Is there a window of opportunity — an age or grade level in school — where a kid headed for trouble has what will likely be the last chance to be helped and steered in the right direction?

Hanford School Resource Officer Per Westlund knows the answer to that question only too well. For him, “the time frame is junior high school, at the latest.”

“It is easier to intervene in the life of a junior high school student than a kid on the way to real trouble at high school, who, in his or her own mind, knows it all,” he said.

A healthy fear of consequences

“Working together with school personnel — and if we are lucky, responsible parents — we can often positively influence the attitude and direction of a troubled junior high student. At this level, they are still dependent on family, tend to have more respect and will listen to adults in general, and have a healthy fear of consequences.

“At junior high, these kids have not usually developed anti-authority attitudes, and someone wearing a police uniform gets their attention. SROs at the high school level have different challenges, and in many ways, a tougher job than mine.”

In a 15-year career as a police officer, Westlund has spent the past four as an SRO assigned to Hanford’s JFK and Woodrow Wilson junior high schools.

“Officer Westlund’s own background makes him especially well suited to the job of an SRO, where knowing how to communicate with students is critical, earning their trust and confidence, which can quite literally be life-saving qualities, keeping kids in school and away from the wrong people,” said Jason Strickland, principal at JFK.

“I have lived in the United States the past 25 years and come from a small Swedish town where, at an early age I realized just how important family and education is for future success,” Westlund said. “The values of my little town in Sweden are also very much a part of what I like about Hanford, which really is Small Town America. But today’s America is very different for parents, and a challenge for many families to raise kids in the best atmosphere.”

‘Don’t try to be your child’s ‘best friend’

To the Hanford SRO, that “best atmosphere” starts with parents who aren’t afraid “to be real parents, not trying to be their child’s best friend.”

“Growing up in Sweden, I was more fearful of what would happen to me at home if I got in trouble at school. A problem today, recognized by educators and law enforcement, is that too many parents refuse or simply do not know how to be parents. They want to be their children’s best friend and to be liked. In this environment, children can grow up without the concept of respect, not just for their parents, but for adults and people in positions of authority, in general.

“It is not through buying your kids everything they ask for that you are going to raise well-adjusted members of society. ‘No’ has its place. In order to succeed, children must be taught one of life’s most important lessons: You have to earn what you get.

“All children manipulate their parents. It’s hard-wired from birth, a tool in the psychology of survival tool kit we are born with. But you can raise a failure by saying ‘yes’ when you should be saying ‘no,’ hoping that they will listen to you, because you are so nice. That is giving in to manipulation,and teaching the child dangerous lessons on how to make one’s way in the world.”

JFK’s Strickland agrees.

“Parenting which rewards a young child’s non-stop demands often leads to huge behavioral issues once at junior high school, when children are in a more rigorous educational and social setting. Suddenly they hear ‘no’ from their teachers, are required to come to school at the proper time and complete homework.

“Those who have been allowed to avoid the rules are headed for academic and social frustration, disappointment and anger. As we see these signs as early as the sixth grade, you come to a realization of just how critical a role parents have in their child’s lives, how parenting skills can dictate their child’s future.”

(Next week, we’ll examine that recipe and its ingredients.)

Dennis Beaver practices law in Bakersfield and enjoys hearing from his readers. Contact Dennis Beaver.

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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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February 6, 2016 • By Dennis Beaver

For the many lawyers who read this column, in the next few minutes, wander the corridors of memory with me, to those hectic weeks before final exams during the first year at law school.

It is a time of intense review, study group meetings, and a common practice in law schools across America; allowing students the opportunity to review the complexity and broad scope of previous final exam essay questions, many of the same issues reappearing on new tests.

At my school, Loyola, in downtown Los Angeles, these exams — many going back years — were kept in a blue binder, which the librarian handed to any student who requested them. Over to the photocopier you’d walk, deposit a few coins, and make your copies.

This gives first-year students much more than a glimpse of what final exams look like. For with the law school’s blessing is the chance to analyze the structure and content of prior tests and is of incredible value. I am sure that without that opportunity, many would have done a lot worse on their finals.

I saw my study group friend, let’s call him Steve, with his girlfriend, at the photocopy machine, making copies.

They lived together in a beautifully furnished apartment near the campus that was always well stocked with great wine, expensive cheese and other goodies, courtesy — I was told — of his parents. During one of these study sessions, Steve said something that I thought was either twisted humor or a disgusting reason to study law, “Once we pass the Bar, it will be license to screw people over.”

When he said that, I studied his face, realizing that he looked like a rat! He really looked like an overgrown, beady-eyed rat! As I would soon discover, his appearance revealed a potential future lawyer, lacking ethics, integrity, and morality.

