LatCrit’s annual conference returns to Colorado ten years after LatCrit V., LatCrit Theory and Praxis in a World of Economic Inequality, was held in Breckenridge, CO. LatCrit XV allows us to revisit some of the issues explored then in this year’s theme, The Color of the Economic Crisis: Exploring the Downturn from the Bottom Up.

The Global Financial Crisis peaked in September 2008 when stock markets crashed and numerous banks, mortgage lenders and insurance companies failed. Almost two years later , relief for the hardest hit – people of color, low-income communities, and women – has yet to materialize. Communities of color have moved beyond recession and are now experiencing a depression, yet the media has paid little attention to the effects of this crisis on the most vulnerable. In examining the workings of subordinated identities — race, gender, sexual orientation and class (economic status) — class stands alone as a putative indicator of merit. Net worth and social worth are equated in a capitalism that holds itself out as a tool of anti-subordination. But such an account of capitalism ignores its historical and societal underpinnings, and how capitalism functions to entrench the status quo. This conference will explore, from diverse vantage points, the causes, conditions and ramifications of the economic crisis.

Thanks to an overwhelming response to our Call for Papers/Panels, LatCrit XV promises to be a dynamic and engaging conference. Joining illustrious plenary speakers and honorees will be an extensive and diverse roster of notable speakers on panels, roundtables and in work-in-progress colloquia. Register Early! We look forward to seeing you there!

Rashmi Goel, Associate Professor of Law, Sturm College of Law, University of Denver

LawCrossing recently recognized North Carolina paralegal Lynne DeVenny, NCCP, as the Legal Staff Member of the Week. Lynne is also my co-host on The Paralegal Voice, a monthly podcast for paralegals and other legal professionals that is produced by Legal Talk Network.

This is what Donna McGill, author of the article, had to say about Lynne:

Paralegal Lynne DeVenny is one of those rare women who really can juggle it all flawlessly and while never once spilling her Dr. Pepper. Sharp as a tack and with an ability to juggle her responsibilities, along with her passion for Starbucks coffee, Hershey’s Kisses and of course, Dr. Pepper, she pulls it off with grace and style and never a complaint. We’re proud to include Lynne DeVenny in our Legal Staff Profile Series.

My first introduction to Lynne was through the Paralegal Gateway Forum where she takes an active role in helping paralegals with their questions and issues. It didn’t take long for me to realize that she was the co-author of Workers Compensation for Paralegals…a book that was already in use in my office and had come to the rescue on more than one occasion when I had a complex problem to solve.

Though we began communicating regularly by email and through social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn…and talking frequently by phone… we never met face to face until I was invited to deliver the keynote address at the Annual Meeting of the North Carolina Paralegal Association (NCPA) held in Wilmington Beach, NC, this past March (2010). It was such fun to speak with her in person…and to learn that the ‘real’ Lynne DeVenny is just as fresh and interesting…and just plain nice…as the ‘on line’ Lynne DeVenny.

Let me take you back one year earlier, though, to March 2009 when I pitched the idea for a monthly podcast focusing on paralegals to the folks at Legal Talk Network. You could have knocked me over with a feather when they said ‘Yes’ because I was prepared for them to tell me I was a crazy lady. I immediately invited Lynne to be my co-host and The Paralegal Voice was launched. What a positive step that was! Lynne has never-ending ideas, energy and lively conversation. I see many more joint projects in our future.

It is fitting that Lynne be recognized by Law Crossing because she is always recognizing other paralegals in her blog, Practical Paralegalism, where she is a prolific writer who dances circles around other blawgers with her copious posts.

Congratulations, Lynne! And thanks to Law Crossing for all you do for the legal profession.

To read the full article about Lynne, follow this link to the LawCrossing site.

Bengals cheerleader has a short-lived victory

This story may provide some good fodder for “dumb cheerleader” jokes. Sarah Jones, a high school English teacher and cheerleader for the Cincinnati Bengals, was understandably upset when a gossip website called TheDirty.com published an article entitled “The Dirty Bengals Cheerleader,” asking, “Why are high school teachers freaks in the sack?”

According to Jones’s December 23, 2009 complaint, the article, published on December 7, 2009, quoted a commenter who alleged that Jones had slept with all the members of the Bengals team and had STDs. The complaint for defamation, libel, and invasion of privacy states that Jones’s school had seen the post and that her students had commented on it. Hopefully, not with insight into how freaky she is in the sack…

Jones sued California-based Dirty World Entertainment Recordings LLC, which owns thedirt.com. The company never responded and Jones was awarded $11 million in a default judgment, according to Cincinnati.com.

But Jones can’t start working her pom poms over the victory just yet. It appears that she sued the wrong company, and that the actual defendant should have been Arizona-based Dirty World LLC, which owns thedirty.com…

Read on at Forbes.com….

Cincinnati Bengals – Sarah Jones – Defamation – TheDirty.com – Facebook

When I decided to produce the Virtual Paralegal Interview Series, Cathy was first on my list to include in the product. I wanted her to convey just how she’d decided to work virtually and the steps she’d taken to launch her business. Cathy gave a thoughtful, interesting interview. The month was September, 2009.

On the heels of the Virtual Paralegal Interview Series came another idea: I would produce a short ebook with tips for virtual paralegals. I invited Cathy to collaborate with me on this project and we worked together to gather tips from 13 virtual paralegals, edit them, add biographical information and web sites. The result is a terrific resource for anyone wanting to work virtually: Sixty-Six Solid Tips from Your Virtual Paralegal Success Team. Cathy was with me every step of the way and she was a terrific partner in this endeavor.

Meanwhile, Cathy was getting leads on clients, launching her newsletter, and doing a lot of writing. She also submitted her article titled Dismissal is Not Always a Good Thing (April 1, 2010) for an issue of Paralegal Strategies. Recently, I included Cathy’s web site Digital Paralegal Services in my Top Ten No-Cost Resources for your Professional Arsenal.

I interviewed Cathy for the Virtual Paralegal Interview Series just one year ago. This week, she was named Law Crossing’s Legal Staff Member of the Week. Here’s a brief clip from the article:

“When we hear the statement that ”Women can do it all”, you’ll find proof of just how much a woman can accomplish by hearing Cathy Ribble’s story. The certified paralegal, business owner, grandmother, wife and amateur photographer no doubt has her days filled to the brim – and she clearly wouldn’t want it any other way.

“Aware of just how much the traditional work day is changing, this Texas native and her company, Digital Paralegal Services has been providing comprehensive professional services to firms around the country. With an emphasis on confidentiality, professionalism and ethics, Ribble has redefined the way law firms hire paralegals.”

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©2010 Vicki Voisin, Inc.

Do you want to use this article in your newsletter, ezine or Web site? You can so long as you include this entire blurb with it: Vicki Voisin, “The Paralegal Mentor”, delivers simple strategies for paralegals and other professionals to create success and satisfaction by achieving goals and determining the direction they will take their careers. Vicki spotlights resources, organizational tips, ethics issues, and other areas of continuing education to help paralegals and others reach their full potential. She publishes a weekly ezine titled Paralegal Strategies and co-hosts The Paralegal Voice, a monthly podcast produced by Legal Talk Network. More information is available http://www.paralegalmentor.com/