Extracurricular Activities

  • Law

One of our readers would like your input on the best use of time when it comes to extracurricular activities–i.e. non-billable hours. If you’re not billing time, but doing something related to work or furthering your career, what is the best way to use that time? Are you involved in organizations like Inns of Court; Rotary Club; LACSN? Do you devote your time to doing pro bono or other charitable work? Do you spend it marketing? What have you found to be the most broadly productive activity?

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Anonymous
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Anonymous
September 22, 2015 3:22 pm

Ouch! – Supreme Court rejected Randolph Goldberg's plea deal wth the State Bar-
AND – they reversed the State Bar's disciplinary panel decision denying reinstatement for Noel Gage. So Goldberg is still disbarred and Gage is reinstated.

http://nvcourts.gov/Supreme/Decisions/Unpublished_Orders/

Anonymous
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Anonymous
September 22, 2015 4:12 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Goldberg is not "still disbarred." He is still suspended pending another disciplinary hearing.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
September 22, 2015 8:29 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Gage (justly) took a beating for his involvement with Awand. He was a patsy. How is it that so many others, who where so more deeply involved, escaped completely unscathed?

Omerta!

Anonymous
Guest
Anonymous
September 22, 2015 9:05 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Because after all of the smoke about the Medical Mafia, who did they convict who did not just roll over? Gage got 3 years probation. Awand got 4 months (not counting the tax evasion conviction). Keith Gregory got 10 years for not rolling over. When the barrel has been placed to your temple, right and truth no longer matter. Of course you follow Omerta and have as little to do with the Government as possible.

hsw
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hsw
September 22, 2015 3:40 pm

Lunch with an attorney friend – always nice to talk shop and share advice in a setting where you don't feel you have to prove yourself.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
September 22, 2015 4:59 pm

Nevada seems to only suspend or invoke suspension.. California seems more likely to use the term
"disbarment." I have heard complaints of how hard it is to get reinstated but this reinstatement is bewildering.

Anonymous
Guest
Anonymous
September 22, 2015 5:17 pm

I feel sometimes like the Bar needs to be de-Barred. There are flagrant violations of UPL and disbarred attorneys continuing to work in Nevada. When I look up the list of Bar Counsel it's like a jobs program for deposed public sector attorneys.

Someone gets a DUI and they're all over it. Low hanging fruit. Is there any actual investigation going on?

Anonymous
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Anonymous
September 22, 2015 11:13 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

When David Clark still ran the place, the State Bar would repeatedly attempt to bring disciplinary action against the attorney. The Nevada Supreme Court would repeatedly deny any attempt at discipline, indicating that a "garden variety" DUI was not something that was really actionable against the current ethics rules. Although I never had any stake in this, it became kind of annoying because it seemed to me to be a complete and total waste of our dues for what clearly was an agenda to attempt to fuck over attorneys in this regard.

By "garden variety" DUI's, I'm referring to DUI's that had no property damage, no personal injuries, and something that was merely a little over the limit – not something so high that they were refer out for alcohol assessments.

Anonymous
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Anonymous
September 22, 2015 11:52 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Dave's a good dude, smart too. I just think he is a true believer and that didn't comport with the more pragmatic approach the Bar takes towards attorney malfeasance. What rules do you HAVE to follow? Don't steal shit from clients and always, always, ALWAYS make sure you meet Supreme Court guidelines for filing. That's pretty much it. Look at Bloomfield, guy committed fraud on the court how many times, and he's going to be an attorney again.

Anonymous
Guest
Anonymous
September 22, 2015 6:43 pm

There is no such thing as "non-billable" hours. My favorite things to do are either golf or brunch with other attorneys or strippers. No matter what I decide to do each day, I am most definitely "Evaluating and analyzing liability weaknesses with regard to (insert one or two case-specific facts here)" for several hours.

Anonymous
Guest
Anonymous
September 22, 2015 9:25 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

Makes total sense. Evaluation and analysis are vital to any healthy billing entry. I also like to do things in a "detailed" manner and "with a particular focus" towards some purportedly important thing.

Anonymous
Guest
Anonymous
September 22, 2015 8:03 pm

Lunch with chiropractors

Anonymous
Guest
Anonymous
September 23, 2015 5:36 pm

My social activities involve avoiding other lawyers and judges. Keeps my sanity in this insane legal community.

Anonymous
Guest
Anonymous
September 23, 2015 6:30 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

10:36 — true words of wisdom!

Anonymous
Guest
Anonymous
September 23, 2015 7:46 pm
Reply to  Anonymous

It is true. I am not interested in spending my free time with this group. Miserable and nasty to be nasty.