The Year 2015 in Retrospect – Learning – Teaching – Thinking – Collaborating
I am pleased that this blog is being seen by more young lawyers and people seeking ideas on what it’s like to survive and thrive if you happen to want to be a WV small town or small firm lawyer. And, recently, a client who is going through a big life transition told me that she found useful content for her legal challenges and her views on life.
Blog tutorials insist that I must include rich content. My targets are potential clients, clients, colleagues, and judges. The theory is if I can do that, my SEO scores will increase, not to mention adding a sense of accomplishment to my life.
Please remember that every six months or so I update the table of contents for almost 900 pages of blog posts. That and my “searchable” blog should allow you readily to find out if I have written on a topic of interest to you. It is downloadable as a PDF file e-book.
I perceive “rich content” to include discussions of my practice, my techniques, various pitfalls, and opportunities. I provide summaries of various areas of the law, the make up of the courts, the rules and standards, many “how to” articles, and my methods for running a law office and attracting clients.
My theory is that complete candor, presented with some wit, will educate while helping a person decide if my office, staff, and I are what they are looking for.
This time last year we were still savoring our anniversary trip to Italy. The year 2015 was a whirlwind, with the highlight being our Daughter Laura’s graduation from Wake Forest University with her MBA. She has since moved into management of a large health care company. We are so proud of her.
I read a lot in 2015 but allowed my access to vast information to overwhelm. I have vowed to read just as much but to buy less, so my backlog of 100 books, various courses, and magazines, and podcasts, reduces. Allowing such stuff to accumulate is a form of “intellection hoarding. ”
We continue to fight for “the little guy”, to seek justice, the protection of children, and a fair result at a fair price. I also decided to do some things for my profession. Here are a few.
1. I was nominated and elected as a member of the Board of Governors of the WV State Bar.
2. My first assignment was to co-chair the annual State Bar and WV Dept of Education Video Competition on Magna Carta, its significance in its 800th anniversary year. We have 32 contestants registered! Winners will win prizes and attend the State Bar Annual Banquet and stay with a parent at the legendary Greenbrier Resort.
3. As I have written about, I collaborated on the Family Law Restraining Order Bill, WV Code 49-5A-5a, which passed unanimously the House and Senate Judiciary committees, and then the House and Senate, with the Governor signing it into law in March!
4. I again served as a board member for the WV Assoc. of Justice (WV Trial Lawyers), and am co-chairing the Social Media Communications Committee. That should be fun.
5. I was selected by Jessica Stolarik of The WVU College of Law Continuing Education Program to present on Law Office Management and Social Media in October, along with several excellent speakers including nationally known consultant Bret Burney and software designer Roy Lasris of www.Pathagoras.com.
6. As a result, the WVAJ has also asked me to present at the WVAJ Mid-Winter Meeting in February. I have learned so much in researching those CLE classes and am excited to start the new year with these two February projects.
I think I will go back over my writings and revise and reprise my more informative “how to” blog articles. In the meantime, remember that table of contents and that my blogs are “fully searchable” via the engines provided.
Happy new year to you all.
jbh
This post was written by Burton Hunter