Free CLE in Honor of Law Day 2013

April 24, 2013 By

Law day 2013 HDThe year 2013 marks the 150th anniversary of the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation, as well as the 50th anniversary of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech.  This year’s Law Day theme, “Realizing the Dream: Equality for All,” recognizes the inextricable link between freedom and equality, the importance of living up to the promise of equality under the law enshrined in our nation’s founding documents, and the challenges that remain in realizing that ideal.

We at NBI are excited to to do our small part in ensuring equal legal representation for all by offering a free CLE course on fighting bias and discrimination! [Read more...]

Filed Under: Legal Tagged With:

MS Word Tips for Attorneys: Using AutoText and Building Blocks

April 23, 2013 By

This is the first introductory glimpse at the materials for our upcoming “Unleashing the Power of Microsoft Office and Adobe for Attorneys” CLE webcast to be held tomorrow (April 24th).

Written by Ann GorrAnn Gorr

In every law office there are many repetitive words and phrases that are either used on a frequent basis or are difficult to type correctly into you documents. WORD has two features that assist you with creating “re-usable” phrases/characters and streamline repetitive tasks through the day. These phrases can be inserted quickly and easily into any document as needed. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Practice Tips Tagged With:

Attorney Liens Update: Significant Changes in New Jersey

April 9, 2013 By

Attorney Antranig GaribianThe Abolition of Retaining Liens in New Jersey

Written by Antranig Garibian, Stradley Ronon Stevens and Young, LLP

The following is a follow up to the May 10, 2012 NBI article entitled “Attorney Charging Liens in Delaware” and the October 17, 2012 NBI presentation “Attorney Charging Liens”

Effective April 1, 2013, pursuant to an order by the Supreme Court of New Jersey, no New Jersey lawyer shall assert a common law retaining lien. The new rule arises out of the amendment to Rules of Professional Conduct 1.16(d) of the Supreme Court of New Jersey. In 2012, the New Jersey Supreme Court requested the Advisory Committee on Professional Ethics (“Advisory Committee”) to consider and report on the continued viability of the common law retaining lien as it relates to RPC 1.16(d) and requested that the New Jersey State Bar Association also be invited to participate in the matter. It is crucial for attorneys to understand the implications of this ruling, as well as the limitations. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Legal Tagged With: ,

NBI Subscriptions: Unlimited CLE

April 2, 2013 By

unlimited cleIf you had the choice between attending two seminars a year or getting unlimited CLE for the same price, which would you choose?

The choice is real with NBI Subscriptions.

Where you’ll get unlimited access to our continuing legal education courses…

For 12 months…

With a personal account manager to assist you when needed…

All for one low price!

NBI offers three different subscription packages so you can choose the one that’s right for you. [Read more...]

Filed Under: CLE Updates

7 Great Articles About Animal Law

March 26, 2013 By

attorney Michael KaiserAnimal Law is a topic that has grown in popularity among our customers over the past couple years.

Below are seven animal law articles written by attorney Michael Kaiser that you may find helpful and interesting.

Mr. Kaiser’s involvement in animal legal and other related issues is extensive. He recently contributed his personal services to what is expected to be globally ground-breaking animal-law litigation, as suits will be filed in several state courts seeking legal personhood for animals. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Legal Tagged With:

Small Business Retirement Plan Options that Every Attorney Should Know

March 19, 2013 By

GinaI hear it so often, “My small business client wants to have a retirement plan. What’s the best option?” As with almost any question in law the answer depends on the client’s objectives.

Saving for retirement can be especially hard for small business owners. Making bills and the daily pressures of running a business can make saving a low priority. Even if a business is very profitable, traditional retirement plan options do not always allow the business owner to save in a way that might actually allow for a good amount of income replacement when they reach retirement age.

The most common retirement savings is done through traditional and Roth Individual Retirement Accounts or IRAs. The problem with IRAs is they offer extremely low contribution limits ($5,500 yearly limit, $6,500 if over age 50). These limits are far too low for a small business owner to save enough to have sufficient income replacement as they head into retirement. However, small business owners can offer and take advantage of retirement plans with significantly higher contribution limits and tax benefits.

This article is meant to be a brief synopsis of five specific types of retirement plans that provide greater opportunity for tax deferred savings to small business owners that hopefully will give them a leg up in their overall financial plan. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Legal Tagged With: ,

Case Budgeting, Billing and Collections: What Every Attorney Needs to Know

March 12, 2013 By

Cheryl BettenWritten by Cheryl Betten

Case Budgeting and Conferring with the Client

One of the most difficult parts in the practice of law is controlling legal costs. Clients want guarantees that lawyers are just not able to provide. In many areas of law, the option to contingency bill or offer a flat fee for a case is not allowed. When budgets are set in certain types of legal matters, this exercise is often accomplished at the onset of the case. This is the point of the case where the lawyer is least familiar with the case and has had no opportunity to get to know the players involved or all the facts. Sometimes things change in the middle of litigation that could not have been predicted at the initial client meeting. What is the number one way to diffuse this issue? Communication. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Practice Tips Tagged With: ,

9 Must-Read LLC Operating Agreement Articles

March 6, 2013 By

John-CunninghamIf you’re a lawyer who plans, negotiates and drafts operating agreements for LLC formation clients, here are nine articles you’re going to want to check out.

They are written by one of our great faculty members, attorney John M. Cunningham. Mr. Cunningham is of counsel to McLane, Graf, Raulerson & Middleton, P.A. His practice is focused on (1) handling legal and tax issues in the formation of LLCs and other entities for business start-ups; (2) counseling the owners and managers of these entities; and (3) restructuring business entities to enhance business asset protection and obtain tax benefits.

Enjoy! [Read more...]

Filed Under: Legal Tagged With: ,

The Best Ways to Utilize the Redesigned NBI Website

February 25, 2013 By

nbi websiteWe have launched a redesigned nbi-sems.com website!

We poured countless hours of brain power, attention to detail, and hard work into this redesign, and we are thrilled to share it with you today.

Our goal was to make our customer’s experience as intuitive and easy as possible, and we are very proud to have created a contemporary and simplified experience.

Here are some of the key improvements that should make your CLE shopping experience much easier and much more fruitful. [Read more...]

Filed Under: CLE Updates

An Attorney’s Guide to Engagement Agreements

February 20, 2013 By

signaturePreviously on the NBI CLE Blog, law practice coach and consultant Allison Shields wrote a series of posts about the essential elements of a retainer agreement or engagement letter. Below is a compilation of those posts for your convenience.

Aside from your jurisdiction’s ethical rules, the single most important document that defines your relationship with your client is your retainer agreement or engagement letter. When was the last time you reviewed your agreement? Does it cover the items below? [Read more...]

Filed Under: Practice Tips Tagged With: ,