Month: June 2023

Fuel for Thought: How Energy Management Affects Your Engagement and Enjoyment

By Marta Manus

Now more than ever, our attention is pulled in a thousand different directions throughout the day, and it’s easy to mindlessly move through each day. We all have a finite level of energy. Think of your energy as a magnetic field that informs your perspective in every aspect of your life. It is the lens through which you view the world and your perspective and attitude. Understanding how your energy affects your engagement in life and how you show up is key to being more productive, increasing your overall wellbeing, and being more effective and engaged in your personal and professional life. You may not be in control of the external things that are going on in your life, but you can change the energy, or perspective, with which you experience these things. This is where your power lies. Your power lies in your ability to change the lens through which you experience life. Read More

Not Enough Money

By Mitchell L. Lathrop

Howard Horror (“Howard”)1 was busily representing four very important clients in a lawsuit, Evers et al. v. Jones Company. The Evers case arose because Jones Company had the audacity to fire Howard’s clients for excessive talking while on the job and the unauthorized accessing of sensitive communications between the Jones Company CEO and its lead outside counsel, Josephine Smith. Howard’s clients had learned that Jones Company was in financial difficulty, but Howard was not worried because Jones Company had employment practices liability (EPL) insurance. Even his clients’ signing of a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with Jones Company wasn’t cause for concern. After all, the information they gave Howard was extremely valuable for use in the Evers case. Read More

Attorneys as Bankers

Attorneys as Bankers

By Michael L. Crowley

I don’t know about you, but I didn’t go to law school to become a banker.[1] However, when you raised your hand to become an attorney, you agreed to abide by a 150-page manual of accounting principles that applies to client trust accounts called the Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA). Read More

Tips For New Lawyers: Requests for Production of Documents, Tangible Things, Land, and Other Property

Tips For New Lawyers: Requests for Production of Documents, Tangible Things, Land, and Other Property

By Katherine Dishongh, Esq.

In civil cases, parties can use Requests for Production of Documents (RFP) to obtain documents. There is no limit on the number of RFPs. Keep your RFPs in mind when drafting other discovery devices to avoid wasting limited Special Interrogatories or Requests for Admission. Read More

Message from the NLD Chair

Message from the NLD Chair

By Stephanie Pengilley

Hello Members,

Feeling a little gloomy? I know I am! Unfortunately, May Gray was all too real, and June Gloom is staying true to its name. “Sunny” San Diego did not have one clear day in May, according to data from the National Weather Service, and it appears June will trend gloomy as well. So if you are feeling a little down, I encourage you to set an intention to do something that brings you joy. Whether that’s going to the beach, hanging out with a friend, going on a hike or trying something new, get out and do something lift your mood. If you’re not sure what to do check out the SDCBA’s Wellness Wednesday. Read More

Tips from the Bench: Hon. Joel R. Wohlfeil

Tips from the Bench: Hon. Joel R. Wohlfeil

By Matthew M. Spolsky, Esq.
Ford, Walker, Haggerty & Behar, LLP

Judge Joel Wohlfeil is proud to serve the San Diego community as a judge; when you first enter his courtroom, this is evident. He has chosen to hang artwork in his courtroom which show important memories in his legal career. His chambers are filled with photographs of things he values including his family, his memorial to his father, and his legal career. One hallmark of his chambers is the Daily Journal article which featured him and his work ethic as a judge throughout his career. When you meet Judge Wohlfeil, you feel he values both his work as a judge and what he continues to do for the community. Read More

Tips from the Bar: Deputy District Attorney James D. Koerber

Tips from the Bar: Deputy District Attorney James D. Koerber

By Garret Arrieta
California Western School of Law Class of ‘25

Deputy District Attorney James D. Koerber has served as a public servant in California for almost 40 years. First, he served as a Deputy District Attorney in Riverside County. He then went on to advocate for San Diegans as a Deputy District Attorney for over 35 years. He currently works at the Major Violator Unit in the Superior Court Division of the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office. As a veteran prosecutor, he epitomizes what it means to be a public servant. Read More

Imposter Syndrome or Systemic Racism at Work?

By Tatiana Kline

I am fascinated by the concept of imposter syndrome. I frequently do meditations on combating imposter syndrome and took an Insight Timer course on overcoming it. This concept was introduced in 1978 in an article titled “The Imposter Phenomenon in High Achieving Women: Dynamics and Therapeutic Intervention” by Pauline R. Clance and Suzanne A. Imes. Imposter syndrome refers to people who doubt their achievements, despite being accomplished. There is a real fear that they will be found out as a fraud and their achievements were based on luck and not hard work and skill. Read More