacular live performances. More info HERE!

Get Involved

Volunteer with the Young Lawyers Division | We want your talents, energy and viewpoints in the YLD! Whether your passion is for serving the public, serving the profession, writing articles for publication, improving the administration of justice, building your skills and gaining experience, or helping those in need, we’ve got a role that’s perfect for you! To review committee descriptions and sign up for what most interests you, click here. If you have questions about membership or committee participation, please reach out to Administrative Division Director Will Quick.

Leadership Academy Applications Sought | Applications are being accepted through Jan. 31 for the NCBA Leadership Academy Class of 2019. Eligibility for participation in the annual leadership training program is open to members of the NCBA and its Young Lawyers Division who have been admitted to practice for 2-10 years. Click here for additional information including the application form or contact Samantha Currin, NCBA Executive Assistant, via email ([email protected]) or phone (919-657-1551).

NCBA Pro Bono Opportunities and Training | Be sure to check out the exciting pro bono opportunities available across the state! Click here for NCBA Volunteer Opportunities.

BarCARES | Check out this 8-minute video that BarCARES has released regarding the benefits of BarCARES to young lawyers and law students.

Minorities in Practice | Do you work with Spanish speaking clients? Be sure to check out the resources available through the Wake Forest University’s Elder Law Clinic. Click here to get started.

NCBA Career Center | Our online career center averages between four to seven new North Carolina jobs a week! Job-seekers can post their resume online and receive weekly email updates on new postings, and employers with an NCBA membership receive a 15 percent posting discount. Email questions to Tesha Blancett.

E-Blast Ideas? | If you’d like to see additional or new content in the E-Blast Newsletter, email Rachel Matesic – she’d love to hear from you!

January 23, 2019/by NCBA YLD