News - Friday, February 7, 2014

As a new sponsor of the Chattanooga Bar Association, First Bank is hoping to establish mutually beneficial relationships with attorneys in the city. As the president of the Lexington, Tenn.-based company’s East Tennessee branches, Sam Jones wants to prove a bank is more than brick, mortar, and money; it’s an important part of a community.

The Chattanooga Bar Association Young Lawyers Division will host its annual Tennessee High School Mock Trial Competition in Chattanooga Wednesday, Feb. 21 through Friday, Feb. 21. The YLD is asking for volunteer judges and jurors from the Bar.

If you are interested in volunteering on any or all of the dates, please contact Andrew Godbold at andrew.godbold@leitnerfirm.com.

District Attorney General Bill Cox is working with law enforcement officers, school principals and guidance counselors to combat school violence by identifying warning signs among teens.

The efforts are part of a proactive initiative by the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference to help community leaders keep schools safe amid continued national incidents of juvenile violence.

Clark & Washington in Chattanooga has become one of only two Pillar Law Firm partners with Legal Aid of East Tennessee. Through a model developed by the Tennessee Supreme Court and Access to Justice Commission, Pillar Law Firms select a particular area of law on which to focus their pro bono efforts and then receive steady referrals from Legal Aid in that area. Clark & Washington is accepting bankruptcy cases in which the client has significant debt and is in danger of losing his or her home, driver’s license, or having his or her wages garnished.

On February 14, as part of the celebration of Mediation Day proclaimed by Gov. Haslam, Carol Berz will be honored in Nashville for her pioneering and lasting contributions to the field of mediation. Berz has designed and implemented mediation training programs for countless mediation professionals, especially in East Tennessee.

On Saturday, January 25, 2014, the Chattanooga Bar Association Young Lawyers Division (CBA YLD) teamed up with Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET) to host a pro bono legal advice clinic for low income citizens at the Chattanooga Housing Authority. Although it was a cold day, 24 individual clients were serviced with free legal advice from this one day clinic. Twenty-plus CBA attorneys volunteered in shifts throughout the day. Pictured above are local attorneys from the event (L to R): Kirby Yost (Chambliss Bahner & Stophel); Mack Lundy (Patrick Beard Shulman & Jacoway); Brittany Thomas (Grant Konvalinka & Harrison); Justin Faith (Gearhiser Peters Elliott & Cannon); Corrin Fulton (Gearhiser Peters Elliott & Cannon); Jeffrey Maddux (Chambliss Bahner & Stophel); and Charles McDaniel (LAET Pro Bono Coordinator). (Photo by Ellie Hill of Patrick Beard Shulman & Jacoway)

Words are the ultimate lubricant. An idea stated in a way that people can understand can greatly improve the chances that those that hear the idea will agree with its premise. Ironically, words also have the ability to mess up even the best situations. We have all been at parties where a misplaced word changed the whole mood of the event. To make things worse, the intended meaning behind your words matters only to the extent that the person you are talking to hears them the same way you intended. 

Matthew Ludwikowski is the owner of Brash Coffee, a coffee shop coming soon to Warehouse Row. (If you don’t want to wait, visit their pop-up near Tupelo Honey Cafe Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m.) He believes a good cup of coffee begins with choosing the right farmer and the best conditions in which to grow the plant. He travels abroad extensively to establish relations with local farmers and arrange to purchase their product at a fair price.

I can remember hearing everyone talking about eating at a certain buffet one day not long after I had started working at the paper. They were saying how great it was and salivating aloud over the fact that you could keep on eating until ... Well, until you couldn’t. Everyone had been teasing one of the guys, Jacob, about how the restaurant had to be losing money on him. He just laughed as if he hoped that were true.

This column was originally published Feb. 17, 2012 in the Hamilton County Herald.

Other than being the “sweetest” month of the year, February holds many other surprises. Here are some sweet facts and some really sweet recipes!

Some professionals allow their career to define them. Their job dictates when they wake up, what they do throughout the day, and when they can sleep. But not Randy Durham. Instead of letting real estate define him, he’s defining what it means to be a Realtor.

You will never guess what our recent bout of snow and icy roads brought to my mind – the Realtor Code of Ethics. Yes, you read that correctly. While our Code of Ethics does not specifically address inclement weather, there are several aspects of the Code that popped into my mind, as Realtors proceeded with business as usual, despite a few hiccups in the weather last week.

This column was originally published Feb. 17, 2012 in the Hamilton County Herald.

1. What is the difference between Ordinance and Ordnance?

2. Of the five, which is least like the other four? Wichita; Dallas: Canton: Bangor; Fresno.

In “Networking 101,”  I discussed the process of getting out and meeting people at social events. Okay, so you’ve established a rapport with a prospective customer... Now what?

Follow up.

This term cannot be over emphasized, it’s crucial for the relationship that you make a concerted effort to connect through one of the various forums – i.e. email, phone, social media, a letter, or in person. Being pro-active without being a nuisance is a tight rope we must walk; every situation calls for a different approach which requires your attention.

On paper, “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit” sounds like an exciting action thriller: The CIA recruits a young Ryan to look for suspicious financial transactions. When he uncovers something, he becomes responsible for not only stopping a terrorist planning to reduce Wall Street to rubble but also a related economic attack that could bring about the financial collapse of the U.S.

This column was originally published Feb. 17, 2012 in the Hamilton County Herald. 

Charlie Chaplin, a famous comic from the silent era, once said “A day without laughter is a day wasted.” In the present time, it seems as if there are many more things to worry about rather than laughing about. Everything ranging from work problems, family problems, over commitment, children, and financial burdens – you name it and people are stressed about it.

Last year, I injured my left ring finger. Despite treatment, it got worse. By year’s end, it was popping each time I opened my hand. And hurting like crazy when I squeezed my hand shut. My family doc diagnosed “trigger finger” and assured me minor surgery could fix it.

Saturday, February 7

At a meeting of the Junior Chamber of Commerce, the following standing committee for membership was named: Chariman, L.G. Gibson, F.W. Fritts, Hugh S. Thompson, Stanley Lachman, W.A. McClure, Ed E. Brown, Marcus Schwartz, F.M. Keys, C.A. Betts, Malone Everett, Corbin Woodward, and John P. Fort, Jr. President Earl M. Wester presided.

Saturday, Feb. 8

The fifth annual “Service to Mankind” award of the Sertoma Club of Chattanooga was presented Thursday night to Mr. and Mrs. Gordon P. Street. It was disclosed simultaneously that their community contributions not only had won the award here but had won for them the Statewide Service Award. The presentations were made at a dinner at Wimberly Inn. John N. Popham was the principal speaker.