JD Scoop

We're pleased to announce that JD Supra has now partnered with Newstex, a premier provider of real-time news to millions of industry leaders and media channels.

Newstex will distribute JD Supra's content (your content) to a global audience across numerous business sectors.

As we said in this morning's release:

Our partnership with Newstex enables us to expand our distribution network and put our contributors' content in front of millions of people in the legal, business, financial and other sectors, who subscribe to Newstex's syndicated content.

It is also an acknowledgment and confirmation of the high quality and value of the legal content being shared on JD Supra.

Now, the documents you share on JD Supra - connected to your professional profile - will reach more people than ever before.

How can you achieve the greatest benefit from this partnership?

• If you're not yet posting documents on JD Supra, start now. Build a profile, post your legal documents;
• Upload new documents to JD Supra regularly;
• Write clear and compelling document titles and summaries; and
• Make sure your profile is complete and up-to-date, with full contact information and links to your website, blog, or other webpages.

Please contact JD Supra's VP of Business Development, John Christiansen, if you have any questions, or would like more information on how to make the most of your JD Supra membership.

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- JD Supra's User-Generated Legal Content Syndicated Globally Through Newstex (PRWeb)

- Showcase Your Expertise.  Reach a Wide Audience. Join JD Supra Today.

Did someone say "Wit t-shirt contest?"

No, that's not a typo - and yes, we are willing to resort to awful puns to reach out to our community. File under Friday fun:

Here's the scoop. We want the official JD Supra t-shirt to be like JD Supra content: user-generated. And so, an improptu contest:

What do you think our new JD Supra t-shirt should say? Make a suggestion. If we pick it, we'll buy you an iPhone.

That's it! Please post your suggestion in the blog comments field, and spread the word. Deadline is next Friday, January, 30th (by 5pm PST). We'll make our decision next weekend.

A couple of pointers:

- if you have an idea, post it soon. We'll honor the first (time-stamped) version of any repeat suggestion.

- the shirt will be white, with the JD Supra logo ("tastefully placed") on the front; writing on the back.

- we're asking: What would you write on the back?

- if you think that's lame and have an entirely different suggestion: go for it.

- we love humor, but if you think of something serious that you believe in: suggest it!

- our tagline is: "Give Content. Get Noticed." (Be the first to recommend that in the comments, and if we go with it, you win an iPhone.)

- you can enter as many times as you want.

- whichever tone you go for, here's what we are trying to capture:

JD Supra helps legal professionals to showcase expertise by publishing, distributing, and promoting their documents online. Build a professional profile; post filings, decisions, briefs, articles, alerts, newsletters - all in the service of free, substantive legal information that connects back to its contributor. (Give Content. Get Noticed.)

- have fun!

- if you're the competitive type and need to do further research read some of the "In the News" media coverage located here.

- for more background read some of the archived pieces in the  Content Marketing, Law Firm Marketing, and JD Supra Updates sections of this blog.

- please do make your suggestion. Afterall, this is all about user-generated content!

Good luck - and thanks for participating.

What do you think the new JD Supra should say? Make a suggestion in the comments field. If we pick it, we'll buy you an iPhone!

Here's an introduction to some of the latest attorneys and law firms to be publishing their great work on JD Supra. We're thrilled to have them on the site, and look forward to seeing more of their work:

