Summer 2017 Newsletter
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They Deserve a Break: Impacting Planning for the Ultimate Good Marketing Does Not Our Veterans Through Pro Bono Vacation: Retirement 5 Take a Vacation 8 Representation 7 State Bar of Georgia Young Lawyers Division THE YLD REVIEW Volume 58, Issue 4, June 2017 Working for the Profession and the Public Why I Broke Up With My Smartwatch 3 | ART BY BIGSTOCKPHOTO.COM/SKYPICSSTUDIO 2 THE YLD REVIEW Volume 58, Issue 4 Volume 58, Issue 4 THE YLD REVIEW 3 YLD Officers From the President PRESIDENT Jennifer C. Mock, Statesboro [email protected] Taking a Break Is About More PRESIDENT-ELECT Nicole C. Leet, Atlanta Than a Change of Scenery [email protected] TREASURER Hon. Rizza O’Connor, Lyons Jennifer in taking complete breaks from work—and [email protected] Mock work-related communications. An article published in The Washington Post earlier this SECRETARY year reported on the imposition of no-email William T. Davis, Atlanta [email protected] vacation policies as a way some employers For busy lawyers (is there any other kind?), are dealing with the stress of the technolo- IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT work/life balance is vitally important. The gy-boosted modern workplace. John R. B. “Jack” Long, Augusta mental and physical demands that go along The Association of Corporate Counsel, [email protected] with the practice of law necessitate break- based in Washington, D.C., is one such NEWSLETTER CO-EDITOR ing away from the office from time to time. workplace. When an employee takes a vaca- ShaMiracle S. Johnson, Atlanta But the ability to carry the office home tion, the national organization for corporate [email protected] with us in a pocket-sized electronic device in-house lawyers takes the extra step of sus- NEWSLETTER CO-EDITOR can mean that we are never really taking a pending the employee’s work email account. Heather Riggs, Atlanta much-needed break. The policy earned the association the “When [email protected] The mobile technology that was de- Work Works” award, presented by the Soci- signed to make life easier for working pro- ety for Human Resource Management. fessionals, including lawyers, has in fact had Also honored were Creative Plan De- the opposite effect when it comes to getting signs, a retirement consulting firm based away from the office for a relaxing evening, in East Meadow, N.Y., which automati- a weekend excursion or, especially, a sum- cally forwards emails directed toward a staff mer vacation. member on vacation to one of his or her col- It is hard to disconnect these days. The leagues; and San Francisco-based technol- innate desire to keep up with what is go- ogy company Olark, which gives a $1,000 ing on with our clients and at our firms can bonus to employees who take at least five In this Issue result in a 24/7/365 approach to reading days of vacation without checking in online emails and checking voicemails as soon as and share vacation photos when they return. 2 From the President they arrive on our phones—a terribly bad And then there is the government of habit when we should be getting some France, which in January enacted a new law 3 Why I Broke Up With quality rest and relaxation with our fam- giving employees nationwide “the right to My Smartwatch ily, friends or in solitude. I have found that disconnect.” Companies with 50 or more 3 From the Editors disabling my phone’s email auto-sync helps employees are required to devise a policy 4 Starting Your Own Practice me. I can only see my email if I manually that prevents office emails from encroach- and Breaking Away From a sync, which at least reduces the temptation ing on leisure time. It is too soon to gauge Big Law Firm to reply immediately. the results of the new law or determine how 5 Planning for the Ultimate However, there is still an expectation stringently it is being enforced, but it is an- Vacation: Retirement by clients and other lawyers that you will other sign of how the world is dealing with 6 Good Lawyers Deserve a Good continue to check your emails and take issues related to work/life balance, or the Summer Vacation calls, even on vacation. I am sure we have lack thereof. all experienced a time when a panicked cli- The Post also cited a University of Brit- 7 They Deserve a Break: Impacting Our Veterans ent or opposing counsel has tracked us down ish Columbia study that found higher levels Through Pro Bono on vacation. I think that it is important for of stress and tension among people who Representation young attorneys to not only take time off, frequently