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Y O U N G L A W Y E R THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2007 Nochumson in his Center City office IN EVERY ISSUE FROM THE EDITORIAL BOARD . . . . . . .5
LAWYER LIFESTYLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
THE DEVIL WEARS BROOKS BROS. . . . .10
PECKING ORDER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 IN THIS ISSUE A CHANGING LANDSCAPE . . . . . .4
MAKE IT WORK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Photo by Nanette Kardaszeski Taking the YLD Forward Solo Practitioner Alan Nochumson Steps up to Chair Philadelphia’s YLD BY TRICIA PARKER I f Alan Nochumson has faced struggles in life — and he has — you’d never know it, at least
from the way he puts it. “It was awesome,” he said, referring to the time when, as a new-
lywed, he worked 19-hour days on John Street’s first mayoral campaign. “It’s great,” he says of his daily commute with his 2-year-old son, Matthew, sometimes with Matthew “screaming his head off” and Nochumson “running” to drop him off at daycare. And what about when his first Philadelphia firm folded 10 months into Nochumson’s employment, leaving him jobless and with few law contacts in an unfamiliar town? “In a situation like that, most people would crumble and say, ‘Oh my God, what’s going to happen?’ But I was like, you know what, everything happens for a reason. I took that as an
opportunity. I actually found a job within two months,” said Nochumson, who now manages
his own firm. No one can say for sure what’s behind Nochumson’s rapid ascent from lowly campaign assistant to successful law firm owner, and, most recently, the 2007 chairman of the
Philadelphia Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division. But friends insist his positive attitude
has gotten him far. “From the get-go I found him to be a very likable person,” said Fran Griesing, a partner at Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott in Philadelphia. “I think it’s why he’s going to be very suc-
cessful, being out on his own.” Raised in the hard-up Canarsie neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY, Nochumson, 32, earned his bachelor’s degree from SUNY Albany in 1996, then a J.D. from The George Washington
University Law School in 1999. After graduation, Nochumson and his fiancée, Hannah, head-
ed north from Washington, D.C., to Philadelphia. Married that summer, Nochumson made a crucial career decision: stall the bar exam for his other passion, politics. “I walked into John Street’s campaign office dressed in a suit and said, ‘Hey listen, I’m will- ing to do a couple hours of volunteer work,’” said Nochumson. That initial offer quickly mushroomed into a full-time gig. Within weeks, Nochumson was organizing the campaign’s fundraising and traveling with Street, working as his special assis-
tant. “It was amazing. I met everyone,” said Nochumson.
After the mayor’s win, with a job offer pending from Street’s office, Nochumson again faced a tough decision: stay in politics, or go back to law? The answer, as it turns out, came from an unlikely source.
“The mayor said, ‘You went to law school to be a lawyer. You could do this as well on the side, and if you feel like you want to make this a career, then do that. But make some money,
and be a lawyer,’” Nochumson said. And so, $100,000 in debt, Nochumson did, passing the bar and landing a job at Philadelphia Cover continues on 3 P E O P L E A N D E V E N T S YL2 AROUND TOWN U niversity City Dining Days are here again, running
from Thursday, Jan. 11, through Thursday, Jan. 18 . The University City District presents a week of discounted dining at some of the city’s best and most beloved eateries. More
than 20 of University City’s most popular eateries will once again
be offering a unique dining extravaganza. Among the participating
restaurants are Marigold Kitchen, White Dog Café, Vientiane
Café, World Café Live, Dahlak, Nan and Zocalo. The participating restaurants will offer a pre-fixe three-course dinner special for $20, $25 or $30 per person (not including tax,
gratuity or alcohol). Reservations are recommended and should be
made directly through the participating restaurant. For more infor-
mation, including a complete list of participating restaurants, visit www.ucityphila.org . The 2007 Hair O’the Dog Gala will be held Saturday, Jan. 27, from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. at the National Constitution Center. For the
13th year in a row, The Dog is asking you to get your dresses
cleaned, tuxes pressed, your dancing shoes buffed, and have your-
self another rockin’ good time under the watchful eyes of the
nation’s Founding Fathers. Black tie is optional and encouraged. This year, Big Bang Baby and returning favorite DJ Benja Styles promise to deliver high-intensity entertainment with the best in party music. Consider yourself warned: be ready to wag your tail
off! So come out and lap up all the free top-shelf drinks you can.
Drinks are served in glasses, although dog bowls are usually avail-
able upon request. This year, proceeds from the event will benefit Variety-The Children’s Charity. Originally named The Variety Club, Variety
serves children with temporary and/or permanent disabilities by
providing programs and services which address children’s physical,
social, medical, educational, and recreational needs. Ticket prices are $125 for general admission; $175 for VIP; and $800 for a VIP premium table of four. A general admission ticket
will get you access to the main event, stationed hors d’ oeuvres, a
top-shelf open bar from 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., dancing through 2 a.m.,
and coffee and dessert (including a chocolate fountain) as the
evening unwinds. All attendees are invited to the free after party at
Zee Bar, located at 100 Spring Garden St. For more information or
to purchase tickets visit www.hairothedog.com/philly . The next Philadelphia Center City Restaurant Week will take place Sunday, Jan. 28, through Friday, Feb. 2. More than 100 participating Center City restaurants will offer a minimum of three
courses for only $30 per person (not including tax, gratuity or alco-
hol) and parking is available for $8.50 or less at participating
Philadelphia Parking Association and Philadelphia Parking
Authority lots. Visit www.centercityphila.org for a list of partici-
pating restaurants and more details. King Tut arrives in Philadelphia Feb. 3, the third stop on a four- city U.S. tour before returning to London. The exhibition, called
“ Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs,” will be installed at The Franklin Institute from early February through
Sept. 30. The exhibition features not only the treasures of King Tut but the story of his family and his time at the height of Egyptian culture and
influence. As viewers progress through the 11 galleries, the objects
are presented in context of the social and political backdrop of the
time in which their owners lived and ruled. The exhibition includes more than 130 priceless treasures from the tomb of Tutankhamun and other royal tombs, all between 3,000
and 3,500 years old. Included in these treasures are 50 of
Tutankhamun’s burial objects, including his royal diadem — the
gold crown discovered encircling the head of the king’s mummified
body that he likely wore while living — and one of the gold, pre-
cious stone-inlaid canopic coffinettes that contained his mummified
internal organs. For more information visit www.kingtut.org or www.fi.edu/tut. • Copyright © 2006, ALM Properties Inc.
