Nation -

A critical component of any deal is language. And for lawyers who make deals across borders and those who litigate them, the newly released book "Choosing the Language of Transnational Deals: Practicalities, Policy, and Law Reform," from the American Bar Association Section of International Law, forms a solid bridge to better understand how law and language interconnect. Drawing on examples from English-, French-, Italian-, Portuguese-, and Spanish-speaking jurisdictions, "Choosing the Language of Transnational Deals" takes a comprehensive look at cross-border secured lending and commercial dispute resolution. It illustrates the ways governments might best promote languages and economic activity, and how parties to transactions can effectively structure their business to maximize control of the choice of language in which they deal. "Choosing the Language of Transnational Deals" integrates investigations of national legal systems, the European Union, the Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa, and the Community of Portuguese Language Countries, to illustrate the new institutional dynamics through which the languages of transnational commerce and finance are being defined. Anyone -- lawyers and non-lawyers -- who makes deals across borders, is eager to learn how to navigate the challenges and opportunities of language as it relates to law, or simply is passionate about language, will gain a better understanding of the harmonization of law and language through this book. Author Patrick Del Duca, a partner with Zuber Taillieu LLP in Los Angeles, is a member of the Pacific Council on International Policy, and an adjunct professor at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. To order "Choosing the Language of Transnational Deals: Practicalities, Policy, and Law Reform" for $114.95, or $91.95 for ABA Section of International Law members, visit www.ababooks.org or call 1-800-285-2221. ---------- "The Upward Spiral: Getting Lawyers from Daily Misery to Lifetime Wellbeing" by attorney Harvey Hyman aims to be the most comprehensive manual for stress reduction and positive self-transformation for members of the legal profession. It hopes to provide needed advice for the many lawyers who help their clients but fail to enjoy their careers and become ill from practicing law. "Law practice is not inherently or inescapably a career that involves overwhelming stress and depression, alcoholism, or both, for many of its practitioners," says Hyman. "With the right mindset, you can practice law with inspiration, enthusiasm, zest, pride and pleasure." Hyman worked as a personal injury attorney for 25 years but never looked forward to a day at the law office. Like many of his colleagues, he disliked the long draining hours, the verbal abuse between co-workers and the lack of good will, cordiality and cooperation. In 2007, Hyman became severely depressed and had to be hospitalized. His regimen of recovery included exercise, daily Buddhist meditation and intensive study of Buddhism and positive psychology. He regained his health, learned to achieve self-acceptance and happiness and found his life purpose in assisting other lawyers. While recovering from depression, Hyman met with other attorneys suffering from depression and studied the problems of stress and depression among attorneys. Hyman works to show attorneys how to reduce their stress by communicating with each other in a much more peaceful, connected way and without the usual verbal violence that splits them apart. In an effort to use cognitive neuroscience, Hyman hopes to unmask the hidden biases, prejudices and stereotypes that cause attorneys to attack each other. To help lawyers take better care of themselves, Hyman wishes to provide therapeutic information from Buddhism, meditation, anger therapy, attitudinal healing, stress medicine, exercise physiology and nutritional science. "The Upward Spiral" aims to teach attorneys how they can practice law effectively, yet still give themselves what Hyman believes human beings need to be happy -- rest, physical exercise, laughter, spirituality, community involvement, creativity and the pleasure of family and friends. "Making attorneys healthier, happier, friendlier and more compassionate will save their careers and lives, make the profession more civil and make attorneys people you enjoy dealing with, rather than a necessary evil," says Hyman. "The Upward Spiral: Getting Lawyers from Daily Misery to Lifetime Wellbeing" is available for sale online at Amazon.com and other channels. Harvey Hyman received his Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Yale University in 1978. He received his law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center in 1981. Hyman started his career in New York and spent the last 21 years doing personal injury litigation in northern California. ---------- Graduating from law school doesn't necessarily mean that one is prepared for the next steps. For the new or young lawyer, working in a law firm presents many challenges. Understanding how to address them and succeed in a law firm practice is the focus of "Introduction to Law Firm Practice," a new guide by the American Bar Association Law Practice Management Section. Written in an easy-to-read format, "Introduction to Law Firm Practice" provides an in-depth examination of how law firms operate, how they are managed, and how they develop clients and generate revenue. This book seeks to empower newer law firm entrants with the information to successfully navigate the law firm environment, thus helping them find greater satisfaction and happiness on the job. "Introduction to Law Firm Practice" offers insight on: * Law firm organizational structure and promotional tracks. * How firms develop business and generate revenue. * Lawyer compensation and review processes. * Intake of client matters, including engagement letters, retainers, and conflict checking. * Law firm profitability. * Business development efforts, such as advertising, direct mail and e-mail, in-person solicitation, and preparing RFP/RFI responses. * Firm culture and demands on a new lawyer's time. * What senior lawyers expect from younger associates. * Mentoring. * How to deal with mistakes. To help lawyers maximize their chances for success, this guide includes four exercises on organizing and marketing a practice to assist the reader in fully understanding the complexities of a law firm. These resources are also supplemented on a companion website, www.DowneyonLawPractice.com. Author Michael P. Downey, a partner with Hinshaw Culbertson LLP, is a member of that firm's legal ethics practice group. He focuses his practice on representing and advising lawyers, accountants, and their firms on legal, ethical, discipline, risk management, litigation, and related business and professional issues. Downey also teaches legal ethics and law firm practice at Washington University School of Law. The cost for "Introduction to Law Firm Practice" published by the ABA Law Practice Management Section is $79.95. To order, call 1-800.285.2221 or visit www.ababooks.org. ---------- All lawyers at one time or another find themselves with clients who think they are more talented than they really are, more likely to prevail than objective reality would indicate, or more likely to recover a better-than-average settlement. The goal of the new book, "The Science of Settlement: Ideas for Negotiators," published by ALI-ABA, is to explain the complex psychological and economic principles that effect negotiations in a way that is understandable and enjoyable to read. Beyond the book's practical applications to negotiation, readers will find it helps them avoid various everyday business errors, irrational decisions, and interpersonal conflicts. Author Barry Goldman lays to rest many anecdotally based misconceptions about negotiation, replacing them with new insights and techniques for improving negotiation practice. To make his case, Goldman draws on a wide range of often startling findings from cognitive science, game theory, behavioral economics, neuro-economics, ethology (animal behavior science), and evolutionary psychology. Far from being abstruse, this entertaining scientific tour yields a powerful set of tactics for use in practical negotiation settings. Barry Goldman, is a mediator and arbitrator as well as an adjunct professor at Wayne State University Law School in Detroit. "The Science of Settlement: Ideas for Negotiators "(2008, 208 pages, softbound, Order Code BK43), is available for $49. The table of contents is available online at www.ali-aba.org/BK43/ . For more information or to order, contact ALI-ABA Customer Service Department, 4025 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3099; call 1-800-CLE-NEWS (253-6397); or, with a credit card, FAX to 215-243-1664; or visit ALI-ABA's Web site at www.ali-aba.org/BK43/ . Published: Thu, Jul 15, 2010

––––––––––––––––––––
 Subscribe to the Legal News!
 https://test.legalnews.com/Home/Subscription
Full access to public notices, articles, columns, archives, statistics, calendar and more
Day Pass Only $4.95!
One-County $80/year
Three-County & Full Pass also available