	Kelly Talcott - partner at Edwards, Angell, Palmer & Dodge, focused on intellectual property and technology law, including negotiating significant licensing, development, collaboration, and confidentiality agreements; advising on intellectual property portfolio strategy, development, and exploitation; and protecting important intangible assets such as patents, trademarks, and copyrights through negotiation and litigation... [legal documents]
	Ropers Majeski Kohn Bentley - The 115 attorneys at RMKB have extensive experience in the areas of business litigation; catastrophic injury litigation; class actions; construction defect litigation; corporate law; directors and officers liability; employment counseling and litigation; entertainment law; environmental and toxic tort liability; fidelity and surety bonds; insurance coverage, bad faith, ERISA, fraud and regulation; intellectual property; litigation management, cost control and fee disputes; mergers and acquisitions; product liability; professional negligence; real estate; and reinsurance... [legal documents]
	David Wilson II - shareholder at Hayes McConn Rice & Pickering who practices in the area of business and construction litigation in both Texas and Nevada. His Houston-based law firm is listed on the Texas 100 by Texas Lawyer newspaper as one of the largest firms in Texas and has been serving clients for over twenty five years. David has tried well over 100 cases as first chair lawyer in both civil and criminal cases. He has also served as lead counsel in over 55 appellate cases, including at the Texas Supreme Court... [legal documents]
	Michael Burger - partner at Davidson Fink, a medium-sized regional law firm with a multi-disciplinary practice. Michael dedicates a portion of his practice, and a series of published articles, to helping the victims of financial abuse, fraud, duress or undue influence to recover their money or set aside fraudulent transactions effected through misuse of a power of attorney, an estate, trust, business entity or other fiduciary office... [legal documents]
	Wiliams Kastner - has been providing businesses and individuals with a full range of legal services since 1929. With more than 90 attorneys in offices located throughout Washington and Oregon and affiliated offices in Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong, it offers global capabilities and vision from a local sensibility... [legal documents]
	Matthew W. Starley - attorney at Snow, Chirstensen & Martineau a full-service law firm. Personal practice areas include general litigation, business law, employment law, construction law, and intellectual property, working with clients of all sizes as they navigate their businesses and personal interests through growth, development and change... [legal documents]
	Peter Sloane - partner at Ostralen, Fabr, Gerb & Soffen, counsels clients and prosecutes domestic and international trademark applications and coordinates international trademark litigation. He also handles ex parte and inter partes proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, litigates trademark and copyright cases in federal court, and litigates Internet domain name disputes... [legal documents]
	Scott Camassar - handles all civil litigation including catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases; nursing home abuse & neglect; auto, motorcycle & trucking collisions; construction accidents; defective products; dog attacks; environmental claims; dangerous premises; medical malpractice litigation; municipal liability cases; negligent security claims; professional liability cases; uninsured/underinsured motorist claims; appellate litigation; mediation and arbitration... [legal documents]
	Adelberg, Rudow, Dorf & Hendler - clients are representative of a wide spectrum of businesses, institutions, and professionals, such as manufacturers, food processors, wholesale and retail sales organizations, real estate developers, contractors, financial and banking institutions, municipal governments, non-profit organizations, and medical, dental, legal and accounting professional service groups... [legal documents]    JF (Jim) Chester - shareholder and chair Intellectual Property and International Practice at Cowles & Thompson with over a decade of experience advising start-ups, SME's and Fortune 500 companies regarding international business & trade laws, trademark, copyright, trade secret and other intellectual property protection & enforcement, and business formations and contracts... [legal documents]   Gene Takagi - Principal at The Law Office of Gene Takagi, a San Francisco firm committed to providing the highest quality legal counsel and customer service to its nonprofit and tax-exempt organization clients... [legal documents]   Paula Mays - Trademark Attorney Advisor - United States Patent and Trademark office: has decided a variety of complex Trademark case from around the world in all classes of goods and services as an Attorney Advisor; decided over 20 (twenty thousand), cases based on complex and technical issues of Intellectual Property protection; and reviewed applications and supporting documents i to determine ownership of marks and branding rights... [legal documents] ...

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Looking for an effective way to showcase your expertise to an online audience?

Join JD Supra, build a professional profile, and start posting your legal documents today.

Here is a list of legal aid and non-profit legal organizations to follow on Twitter.

I've taken a broad view, including: legal aid organizations (and the people involved, one way or another, in this critically important field); non-profit legal organizations; and other pro bono legal services using Twitter.

This is a working list; I hope to see it grow. (As with the overarching Lawyers and Legal Professionals on Twitter, please DM or tweet your suggestions and additions.)