Reproduction prohibited without express permission
U.S.P.O. No. 309260
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SUBSCRIPTION RATES—Two Years $794. One Year $545. Six Months
$340. Three Months $220. Single copy $3. law firm Abramson & Freedman. Over the next six years, he cut his teeth at two more firms, Spector Gaden & Rosen
and Funk & Bolton, before opening his own
firm, Nochumson P.C., in January 2006. The
firm specializes in real estate law, litigation,
employment and labor law, and land use and
zoning. Despite amazing success in his chosen profession — “the firm is thriving,” said
Nochumson — he has never strayed far from politics. At the same time he prac-
ticed law, Nochumson kept a heavy toe in
the area’s political pool, serving as finance
chairman for several state representative
races as well as sitting on the boards of the
Philadelphia Commercial Development
Corporation (PCDC) and Philadelphia
Authority for Industrial Development
(PAID). Somehow, Nochumson also found time to make waves at the YLD, despite an ini-
tial setback. After joining in 2000,
Nochumson ran for executive committee
and lost – coming in “dead freaking last,”
he said. Rather than quit, Nochumson
hung in and was eventually appointed to a
three-year term on the executive commit-
tee. Gaining steam, Nochumson ran for
chair-elect in 2005 and won. Now, as he prepares to lead the YLD’s 3,500 young lawyers into 2007,
Nochumson is poised to make this a big
year for the YLD, mostly through three
new initiatives: a luncheon series called
“Live, Life and Law,” a social event called
“Lawyerpalooza,” and a large-scale “bar
fair” event. Nochumson said the luncheon series will take place on a monthly basis, and
will feature hard-hitting topics that young
lawyers don’t always talk about openly. For example, starting your own law firm. “No one really tells you like, OK, this is what you have to do to start your own law
firm,” said Nochumson. “There’s never
been an organized lecture on that, at least
for the bar association. More of it’s like
word-of-mouth. I want a frank discussion
on how to build your own law firm.” The luncheons will also address the fol- lowing topics: building a book of business,
the ins and outs of being an associate, and
staying out of debt. As for Lawyerpalooza, Nochumson said he came up with the idea while trolling the
Seattle Bar Association’s Web site. The
event will be a talent-show-like fundraiser
for the Philadelphia Bar Association, and will give the area’s young lawyers an
opportunity to showcase their wide array
of talents outside of their lawyering abili-
ties. It’ll be, he said, a time for lawyers to
“let their hair down.” “It’s having lawyers do their thing,” he said. “I think it’s going to be more focused
on lawyers who are musicians, but we may
have other people who have different tal-
ents.” Nochumson isn’t sure where Lawyerpalooza will be held, but he wants
it to be a relaxed atmosphere versus “peo-
ple dressed up in suits.” Finally, Nochumson said he wants to hold a “bar fair” in the fall, possibly on the
scale of the Chancellor’s Reception. “I want to have something that’s big,” he said. If all goes as planned, the fair will have food and drinks, as well as tables represent-
ing various sections of the bar association. “We need to do a sell of saying, ‘These are the great activities that the other sec-
tions of the bar association do, besides
young lawyers,’” Nochumson said. Networking
The power of an event like the bar fair is exactly where much of Nochumson’s
power lies — in bringing people together. “He’s a natural networker,” said Ruy Garcia-Zamor, an intellectual property
attorney in Maryland and friend of
Nochumson’s for four years. “He loves
networking and likes people. Excellent
traits.” Nochumson’s people skills will also help him navigate the more delicate
diplomatic aspects of the YLD chairman-
ship, including getting everyone on the
YLD’s 30-member executive board to
agree. “It’s a group with diverse opinions and strong opinions,” said Michael Hayes, 35,
an attorney at Montgomery McCracken
Walker & Rhoads and the outgoing 2006
YLD chairman. “When you get that com-
bination it makes it a challenge to build
consensus around new ideas and new pro-
grams.” Nochumson, however, isn’t intimidated
“Listen, we’re attorneys,” he said. “It’s our nature to argue. ... If everyone’s unhap-
py a little bit, but happy a lot, that’s con-
sensus-building in my mind. You’ve got to
listen to everyone’s point of view and
you’ve got to take those into consideration.” Nochumson calls his leadership style “hands-off,” explaining that “people are
not going to do hard work if they know
you’re going to hoard the credit. My thing
is, if someone works hard, they should get
the credit.” For Nochumson at least, credit has come, both in the form of positions of
power and accolades already likening him
to one of Philadelphia’s greatest lights. “Maybe it’s a little early to compare him to Ben Franklin, but he’s a good
example of someone who’s not from
Philadelphia who’s doing very well,” said
Peter Longstreth, president of the
Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation and friend of Nochumson’s
for three years. “He’s obviously worked
very hard to fit in and be successful.” Nochumson, in response to the analogy, merely shifted the compliment to the city
that took him in. “This town has been so welcoming,” he said. “It’s really an awesome city. I don’t think
I could have done it in any other city.” • C O V E R S T O R Y YL3 Cover Continued from pg. 1 Nochumson is poised to make this a big year for the YLD, mostly through three new initiatives: a luncheon series called “Live, Life and Law,” a social event called “Lawyerpalooza,” and a large-scale “bar fair” event. Micki Sells All The Right Places ... NEW CONSTRUCTION…ON PHILADELPHIA'S NEWEST SQUARE: Glamorous 5,000 sf two story 3
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StolkerMickiStolkerMickiStolkerMicki S JUST LISTED! Photo by Nanette Kardaszeski BY LEIGH JONES R ecruiting gay attorneys has become a big part of the
initiatives launched by large law firms to diversify
their ranks. With law school enrollment down and the legal market remaining strong, tapping into the talent pool of
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) lawyers
makes good business sense, firm leaders say. It also helps
answer the call from in-house counsel demanding more
diversity from the firms they hire. But advocates caution that it will take more than commit- tees, brochures and networking to lure these attorneys to the
nation’s top shops. The conservative culture of big firms has
not attracted large numbers of LGBT lawyers in the past.
Transforming their environments into desirable places to
practice, say many LGBT attorneys, requires a change in firm
culture from the inside out. “If you’re a junior associate and you work with people who aren’t comfortable with your sexual orientation, none of the
other stuff carries the day,” said Scott Eckas, a partner in the
New York office of King & Spalding. He serves as the LGBT
representative on the diversity committee of the Atlanta-
based firm. King & Spalding is one of many large law firms whose marketing materials tout a commitment to hiring and retain-
ing LGBT attorneys. Its Web site includes a specific section
on sexual orientation, highlighting the firm’s support of
LGBT organizations. Washington, D.C.-based Arnold &
Porter posts on its Web site a list of questions that LGBT indi-
viduals should consider in their job hunts, including whether
the firm supports “an open and affirming culture for gay and
lesbian employees.” (Arnold & Porter says that it does.) New York-based Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison supports several LGBT community programs, including those
of the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund and the
Lesbian and Gay Law Association of Greater New York. Chicago-based Jenner & Block publishes a newsletter, Equal
Time, which highlights LGBT legal issues. Such public statements are important for the advancement of LGBT attorneys, said Kate Fletcher, a student at Loyola
University Chicago School of Law who is a board member of
the National Lesbian and Gay Law Association (NLGLA).
But there are more concrete ways for a firm to show its com-
mitment, said Fletcher. These might include offering benefits
for domestic partners, she says, or participating in the
NLGLA’s Lavender Law program, an annual conference of
LGBT attorneys and law students. Such a commitment by
firms “shows that they can walk the walk,” she said. Fletcher said that “for a variety of reasons” she herself will not pursue a career at a large law firm after graduation next
year. Instead, she plans to practice tax law with the Internal
Revenue Service. Her decision to opt out of large-firm prac-
tice is not unusual among LGBT lawyers. Large firms lag
behind midsize firms in the percentage of openly LGBT attor-
neys in their ranks. According to the 2005 NLJ 250, the annu-
al survey of the nation’s largest law firms by our sibling pub-
lication The National Law Journal, most of the 20 law firms
with the highest percentage of openly gay and lesbian attor-
neys had fewer than 300 attorneys. The average size of those
20 firms was 396 lawyers, and the average percentage of
openly LGBT lawyers among the 20 firms was 3.2 percent. Meanwhile, only five of the country’s 20 largest firms reported their numbers of openly gay and lesbian attorneys.
At those firms, 1.8 percent of attorneys were openly gay or
lesbian. Some observers say that LGBT attorneys are less
likely to be open about their sexual orientation at larger firms,
possibly because they have a greater comfort level at smaller
firms or because it is more difficult to keep one’s orientation
private at smaller outfits. Big firms are trying to woo more LGBT attorneys as part of their broader efforts to increase diversity. But there are dif-
ferences under the diversity umbrella. Dana Petersen Moore,
chairwoman of the Minority Partners in Majority Firms
Division of the National Bar Association, cautions that the
experiences of attorneys of color and LGBT lawyers are dis-
tinct. But Moore said that hiring LGBT attorneys does not nec- essarily come at the expense of hiring minority attorneys. “I
don’t see it as a takeaway at all,” said Moore, a partner at
Baltimore-based Whiteford Taylor & Preston. In some ways,
she added, law firms have a harder time trying to diversify
with LGBT attorneys, since it is not always evident who is a
member of the LGBT community. Creating an environment where attorneys feel comfortable about being open is key to retention and recruitment, Eckas
said. As the first openly gay partner in the New York office of
King & Spalding, where he started in 2001, he said that attor-
neys who keep their orientation under wraps create a wall of
secrecy between themselves and colleagues, giving rise to
speculation and gossip. “You’re always on your guard,” he
said. “If you have some big secret that you are worried about,
it will affect how you become part of the team.” Promotional efforts, antidiscrimination policies, and partic- ipation in LGBT community programs are part of what Eckas
called the “macro” initiatives instituted by many firms.
“Macro is easy,” he said. “Mostly, you write checks.” However, the micro efforts, as he calls them, are the best indicators of a firm’s acceptance of LGBT attorneys. Such
efforts might include making more gay and lesbian partners
and training attorneys to identify their own subconscious
biases. These measures take more work, but produce more
tangible results. This article originally appeared in The Minority Law Journal, a publication of ALM. • Wanted: Gay and Lesbian Lawyers Large Firms Launch Initiatives to Diversify Ranks A C H A N G I N G L A N D S C A P E YL4 E D I T O R I A L B O A R D YL5 T he color of diversity is green.”
Although the origin of this quote is
unclear, it is clear that some law firms are adopting it as a motto. On the eve of the nation’s celebration of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the
U.S. Supreme Court decisions in Parents
Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle
School District No. 1. and Meredith v.
