April 7, 2026  • By Dennis Beaver

Today, I’m sharing two inspiring stories that I think will help motivate college students looking to have an impact on society as they embark on their careers.

This article is in response to a request I received from Professor Deborah Cours, dean of the College of Business and Public Administration and executive director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at California State University, Bakersfield, California:

“Mr. Beaver, our students often ask about societally impactful inventions and ventures. You have interviewed many highly successful people. Do you have examples that are specifically relevant to university students looking to make their way in society that I could share with them?”

I’m happy to answer Dean Cours’ question. Over the years of writing this column, I’ve learned what it takes to turn an idea into something that matters, that has real — not hyperbolic, but real — societal impact.

For any entrepreneur, inspiration is important, but it’s only the beginning. Societally impactful ventures face a long process of turning those inspirations into something that people use, rely on and, in some instances, depend on to make better decisions.

I have two examples to share: One is a device you can easily hold in one hand that has the ability to both keep the owner out of jail and save a life at the same time.

The other is a book that can provide students with usable, practical insights into themselves and the world of employment.

So, what sparked the inventor’s and author’s recognition that a societal need existed, the equivalent of seeing someone in a wrestling match with their arms tied behind their back and feeling the need to free them?

‘I can fix this problem’

History has made clear that a common denominator in inventive creativity is the thought, “I can fix this problem. I can help.”

That is what Keith Nothacker, at the time a twentysomething University of Pennsylvania undergrad economics student, thought more than 20 years ago. The device he developed, of which hundreds of thousands have been sold in over 20 countries, has saved countless lives and kept a vast number of its users out of jail.

Most of us know someone who has been pulled over by law enforcement, suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI). They are asked to blow into a breathalyzer to measure their blood alcohol content (BAC).

If the resulting number is over their state’s limit (most often, .08), typically it’s off to the slammer for a few hours, a fine to rival the size of our national debt and auto insurance rates through the roof for years, not to mention the possibility of losing their driver’s license.

“It seemed so unfair that the general public had no way to measure their own BAC and, knowing that figure, make an informed decision to not drive,” Nothacker told me.

He was asking the key question that led to some of the most meaningful ventures ever started: “Why does this problem exist?”

He wondered why consumers couldn’t purchase a personal breathalyzer, and how he could make that happen.”

Answering those questions, with help from a team of Penn colleagues, led to the development the BACtrack family of personal breathalyzers.

Of the many entrepreneurs I have interviewed over the years, Nothacker stands out as someone who has directly impacted many people, saving lives, marriages and families.

He can help you get and keep a job

Here’s another example of societally impactful innovation I’ve encountered.

Getting hired today and keeping a job is not a given.

Job-related advice is offered everywhere, but the advice provided by William Vanderbloemen, founder and CEO of Vanderbloemen Search Group and author of Be the Unicorn: 12 Data-Driven Habits that Separate the Best Leaders from the Rest, is among the best I’ve seen.

In his book, Vanderbloemen zeros in on life and business personality characteristics that lead to success on the job — even in marriage — and explains how to implement them. He helps readers avoid common pitfalls that lead to being fired and, instead, become the most-sought-after person on their team.

Had I been able to read Be the Unicorn at the time I joined the working world, I would have made fewer dumb mistakes. This book can help Dean Cours’ students avoid the quicksand of their minds and keep clear of what can cause failure on the job.

I can’t overemphasize the value of Be the Unicorn and its companion book, Work How You Are Wired, which avoids the nonsense advice of “follow your passion,” providing a data-backed method for discovering your unique “wiring,” your innate strengths and the roles where you will excel and find purpose.

The takeaway for the dean’s students

Several of their employees told me that Nothacker and Vanderbloemen — as accomplished as they are — remain humble, and success hasn’t gone to their heads.

They recognize in their bosses a deep sense of wanting to help and not being motivated by money. Many noted that these two “brilliant, inspiring men make coming to work a true joy.”

Dennis Beaver Practices law in Bakersfield and welcomes comments and questions from readers,
which may be faxed to (661) 323-7993,
or e-mailed to Lagombeaver1 – at – Gmail.com.

The post These Real-World Examples of Societal Impact Can Inspire College Students for Their Next Chapter appeared first on Dennis Beaver.

April 1, 2026  • By Dennis Beaver

“Mr. Beaver, unlike a lot of older Americans, my parents do not fear retirement, because they realize the physical demands on their bodies from running the family farm are now too much for them,” wrote “Roy” in his email.

“Over the past several months, I’ve given them several so-called ‘bestsellers’ on retirement advice. Books that proclaim, ‘This is the only book you’ll ever need,’ and that overflow with charts, formulas and enough gobbledygook to replace sleeping pills! Mom and Dad didn’t read any of them.

“Do you know of something that is different, that they will enjoy reading and that will actually help them through this next stage of their lives?”

Yes, I do indeed, and a few days before hearing from Roy, I had the pleasure of speaking with the authors of a retirement book that is like no other. No, Your Retirement Sketchbook is something else entirely that folks looking at retirement have needed for a long time.

The authors, Jamie Hopkins and Bonnie Treichel, are not your typical financial writers (they are also Kiplinger.com contributors). Hopkins is a Wall Street Journal bestselling author, attorney and CFP®. Treichel, also an attorney, is a nationally recognized retirement expert and educator.