Legal Aid & Non-Profit Legal Orgs on Twitter:

• @allimac - Allison McDermott; non-profit mom, Deputy Director of Pro Bono Net...
• @SCATJ - Robin; attorney and Executive Director of the South Carolina Access to Justice Commission...
• @mjburnett - Matthew Burnett of technola; "public interest law and technology"...
  
• @kbladow - of technola; "accidental non-profit techie"...
• @technola - technology blog for legal aid and public interest advocates...
• @elizk - Liz K of Pro Bono Net...
• @hobobird - Eve; sleepy legal aid lawyer, singer/songwriter, hobo enthusiast...
• @NathanielP - New Mexico legal aid lawyer, slow cyclist, country singer (inactive at time of writing; hopefully not for long?)...
  
• @probonga - curious lawyer and Kerouac fan...
• @kevinplc - Kevin Wenzel; statewide website coordinator, aspiring non-profit techie...
• @AmosFiveSix - "I do some legal aid stuff now and then" ...
  
• @justpeace - Cat McConnell; musician, mother, legal aid lawyer, geek, indie spirit...
  
• @TRLA - Texas RioGrande Legal Aid; leading provider of legal aid in Texas...
• @lonestarlegal - Communications/Media director for Lone Star Legal Aid, 4th largest legal aid firm in US...
• @ILAO - llinois Legal Aid Online (ILAO); mission: to improve access to justice through technology...
• @ShriverCenter - national law and policy center that takes action to end poverty...
• @FarmwrkrJustice - Farmworker Justice; advocates for farmworkers' and immigrants' rights...
• @NLADA - National Legal Aid & Defender Association...
• @EFF - Electronic Frontier Foundation...
• @catoinstitute - mission: to increase the understanding of public policies based on the principles of limited government, free markets, individual liberty, and peace...
• @ACLU - "protecting the basic civil liberties of everyone in America" ...
  
• @ImmAdvocates - the Immigration Advocates Network is a free online network that supports legal advocates working on behalf of immigrants' rights nationwide...
• @childrenrights - national advocacy group working to reform failing child welfare systems on behalf of the abused and neglected kids who depend on them for protection and care...
• @LSNTAP - helping nonprofit legal aid programs improve client services through effective and innovative use of technology...
•  @accesstojustice - a project of @technola; news on access-to-justice issues in the United States and around the world...

Thank you to @kbladow at Technola for helping me to fill in the blanks. (If you're not already reading it, be sure to bookmark the excellent Technola, "a technology blog for legal aid and public interest advocates.")

Any other additions to the list, please contact me on Twitter.

Note: many of the people and organizations on this list are attending the upcoming Technology Initiative Grants (TIG) conference in Austin, Texas (January 21 to 23). They'll be tweeting #LSCTIG - tune in to the conversation...

I have been meaning to create this list for some time and was spurred to do so today after reading The New York Times' piece about dire straits for legal aid, referenced below.

We believe in this work and will do what we can to provide our support: JD Supra extends premium accounts gratis to any non-profit legal organizations participating on the site. (Current members include: Pro Bono Net, Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, Electronic Privacy Information Center, Electronic Frontier Foundation, and CATO Institute.) If you are a legal aid or non-profit legal org. looking for additional online reach and exposure, contact me.

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Further reading:

- Interest Rate Drop Has Dire Results for Legal Aid (The New York Times)

- An Interest in Legal Aid (The American Prospect)

- TIG Conference 2009 (Austin Texas, January 21 to 23)

- Legal Aid and Pro Bono Twitter Pack (Technola)

- A Few New Legal Aid Blogs and Twitter Profiles (Technola; includes a terrific list of Legal Aid on Facebook - see comments)

Tax time is here - and so are these essential tax-related documents to help with all aspects of the upcoming tax prep season.