check email throughout the day, 8 Good Marketing Does Not Take but to also respect other attorneys’ vacations, thus constantly shifting their attention be- a Vacation leaves of absence, etc. We all need a break. tween tasks and rearranging priorities. According to recent news reports, more When employees cut their inboxes’ life- 10 Thank You to Our 2016-17 Sponsors employees, employers and even one nation- line to them while on leave from the office, al government have begun to see the value it is a win-win for them and their com- 2 THE YLD REVIEW Volume 58, Issue 4 Volume 58, Issue 4 THE YLD REVIEW 3 From the Editors panies. “Studies show that taking time off away from the office on time that should from work—and work-related email—low- be personal. Are you still struggling with Summertime ers levels of fatigue and job burnout,” the the idea of completely disconnecting from article concluded. “Employees who come work? If so, take a moment to read “Good in Georgia back rested tend to perform better at solv- Lawyers Deserve a Good Summer Vacation” ing problems and other creative tasks. Such on page 6. Co-Editor ShaMiracle Johnson policies are also a recruitment tool and en- provides practice pointers regarding balanc- ShaMiracle Johnson courage retention, employers say.” ing your work responsibilities prior to, dur- & Heather Riggs With summer now upon us, let’s make ing and after your vacation. You will greatly an effort to completely disconnect from benefit from taking a break, and so will your work when we are on vacation or otherwise firm and your clients. YLD Why I Broke Up With My Smartwatch Ginger Arnold ART BY ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/TOPVECTORS I will be the first one to admit—I love gadgets and technology. In addition to loving tech- Summer is amongst us. Take a moment to nology, I always wear a watch; even in the stop and smell the roses—literally and figu- water if they are waterproof. So a couple of ART BY ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/SCANRAIL ratively. Far too often, as lawyers we find years ago, when I found out that my favorite needed to be answered. I found it very con- ourselves getting caught up in the same computer company was coming out with a venient and thought we would be together routine tasks, day-in and day-out. We wake smartwatch, I was ecstatic. I bided my time forever. I would “dress up” my smart watch up, get ready for work, drive to work, have (get it? it’s a watch joke…), thinking it over with snazzy bands instead of just using the spirited “conversations with co-counsel” at and gauging how other people liked theirs. plain band that the watch arrived “wear- work, drive home from work, eat, sleep and Then the holidays came and the smartwatch ing.” I put cute photos on the watch face so then hit repeat. Does this sound like your I wanted was on sale at a large electronics I could see my dogs, my daughter and/or my average work week? If so, dare to step out store. That day I found the one I wanted, in husband anytime I wanted to. of your potentially mundane routine and try stock but 45 minutes out of my way. I drove A few months ago, I started to notice something new! What better time of year to to get it in a thunderstorm; I was so excited something different. Every time my watch remix your routine than summer time? to try it out. I wanted to open it right away, would buzz I would jump a little bit. I real- Georgia summers are particularly special but through sheer will, waited until Christ- ized that I was starting to feel anxious every because there is always something to do. mas morning. When the day finally arrived, time it did, even if it was just a reminder Instead of heading home right after work, I played with my new smartwatch all day, for me to drink more water, breathe or walk consider attending a unique CLE. During like, well, a kid on Christmas. I changed the around. I thought it would be neat to have the summertime, many bar organizations face, added pictures and downloaded all of reminders to do those things more often, offer CLEs that are “outside” the proverbial the apps. but when those reminders came, I found box. With a simple search, you can find I wore my smartwatch for almost a year myself suddenly getting aggravated with my CLEs that are hosted at local breweries, and a half, and at first it made me very hap- beautiful wrist candy. As time went on (an- museums and parks. While you are learning py. I could play my favorite trivia game on other watch joke…), I had added more and about a new area of law, you can do so while it.