What I find remarkable is their ability to translate complex concepts into plain English without dumbing anything down — they do this in their book, and they did it during our Zoom interview.

A retirement book that doesn’t lecture or scold readers

Many of the retirement books I’ve read talk at you, often leaving readers feeling overwhelmed, guilty or convinced they’re behind.

Your Retirement Sketchbook is different. It’s visually engaging, easy to navigate and written in a tone that feels more like a conversation than a lecture.

Your Retirement Sketchbook talks with you, in a visual form, as a workbook and not a textbook. Instead of long chapters, there are short, manageable lessons — each only a page or two and designed to trigger thought and evaluation. Readers can avoid feeling the all-too-familiar “Oh my God, we haven’t done this” panic.

The tone is conversational. You feel like you’re sitting with two knowledgeable professionals who are listening to you and who understand that retirement planning is as much emotional as it is financial.

Literally hands-on and thought-provoking

As the title indicates, Your Retirement Sketchbook is a workbook, with prompts, questions, spaces to write and exercises that help you think through what you actually want your life to look like after you stop working. What will your goals be then?

These goals — not investment goals, your life goals — matter more than many people realize. For example:

• Where do you want to live?
• How do you want to spend your time?
• Who do you want to spend your time with?
• What do you want your typical days to look like?

Many retirement books avoid these questions, seeming to assume that if you get the math right, the life part will magically fall into place. But experienced financial planners will tell you that the math is the easy part. The hard part is figuring out what you want your life to be.

That’s where Your Retirement Sketchbook really comes through. In a subtle, at times humorous way, it encourages you to think about the things that actually matter.

The authors walk readers through the emotional transition from a structured work life to an unstructured retirement — something many people underestimate until they’re living it.

What can derail an otherwise sound retirement?

My office has represented many physicians who did not have to retire when they did — despite my urging them not to — and who had nothing waiting for them in the wings.

After months of watching Netflix, several were bored out of their minds and fell into a serious depression. They were proof that the biggest challenges are often psychological.

The authors list these four challenges as among the most serious that derail retirements, not whether someone chose the right mutual fund:

• Loss of identity
• Loss of routine
• Loss of purpose
• Loss of social connections

Many retirement books devote most of their pages to money and little to the emotional side of retirement. Your Retirement Sketchbook views emotional readiness as being as equally important as financial readiness.

The authors stress that retirement is a major life transition requiring introspection, planning and honesty with yourself and your family.

What makes this book so different?

I suspect there is something about the authors — both experienced trial attorneys — that has had a major impact on how this wonderful little book came into existence.

Practicing law is an exercise in discovering the intricacies of the human condition — what makes us tick, and it is a lot more than numbers in an investment account.

The authors recognize that folks looking toward retirement need confidence and a sense of purpose. They help readers design a retirement that reflects their values, dreams and priorities by getting them to devote time to think about these issues and, in sketchbook form, write them down.

If you’re looking for a book that will tell you the percentage of your portfolio that should be in bonds, this isn’t it. But if you want a book that will help you understand yourself, your goals and the kind of life you want to build in retirement, this is one of the best resources available that I have found.

In a world full of retirement books, many of which tend to sound the same, Your Retirement Sketchbook is truly different. Many retirement books make you fear running out of money. Few caution you about running out of purpose.

Dennis Beaver Practices law in Bakersfield and welcomes comments and questions from readers,
which may be faxed to (661) 323-7993,
or e-mailed to Lagombeaver1 – at – Gmail.com.

The post Your Retirement Needs a Sketchbook, Not Just a Spreadsheet: This Book Focuses on Your Life Goals Rather Than the Math appeared first on Dennis Beaver.

February 16, 2026  • By Dennis Beaver

“Mr. Beaver, I am terrified that our four grandsons, all in their late teens and early 20s, are so out of touch with economic reality that the time bomb of financial irresponsibility they’ve built will explode when they go out on their own and wind up flat broke.

“I am 80 and remember like it was yesterday that in high school, we all took a class called On Your Own that taught financial and independent-living skills. This included lessons about budgeting, renting an apartment, co-signing and getting loans, banking, using credit cards, food preparation and so much more. It was part of the Home Economics Department. But schools have dropped all those valuable, real-world tools.

“As our grandkids are clueless about so much that people of my generation learned in high school, the past couple of years, we have given them some of the more popular books on money management, but they tell us, ‘These make us feel talked down to,’ so they never finish reading a single one.

“Do you know of something out there on personal finance that is practical, doesn’t talk at or down, but to readers and isn’t boring? Thanks, ‘Barbara.'”

An antidote to a monumental educational failure

Barbara is right. Those classes vanished in the 1970s and ’80s when “everyone should go to college” became the flawed mantra. Educators failed to visualize the consequences of losing these practical classes, but fortunately, many states today are bringing those very subjects back to high school.

Remember the “new math” disaster that no one could understand? (I’ll stop before I make myself angrier.)

Yes, indeed, there is a new — and great — read, filled with real-life examples that are so accessible and relevant, regardless of your age and especially for teenagers, young adults and their parents.

That book is Wealth Your Way: A Simple Path to Financial Freedom by Cosmo DeStefano, a financial strategist and retired CPA and also a fellow contributor to Kiplinger.com’s Adviser Intel.