Jefferson County Board of Education — both
involving the steps a school board may take
to ensure that schools are racially mixed —
many think law firms may have the incentive
they need to ensure true diversity: no diversi-
ty, no business. Increasingly, large corporate clients are demanding that law firms take affirmative
steps to ensure that not only the firms them-
selves, but the teams that work on matters for
these clients, reflect the diversity of the
clients’ workforce, the clients’ customers and
the communities in which these clients oper-
ate. Firms must respond or risk losing busi-
ness. Recruitment alone of minority and female attorneys is not enough to satisfy the diversi-
ty goals of clients, and frankly, recruitment
alone should not fulfill the goals of law firms
that have adopted diversity initiatives of their
own. Clients such as Wal-Mart, Del Monte,
Pitney Bowes, Shell Oil, Sara Lee and many
others are encouraging law firms to recruit,
retain, and promote minorities and women,
and some even demand that minority and
female attorneys work directly on their mat-
ters. Clients are requesting regular reports of progress in the areas of diversity, which
includes firm statistics on retention and pro-
motion of minority and female lawyers; reg-
ular reports of the firm’s involvement and
participation in diversity initiatives; and sub-
missions of detailed responses to RFPs
(request for proposals). It appears that some
clients are taking law firms to task regarding
their diversity initiatives (or lack thereof) and
are hitting firms where it hurts: the bottom
line. Law firms must take action or be left in the dust, risking the loss of longstanding clients
or missing opportunities to get new ones.
Along with quality of legal work, reasonable-
ness of fees, and expertise of staff, commit-
ment to diversity is becoming a factor in the
process of retaining law firms. Some firms
are getting the point, while others lag behind.
Some law firms have created diversity com-
mittees and hired diversity coordinators to
address the growing needs of their clients and
to address the lack of diversity that has
plagued many firms. Others have not. Some
law firms are promoting diversity within
their ranks and their communities, while
many have failed to do either. Although many
firms have acknowledged their commitment
to diversity in the past, firms are now using
their diversity initiatives as marketing tools
to attract law students, lateral associates and
partners, and to satisfy the growing demands
of existing and potential clients. Additionally, some firms are taking steps to train, support and retain all associates as
an effort to increase retention. Many believe
this will have a positive effect on the reten- tion of minority and female associates.
Assuming that a firm’s recruiting efforts are
solid, once qualified women and minorities
are hired into the law firm, it is the firm’s
(and the young attorney’s) responsibility to
make sure the attorney has the opportunity to
succeed. This means firms are charged with
facilitating good mentoring and providing
opportunities to work on challenging assign-
ments for their associates. Firms that have
successful diversity committees and diversity
coordinators have additional vehicles to
address retention of women and minority
associates, where few opportunities existed
before. The young lawyer today is part of this cul- ture. For those of you who work at law firms,
what, if anything, is your firm doing to satis-
fy its clients’ diversity initiatives? If your
firm is complying with the demands of these
clients, it is taking a necessary step to pro-
mote client satisfaction and to foster the busi-
ness relationship? While it would be an exaggeration to say that the future survival of law firms will
hinge on the viability of diversity initiatives
alone, clients are making it increasingly clear
that diversity matters enough to make or
break an engagement. Law firms whose diversity meets the demands of their clients and more closely
resembles the demographics of the communi-
ties in which they and their clients operate
are likely to be places where many young
lawyers want to work. While it is important
for all young lawyers to take advantage of the
opportunities afforded them when it comes to recruitment, mentoring, and retention, it is
especially important for young women and
minority lawyers to take advantage of the
opportunities created by the legal communi-
ty’s increasing focus on diversity. Does this mean that you have to join the diversity committee (if your firm has one)?
Not necessarily. But if there is an opportuni-
ty to be paired with a strong mentor, or to join
a team at your firm engaged in the represen-
tation of a diversity-conscious client, take
advantage of it. Not only your own success,
but the success of your firm may depend on
it. In today’s culture, promoting and main- taining diversity is not only the right thing to
do, it’s prudent business practice. • The Business of Diversity YL Editorial Board The Editorial Board of Young Lawyer is composed of
members of the legal profession. They serve voluntar-
ily and are independent of Young Lawyer. Through
their ongoing exchange of views, members of the
board attempt to develop consensus on issues of
importance to the bench, bar and public. Members of
the legal community are invited to contribute signed
op-ed pieces. Scott Jones, Chairman Jeremy Alva Annemarie Bridy Kristine L. Calalang Mary Doherty Patrick Duffy John Encarnacion Kyong Growney Kassem Lucas Matthew Ryan Djung Tran GET ONLINE WITH THE LEGAL INTELLIGENCER! Now get the important legal and law firm news you need to help you in your practice — online!
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• And More! UPGRADE FOR ONLY $100. For Faster Service, call 800-999-1916 “ BY JULIE COHEN H appy New Year! Welcome to the
inaugural column of “Make It
Work!” which addresses career, leadership and work/life balance challenges.
At this time of year, many people are likely to
be struggling with New Year’s resolutions or
have possibly given up on them. I’d like to
invite you to re-think the entire concept of
resolutions. Whether you want to quit smoking, start a diet, look for a new job, work less, get more
business or make any other important change,
the new year is a natural time to start making
changes. The newness of the year often gives
one a feeling of greater optimism, hope, ener-
gy — and a clear starting point for change.
These are wonderful criteria for making
change, but unfortunately, as the new year
becomes older and life gets back to the pre-
holiday busy pace, the focus on change often
diminishes and the resolution goes the way of
unwanted holiday gifts — ignored, returned
to the store or thrown in the trash. Instead of a resolution, I propose a revolu- tion! Let’s look at a new way to approach sus-
tained, meaningful change any time of the year. These components will give you a path
to results. GOAL SUCCESS What’s important to you?
“Goal success” is completely dependent on how important the goal is to you. There are
two parts of this statement: “important” and
“to you.” We’ll talk about ‘important’ in the
next item. “To you” is most critical when
deciding to make a lasting change. What real-
ly matters to you? The impetus for change
needs to come from you, not from someone
else. Making change for your boss, your sig- nificant other, your friends or family is unlike-
ly to stick. What do YOU really want? Why does it matter?
Another critical factor in goal success is recognizing what you value and linking it to
your goal. Our values are the standards and
principles that we live by; the guiding con-
cepts that help us make choices that feel right.
When we don’t listen to our values, we often
feel angry, disrespected or unengaged. When
we make choices in line with our values, those
choices feel natural, meaningful and just right.
If two of your core values are success and
recognition, setting a goal that is related to
behind-the-scenes work without any acknowl-
edgement may not feel motivating.
Alternatively, if your primary values include
balance and wellness, developing a new
schedule to attend yoga classes twice a week,
even with your busy schedule, will be possi-
ble. What really matters to you? Goal success hinges on how well you can see yourself in the desired situation; therefore,
you must imagine what it will be like when
you reach your goal. How will it feel to
achieve your promotion? What will you look
like when you’ve lost the desired weight?
What will it sound like when you say “no” to
working weekends? Having a clear picture of what you want helps pull you toward your goal. This vision is
the “carrot” of motivation. Focus on what it
will be like when you arrive at the destination,
not what happens if you don’t. Your vision
will help you define create your road map and
measure your progress. TAKE ACTION Now it’s time to take action. This may sound like the easy part or “just do it,” but
you need to set the stage for continued action
and success. Design action steps in small,
specific and manageable chunks. Momentum
begets momentum, so with each step forward
the next step will feel easier. If your overall
goal is to bring in $X of new business by
enhanced networking, a first action would be
“call Jane and schedule a networking lunch,”
not “connect with 10 former law school col-
leagues to catch up.” GET SUPPORT Even the smallest change can be daunting. Having support from friends, family, col-
leagues and others can make the difference
between reaching a goal and giving up.
Support can also come in numerous formats.
You need to determine what type of encour-
agement, guidance and help will be best for
you. In professional situations, this may mean finding a mentor, partnering with a colleague
or hiring a professional to help you with
accountability and reality checks. Are you
making the right contacts and working on the
right cases to be promoted? Find support in
order to answer these questions. In personal situations, this might mean hir- ing a dating service, finding a friend to work
out with you regularly or requesting your
significant other to allow you to check in
weekly regarding the status of your goals.
Going it alone increases the likelihood of
disengagement if/when you encounter chal-
lenges. The flip-side of getting support is not allowing others to sabotage your success.