Several days later, I tried to make a few copies, but everything the machine produced was unreadable and smeared, completely worthless. But Steve was dutifully copying all the first-year exams in the folder, helped by his girlfriend. She was lovely, with a sweet face that revealed little emotion as she and Steve replaced the clean originals with garbage.

She was also very pregnant.

The consequences of what they were doing was sickeningly obvious. It went beyond cheating. This was immorality on a scale that could impact the entire first year class.

“How can you do this?” I asked them. “How can you help him do this to all his classmates? I have been to your apartment many times. How do you justify doing this to me and your friends in our study group?” I asked her in a tone of voice that did not exactly seek a reply.

“Don’t you get it? You are carrying his child and not married. The way he is treating others is how he will treat you when, not if, but when things turn bad. Put the originals back now!”

We had studied cases about people who do precisely these kinds of things in contracts and torts, and yet here I was, staring into the faces of a couple with no sense of morality. Were Steve to pass the bar, he would indeed use his license the way he described. “Put the originals back now, Steve,” I repeated, over and over again. “Put them back now or I will go to the Dean’s Office. It’s your choice.”He looked at me, laughed nervously, and put them all back. As insurance that he would not return later and try the same thing, I walked directly to where the head librarian was standing, looked in Steve’s direction, talked about the weather, but made large hand gestures, as if I were making photocopies. Steve, I’m sure, got the message. The librarian probably thought that I was suffering from pre-exam jitters.

Twice daily until finals were over, I checked the blue folder. The originals remained in place.

Steve flunked out of school. I had never wished that a classmate would fail, but I did in his case.

Most attorneys who demolish their reputations usually wait until after graduation from law school and being sworn in as a member of the Bar. Steve was ahead of the curve. Had he actually become a lawyer, no matter how able or brilliant, were our paths to cross, the only image of him in my mind would still be that of a thief.

It is one of the most fragile things we possess, our reputation: Our reputation with classmates who will become colleagues, partners, and the judges before whom we will stand. Handle it with care.

Across my years of practice, I’ve found that most do.

Dennis Beaver practices law in Bakersfield and enjoys hearing from his readers. Contact Dennis Beaver.

The post A lawyer’s reputation begins in law shcool appeared first on Dennis Beaver.

“Mr. Beaver, several years ago you wrote a story about a lawyer’s reputation – how valuable it is. As a Superior Court Judge in our small Southern town for over 20 years, that is what I tell the law graduates who successfully passed the most recent bar examination when they assemble in my chambers and take the Attorney’s Oath.

“The idea that law is a profession and our duty is to help clients and their families through some of the most difficult moments of their lives is a foreign concept to many young lawyers. It seems as if the only thing most think about is becoming wealthy as soon as possible – and cutting ethical corners is no big deal.

“I have handed each of these newly minted attorneys a copy of your story. In just a few weeks, bar results will be out, and if your editors will reprint that wonderful story it might do some real good as the message applies not only to lawyers.” Thanks, ‘E.J.’, Georgia.

For the many lawyers who read this column, in the next few minutes, wander the corridors of memory with me to those hectic weeks before final exams during the first year at law school.

It is a time of intense review, study group meetings, and a common practice in law schools across America; allowing students the opportunity to review the complexity and broad scope of previous final exam essay questions, many of the same issues reappearing on new tests.

At my school, Loyola in downtown Los Angeles, these exams — many going back years — were kept in a blue binder, which the librarian handed to any student who requested them. Over to the photocopier you’d walk, deposit a few coins, and make your copies.

This gives first-year students much more than a glimpse of what final exams look like.

For with the law school’s blessing is the chance to analyze the structure and content of prior tests and is of incredible value. I am sure that without that opportunity, many would have done a lot worse on their finals.

I saw my study group friend, let’s call him Steve, with his girlfriend, at the photocopy machine, making copies.

They lived together in a beautifully furnished apartment near the campus that was always well stocked with great wine, expensive cheese and other goodies, courtesy — I was told — of his parents. During one of these study sessions, Steve said something that I thought was either twisted humor or a disgusting reason to study law, “Once we pass the Bar, it will be license to screw people over.”

When he said that, I studied his face, realizing that he looked like a rat! He really looked like an overgrown, beady-eyed rat! As I would soon discover, his appearance revealed a potential future lawyer lacking ethics, integrity, and morality.

Several days later, I tried to make a few copies, but everything the machine produced was unreadable and smeared, completely worthless. But Steve was dutifully copying all the first-year exams in the folder, helped by his girlfriend. She was lovely, with a sweet face that revealed little emotion as she and Steve replaced the clean originals with garbage.

She was also very pregnant.

The consequences of what they were doing was sickeningly obvious. It went beyond cheating. This was immorality on a scale that could impact the entire first year class.

“How can you do this?” I asked them. “How can you help him do this to all his classmates? I have been to your apartment many times. How do you justify doing this to me and your friends in our study group?” I asked her in a tone of voice that did not exactly seek a reply.