Wealth Your Way is a pure joy to read. The author makes it seem as if the reader is sitting across the table from him for a chat over a cup of coffee. That’s how I felt during our interview, even though it was on the phone.

The central idea of DeStefano’s book is that financial freedom is achievable through simple, consistent habits — not high income alone. Building wealth and staying out of financial trouble result when we maintain these habits — these behaviors — instead of chasing after get-rich schemes.

Financial freedom — a vastly improved quality of life at home — comes from discipline and long-term thinking.

Encourages conversation, not conflict

A real challenge that many parents and spouses often face is how to start a conversation about money. “Financial discussions are often seen as criticism, even when no one has done anything wrong — it is such a sensitive area,” DeStefano said during our interview.

To get the ball rolling, Wealth Your Way contributes a helpful voice that explains how to build a foundation of sound financial behavior.

For this column that I have written for many years, I’ve read more personal financial advice books than you can imagine that bark orders and make readers feel like they’ve missed the boat.

Instead, DeStefano understands these fears and doesn’t go there. He respects our intelligence while gently challenging common assumptions, such as “I’ll start investing once things settle down here politically.”

“The reality,” he noted, “is that things never settle down, and waiting for certainty is often the most expensive decision of all, as delaying action shrinks the impact of compounding.”

This is a valid, commonsense answer to a strongly held belief that gives readers something solid to consider, matching his emphasis on practicality and long-term thinking rather than one-size-fits-all rules that don’t actually fit all.

Written for everyone and timely

Wealth Your Way really is a standout book and is so accessible, in large part, because DeStefano avoids using technical financial jargon that plagues many other authors. He does not require readers to follow a rigid structure that may clash with how they live.

A great storyteller, he also illustrates how his recommendations work in the real world.

Wealth Your Way is especially timely as more and more employees who have little, if any, investment knowledge must provide for their own retirements. It is sad that nothing like it existed in 1981 when the rug was pulled out from workers who had been promised retirement pensions but then were forced to transition to 401(k)s.

The move hung an albatross around the necks of American workers, shifting the burden of safeguarding their retirement to their shoulders while employers saved big money by no longer having to fund pensions.

Traditional pensions are proven to prevent poverty. According to a 2023 UC Berkeley Labor Center report, retirees with pension income are significantly more likely to live above 200% of the federal poverty level compared to those without.

Economists and sociologists agree that the decline of traditional defined-benefit pensions has greatly contributed to increased poverty as workers transition to self-managed retirement accounts. And to self-manage these accounts requires the how-to provided in Wealth Your Way.

DeStefano’s book, especially if it’s read at a fairly early age (and, of course, if his advice is followed), could have a lasting, positive impact on many lives.

Think of Wealth Your Way as a partial substitute for that On Your Own high school class you would have taken before those classes were discontinued, or consider passing it on to a family member if you suspect they lack solid financial literacy.

Dennis Beaver Practices law in Bakersfield and welcomes comments and questions from readers,
which may be faxed to (661) 323-7993,
or e-mailed to Lagombeaver1 – at – Gmail.com.

The post Looking for a Financial Book That Won’t Put Your Young Adult to Sleep? This One Makes ‘Cents’ appeared first on Dennis Beaver.

If I told you, “Some law school students are cheating — and are even helped by their law schools,” you’d probably think, “No way, I can’t believe that.”

Not only has this been going on for years, but, as you will see, it directly impacts law firms — large and small — and clients, who can easily be paying a premium for an honor student who is actually a dishonor.

How Cheating Spreads at Law Schools (paywall) was the headline on an excellent Wall Street Journal opinion article, by Jillian Lederman, that ran June 5.

As this column has put me in touch with law school faculty over the years, the content of Lederman’s opinion piece wasn’t news to me. This type of cheating has been a dirty, well-kept secret at many law schools, upsetting countless law profs.

After that article ran, my office received phone calls from several of the law firms and attorneys who have been helpful to this column.

Their reasons for calling, summed up in one sentence: Some of the lawyers we hired had grades that put them near the top of their class, but when it came to doing actual legal work, things just did not correlate with their excellent grades, and we just could not figure out why.

Getting more time to take written exams invites fraud

Law students about to take their first exam are usually anxious and often worried. If a first-year student isn’t nervous, then something’s wrong, as law school is not a walk in the park.

Now, what would you be asking yourself if about a third of your first-year class members didn’t show up for the final exam? That’s what a Pepperdine law student noticed in the summer of 2023.

Were they just running late? Chickened out? No. As many as 30 students were in a different room, getting extra time because of the Americans With Disabilities Act, which, as Lederman noted in her piece, requires schools to accommodate “students with conditions that impair ‘major life activities’ such as learning, reading and concentrating.”

This can translate into giving law students who claim a disability up to four extra hours to complete a test.

Lederman writes in her article that multiple students said that Pepperdine’s administration confirmed at a town hall last year that “more than a third of the school’s law students receive testing accommodations, the most common of which is extended time.” The school also noted that the prevalence of accommodations is comparable to that at other law schools.

Many people look at such high numbers of students claiming an ADA impairment and four words come to mind: That sounds like cheating.

What else could it be? One of my law school professor friends noted that cheating is the only possible explanation.

For the record, no one is criticizing students who need extra time for tests because of legitimate learning disabilities. The issue here is students who don’t need extra time but profess under false pretenses that they do need it so they can perform better than they would otherwise.