Our contributors have posted tax alerts and articles to do with deductions, HSR thresholds, Rule 409A, stock options and employee purchase plans, audit issues, deferred compensation, and much more:

Personal Taxes

- Three Often-Missed Tax Deductions ... Darrin Mish

- The Usual Audit Flags ... Darrin Mish

- What is a Keogh Plan? ... Jason M. Woodward

- What is a SEP? ... Jason M. Woodward

- What is a Roth IRA? ... Jason M. Woodward

Employee Stock Options & Stock Purchase Plans/ Employee Compensation

- Reminder: Information Statements Due by January 31, 2009 for 2008 Incentive Stock Options and Employee Stock Purchase Plan Transactions ... Morrison & Foerster

- IRS Tax Notice For Incentive Stock Options and Employee Stock Purchase Plans ... Fenwick & West

- IRS Extends Favorable Stock Dividends Guidance to RICs ... Morrison & Foerster

- Legal Alert: Reporting and Withholding Requirements for Deferred Compensation under Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code ... Ford & Harrison

- IRS Program Permits Avoiding Section 409A's 20% Penalty Tax for Certain Unintentional, Operational Violations Under Certain Compensation Arrangements ... Fenwick & West

- New Limitation on Deferral of Compensation Paid by Certain Foreign Corporations and Partnerships with Foreign and Tax-Exempt Investors ... Manatt, Phelps & Phillips

- Employee Benefits Alert: Supreme Court Rules on ERISA Plan Beneficiary Designations ... Mintz Levin

HSR 

- New HSR Filing Thresholds Announced ... Morrison & Foerster

- Mergers and Acquisitions Alert: New HSR Thresholds for 2009 ... Fenwick & West

FMLA

- Reminder - New FMLA Notice Requirements Take Effect January 16 ... Ford & Harrison

-The New Regulation Countdown ... Manatt, Phelps & Phillips

Check back regularly as we update the list with additional tax-related documents in the coming weeks...

(Any of your own work to contribute? Join JD Supra today: showcase your expertise and start posting your tax-related work now.)

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 Related:

- What type of legal documents should I post to JD Supra?

- Legal Analysis: The Global Financial Crisis

- Follow our new Twitter feed: @Tax_Alerts - receive tax-related documents via Twitter...

Lawyers often ask: why should I post my filings on JD Supra? I'm on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn; I have a blog, and I participate in my local Bar association events and legal listservs; I post my monthly newsletters and articles on JD Supra. Why post my filings, too?

One response to this question, by JD Supra contributor Adrianos Facchetti:  "[People] will believe what they see. Let them see."

Yesterday, criminal defense attorney Mark Bennett posted a filing - a short memorandum in support of sentencing. The memorandum was, by all accounts, exceptional - in its simplicity, humanity, passion and power. (As a lawyer and legal writer who has practiced for the last twelve years, I heartily agree with the Twitter responses to Bennett's post here, here, here and here).

This four-page document provided a particular insight into Bennett's professional side - the substantive quality of his work, the emotional investment he gives his clients - in a way that 50 articles, 100 blog posts, 300 tweets, and 500 connections on LinkedIn never could.

Finding a technical legal expert is easy - if you practice in a particular field long enough, chances are, you know the relevant laws and procedures as well as the next lawyer. Finding a smart, personable lawyer - the kind that can make lots of connections on Twitter and LinkedIn - the same. Almost any lawyer can create an impressive online persona with a good website designer, blog, and the standard bells and whistles, awards and ratings, etc. But - as both their fellow lawyers and prospective clients know - that does not mean he is a great, or even a good, lawyer

It is the passion, creativity and strategy that a litigator brings to a case, his ability to persuasively apply the law to the facts  through a compelling story (non-fictional story, that is :-)) that truly sets him apart. 

So, by all means - leverage all that social networking has to offer; blog, expand your network on- and off-line. Most definitely participate in Kevin O'Keefe's big three (blogging, LinkedIn, Twitter), but share your actual work as well (and stream it into your networks and blogs). Because, at the end of the day, it is your  work - and that alone - which proves the Emperor of the online empire you've built, has clothes.