Don’t allow people who don’t believe in you
and what you want in to your realm. If you
have a competitive colleague who is criticiz-
ing your work and impacting your confi-
dence, avoid him while you’re increasing
your visibility amongst partners. If you have
a friend who always wants you to cancel
your workout in order to join her for other
activities, learn to say ‘no’ in order to put
your goals first. BE GENTLE Accomplishing goals is hard work! When we don’t do what we set out to do, we’re
often our own worst enemies. With hind-
sight, it’s easy to see what you did wrong,
what you should have done better, why you
couldn’t keep with it. STOP! This doesn’t
help you in moving ahead. Roadblocks will arise in this process. At times you will “take two steps forward, one
step back.” Your motivation will diminish or
maybe even vanish. Being kind to yourself,
as opposed to critical, will enable you to
regain momentum much more quickly. Try
to change that “voice” from “What’s wrong
with me?” to “What’s right with me?” or
from “Why didn’t I do that?” to “What’s
next?” CELEBRATE! Lastly, take time out of your busy sched- ule of accomplishment to acknowledge and
celebrate what you’ve done. Not just when
you reach the end goal, but at each step
along the way. These celebrations will look
different for everyone, may be big or small,
shared or private, but do give yourself some-
thing for making progress. Whether you’re beginning this process in January, May or December, what matters
most is that you’re moving ahead on your
terms. Go out and create your revolution! • Start 2007 Off Right — No Resolutions! M A K E I T W O R K YL6 JULIE COHEN is a career and personal coach, and founder of Julie Cohen Coaching. Formerly an inter- nal executive coach at Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, she was part of the design team responsible for developing
and implementing a national coaching program. Cohen can be reached at Julie@JulieCohenCoaching.com or
by visiting www.JulieCohenCoaching.com. Hello, YL readers! My name is Julie Cohen and I am a career and personal coach. As a coach, I support my clients in clarifying and achieving their professional and personal
goals including greater career satisfaction, life balance, leadership development and per-
sonal growth. I’m looking forward to sharing my knowledge and experience with you in order to make your career and work/life more fulfilling, engaging and productive. My column,
“Make It Work,” will appear every other month, and I look forward interacting with you
regarding its content. Please contact me to discuss the topics addressed as well as to ask questions or pro- vide career, work/life and leadership challenges that you’re facing. This will help me
shape future columns that will be valuable to you. I look forward to hearing from you!
You can reach me at Julie@JulieCohenCoaching, www.JulieCohenCoaching.com or
215-635-4719. H ow many 25-year-old lawyers or
young law firms do you know who
have given much thought to retire- ment plans? For that matter, how many 35-
year-old lawyers like that do you know? On
either a practical or conceptual level, youth
and retirement just don’t go together —
except, of course, when it comes to plan-
ning for retirement, where the earlier you
get started, the better off you’ll be. This
column is designed to provide useful
information about the benefits of hav-
ing a retirement plan, the types of
retirement plan available, and a few
of the nuts and bolts that go with
each option. But first things first. Why should a young lawyer think
about retirement, or a young law firm
look into providing a retirement plan
for its associates? Fact: Most of
us, no matter what our ages,
know instinctively that whatever
freedom we will enjoy in our
later years will begin with hav-
ing a financially secure retirement.
Another fact: Many of us may not know that
how well we live tomorrow is largely deter-
mined by how well we plan — and save —
today (as in right now). Not that long ago,
most workers could rely on Social Security
payments as a major source of retirement
income. Unfortunately, Social Security was
not designed for the America of today,
where people are living significantly longer
than they did several decades ago. Where
funding a five- or 10-year retirement was
once the challenge we faced, today we may
be faced with finding the resources to sus-
tain us through a retirement lasting 30 years
or longer. So plan carefully for your retirement — your financial future depends on it. Plan
early, plan sensibly, and plan knowledge-
ably. The good news is that business own-
ers, professionals, and their employees have
several effective strategies available to them
for saving for the future — and many retire-
ment plan alternatives from which to
choose. A retirement plan can offer important advantages to business owners, such as a
reduction in current tax bills resulting from
tax-deductible contributions. A retirement
plan can also be a valuable personnel incen-
tive. Included in your business’s total bene-
fits package, it can help to retain valued
employees and attract highly qualified new prospects. Whether thinking about adopt- ing a retirement plan for the
first time or evaluating an e x i s t i n g
one, you will
make a better deci-
sion for your firm and
for your employees if you
fully understand your options. WHAT ARE YOUR OPTIONS? In general, retirement plans fall into two categories — defined benefit and defined
contribution: With a defined benefit plan, each partici- pant’s retirement benefit is determined by
the formula set forth in the plan, which is
fully funded by the employer. Employer
contributions vary to meet benefit require-
ments, and the plan sponsor takes on the
investment risk. Because annual contribu-
tions are based on the amount required to
provide the promised benefit, permitted tax-
deductible contributions will tend to
increase as your employees get closer to
retirement. Therefore, you may be able to
contribute more to a defined benefit plan
than to a defined contribution plan, which
has specific contribution limits. With a defined contribution plan, an employee’s retirement benefit is equal to the
amount of assets in the employee’s individ-
ual account at retirement. The plan may be
structured so that plan participants take on the investment risk of their own accounts. These plans may also be structured to include employee contributions over and above employ- er con- tributions. Some of the defined contribution plans available include simplified employee pension plans (SEPs), profit sharing plans, 401(k) plans,
and savings incentive match plans for
employees (SIMPLEs). Let’s take a brief look at each of these:
A SEP is for business owners seeking a flexible, low-cost retirement plan that is
easy to establish and maintain. With a SEP,
each eligible employee sets up an individual
retirement account (IRA) into which the employer makes contributions. Because
employees have individual accounts, they
bear the investment risk. A SEP may be
especially desirable for new businesses or
companies with cyclical profit histories. That’s because employers can vary the amount to be contributed from year to year – or even choose not to con- tribute at all in less profitable years. A profit sharing plan is for business owners seeking more flexibility in plan design than is available in a SEP. Although a profit sharing plan, like a SEP, can be structured to allow contributions to vary each year, a profit sharing plan offers a number of optional features, such as a vesting schedule to reward longer-term employees, loan provisions, and a choice of methods for allocating con- tributions. For employers who want their employees to share in the funding of their retirement
plan, a 401(k) plan may be the answer. A
401(k) is a form of profit sharing plan that
allows employees to make contributions in
the form of deferred salary. In addition, the
employer may choose to make matching
and/or discretionary contributions on a tax-
deductible basis. Before adopting a 401(k)
plan, employers should first consider the
administrative requirements and any addi-
tional administrative costs that may be
incurred with this type of plan. A SIMPLE is for businesses that have 100 or fewer employees and that do not currently
contribute to a retirement plan. It enables a
business owner to establish a savings plan R E A L W O R L D Q & A YL7 BY BRADFORD S. BERNSTEIN BRADFORD S. BERNSTEIN is a Vice President - Investments at UBS Wealth Management, in the Philadelphia office. He has been recognized by UBS as a member of the Pacesetter Council ranking
him among the top financial advisers in his firm. Bernstein has been practicing for more than eight years
as a financial adviser. His practice focuses on asset management and financial planning for private
clients and corporations. Bernstein holds a bachelor’s degree from Boston University. Send your financial
planning questions directly to him at bradford.bernstein@ubs.com. PARTICIPATE IN THE REAL WORLD Q&A! OUR YL CONTRIBUTOR OFFERS FREE ADVICE ON: YOUR CREDIT, DEBT MANAGEMENT, MONEY, AND INVESTING ISSUES. SEND YOUR FINANCIAL QUERIES TO BRADFORD BERNSTEIN AT BRADFORD.BERNSTEIN@UBS.COM Real World Q&A continues on 12 Choosing a Retirement Plan for
You,Your Firm and Your Employees BY DAVID BROWN E arly in 1995, the lobbyists in the
Washington, D.C., office of Preston
Gates & Ellis received a surprise visit from one of the superstars of the Republican
revolution. Tom DeLay dropped by to meet
the team and dispense a little wisdom about
the way the newly installed GOP majority
would deal with K Street. It was a coup for the firm. Preston Gates was a small player in Washington, and had
historically leaned toward the Democrats. But
as the political tide changed in 1994, the firm
brought aboard a lobbyist who had all the
right connections: Jack Abramoff. Abramoff
arranged the DeLay visit, and as Peter H.
