ood, bad, or indifferent, this is my last issue of NABE News since my term as president ends
after the annual meeting. I guess I can move on to being a normal NABE citizen. But if you
want your life to fly by faster? Take a role as a NABE board member, or get involved in one of
NABE’s many volunteer opportunities. It will be rewarding.
Red Flags
Lawyers and bar associations have received noted about the “red flag rules” established by the Federal Trade Commission scheduled to go into effect August 1, 2009. Generally the rules require certain creditors to develop and implement written programs to identify, detect, and respond to the warning signs of identify theft. The FTC plans to apply the rules to lawyers and law firms. The ABA and others, including NABE, have written to the FTC stating that lawyers are not creditors and the rules should not apply to lawyers.
However, what about bar associations? According to Ann Carmichael, an ABA lobbyist handling this issue, the rule applies to any entity that provides a good or service and then bills for the good/service. The rule is activity-based, not industry-based; therefore, an entity's billing practices are what determines eligibility. Thus, whether or not these rules could apply to your bar associations depends on your practices.
If these rules do apply to your bar association, there are helpful guidelines from the FTC at:
Compensation & Benefits Survey
Your help is needed. So far, the Florida Bar has received only half as many responses as the 2007 survey. The deadline for the 2009 survey has been extended to August 7. You can’t use the excuse of being at the annual meeting, so if you have not completed the survey, please do so. If you have, thank you. This information is useful to all bar associations as they determine how to budget during these tough economic times.
Our Board Members
After the annual meeting on July 30, the term of board member Jane Schoenike expires. I especially thank Jane for her contributions as board member and most recently as secretary.