“Don’t you get it? You are carrying his child and not married. The way he is treating others is how he will treat you when, not if, but when things turn bad. Put the originals back now!”

We had studied cases about people who do precisely these kinds of things in contracts and torts, and yet here I was, staring into the faces of a couple with no sense of morality.

Were Steve to pass the bar, he would indeed use his license the way he described. “Put the originals back now, Steve,” I repeated, over and over again. “Put them back now or I will go to the Dean’s Office. It’s your choice.”

He looked at me, laughed nervously, and put them all back. As insurance that he would not return later and try the same thing, I walked directly to where the head librarian was standing, looked in Steve’s direction, talked about the weather, but made large hand gestures, as if I were making photocopies.

Steve, I’m sure, got the message. The librarian probably thought that I was suffering from pre-exam jitters.

Twice daily until finals were over, I checked the blue folder. The originals remained in place.

Steve flunked out of school. I had never wished that a classmate would fail, but I did in his case.

Most attorneys who demolish their reputations usually wait until after graduation from law school and being sworn in as a member of the Bar. Steve was ahead of the curve.

Had he actually become a lawyer, no matter how able or brilliant, were our paths to cross, the only image of him in my mind would still be that of a thief.

It is one of the most fragile things we possess, our reputation: Our reputation with classmates who will become colleagues, partners, and the judges before whom we will stand. Handle it with care.

Across my years of practice, I’ve found that most do.

Dennis Beaver practices law in Bakersfield and enjoys hearing from his readers. Contact Dennis Beaver.

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September 12, 2015 • By Dennis Beaver

You might not have seen the movie, “Network,” but it is almost certain that you’ve heard one of its powerful and enduring lines spoken by Howard Beale, a longtime news anchor suffering a meltdown on the air.

“I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore,” he encourages viewers to shout from their windows, which is exactly what thousands of people across America do. As a result, ratings skyrocket, Beale’s on-air antics are encouraged, turning a serious news program into nothing more than entertainment, all for the sake of building a larger audience.

To Phoenix-based attorney and author, Robert McWhirter, “This 1976 film gave us a disturbingly accurate picture what many — if not most — television news/talk shows have become.

“Dennis, in the past handful of years when watching any TV talk show, even many of the news or financial programs hosted by very intelligent people, civility — just being polite and listening to others express their opinion without interrupting or yelling at each other — was thrown out the window, and replaced by anger.

“This rudeness and talking over each other harms our country — especially the younger generation — as the refusal to listen and thereby losing the ability or desire to compromise appears perfectly acceptable. Now, toss in all the thousands of blogs made possible by the Internet, and no one is talking to anyone else unless they are yelling.

“Our children will see this as the way adults talk to each other and it’s not healthy for our democracy,” he maintains, adding, “Because it gives a bully the power to shut down dialogue.

“When the Pilgrims arrived in the New World, they brought something credited by historians as being critical to establishing a level of freedom which led to the First Amendment rights we all enjoy today. Any idea what it was? ” McWhirter asked.

“Beads to buy Manhattan with?” we guessed — wrong.

“With survival a daily challenge, among the first things the Pilgrims brought with them on the Mayflower were printing presses – making information accessible to everyone who could read a pamphlet or newspaper,” he enthusiastically notes.

Until the early 1900s the press was the great mass-communication technology, then came radio followed by television. All three require:

• Fact checking and procedures in place to assure accuracy, so that not just anything is printed or broadcast.
• Editors, who look for errors in spelling, punctuation, grammar and terminology.

To McWhirter, “One significant weakness of the Internet is the lack of editors. Yes, today more voices are able to reach a broader audience — which is a positive aspect of what this technology accomplishes.

“The lack of editors — lack of filtering, and appalling grammar — these go beyond merely weakness. Technology is the greatest challenge to free speech — indeed, to our freedom — as it gives more power to government or any other group with the sophistication to harness the power, for example, the recruitment ability of ISIS.

“One of the problems of technology is that everyone has a mic and listens to who they want to. So, we go on line and hear certain information but do not hear the nation’s voice — what others are thinking — which makes the press even more necessary, ferreting out problems in a community — corruption for example — and helps to mold and have intelligent debate.

“When a newspaper closes its doors, our very liberty takes a hit, as there is no debate, no brilliant light focused on those who would do us harm. If you want to control a country, then first, control the sources of information.”

Why America is great – What we need to teach

Speaking with Bob McWhirter is a Vitamin B-12 shot of those things which Americans have the right — have earned the right — to be proud of.

“We were founded on ideals of tolerance and acceptance of others and other cultures. We must give people a basic understanding of why America is great, and we are not great because of having landed on the moon or having the most powerful aircraft carriers.

“America is great because anyone can speak their mind. And we have developed a political system that allows freedom to occur.