Stone reports in his new book, Heist:
Superlobbyist Jack Abramoff, His Republican
Allies, and the Buying of Washington (Farrar,
Straus and Giroux), the partners at Preston
Gates were thrilled: “It was a big deal,” one
veteran of the firm told Stone. “He was able
to deliver DeLay very fast.” DeLay was none too subtle during his visit. He told what Stone describes as a “simple
political parable” about a Texas company that
couldn’t get help from legislators on a road
project because it hadn’t donated enough
campaign money and hadn’t hired the right
lobbyists. The message: The new congres-
sional majority would expect lobbyists, the
law and lobby firms that employ them, and
their corporate clients to hire Republicans and
to deliver millions of dollars to GOP coffers. The so-called K Street Project, the effort by Republican leaders to remake the lobbying
world in their image, had begun. And
Abramoff was a key player. As Stone notes,
he built a lucrative practice predicated on his
ability to “deliver DeLay” and others in
Republican leadership. In return, he shep-
herded campaign funds to GOP candidates
and built a book of business that would even-
tually top $10 million. His lobbying fees
would transform Preston Gates (actually,
Preston Gates Ellis & Rouvelas Meeds, as the
Washington, D.C., office is known) and later
Greenberg Traurig into two of the lobbying
world’s top firms. (By way of an example: Greenberg Traurig didn’t even appear among the top 25 lobbying
firms in Washington in 2000, according to an
annual ranking compiled by Legal Times, a
sibling publication. By the time Abramoff
exited in disgrace in 2004, Greenberg was
among the top 10, earning $25 million in
fees.) Of course, as would later become clear, Abramoff was as corrupt as he was success-
ful. With the help of business partner Michael
Scanlon, Abramoff set up a kickback scheme
that earned him tens of millions in fees from
Native-American gaming interests. He used
perks to lure Rep. Robert Ney (R-Ohio), into
inserting favorable speeches into the
Congressional Record. And he plied lawmak-
ers and congressional staffers with free meals,
football tickets and golf junkets to buy influ-
ence and sway legislation. Stone, a veteran reporter for The National Journal, an inside-the-Beltway magazine
devoted to politics and policy, delivers a straightforward overview of the Abramoff
scandal. Based primarily on his own reporting
for the magazine, Heist, at a slim 214 pages,
reads like a National Journal article on
steroids: satisfying as a just-the-facts primer on the scandal, but short on analysis of the
corrupt Washington culture that helped
Abramoff flourish. Abramoff has been portrayed as an excep- tional case since the Indian gaming scandal
made headlines in 2004. And Stone’s
approach is no different, attributing the scan-
dal to Abramoff’s greed, a few feckless
Republican leaders, and tribal clients who
were careless and lacked the acumen to detect
political fraud. Certainly, most lobbyists don’t run massive kickback schemes, and Abramoff’s insatiable
appetite for cash and political power drove
him to fleece his clients. But something seems
missing from Stone’s equation. Abramoff was
a product of the D.C. political community —
encouraged from his youth by political elders
to bend the rules for political and personal
gain. Except for a brief stint as a movie pro-
ducer (he helped make the 1980s action
stinker Red Scorpion — and even the flick
was designed to advance a conservative, anti-
communist agenda), Abramoff spent his life from college on in Washington’s orbit. He
headed the College Republicans, earned a law
degree at Georgetown (though he never prac-
ticed), ran an anticommunist “think tank,”
and spent his lobbying career in the D.C. offices of two respected Am Law 200 firms. His oldest friends in the city were power brokers in their own right: Grover Norquist,
who runs Americans for Tax Reform, and
Ralph Reed, the onetime political boy wonder
who ran the Christian Coalition. Abramoff’s
conservative credentials and close ties to
Norquist and Reed gave him easy access to
the power brokers in Congress. Even in the earliest stages of Abramoff’s political career, Stone writes that some
winced at his tactics. Rich Bond, the former
Republican National Committee chairman,
tells Stone that he admonished Abramoff for
running up a huge debt as head of the College
Republicans. “I told [Abramoff], ‘You can’t
be trusted,’” Bond told Stone. “It was a good
indicator of what a scuz he was.” Stone is unclear, however, about whether Bond told anyone else. Or if he had, if it
would have mattered. In the Washington
world Stone writes about, corruption seems to
have very few consequences. It’s only when
the behavior is really bad — in other words, when it ends up on the front page of The
Washington Post — that tough questions
materialize. Why, one wonders, didn’t anyone in Washington bother to ask until 2004 about
Abramoff’s ability to fund so many high-pro-
file side business projects when his client list
was so small? Though Stone says Preston
Gates conducted tough due diligence about
Abramoff when it hired him, it seems to have
been primarily about his political juice, not
his ethics. Did Preston Gates (or, later,
Greenberg Traurig ) know of Abramoff’s pro-
apartheid activities in the 1980s? And what
about the accusations of financial misconduct
that got him bounced from his job at Citizens
for America (which Stone describes as a “pro-
Reagan civic organization that, among other
things, tried to build backing for the
Nicaraguan contras”)? Clearly, Abramoff was adept at cloaking his business activities, as anyone who has looked
at the list of shell companies he used to hide
transactions can tell you. But the law firms he
worked for also seemed to give him wide lat-
itude to do what he wanted — and, in Stone’s
telling, didn’t know much about what he was
up to. Greenberg, for instance, was hired to do
Washington lobbying for one of Abramoff’s
tribal clients at a fee 15 times higher than that
of the tribe’s previous lobbyist. That may
have seemed like a great business deal for the
firm, but shouldn’t it have also raised eye-
brows as well? Stone leaves most of those questions unex- amined. His focus is squarely on Abramoff’s
actions, and he does a good job of unraveling
the complex array of financial shenanigans by
Abramoff and his cohorts. (One quibble: The book has a few glaring L A W Y E R L I F E S T Y L E S YL8 New Book Assesses Abramoff ’s Shady Dealings Though Stone’s overview of Abramoff is compelling, one aches for a bit more about the man himself. Abramoff is described in cinematic terms, yet it’s unclear what drew political colleagues and clients to him. New Book continues on 12 H ow will you broaden your horizons
in the coming year? Perhaps you’d
be interested in hiking in China or visiting a hip neighborhood in Sao Paulo.
Travelers who prefer their creature comforts
might opt for a whisky tour in Scotland or a
cooking class in Paris. Below, reporters from
Legal Times, a publication of ALM, did some
of the groundwork and report on their dis-
coveries. CHINA With China’s rapid development, the coun- try has ever fewer truly off-the-beaten-path
tourist gems. But one spectacular spot that
hasn’t yet been overrun is Tiger Leaping
Gorge. Perhaps that’s because the gorge is located in the Yunnan Province in southwestern
China, not far from the Old Town of Lijiang
(which is listed as a UNESCO World
Heritage site) and the border of Tibet. There
the cliffs of the Haba Mountain and the Jade
Dragon Snow Mountain rise a spectacular
2,000 meters above the banks of the Yangtze
River. The hike through the gorge generally
takes two days along a narrow dirt path that
hugs the northern cliff 1,000 feet above the
Yangtze’s rushing waters. Guesthouses and tiny villages are sprin- kled along the route, so there’s no need to lug
sleeping bags or cookstoves along. Tourist
traps are few, but mule drivers are known to
follow older or unfit-looking hikers for hours
over the path’s most rugged parts in hopes of
getting hired as porters. A “must stop” is the
appropriately titled Halfway Guesthouse
(about seven hours into the hike, $10 per
night), which offers a pretty darn good take
on apple pie, as well as cliffside rooms that
feel like they’re suspended in midair over the
river. Near the village of Walnut Grove, about three-quarters of the way into the hike,
there’s a trail offering a two-hour hike down
the cliffs to the edge of the Yangtze. At that
spot, legend has it, a tiger once leaped 25
meters over the river’s rushing waters. But be
forewarned: A toll collector will charge $1.25 to let the climber go back up the cliff on one
of two trails. The route names are translated
as “safe trail” and “dangerous ladder” trail.
The former is strongly recommended. To reach the gorge, fly to Lijiang (which can be reached by air from most major
Chinese cities — it’s about a four-and-a-half
hour flight from Shanghai) and then hire a
car and driver ($20) for the three-hour trip to
the trailhead in the village of Qiaotou. But travelers should plan to go soon. The Chinese government is engaged in a
Herculean effort to bring a new tide of tour
buses to the gorge by blasting a road out of
the cliffs along the gorge’s southern edge —
even as it’s simultaneously pushing forward
with plans to build a massive dam in the
gorge. - Jason McLure BRAZIL The streets of Vila Madalena, an upscale neighborhood in Sao Paulo, Brazil, are steep
and uncompromising. But the mix of elegant
high-rises, art galleries and boutique shops
creates a Bohemian enclave inside this other-
wise-sprawling city of about 20 million. And
on the weekends, Paulistas, as the city’s resi-
dents are known, descend upon the neighbor-
hood. Vila Madalena blossomed during the 1960s, when professors and students from
the nearby University of Sao Paulo moved in.
