HOLY COW! – it’s been nearly a year since I posted a blog. An accounting for such a long sabbatical
seems in order.
It’s not that I have stopped writing about ethics; far from
it. Nor, sadly, have I been off flying
instead of writing. Tempus fugit, non mihi. So what the heck have I been doing?
Well, first I developed a brand new continuing legal education
program for National Business Institute, which I recorded in Wisconsin last Monday. It’s called Legal Ethics of Handling Digital Documents, and is scheduled for release
as a national webinar on 24 October (register for it here). Believe me, researching and writing a 40 page
outline, and then creating 185 PowerPoint slides for filming, is a whole lot of
work.
Why do I do it? Two
words: Winzer Stube.Winzer Stube is a fabulous German restaurant located in Hudson, Wisconsin that I discovered with Ron Nemirow when we flew out to record an NBI webinar a few years ago. Read my Trip Advisor review for all the scrumptious details.
It’s so good, I even bought the t-shirt. Winzer Stube is conveniently located directly en route between KMSP (where NBI flies its speakers into) and Altoona, Wisconsin (where NBI’s studios are located). Bribe me with great schnitzel, spaetzli, authentic German beer, and apfelstrudel and I’m your guy.
Also, this spring I agreed to chair a subcommittee of the Colorado Bar
Association’s Ethics Committee to draft an
opinion explaining the effect of the Colorado Supreme Court’s change to Rule
8.4(c), about which I have written
extensively. The
opinion will explore the legal and ethical issues that arise when an attorney
gets involved in pretextual investigations.
The first draft is nearly done, and the hard work of editing is about to
commence. If the Committee approves it,
expect to see a formal opinion next spring.
Last (and most fun), this summer I agreed
to assemble and chair the panel of ethicists who provide the “meat and
potatoes” analysis to the cotton candy that is The Law Club’s annual Ethics Review. Produced by CLE of Colorado, this year’s
review will once again be held at Lannie’s Clocktower Cabaret, located in basement of the historic Daniels &
Fisher Tower in downtown Denver, 13 and 14 November. There’s also a special noon matinee in
Boulder on 29 November. CLE has not posted the advert for the Ethics Review yet, however here’s taste
of what’s in store – a teaser video
from 2010 show (yours truly appears for a fleeting moment at 0:24).
We’ve got a great panel this year including,
for ONE NIGHT ONLY (14 November), Jessica Yates, the Colorado Supreme Court’s new Attorney Regulation Counsel. If you have never been to the Ethics Review, it is the easiest, most
fun way to accumulate those precious CLE ethics credits ever invented. Be sure to tip your waiters and bartender.
With so much still on my plate, the
sabbatical from blogging will continue for the foreseeable future. Fear not, though – I have 34 great topics
warehoused, just waiting to be written.
Prost!
