'With the 2016 presidential campaign in full swing, questions about ethical and legal campaign finance and lobbying laws are at the forefront. The laws are ever changing. To help stay abreast of the latest changes, the American Bar Association Section of Business Law has published the sixth edition of "The Election Law Primer for Corporations" written by author Jan Witold Baran.
The laws governing campaign finance and lobbying have changed significantly since the previous edition of the book was published seven years ago. Numerous court decisions and new laws have led to changes in the way corporations, super political action committees (PACs) and independent advertisers operate. Contribution limits and aggregate limits on individuals have changed, while rules governing the formation and operation of PACs have remained largely unchanged for more than 40 years.
"Election Law Primer" includes nine chapters that cover campaign finance rules, PACs, campaign communications and activities, lobbying laws, tax considerations and enforcement. "The original Primer was devoted exclusively to the basic principles of federal campaign finance laws that regulated political activity by corporations, executives, employees and stockholders," Baran explains in the book's preface. "Over the years, the Primer expanded to related legal areas and now includes explanations about the regulation of lobbying activities, ethics rules and tax laws."
Baran, founder of Wiley Rein's Election Law & Government Ethics Practice, is co-chair of the Practising Law Institute's annual Corporate Political Activities conference and is regularly quoted in media articles. He also writes opinion columns published in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and USA TODAY. Baran regularly appears as a featured guest on NPR's The Diane Rehm Show.
"Election Law Primer for Corporations, Sixth Edition" costs $79.95 and can be ordered by calling 800-285-2221 or visiting www.shopABA.org.
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Professionals and their firms are increasingly facing some variant of client fraud scenario. Falling victim to a client's fictitious business or fraudulent state of affair be it a Ponzi scheme, a false paper trail or electronic book entries is a nightmarish scenario that, if not handled correctly, threatens the professional's livelihood and the firm's very existence.
"Professionals, Firms and Frauds: Defending Professionals Against Liability for Client Fraud" is a new book released by the American Bar Association that surveys multiple areas of law practice and of substantive law to help organizations tangled in a client fraud situation. This primer on client fraud cases, helps professionals faced with such claims, and their lawyers to identify available defenses and strategies to minimize the fallout from such events.
Author Craig D. Singer is a partner in the law firm of Williams & Connolly LLP in Washington, D.C. He has played a role in developing and litigating defenses to claims commonly brought against lawyers and law firms, representing clients in federal and state courts, government investigations, and arbitration proceedings across the nation.
This book was co-sponsored by the ABA Criminal Justice Section and Section of Litigation.
"Professionals, Firms and Frauds: Defending Professionals Against Liability for Client Fraud" costs $79.95 and can be ordered by calling 800-285-2221 or visiting http://ambar.org/profirmfraud.
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Much has changed in the 10 years since the publication of the first edition of "Women-at-Law." But, unfortunately, much has also stayed the same. Women are still confronting issues of promotions and equal pay, while also struggling to maintain a healthy work/life balance. But no woman is alone in the legal profession, and the newly released American Bar Association book "Women-at-Law: Lessons Learned Along the Pathways to Success, Second Edition" is the guide that proves it.
Author Phyllis Epstein interviewed more than 500 women lawyers of all ages, backgrounds and lifestyles nationwide about how women today are meeting the challenges of competing in the legal profession without sacrificing their home and family lives. This updated edition includes:
- Wisdom and experience from women lawyers sharing their life experiences.
- Taking a time-out from a legal career - and making a comeback.
- The intricacies and rewards of juggling a personal and professional life.
- If the option of part-time work is right for you, and how to make it work.
- Updated research on topics like attrition of women lawyers, schedule demands and the unique focus women can bring to the profession.
"Women-at-Law" provides women with ideas and suggestions about how to deal with their professional and personal goals and challenges and make the compromises required to "have it all"- even when "having it all" can be different for each individual. Readers will learn that, with some effort, a woman can redirect her career, home life and interests in the long journey that is a successful life.
"Women-at-Law: Lessons Learned Along the Pathways to Success, Second Edition" costs $69.95. Order the book online at shopaba.org or call 800-285-2221.
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To be successful, trial lawyers must ensure that their cases are persuasive, interesting and easy to understand for judges, jurors and arbitrators. One way to contribute to that success is with a graphics strategy that presents the case in a clear and effective manner.
"Creating Winning Trial Strategies and Graphics, Second Edition," a new release from the American Bar Association Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section, goes step-by-step through the graphics process, providing information that lawyers can use to simplify their cases by filtering out what is distracting or unimportant.
The book clarifies and develops essential themes and other tools that jurors need so they can effectively evaluate, retain and understand complex issuesmaking it easier to convey information in an organized, clear and convincing manner. In addition, the guide is loaded with full-color illustrations to demonstrate the best way to utilize graphics.
"Creating Winning Trial Strategies and Graphics, Second Edition" is written by G. Christopher Ritter, chief of Visual Trial Strategy at The Focal Point LLC in Oakland, Calif. As a former faculty member at the University of California's Hastings College of the Law, Ritter clarifies the complex and makes esoteric themes understandable and compelling. His courtroom experience is also instrumental in developing strategically sound, clearly delineated and creatively convincing presentations.
"Creating Winning Trial Strategies and Graphics, Second Edition" is 482 pages and costs $199.95. To order a copy, call 800-285-2221 or visit http://ambar.org/cwtsag.
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Many people think negatively about conflict and want to avoid it, while others want to exert power and win arguments. But conflict is a natural part of life that should be embraced, according to a new book on the subject.
"Better and more creative outcomes can be realized by simply considering conflict as the intersection of differences," says Patricia McGinnis, author of the new book "Change Pain to Gain: The Secrets of Turning Conflict into Opportunity" (Indie Books International, 2015).
McGinnis draws on her personal life and her professional experiences as a mediator and an administrator of a mediation program to show that conflict does not have to be adversarial.
She regularly prepares parents and educators to resolve their conflicts over the education of students in her position as coordinator of the Minnesota Department of Education Special Education Alternative Dispute Resolution Services.
In the book, McGinnis offers eight secrets for resolving disputes:
1. Conflict does not need to be feared. Conflict is a natural part of life and the best approach is to be neutral.
2. Conflict can turn into opportunity. Believe that there are possibilities for harmony and better outcomes when resolving conflict.
3. Burning anger just burns you. Holding onto anger damages a person's body and spirit, and may prevent a resolution to the conflict.
4. My way or the highway is the wrong way. Always insisting on your own way is not productive.
5. Let your values be your compass. When you act consistently in accordance with your values, people will trust you and will be willing to engage in a conversation to resolve differences.
6. Stop assuming and start asking questions. Never assume the other party will be unwilling to find a solution. Ask carefully worded questions and listen carefully to the answers.
7. Conflict masqueraders could derail you. Not everyone sees the world in the same way, and some differences in people distract them from addressing their conflict.
8. Embrace conflict to find peace. Be willing to have the conversation, create solutions together, and protect relationships.
In addition to being a coach for professionals who facilitate difficult meetings, McGinnis has taught Conflict Management for administrators at the university level. She is a qualified neutral for the Minnesota Supreme Court and mediates divorce and post-divorce conflict.
"Change Pain to Gain" is available for purchase on Amazon.
Published: Fri, Nov 06, 2015