Artists soon followed, naming the streets (in
Portuguese) “Sunflower,” “Glitter” and
“Harmony” — words that now seem like
relics from the counterculture era. Though the artists still display their work in stores and on walls along the graffiti-cov-
ered alleys, Vila Madalena is now among the
pricier and hipper parts of town. It’s also
home to some of the city’s best restaurants,
bars and clubs. The choices are as diverse as
Sao Paulo’s population, which includes siz-
able and long-standing ethnic groups from
Italy, Germany, Lebanon and Japan. Of course, there is ample opportunity to indulge in the traditional Brazilian fare of
meat, rice and beans. One of the newest addi-
tions to the restaurant scene is Madda, a high- ceilinged corner eatery and bar on Rua
Mourato Coelho serving fine meats and
strong caipirinhas, the national drink made of
cachaca (a sugar cane liquor), lime and sugar. But some of the most popular spots serve Italian or Japanese cuisine. Unlike the fast-
food-style pizza many Americans are accus-
tomed to, Brazil’s pizza is often considered
fine dining. Oficina de Pizza (“Pizza
Workshop”) on Rua Inácio Pereira da Rocha
is a great example. Sushi is also common in Sao Paulo, home to the largest population of people of
Japanese descent outside of Japan. Though
the city’s major Japanese-Brazilian neighbor-
hood, Liberdade, is across town, more than a
dozen sushi restaurants dot the streets in Vila
Madalena, including Kabuki on Rua Girassol
and Chumar on Rua Fradique Coutinho. Both
have a pleasant ambiance and all-you-can-eat
meals for about $14. - Emma Schwartz SCOTLAND Ah, Dufftown! For fans of Fox’s animated series, it might sound like Homer Simpson’s
idea of paradise, where the rivers flow freely
with Duff beer. But to a more refined tippler,
the name conjures up images of some of
Scotland’s finest Scotch whisky distilleries. Dufftown, home to Glenfiddich and Balvenie, is a key stop on Scotland’s 70-mile
Malt Whisky Trail, which meanders through
the River Spey valley in northeastern
Scotland. The seven distilleries on the trail
represent only a portion of the distilleries in
this corner of Scotland between Inverness
and Aberdeen, many of which offer tours. So
if you have failed to spot the monster in near-
by Loch Ness, what better way to drown your
sorrows than to visit a few distilleries and
find out how the fine spirit is made? And what better place to start than Glenfiddich? Many brands of Scotch whisky
now available on the market are blends of
malt whiskies from different distilleries and
some grain whisky, which the locals dismiss
as only fit for cooking. The distilleries in this
region, though, focus on producing single
malts, which are the product of a single dis- tillery and use only malted barley.
Glenfiddich is one of the best-selling single
malt Scotch whiskies, accounting for about
20 percent of single malt sales worldwide. William Grant founded Glenfiddich in 1886 and nearby Balvenie in 1889, and his
descendants still run the business. (Many dis-
tilleries in Scotland are no longer owned by
Scots, having been bought by international
beverage companies such as Diageo and
Pernod Ricard.) Although some dismiss
Glenfiddich as lacking in character, it’s the
only highland single malt to be distilled,
matured and bottled at its own distillery, so
that you can see the entire Scotch-making
process in one place. It all starts with the water, announces a kilt-clad tour guide with long strawberry-
blond hair, who looks far too young to be a
whisky aficionado but nonetheless has a deep
knowledge and appreciation for the spirit.
The word “whisky” comes from a Gaelic
word meaning “water of life,” and natural
spring water is a critical ingredient in pro-
ducing a fine-tasting Scotch. Distilleries are
concentrated in the area in part because of the
purity of the springs. Local legend has it that
the smoothness of their Scotch derives from
the fact that the spring water runs through
heather. As visitors tour the Glenfiddich distillery to see the elaborate process of whisky pro-
duction, they can be overwhelmed at times
by the sharp smell of fermenting barley and
fumes almost powerful enough to make them
tipsy. From mashing to fermenting, distilling,
marrying and bottling the whisky, it soon
becomes clear why the stuff is so expensive. The stone buildings that Grant and his chil- dren built by hand in 1886 are still standing,
and a great deal of effort goes into maintain-
ing the production process as it was then. The
massive wooden vessels, or “washbacks,”
where fermentation takes place are made of
Douglas fir, although other distilleries now
use stainless steel. The huge copper-pot stills,
where the wash is distilled, are exact repro-
ductions of the original stills bought by Lawyer Lifestyles continues on 12 L A W Y E R L I F E S T Y L E S YL9 Beaches Boring You? A Few Unusual Suggestions for Adventures Abroad in 2007 Old Me, Meet New Me Attempting to Discard Unhealthy Habits in 2007 T H E D E V I L W E A R S B R O O K S B R O T H E R S YL10 BY SARAH E. KLEM I live a dual life. In the office, I am a
happy, healthy, active young woman
that eats right and exercises all the time. I run marathons and give people advice on
what to eat, and of course by “people” I
really mean my boss. I don’t take cigarette
breaks; I take chai tea latte breaks. But at home, I am a Guinness-drinking, cigarette-smoking, chips-and-dip-for-din-
ner-eating I don’t know what. And while I
did once run a marathon and several half
marathons, if you saw me out with my
friends, you certainly wouldn’t know that. The only thing that doesn’t change between my nine-to-five to five-to-nine
lives is my smart mouth. So in 2007, I have decided to bring the two Sarahs closer together. I am going to
start eating better all the time, not smoking
anytime, and I am going to work out as
much as I claim to. Now this may seem like a lot to take on, but really I am already the person I want to
be for eight hours of the day; almost 10
when you factor in the commute. Then,
from 9 p.m until 6 a.m., I am asleep. So that
leaves me with two hours in the morning,
during which I never smoke and hardly ever
drink, and three hours in the evening. In the past, I have resolved to learn to play tennis or chess or to speak French, to
no avail. And I think the reason is that
becoming proficient at tennis or fluent in
French is not going to help me; it is not
going to make me a better person. But shut-
ting down the duality — well, that will lead
to less stress, better nights’ sleep and clear-
er skin. Eating better and exercising more
will make me skinnier, and thus could lead
to my being more fashionable. (Please, fash-
ion gods, do not let skinny jeans go out of
style before I can get my butt into a pair.)
Plus, my work friends will no longer have to
cover for Party-All-the-Time Sarah. Right, and quitting smoking will reduce my chances of getting lung cancer. Again,
though, that is a long-term effect; I am more
an immediate gratification kind of gal. For the record, I don’t do resolutions on Jan. 1. For one, I was up until 3:30 a.m. the
prior night smoking and drinking. And tech-
nically, from midnight on, it was the first of
2007. Was I really expected to set down my
cigarette and Champagne as soon as the
fireworks were through? So Day Two of the year — but my first day for resolutions — didn’t go too bad. I
managed to go the whole day without one
cigarette. I will credit most of my success to
not getting out of bed until well after noon,
which also kept me from running or partici- pating in any sort of exercise. Baby-steps; I
am officially a non-smoker. And I managed to not drink anything. However, eating healthy would have
required the dedication of a saint. There was
leftover lasagna and meatballs in my fridge,
not to mention the desserts. Plus, the only
way I could stop myself from putting a cig- arette in my mouth was to put food into it. My first official day back in the office started out perfectly. I woke up to meet my
new running partner for a jog. Fifty minutes
later, I was headed back towards my house
when what to my wondering eyes should
appear but our HR director getting into her
car. She saw me too — being healthy, not just talking about it. I got home had an aver-
age size bowl of Cheerios, stretched, and
even managed to get to work early. Unfortunately, by noon my body was starting to feel the effects of not sleeping
well at all the past three nights and not hav-
ing had a cigarette in over 36 hours. Later, my boss was complaining about how he hadn’t been sleeping. I asked him
if he had quit smoking, but I couldn’t com-
miserate with him. I couldn’t chime in, “I
quit smoking too, and I didn’t sleep at all
last night,” since I have spent the last three
years pretending I don’t smoke. Instead, I
just listened and smiled and nodded
approvingly as he listed out what he ate
the last couple of days. My second day of working was a total disaster. Apparently, my recent exhaustion
required more than my simply going to bed
early the prior night. It required 12 hours of
uninterrupted sleep; well, except for that moment or two in which I was awake
enough to turn off my alarm clock, but
unaware I was doing so. Fortunately, I did
manage to get up of my own accord at 8
a.m. Unfortunately, the bus that gets me to
work on time would arrive in 22 minutes. So, I was late, didn’t get to work out, needed coffee, hadn’t eaten any breakfast
and forgot to take my vitamin. In a weak
moment at Dunkin’ Donuts, I asked for a
blueberry muffin. For those of you who
don’t know — they are not very good for
you. Did I mention I also really hated what I was wearing? Keeping New Year’s resolutions is really all about making the right choices. The rest
of the day just dragged on in a cloud of con-
fusion and misery. My roommate e-mailed
me at the end of the day suggesting dinner
and drinks out with another friend. As
tempted as I was, I knew I shouldn’t. Then I
considered stopping at Wawa for chips and
dip and cigarettes on my way home from
work. Then I thought about what Work Sarah would tell me to do. Work Sarah would tell
me to go to the gym. After all, I missed
working out that morning, and getting my
blood pumping and my endorphins up might
help me feel better about my day. Yeah, Home Sarah would beat up Work Sarah, but I digress. On a whim, I looked at the class schedule when I got to the gym. After all, I had a
sneaking suspicion that sloth-like Sarah’s
friends were not going to like New-and-
Improved Sarah; so it might be time to meet
new people. As luck would have it, there
was a Pilates class starting shortly. Work
Sarah is always talking about how much she
loves Pilates, so I figured now was a good
time to try it out. For those of you who are wondering, Pilates is really hard, not just expensive
stretching and if it ever got in a fight with
Yoga, it would totally kick Yoga’s butt. Day four, and my final day before this column was due, started out rough. I woke
up late, didn’t work out and I had another
muffin for breakfast. Still, I did make it into
work on time and in a respectable, work-
appropriate ensemble. I think my body is flushing the remainder of the nicotine from my system, I have
scheduled runs with my new running buddy,
it turns out I love Pilates and I had normal
(but maybe not quite healthy) dinners all
week long. I think keeping New Year’s resolutions are really all about maintaining a positive
perspective. Sure, I could beat myself up
over not getting up and running this morn-
ing, or I could focus on getting back on
course the rest of my day. Overall, I feel
pretty good about my chances this year. After all, 007 is my lucky number. • SARAH E. KLEM graduated from Temple University with a degree in journalism. Klem has written arti- cles for neighborhood newspapers and contributed content to a paralegal blog. She is a paralegal and legal assis-
tant for a law firm in Center City. She lives in the Queen Village section of Philadelphia with two roommates
and a dog. She has also launched a blog of her own at http://devilwearsbrooksbrothers.wordpress.com. S o, what are you doing on Monday? For
some, Monday will be just like any
other work day. For others, it will be a day off and, for even others, it will be a day on
— a day of service. The courts are closed, and
more law firms are joining the celebration of
Dr. Martin Luther King (MLK) Jr. Day by
officially closing. So, what are you planning to do to com- memorate MLK Day? There are a myriad of
community service projects available, includ-
ing several that are law-related, and even if
you go into the office or sleep late, you should
find somebody to serve. I was only 4 years old when King was killed in 1968, and I was a freshman in college when
Congress passed the holiday legislation.
