News - Friday, December 7, 2012

The apple never falls far from the tree, or so the saying goes. And at first glance, attorney William Godbold and his son, Andrew, appear to be a living, breathing example of the widely held adage, with the mannerly and well-spoken William serving as the tree, and the bright and ambitious Andrew taking on the role of the apple. But as these two men prove, the truth is more interesting than the cliché.

Attorney Brittany Lace Thomas has joined Grant, Konvalinka & Harrison as an associate. Thomas is a native of Oak Ridge, Tenn., and a graduate of Oak Ridge High School. She is also a 2009 graduate of The Pennsylvania State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Thomas earned her Juris Doctorate in 2012 from the University of Tennessee College of Law, where she participated in the Advocacy and Dispute Resolution Concentration and served as a director of UT Pro Bono.

The American Bar Association is making sure attorneys have plenty of material on hand for meeting their daily quota of reading with two new books: “Twitter in One Hour for Lawyers” and “Civic Fusion.”

More lawyers than ever are using Twitter to network with colleagues, attract clients, market their law firms and read the news, says the ABA. But to the uninitiated, Twitter’s short messages, or tweets, can seem like they were written in a foreign language. “Twitter in One Hour for Lawyers,” published by the ABA Law Practice Management Section, aims to demystify the popular social media platform and teach readers to tweet like an expert. Lawyers will learn to:

A young Osage Orange tree now graces the lawn of the Hamilton County Courthouse. City officials and representative from Orange Grove Center, which donated the sapling, planted the tree last week. The tree replaces the century-old Orange Osage that made its final bow in September after heavy rains soaked the courthouse lawn. The new tree doesn’t yet have the twisted, knotted trunk of its predecessor, but in time, weddings will likely once again take place on the courthouse lawn under the shade of a tall Osage Orange. (Photo provided)

Through the years, I have become aware of the undeniable fact that some people who practice law are not that enthralled with it. That has never been the case for me. I enjoy fighting for my clients. My wife thinks I simply enjoy fighting.

Some lawyers go to law school and never really practice law – they do other things. Others initially practice law, but eventually quit. Some quit because they made a killing on one big case. You know, the type of cases lawyers dream about, but don’t usually happen. Some quit because they don’t like the conflict, or maybe because of the hours. I doubt that many quit because they are bored. 

This article ran in The Hamilton County Harold on December 2, 2011. 

We are each born with a clean “plate.”  As you age, the plate begins to tarnish ever so slightly.  It is odd the way time seems to pass by so quickly as you grow older.  It almost seems to build on itself exponentially.  The tarnish develops very slowly.  At first, the build up is  imperceptible. Then, it suddenly begins to show. 

I recently made a road trip to Colorado during which I was the “driver.” Although I split the going trip into two days, I drove straight through on the way home – an 18-hour drive. It took serious concentration.

And I consumed an energy drink - the 5-Hour Shot brand. I had only one, but in order to prevent me from getting sleepy when everyone else in the car was asleep, I drank it. However, I’m a healthy person, and I consume caffeine on a regular basis.

A nickname, because it’s custom-made, rather than installed at the factory, can seem like a better reflection of one’s true self.” — David Owen

The above quote is from “Call Me Loyd: The Strange Power of Nicknames,” a clever, laugh-out-loud essay that ran in the New Yorker in February 2008. It’s hardly been farther than arm’s reach from me since I first saw it. I read it a couple of times a year and teach it in my Law & Literature class.

Certain attractions are a part of the Chattanooga experience. Visiting the Aquarium. Riding the Incline. Seeing the Choo Choo. You have not lived in or visited the Scenic City until you’ve done these things.

A relatively new attraction is quickly becoming a Chattanooga mainstay: making a colored glass ornament at Ignis Glass Studio. Nationally renowned glass artist Chris Mosey owned a gallery and workshop on the city’s Southside for a number of years, but unless you wanted to purchase one of his stunning original sculptures, you didn’t have a reason to visit him there. That changed when Mosey launched a product that makes glassblowing accessible to the masses and then moved his operations to 409 Broad Street.

Thanksgiving was at our house, and once again, there was much to show appreciation for. First was that my daughter, Alexis, was home from New York, where she took up residence in early August – in Queens to be exact. If each New York borough were an independent city, then Queens would be the fourth largest in the U.S., behind L.A., Chicago and Brooklyn. Just so you’ll know.