Test accommodations arrived in 1990

ADA accommodations became a requirement in 1990, and thorough medical/psychological evaluations were required to justify allowing more time to take tests.

While many students do suffer from certain disorders, such as PTSD, ADHD, anxiety and others, it is possible to fake impairments — and there are years of research proving it. (Check out this article from NBC News to read more about that.)

A Loyola law professor in Los Angeles, who spoke with me on condition of anonymity because faculty is not authorized to speak for Loyola, said, “Something is wrong here, (as more students) across the country are increasingly seeking ADA accommodations. Are law schools admitting students and graduating future lawyers who lack the ability, in the real world, to function as lawyers?

“Or, do we have a Varsity Blues situation where families with money pay a psychologist to give them a report that will justify the student’s need for more time to take exams? The answer is obvious. Students are cheating on a massive scale, and in my experience, school administrators are fully aware.”

The consequences of this cheating affect us all

As law students are evaluated on a competitive curve, top grades have real-world consequences.

For instance, top students can get scholarships, score a spot on the school’s law review, receive job offers from major law firms, land coveted clerkships with federal judges and can be paid far more than other first-year lawyers. The cost of those higher salaries is passed on to their clients.

You might be thinking, “During the job interview, why not just ask if they ever received an accommodation in law school (or anywhere) that gave them longer time on exams?”

Southern California-based labor attorney Daniel Klingenberger says that under the ADA, “the hiring manager should not ask that question, or any similar questions about a history of having a disability. The purpose of the ADA is to ensure that qualified individuals with disabilities have an equal opportunity in the workplace.”

Dennis Beaver Practices law in Bakersfield and welcomes comments and questions from readers,
which may be faxed to (661) 323-7993,
or e-mailed to Lagombeaver1 – at – Gmail.com.

The post This Is How a Lot of Law School Students Are Cheating appeared first on Dennis Beaver.

Recently, I was invited to speak about navigating etiquette and work culture at the 2025 California State University Bakersfield Career Conference hosted by SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management). I’ll be presenting alongside Dr. Luis Vega, a friend of this column and dean of Social Sciences and Education. I’d also like to give a shoutout to CSUB students Kimberly Mitchell and Sarah Varela for welcoming me to the conference.

When I asked several HR consultants and hiring managers from across the country for suggestions on what to tell students, the overwhelming response was: What comes first is getting hired. They all shared some of the things they might consider when interviewing prospective job candidates.

Repeatedly, I heard that the actions that will help or hinder an applicant from getting the job are often the same behaviors that lead to success or failure at work — getting along and being polite to one another, both of which go to the very heart of etiquette and work culture.

On condition of anonymity, the HR professionals agreed to share with me how they size up job applicants, sometimes being quite blunt about the reality of job interviews today.

1. First impressions really do matter

Your tattoos, piercings and hairstyle can have an impact on whether a hiring manager will consider giving you a job. Depending on the role and the employee’s contact with customers, many employers do not care if you have visible tattoos as long as they are not offensive.

Every hiring manager I spoke with said they were turned off by certain piercings and inappropriate tattoos. They all said that if someone shows up with piercings (beyond the usual ear piercings), it is an automatic no.

Bottom line: If the job requires in-person contact with the public, the HR pros said employers will skip hiring someone whose appearance makes them seem unapproachable.

Also, if you show up to the job interview in, say, shorts and a T-shirt, you likely will not get hired. By taking care to dress professionally, you’re showing that you respect the interviewer and your potential employer.

Similarly, once you’re hired, if you will not respect company dress codes — for instance, insisting on dressing in an inappropriate way on the job — you will not stay employed. “Being yourself” is fine, but you still have to follow the rules.

2. Your actions during the interview are especially important

If you lack enthusiasm for the position you’re interviewing for or don’t thank the interviewer for seeing you, that can indicate you do not want to be there.

You should also be sure to ask the interviewer questions, such as:

What do you like most about working here?
What do you expect from a person in this position in the first 60 to 90 days?
This shows the hiring manager that you have a healthy dose of curiosity and will be able to communicate well with coworkers and management.

Maybe it shouldn’t even need to be said, but don’t talk back to the interviewer or give the impression that you think you’re running the interview.

Don’t say things like:

Why are you asking me this? Don’t you need someone, anyone, right now?
It’s just a receptionist position, so why do I need to have my tattoos covered?
How I dress doesn’t matter — I’ll be behind a computer, so no one is going to see me.
You are correct: With that kind of attitude, no one will ever see you.

3. Your online presence gets a look

Through a Google search, some interviewers will become aware of information about you such as your political views, the church you attend, who you hang out with and other issues based on your photos, chats and videos.

Some states have strict rules against hiring managers accessing this information without signed consent from the applicant, but sometimes it happens anyway. If something disqualifying is discovered, the hiring manager should disclose it to the applicant and give them the opportunity to explain. Should does not mean that this process is definitely followed.

Depending on the job and risks to the employer, employees and the public, some hiring managers feel a background check should be required. What the applicant posts online is a gateway into their mindset.

4. Worth repeating: Your social media can work against you

Once you put something online, it is out there and stays there. Be sure that your profile is set to private, but it’d be better to simply not disclose your passion about social/political issues.

If it is something you might not want a future employer to see, don’t post it. Ask yourself, “How could this hurt me months or years down the road?”