Although the holiday is celebrated on the third
Monday in January, this year’s MLK Day, Jan.
15, falls on what would have been King’s
actual 78th birthday. THE MAN BEHIND THE DAY Most know that King was a Baptist minister who became a pivotal figure in the civil rights
movement, including the Montgomery bus
boycott and marches through the South and on
Washington, D.C. Born in Atlanta, he received
a B.A. in sociology in 1948 from Morehouse
College at 19, received a degree from Crozer
Theological Seminary in
C h e s t e r ,
P a . , in 1951 and his Ph.D. from Boston University
in 1955. His honorary degrees, famous
speeches, arrests for civil disobedience and
awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize, are
too numerous to mention, as are the allega-
tions about his personal life and the conspira-
cy theories about his death. King was shot on
a hotel balcony in Memphis on April 4, 1968,
while in the city to help sanitation workers
protest their wages and working conditions. HOW THE MAN
BECAME A HOLIDAY Jesus, Christopher Columbus, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln are the
other men commemorated by federal holidays.
It took 15 years after his death for King to join
this group. Michigan Congressman John
Conyers first introduced the bill for a King
holiday only days after King’s assassination. The bill stalled until Congress received peti- tions with six million signatures supporting the
holiday. Conyers and New York Rep. Shirley
Chisholm resubmitted the King holiday legisla-
tion every legislative session until Congress
passed it in 1983, which was signed into law by
President Ronald Reagan. It wasn’t until 1993
that MLK Day was celebrated in all 50 states. A DAY OF SERVICE In 1994, our own former U.S. Senator, Harris Wofford, who knew King from the
civil rights movement, co-authored the King
Holiday and Service Act, which President
Bill Clinton signed into law. The idea was a
day dedicated to encouraging people to turn
their societal concerns into volunteer action.
Every year since then, more Americans rise
to the challenge of a day of service to others. The opportunities to serve are as limitless as are the social injustices and ills that need to be
fought. As noted on the King Center Web site: “While our nation is divided and the world has been increasingly divided about us, King
Day of Service volunteers fight our domestic
enemies on the front lines, including home-
lessness, poverty, sub-standard housing, illit-
eracy, environmental disregard, disparities in health care access and racism.” ON OR OFF? Some think that the King Holiday is only for African-Americans and that the Day of
Service is only for goody-goodies. This is
wrong. Everyone should find somebody to
serve. Whether or not you agree that King was
a hero, you shouldn’t ignore a day dedicated to
helping others. King said a person hasn’t start-
ed living “until he can rise above the narrow
confines of his individualistic concerns to the
broader concerns of all humanity.” HOW YOU CAN SERVE A great way to start the day is at the annu- al Barristers Association breakfast, starting
at 7:30 a.m. at The View, 800 N. Broad St.
See the box for details of this and other
MLK Day events and information. At this
annual event, Mayor John Street is usually
on hand to ask us if we are having a nice day
and remind us not to go to any sales because
it is not that kind of holiday. It is a great
gathering of a wonderfully diverse cross-
section of our bench and bar, and awards are
given to folks who exemplify service. You Gotta Serve Somebody Martin Luther King Jr. Day Offers Attorneys a Chance to Give Back BY MOLLY PECKMAN P E C K I N G O R D E R YL11 MOLLY PECKMAN is special counsel and director of professional development at Pepper Hamilton. She is responsible for professional development of the firm’s associates and for coordinating training programs, as well
as the evaluation and partnership-nomination processes. She is a frequent writer and lecturer on law firm life
and is a former chairwoman of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division. She is the edi-
tor-in-chief of The Philadelphia Bar Reporter. Peckman was a trial lawyer for 10 years before joining the
firm. She can be reached at peckmanm@pepperlaw.com . INFORMATION ABOUT MLK DAY OF SERVICE MONDAY, JAN. 15, 2007 For more information about The Barristers’ Association of Philadelphia annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast from 7:30 to 10 a.m. at The View, 800 N.
Broad St., 8th floor, contact co-chairs Thomas Fitzpatrick at 267-784-8655 or tfit- zlaw@gmail.com ; or DaQuana Carter at 215-981-4582 or carterd@pepperlaw.com . Seating is limited and RSVP and table reservations are strongly encouraged. For more information about The Barristers’ Association’s volunteer project benefiting the Nicetown Boys and Girls Club, contact Joel C. Trotter at 610-407-3115 or e-mail jtrot-
ter@ikon.com. For more information about the Legal Clinic for Low-Income and Homeless Residents of Philadelphia presented by Community Legal Services, Homeless Advocacy Project,
HIAS and Council Migration, Philadelphia Legal Assistance, Philadelphia VIP and
SeniorLAW Center from 9 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. at Martin Luther King High School, 6100
Stenton Ave., Germantown, contact Marsha Cohen at the Homeless Advocacy Project at
215-523-9590 or e-mail marsha@philalegal.org. For information about becoming a chess coach for Philadelphia students, check out the After School Activities Partnerships at http://www.phillyasap.org. For information about becoming a reading tutor or reading books on tape or contribut- ing to a book drive, contact Philadelphia Reads at 215-851-1845. For more information about donating blood or to find a blood drive near you, check out the Red Cross website at www.RedCross.org. To find a community service project in your area or to register your project, sign onto http://www.mlkdayofservice.org. “Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve ... . You
don’t have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only
need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Pecking Order continues on 12 Y O U N G L A W Y E R YL12 Grant. Tourists can still visit the damp, dark
warehouse, with dirt floors, stone walls and
low ceilings, where the Scotch ages for 12 to
30 years — and in some cases much longer —
to produce vintage and rare whiskies. The oak casks are secondhand, first having been used to age sherry in Spain or bourbon in
the United States. Previous use is said to mel-
low the casks and give the Scotch subtle fla-
vors. The tour, which is free, tops off with a wee dram in the distillery’s bar. Glenfiddich and
many other distilleries in the area also offer in-
depth tours and guided tasting sessions for
those who seek more. Another way to continue that education is to visit the local Scottish pub, ask the punters
what the best Scotch is, and watch a lively
debate begin. - Alexia Garamfalvi PARIS We were minutes into a weeklong Paris cooking class, and already my father was pick-
ing up pieces of freshly cut lamb from the floor. Given the task of cubing the sinewy, crim- son meat, direct from a farm in Provence, and
coating it with North African spices, my father
was attempting to rub cumin, ginger and
cayenne pepper into the lamb when his prep
bowl slipped. Half of the meat ended up on the
kitchen floor of famed food journalist Patricia
Wells, our instructor for the next five days. It’s going to be a long week, I thought.