Last weekend, we hosted the company Christmas party at our house; so, I was busy the week after Thanksgiving, pulling decorations out of the attic and putting up the tree. This is the first time in my history that I have had this done so early in the year. I usually wait until about the second week in December, because even though I love the decorations, I hate having my house out of order.

Like building a sturdy home, success in real estate is about laying a strong foundation. Before creating a livable space, a builder will put down the bricks on which the home will rest. In the same manner, a Realtor might spend a year or more laying the groundwork of his or her business. This can be a lean time, but when the agent finally gets to the point where he or she can start raising the walls - look out.

Public outrage over business practices that harmed thousands of people. A legal crusade to make sure the corporations at fault were held responsible. A landmark payout intended to help the hardest-hit consumers and prevent the situation from recurring.

Dear EarthTalk: What are “Clean Energy Victory Bonds?” -- Max Blanchard, Wilmington, Del.

Green America, a non-profit membership organization that promotes ethical consumerism, created the “Clean Energy Victory Bonds” concept as a way to give everyday Americans the opportunity to invest in clean energy and related fields in a fashion similar to how the federal government raised billions of dollars for the war effort during World War II over a half century ago. At that time, four out of five American households purchased Victory Bonds, raising $185 billion (over $2 trillion in today’s dollars) to support the war effort.

On December 15, 2011, President Barack Obama proclaimed December 15th as the official Bill of Rights Day. The Bill of Rights is the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. They serve to protect the natural rights of liberty and property, and also guarantee a number of personal freedoms, limit the government’s power in judicial and other proceedings, and reserve some powers to the states and the public. Take this quiz to see how much you know about these important rights.

So here we are at the end of the saga of Edward and Bella. Five movies ago, the series began with a small clan of vampires living in the Pacific Northwest and the angst-driven Bella, who fell in love with one of the vampires - Edward Cullen. Edward loved Bella, too, and wanted to make her like him so they could be together forever, but he held back, not wanting to kill her and subject her to the travails of a vampire’s life, such as being cold, not breathing, and wanting to rip open the throat of the nearest human and drink. Even when Bella begged Edward to bite her, Edward refused. So Jacob, a werewolf, made a play for Bella. She never seemed to go for it, but this drama went on and on and on for three movies, until Edward and Bella finally married in the fourth, conceived a child, and Edward took that fateful bite.

ast week, in part one of “Rating yourself as a strategic business person,” you began to take a good long look at yourself and determine how you are currently performing in each of the critical elements I discuss below. As you go through this exercise, it will be beneficial for you to rate yourself on a scale of one to 10, where one means you do very poorly and 10 means you do very well. Your score on each of these will help you to determine your strengths and weaknesses. As you’re evaluating yourself, still keep in mind these words of Eric Hoffer: “We lie loudest when we lie to ourselves,” and be brutally honest with yourself.

Merrill Osmond, a member of the famous Osmond family, was in Chattanooga this week to support a local charity – the Forgotten Child Fund. Merrill was accompanied by his wife, Mary, and two grandchildren when he arrived at the Forgotten Child Fund toy store at 1715 East Main Street. Working with local volunteers and others who drove from around the region to meet the Osmond family, they packed boxes of toys that will be given to local families.

Saturday, December 8

Thomas A. Lupton, Jr., was elected president of the Law Enforcement Commission of Chattanooga-Hamilton County at a meeting Friday at Read House. Lupton succeeds R.R. Murphy, who has served as president since the Commission was formed in August 1961.

Saturday, December 8

Mrs. Roland Olmsted was hostess at a tea yesterday at her home on McCallie Avenue in honor of Mrs. Roberts of St. Joseph, Mo. About 400 guests called between the hours of 4 and 6 p.m.

Sunday, December 9

Sunday, December 9

Community candle lighting for Chanukah

The Jewish Federation of Greater Chattanooga will host a community candle lighting, traditional Chanukah dinner of latkes and chicken, and performance by the Chattanooga Girls Choir’s Grace Moore Singers in celebration of the second night of Chanukah on Sunday, December 9 at 6:15 p.m. at the Jewish Cultural Center, located at 5461 North Terrace Road.  For more information or to RSVP, call 423-493-0270, extension 10, email rsvp@jewishchattanooga.com or visit www.jewishchattanooga.com.