Also, don’t share information about your club memberships or special interests. The professionals I talked with noted that that info might make a hiring manager think, “Now I am aware they are in a protected class or activity, and I am not taking chances.”

Good hiring managers won’t let that info affect their decisions, but it can and does happen.

5. Your actions before the interview matter, too

The people who are not part of the interview process can still provide valuable feedback to the hiring manager. How you treat, say, the person who arranges your travel to the interview can, and likely will, get back to the hiring manager.

If you’re a jerk to the person at Reception when you check in for the interview, they might tell the interviewer, “This guy was rude to me. I am not sure he would be a good fit here.”

6. Asking the following things can turn off hiring managers

What’s the work-life balance? Instead of asking about this in your interview, research the company’s policies by visiting its website to find out if it offers such perks as flexible work hours and remote work. You can also read employees’ reviews about working at the company on sites like Glassdoor and Indeed.
If I have obligations outside of work — family or personal — can I leave work early? Asking this tells the employer that you might have too many demands outside of work that could interfere with you getting your job done. It gives the impression that you are entitled and expect the employer to work around your needs.

Some final notes

The HR professionals noted that even if you do everything right in the job interview and have the skills to do the job, you might not get hired because of profiling. People are human and have biases. They might have had a personal experience with the applicant or someone whom the applicant reminds them of, leading them to feel that, because of their past experience, this person might not be a good fit. Fair? No. But it’s human nature, though good hiring managers will genuinely try not to let their biases affect their decisions.

Also, the HR professionals noted that most companies aren’t in the business of handholding. Once you’re hired, do not expect your employer to provide nurturing or wellness. Employers are not responsible for your happiness. If you’re not happy with your life in general, you should explore options outside of work to resolve those issues.

Each of the people I interviewed had similar closing advice for what to do in job interviews: You should focus on what you bring to the table — your knowledge, skills and ability.

Dennis Beaver Practices law in Bakersfield and welcomes comments and questions from readers,
which may be faxed to (661) 323-7993,
or e-mailed to Lagombeaver1 – at – Gmail.com.

The post College Grads: This Is What Hiring Managers Are Thinking (But Won’t Admit) appeared first on Dennis Beaver.

Ask any lawyer what one exam gave them nightmares years after graduating law school you will almost always hear, “the bar examination.”

It is generally viewed as the most difficult exam a law graduate will ever take. Pass it, and you are sworn in as a member of bar. But not all are successful.

A typical explanation for why the bar exam exists is, “To evaluate an individual’s mastery of legal knowledge, reasoning, and ethical principles. Passing these requirements demonstrates that a prospective lawyer has the minimum competencies required to represent clients effectively and uphold the integrity of the legal system.”

‘No Way Will we Hire You’

“Mr. Beaver, my brother-in-law has asked me to hire his son Blake as our company’s in-house attorney, and explained, ‘He has interviewed with just about every law firm in town, but when they learn that they had to take the bar examination 15 times before passing, he is shown the door.’”

“I’ve known Blake all his life, would sure like to help him, and don’t want to disappoint my brother-in-law. Do you think I should be concerned that it took him almost eight years to pass the Bar? Thanks, Phil.”

The Bar Exam is a Gatekeeper

I ran this question by Vashon Island, Washington-based Jennifer Anderson founder of Attorney to Author, where she helps legal professionals bring their book projects to life.

She was a California attorney for nearly two decades before becoming a freelance writer, writing coach and ghostwriter. She has written extensively on this topic.

“Let’s face it. There are people who skate through law school and ultimately lack the ability to be lawyers. The bar exam is a gatekeeper. It is designed to test a person’s ability to see relevant facts, identify and analyze legal issues and apply legal standards to those facts.

“That is the practice of law. Every time a client walks through the door you are presented with facts and legal issues. If you can’t see the issues, your clients are harmed.

“Taking the bar exam twice a year for almost eight years is telling you something; The practice of law is likely not for you.”

The Bar Exam is Stressful

Anderson believes that the bar exam is also relevant and important because of the pressure. “It is a stressful test, and the practice of law is often highly stressful, especially in litigation. You need to perform under great pressure, and if you can’t, your clients will suffer. In a real way, the pressure of the bar exam prepares you for the real world of law practice.”

Legal Ethics Portion Hugely Important

Anderson feels there are too many ways for lawyers to wind up doing bad things.

“I am shocked at the number of unethical lawyers who we see arrested for stealing from their clients. Fortunately, in addition to a required legal ethics course in law school, there is an ethics portion of the bar that forces thinking about choices a lawyer has to make.”

The Written Portion of the Bar

“Lawyers are called upon to write important things, regardless of the area of law they practice. If you cannot communicate in an organized, effective way, then you are going to do a poor job for your client. The portion of the bar exam that requires essay writing is absolutely critical and plays a huge role in whether someone passes or not.

“I also believe there should be an oral element to see if you are able to communicate effectively on your feet.”

States that Limit the Number of Times

Some things do not get better with repetition, the bar exam is one of them.

“Statistics show that if you have not passed the exam after three tries, you may never pass it, as chances for success go down with each try,” Anderson said, adding, “and we see that reflected in the states that only give you three of four chances to pass. Some states allow as many tries as you are willing to pay for.”

Our Advice to Phil?

Both of us feel that Phil would be best advised to run the risk of hurting his brother-in-law’s feelings and not hire Blake. There are other ways of using his law degree.