Dad is not much of a cook, but he could always make breakfast. Bacon and eggs were
his Sunday morning specialty. He crisped the
slices of bacon until they nearly crumbled with each bite. Then, with all the flair of a short-
order cook, he cracked eggs into the swirling,
speckled grease. The aromas of greasy eggs
and bacon still take me back to childhood. His cooking had not extended much beyond that. For years, I thought breakfast was all he
could (or wanted to) make. Yet more recently,
he’s developed a greater interest in cuisine.
Part of this passion stems from his late uncle,
who for many years owned and operated an
Italian restaurant in Cleveland. A year ago my father asked me what I’d like for my 30th birthday. I told him I wanted to
take a cooking class with him in Paris, taught
by Madame Wells. Wells, who has lived in
France since 1980, has been offering small,
weeklong classes at her studio in Paris and at
her estate in Provence for the past 10 years. My father frowned. Not one for French food, he casually suggested we head to
Bologna or Sicily and learn from “our people.”
I admitted to some apprehension myself.
Would he be at all interested in concocting
complex demi-glaces or in gingerly wrestling
buttery pastry dough? “A disaster in the making,” declared my brother. “You should have gone to Italy.” Despite the prophecies of doom, we went ahead with the trip. The first week of October,
we arrived in Paris and headed to Wells’ small
studio. It’s a cozy place, with a old French
bistro clock hanging from the ceiling. Wells’
tiny but well-equipped kitchen is crammed
with gadgets and spices, including fresh vanil-
la beans in her sugar canister. “It just gives the
sugar more flavor,” said Wells, a petite woman
with short blonde hair. On the first day, she
already had a pot of chicken stock on the stove,
simmering to a deep golden brown. As we inquired about the ingredients she used, Wells shared with us the secrets to a good stock: Don’t stir. Never let it reach a boil, as
this makes the fat emulsify, leading to a cloudy
mixture. Use a 10-quart pasta pot fitted with a
colander to make straining the broth easy. And
scorch the freshly cut onions (with the skins
on) over a gas flame to give the broth a richer
flavor. Then insert a clove into each onion half. Our schedule was simple. Each day, six stu- dents would gather around her dining-room
table, and Wells would assign us recipes. Then
we’d head into the kitchen to prepare our
lunch. She designed the daily menu inspired by
morning trips to the markets — almond-stuffed
dates sautéed in olive oil with fleur de sel and
a chilled, marinated heirloom-tomato soup, for
instance. One salad in particular stands out in my memory: blanched broccoli, crushed pista-
chios, fresh slices of avocado, lemon juice and
pistachio oil from Huilerie Leblanc & Fils, a
stone mill in Burgundy that has produced arti-
sanal oils since 1878. The contrast of greens
made the salad instantly appealing (I wanted to
copy those colors on the walls of my home).
We devoured the dish in minutes. In addition to cooking, we also shopped, repeatedly and voraciously. We visited cheese
shops and bakeries with Wells as our guide, as
well as heading to the Marché Président
Wilson, a food market in the 16th
Arrondissement. The market, which is open
only on Wednesdays and Saturdays until 2
p.m., is a food haven with seasonal produce
and fresh cuts of meat and fish. In broken
French, I asked one butcher why the French
sell plucked, raw chickens with their feet and
heads still attached. It maintains the freshness
of the meat, he said. If the feet and head were
removed, oxygen would permeate the flesh
faster, hastening its spoilage. With no breakfast in his stomach that day, my father approached a baker’s stand at the
market and purchased a crusty baguette. He
tore into the bread, passing half to me. Fresh,
plump figs overflowing from a plastic green
basket caught my eye. I dropped five euros on
just seven figs, offering one to my father, who
said they reminded him of the figs he would
pick from his uncle’s tree when he was a kid. Even with his initial dreams of making Italian delicacies, my father soon found the joy
in preparing dishes such as seared duck breasts
with Espelette pepper and arugula salad topped
with freshly seared chanterelle mushrooms and
Parmigiano cheese. But pure heaven was
watching Dad put together an olive marinade
early in the week. Every Saturday when I was growing up, he took my brother and me to the Italian markets
in Cleveland to load up on thick wedges of
Parmigiano-Reggiano, paper-thin cuts of pro-
sciutto, crusty bread and (always) tubs of fresh-
ly cured olives. Now he was marinating olives
in a combination of olive oil, red wine vinegar,
bay leaves, red pepper flakes, garlic, and strips
of lemon and orange rinds. We grazed on this
combination all week long as we prepped our
meals. Watching him take the time to learn, careful- ly slicing the garlic into thin layers and asking
me how to zest fruit, I was in awe. My father.
The financial consultant. Republican. Reticent.
Unable to ask for advice. Now in need of his
son’s help. I grabbed the zester and orange and
demonstrated. Soon enough, he was grating
long slices of springy zest, perfuming the air
and shooting me a Jack Nicholson smirk. I
can’t remember having seven minutes of his
attention growing up. I now had seven days.
We were happy. - Joe Crea This article originally appeared in Legal Times, a publication of ALM. • Lawyer Lifestyles continued from 9 The Barristers’ Association is also partic- ipating in a service project to benefit the
Nicetown Boys and Girls Club in North
Philadelphia including a violence preven-
tion workshop, “Get Real About Violence,” for children ages 6 to 12 years old from 9
a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Nicetown Boys and
Girls Club, 400 Clarissa St., Philadelphia. There also will be a free legal clinic for low-income and homeless residents of
Philadelphia presented by Community Legal
Services, Homeless Advocacy Project, HIAS
and Council Migration, Philadelphia Legal
Assistance, Philadelphia VIP and the SeniorLAW Center at Martin Luther King
High School from 9 a.m. until 11:30 a.m.
This clinic will provide legal advice, refer-
rals and representation for public benefits,
consumer law issues, elder law issues, iden-
tification, immigration, homelessness, hous-
ing law and public utilities problems. If you’d rather put down your legal pad, you can pick up a hammer or paint brush and help with the numerous projects to fix
up community centers, playgrounds,
schools and churches. You can even sign up
to teach kids how to play chess, collect out-
grown coats and jackets from your neigh-
bors, give blood or read a book while it is
being recorded on tape. So, what are you doing on Monday? I do hope you find somebody to serve. • Pecking Order continued from 11 that looks like a 401(k) but without the typi-
cal costs and complexities associated with a
traditional 401(k). A SIMPLE plan can be
established either as an IRA or as a 401(k)
plan. As with a 401(k), employees can elect to make salary deferral contributions. In addi-
tion, employers are required to make contri-
butions each year using one of two formulas. WHERE TO GET HELP Awareness — both of the importance of retirement planning and of the options avail-
able to you — is only the first step. To pro-
vide sufficient retirement income for you and your employees at a reasonable cost to your
business requires careful planning and
investing. Whether you are considering
establishing a retirement plan for the first
time or you wish to have your existing plan
evaluated, be sure to consult with a financial
advisor to help in identifying investment
alternatives and programs best suited to your
needs and those of your plan and your employees. For some practical guidelines to
follow in choosing a financial advisor, take a
look at my column of Oct. 13, 2005. Planning
for retirement is far too important to put off. Neither UBS Financial Services Inc. nor its employees provide tax or legal advice.
You must consult with your attorney and tax
advisors regarding your personal circum-
stances. • Real World Q&A continued from 7 errors of fact. Harry Reid is described as a
representative from Nevada. He is, of
course, a senator. Conversely, former repre-
sentative Billy Tauzin is promoted to
Senator Tauzin in Stone’s book.) Though Stone’s overview of Abramoff is compelling, one aches for a bit more about the man himself. Abramoff is described in
cinematic terms, like a character out of The
Godfather (replete with his own mob-con-
nected business partner). Yet beyond the
Hollywood flash, it’s unclear what drew
political colleagues and clients to him. There
are plenty of lobbyists in D.C. with very
powerful friends: Something about
Abramoff’s style and personality attracted
people to him. Stone hints at the passion that
Abramoff displayed for his work and his ability to build strong, fatherly relationships
with the young, striving men who worked
with him. But it’s tough to get a fix on what
made Abramoff tick. Abramoff is now prisoner Number 27593-112 at the federal prison in
Cumberland, Md. And some of his best
friends in politics have fallen: DeLay,
Conrad Burns, Robert Ney and Ralph Reed
among them. But it’s unclear whether the
culture of corruption has been swept away. Stone’s narrative ends in early 2006, before the GOP lost its congressional
majorities, and before Ney’s guilty plea and
Abramoff’s incarceration. The definitive
work on the scandal remains to be written,
and when it is, perhaps it will ask the tough
questions that need to be asked about the
political system that allowed Abramoff to
flourish. This article originally appeared in The American Lawyer, a publication of ALM. • New Book continued from 8

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