Dennis Beaver Practices law in Bakersfield and welcomes comments and questions from readers,
which may be faxed to (661) 323-7993,
or e-mailed to Lagombeaver1 – at – Gmail.com.

The post The bar exam is still relevant and important appeared first on Dennis Beaver.

In over 40 states, attorneys are required to take a continuing legal education (CLE) course in technology and the law, which includes AI, artificial intelligence.

I had the pleasure of watching New York attorney James A. Sherer’s engaging podcast about AI on the Learn-Formula platform — a provider of continuing legal education courses.

As a partner in the New York office of BakerHostetler, he co-leads the Emerging Technology Team for the Digital Assets and Data Management Group and answers clients questions about AI.

During our interview, he took me on a tour of AI and what it can do.

I also discussed practical applications with Palo Alto, California-based attorney Pablo Arredondo, vice president, co-counsel at Thomson Reuters and co-founder of Casetext, which has a commanding 34% market share of AI research tools for lawyers.

It is a fascinating time to be a lawyer

“The power of AI is simply amazing,” Sherer says enthusiastically. “It can manage enormous amounts of data and, in effect, has read every book in the law library. It can also become a litigation coach — as if you are talking with an associate who has perfect recall for all of the documents in a case.

“During a deposition you can ask it to suggest questions that you might not have thought of, but which seem logical based on the data you have provided.

“Applied to a lease or a contract, it functions as a spelling and grammar check, and will reduce the potential for malpractice — minimizing the chance of something important being overlooked.”

Makes a Lawyer Far More Efficient

Lawsuits often create massive amounts of paperwork and exhibits to review. These can create “David and Goliath” situations where one side, in response to a discovery request, delivers banker boxes or their equivalent, comprising hundreds of thousands of documents.

“If one side does not have the time or personnel to go through everything,” Sherer notes, “they could miss something critical to their case. But AI reviews it all and might uncover highly valuable facts to support a position the attorneys were unaware of before.

“While it is an amazing technology,” he cautions, “we must maintain vigilance and need to develop systems that are self-correcting, as we have the duty to be sure AI acts in a legal and fair manner.”

Justice Delivered Faster and Less Expensive

To learn more about how AI is being used today by lawyers and its practical benefits for clients, I asked Arredondo to explain AI’s economic benefit to both lawyers and clients.

“This technology help in obtaining justice faster and is less expensive, without a drop in quality, making it especially valuable to people who might not be able to afford top shelf lawyers, or who rely on legal clinics to find attorneys to help them.

“Similar to a turbo-charged engine, it greatly enhances speed and makes lawyers more efficient, able to do more at a reduced cost to the client. For example, AI can help you with your research and send it over to the word processor to be more seamlessly folded into the brief that you draft with its help.”

Finding that Needle in the Haystack

Historically, document review could take weeks to months, depending on how many and the number of associates in a law firm were pouring over them, and the expense can be substantial.

Often, you have a hunch that a handful of relevant emails or other evidence exists in a data dump which could contain hundreds of thousands of emails or other documents, but it is like the proverbial needle in a haystack.

“Using this tool — in a matter of hours — AI has proven its value, by finding what the lawyers hoped would be there. So it’s not just helping attorneys reach the same level of quality faster and more efficiently, it enables us do a better job and get to a better outcome and with a real savings to clients,” he underscores.

Failure to Use it – Basis for Malpractice?

Arredondo is confident that AI will become something that clients expect their lawyer to use.

“I envision a day when failure to use it will be malpractice as it is catching things that humans miss. A lot of solo practitioners are getting it. So we were happy to see it being adopted, not just at the big firms but at small ones as well.”

Fewer people Will Be Needed

Will AI have an impact on people wanting to enter the legal profession?

I put that question to Professor Nancy B. Rapoport of William S. Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada, Las Vegas and her writing collaborator, Joseph Tiano, the founder and CEO of Legal Decoder, a legal data analytics company.

“Yes it will,” they replied. “”Fewer people will be needed at the lower, entry levels.”

And that is something to think of when looking at a career in law.

Dennis Beaver Practices law in Bakersfield and welcomes comments and questions from readers,
which may be faxed to (661) 323-7993,
or e-mailed to Lagombeaver1 – at – Gmail.com.

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“Mr. Beaver, I was recently put in charge of sales for our plumbing supply company. While I have a great deal of product knowledge and have been in sales for decades, I am unsure of myself in this new role. Do you know of something out there that would help transform me from a sales guy to someone who can impact our growth, something like a business executives cookbook? Thanks, ‘Rob.’”

I do indeed, and cookbook is the best way to describe one of the best reads of any business book dedicated to sales that I’ve been asked to review.

Out this October … “The Growth Leader: Strategies to Drive the Top and Bottom Lines,” by Scott K. Edinger, reminds me of the Good Housekeeping Cookbook in its accessibility and practical approach to guiding sales executives toward attainable, positive outcomes.

Edinger bridges the gap between the needs of a business leader in the abstract, and the practical requirements of a sales staff out in the field. This is not a theoretical discussion of leadership concepts, instead, it is hands-on “here’s what to do and why,” which is free from much of the mumbo jumbo often found in “leadership” books.

I had a chance to sit down with Scott and look at what will negatively impact Rob’s plans to increase growth and profitability of his company.

What a Leader in Rob’s Situation Must Avoid

(1) Resist the urge to just push your sales team out to sell more.

Why? Merely increasing sales volume sacrifices the quality of the interaction between the sales team and your customers.

In a consultative or solution oriented business, more activity doesn’t always mean more sales or better results, as it does little to develop long-term relationships with your customer.

That cannot be over emphasized; your sales team is the voice of your board to the people who keep the lights on – your customers!

So, view and treat your sales team as an integral part of the organization, not just order-takers. While more sales activity can drive more transactional business, that is less valuable in the long-run.

(2) Don’t use compensation as the substitute for leadership.

Executives are fond of saying, “I’ve just got to make sure I compensate them right, and then they’ll do everything I need them to.”

However, compensation doesn’t make people better. As an executive, you need better selling interactions that help customers to see things differently, by helping them with expertise and insight your sales team can bring to the table.

You want customers who consider your people as problem solvers. Just rewarding sales alone does not encourage your employees to see themselves in that role.

Anybody who has sold something that has uniqueness or customization knows that experience of being with a customer and hearing, “Oh, wow, we can do that? You’ve got something that’ll do this? Interesting! I hadn’t thought about that. I came to you asking for an X you’re coming to me with X, Y and Z and it’s so much better because of what I need!”

As problem solvers, your people are able to propose products and services that may cost a little more, but which address the customer’s real needs. So, it becomes building a problem-solving relationship with a customer that will often lead to the sale of so much more.

(3) When recruiting, don’t hire Mr. /Ms. Popularity and be seduced by charisma, or personality. Believe that only men are great salespeople. Fail to show appreciation!

At one time, having a sales personality was about being friendly, gregarious and entertaining. Today, strategic problem-solvers are far more important to a sales organization than a person who is personable on the golf course.

Business people don’t rely on friendship or collegiality that much since the pandemic.

Instead, it’s about how they create value. Sales has become a strategic role. So, don’t hire based on personality or popularity. Instead, hire based on depth, on people who are well-educated, articulate, and above all else, are curious, interested in your product or service, and love dialog, discussion, and helping.

Importantly, we need to get away from the vision that selling is very male. In fact, of the top performers on my own teams, more than half were women. And why?

It’s empathy and understanding. Women tend to score higher for aptitude in this arena. It is what allows a seller to make a connection and able to understand the buyer’s needs and provide a better solution.

Edinger concluded our interview with a message for all people in a leadership role:

“Show appreciation and validate the great things all of your people do for the company, especially sales teams. They truly are the ones who keep the lights on.”

“The Growth Leader: Strategies to Drive the Top and Bottom Lines” is as enjoyable a read as was my chat with the author. It is the best business-sales cookbook you’ll ever find.

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If you are headed to court as a witness or a party in a lawsuit, there are a lot of ways you can do real damage to your chances of success, several of which are common sense, but others you don’t want to learn the hard way.

Who better then to speak with for practical advice than Anthony J. Mohr, a Superior Court judge who is a friend of this column and spent over 20 years on the bench in Los Angeles and recently retired.

I also ran one important issue by California State University, Bakersfield, professor of psychology Luis Vega, whose academic focus is persuasion.

I asked, “What are some of the things that will reduce or harm your chances of success, the things not to do?

(1) Fail to dress appropriately and think “Well, it’s a free country and I should be able to wear anything I want.”

Consequences: “Judges are usually conservative and they will relate better to people who are conservatively dressed than a person full of tattoos, piercings and wild clothing. This is reality. Your appearance matters,” Judge Mohr stressed.

“Regardless of your appearance, we will listen to you, and try to be fair, but you will relate better if you dress in a conservative, modest way. There are studies that prove a witness who fails to dress in an appropriate manner for court harms their credibility.”

Remember Head & Shoulders shampoo ads?

Vega had a take on appearance that was a walk back in time to old television commercials.

“The Head & Shoulders commercial, that ‘the first impression is the last impression,’ needs to be heeded in the settings where we seek a positive outcome for ourselves. And don’t rely on luck. You may only get one chance,” he said.

“So, when going to court, dress like you are applying for an office job. For men, tuck in your shirt and for women, forget the high heels or short skirts. Leave your jewelry at home,” he recommends.

(2) Fail to answer the question. Instead, give a rambling history of all the events leading up to your being in court today.

Consequences: “You will upset the entire courtroom. The jury won’t appreciate this one iota as you are wasting their time.

“So, answer the question. If you need to clarify the context, do so after you respond, and ask the judge or the attorney, “May I please explain?” Generally, you will be allowed if you have answered the question.”

“A good example of rambling and not answering the question can be seen on the Judge Judy television show,” Mohr observes. “This frustrates her to no end and while she may be more transparent in her voicing displeasure, judges and attorneys do not appreciate a witness who gives them a history lesson of their case.”

(3) Lie. Believe that you are the smartest person in the courtroom and twist the facts, certain that no one will ever know.

Consequences: “Knowingly lying in court about a material fact is perjury and carries a possible 5-year prison sentence in most jurisdictions. Never think that you can pull one over on the lawyers or the court, as they have all read the pleadings, declarations, and have a good idea of the facts.

“Juries are told that if they find a witness has testified falsely about one thing, they can, if they choose, disregard all of that witness’ testimony as being unreliable and not credible.

“So, it isn’t worth it.”

(4) Show up late. After all, the judge has lots of other cases that can be heard if you aren’t on time, so no one is harmed.

Consequences: “Court etiquette requires that you show up on time. Nothing shows disrespect more easily than coming into the courtroom late.

Courts – especially family courts – have massive calendars. To function smoothly, parties and their witnesses must be present on time or before. A guaranteed way to lose respect of the judge and courtroom personnel, and even your own lawyer, is to be late to your court date.

“If you will be out of town, let your lawyer or the court clerk know well in advance of the court date. If you were representing yourself and can’t make it on the scheduled date or time, consider hiring a lawyer for the purpose of making the appearance on your behalf.

“Finally, if you do none of those things and just don’t show up, you will probably bed charged criminally with a failure to appear.

(5) Interrupt anyone who is saying things that you disagree with, including the Judge. Don’t let them get away with damaging your case or reputation!

Consequences: “By interrupting the judge, magistrate or anyone that’s talking, you could be held in contempt, fined and even do time in jail! You’ve got to be polite to everyone in the courthouse.

You must wait until it’s your turn.”

Concluding our chat, Judge Mohr said with a broad smile, “And remember, you catch a lot more flies with honey than vinegar”

And for real-life examples of how a judge can react when these rules are not respected, I recommend watching reruns of the court TV show Judge Judy, starring Judge Judy Sheindlin, or watch her new series, Judy Justice.

The post Tips on raising your chances of success in court appeared first on Dennis Beaver.

It is so interesting how a sentence or two in an article has the power to open the flood gates of reader comments. And that’s what happened after “Why pressuring employees (with regard to charitable giving) can backfire” ran June 27.

“Your story looked at certain approaches management should avoid as a way to encourage charity by its employees, and briefly touched on something that has bothered those of us who work with charities in the scholarship and foundation offices of universities across the country,” wrote “Earl.”

“For the past several years, donors – the people who make a college education possible for hundreds of thousands of young people – aren’t hearing two of the most important words in any language: Thank you!

“We have an academic concentration on international aid – equipping students with the tools to work in poor countries, helping them improve their agricultural practices. Toward that end, both private and corporate donors send students overseas for a real hands-on experience.

“You would be surprised at the phone calls I’ve received from donors – months after the students returned – asking ‘when are they going?’ So, I’ve asked our students, ‘Did you send a thank you card or letter to the donor?’”

And, you know the answer I get that wants to make me pull my hair?

“Oh, were we supposed to? Nobody ever told us.”

How Were the Croissants?

In May, a group of 10 West Coast university students returned from a faculty-led, two-week “Intensive French” trip to Paris, paid for by a financial services company based in their city. “All were taking French and none had ever been out of California,” emailed “UA.”

“We heard that they had a great time, but not one called our office to say thanks or just come over and share their experiences. To say that we are disappointed is an understatement. Mr. Beaver, do you have any idea what has happened to the desire for showing appreciation?”

Yes, I have an idea.

Just give us the Money

Several callers offered two possible explanations for this absence of any sense of appreciation by the recipients of these grants and scholarships:

(1) A sense of entitlement, and;

(2) A poorly thought out effort to eliminate bias or discrimination in the selection process.

“Trudy,” an advancement officer at an East Coast college, explained:

“Historically, donors would meet with applicants, discuss the scholarship, talk about everything in the world and especially the importance of generosity. But selection of the recipient was always made by faculty – that is an IRS requirement if a donor seeks a charitable tax deduction.

“Then, someone objected to a donor even as much as meeting applicants. It was, ‘Just give us the money.’ So students had no contact with donors and typically none afterwards. So that important connection – which had always existed – was frustrated. It is so sad, and deprives donors the joy of seeing their money put to good use.”

Suggested Ways of Getting Back on Track

The people I spoke with from both universities and charities offered these suggestions as a way to develop good feelings for both donors and recipients.

(1) Often students and beneficiaries of charitable contributions do not realize that the money comes from real people instead of the government. So, where possible, invite donors and applicants to something like a town hall meeting where donors discuss their scholarships, or charity, the reasons they created the grant, and describe the positive impact on recipients.

(2) Always have a faculty member or someone from the school’s administration present.

Recording or videotaping of the session only upon clearance by your organization’s legal office – and this could be extremely important if someone complains of being a victim of discrimination or bias.

(3) Where a scholarship has been awarded but not yet paid, condition receipt of the funds on the student writing a thank you letter. Where the scholarship is on a yearly, self-renewing basis, the office that processes grants and scholarships must make clear that funding will be pulled unless the student writes that letter in a timely manner, providing proof – a copy of their letter – which will be kept in the student’s file.

(4) Hold a “letter writing” seminar open to all students and go over the elements of a sincere letter of appreciation. Expect a few moans and groans from students who feel they know it all. Be prepared to cite an example of one of your donors who was so touched by a student’s letter of appreciation that the amount of the scholarship was increased – for that student.

(5) Realize that many university students are not taught manners at home, and if they are from foreign countries, very different concepts of etiquette might be an issue.

Therefore, especially for business majors, host a seminar in what is expected of them – the art of socializing, how to be a good host, skills that will be of tremendous benefit once they leave the nest i.e., your school.

(6) This will help them navigate the real world and better understand why showing appreciation to someone who has given you a helping hand is so important.

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