“Are kids taught why we are great, about tolerance, free speech, or the concept of a nation, of our nation and what we stand for?” he asks.

“We are now being tested like no other time in our nation’s history, fighting terrorism, while being true to our roots of free speech and maintaining a tolerant and diverse society.”

Dennis Beaver practices law in Bakersfield and enjoys hearing from his readers. Contact Dennis Beaver.

The post A risk to free speech appeared first on Dennis Beaver.

“I am a police detective in a small Northern California town for and enjoy your column which appears in the Eureka Times-Standard. It is one of the first things that I and a number of fellow officers read and discuss.

“Several months ago you wrote a timely article about the threat to the presumption of innocence. While a police officer might strongly believe that a suspect is guilty, without conducting an investigation, and lacking credible proof of wrongdoing, you can’t just go around arresting people, tossing them in jail and destroying their reputations.

“Fundamental fairness is something that we should all be entitled to, especially people who lack the power to defend themselves. And, Mr. Beaver, I am writing you because one such person is my 19 year-old, college freshman son, Rick, facing expulsion from college, accused of plagiarism on an open book test. We need your help.”

“Use Any Source – Your Textbook, Newspaper Articles, the Internet”

As I learned, Rick has a full-scholarship to a mid-western Christian college. The teaching assistant for his U.S. History class administered an “Open Book” test–which I have seen including the young man’s answers. Test instructions only state, “You may use any source – textbook, newspaper articles, including the internet.”

That was it. There was no requirement of giving the source of the information provided in a student’s answer. That omission is critical in my legal opinion.

“I used everything,” my reader’s son explained, “but as there was no requirement of stating the source–where the information came from–I didn’t include it. Even though our answers were correct, when the test was returned, two of us received a zero and were handed a letter stating that we had cheated, committed plagiarism and that the Dean of Students would likely expel us from the school!

“We would be notified in ten days of the decision. A chance to explain–a hearing of some type–was not allowed.”

Wrong Class for an Open Book Test

“This is so unfair. It is just ridiculous,” stated Beau Baez, Visiting Professor at the University Of North Dakota School Of Law. “An open book test is designed to see how students can apply information to problem-solving situations. Citations serve no real purpose if the teacher is looking for facts, such as ‘When was the American Civil War fought?’

But that was exactly what the T.A. was asking for – specific dates and summaries of historical events.

Professor Baez added, “What makes this so upsetting to me is that we’ve got a 19 year-old college kid who wasn’t required to cite the source of his answers. He followed those instructions, and answered the questions correctly.

“Also, this isn’t some major paper, but a simple exam. Rick isn’t trying to pass off information as his own, original research. As few high schools today do a good job of teaching writing skills, it probably didn’t occur to him to cite his sources. For any school to expel him would just be wrong.”

We also ran this situation by a friend of this column, David D. Schein, Director of Graduate Programs & Associate Professor at the Cameron School of Business, University of St. Thomas in Houston. Agreeing with Baez, Schein fells this is terribly unfair, stating:

“If the instructions for something like this test do not require citations, I would not penalize these two students. However, if it were for a paper, my instructions would require citations in APA 6 and they would therefore be penalized for failing to cite.”

Biblical Requirements of Fairness

Over the many years of writing You and the Law, I never had a situation like this to deal with, but as it is a Christian college, prior to contacting the school, some research into what the Bible says about fairness and due process was in order.

In fact, there are many references to what we would today call due process, giving a person a chance to defend themselves, requiring proof before punishment. So, well-fortified with Biblical citations, I reached the president of Rick’s school who was unaware of the pending expulsion.

Our conversation was brief and I asked for his help in seeing to it that what was clearly an arbitrary finding of plagiarism was simply wrong and the young man should be permitted to remain in school.

I was promised a return call within 24 hours.

January 30th was the coldest day much of America has seen in decades, but it brought with it a heart-warming phone call. “Counselor, you were correct. These students did nothing wrong. The T.A. needs a little talking to!”

And the next time Rick is home on break, he owes his mom a great big hug.

Dennis Beaver practices law in Bakersfield and enjoys hearing from his readers. Contact Dennis Beaver.

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Are you about to enter law school or know someone who is? While law school is demanding and some say “boring,” at many schools technology is making the hours spent studying more productive, practical, and fun. In a moment you’ll see why, but first, here’s an email we received from “Chad,” a happy father in Eureka, California:

“Mr. Beaver, my wife and I have been on cloud nine, unbelievably thrilled and proud of our daughter, ‘Angie’s acceptance at one of California’s top law schools, but also, really worried. I know that law school is tough and there is a high failure rate at some schools. Angie put the ‘up’ in uptight, and already she is worried. Can you help put her fears to rest?”

Angie’s lucky – her school uses Casebook Connect.

We learned that Angie is attending law school in the San Francisco Bay area, and that several of her first-year courses benefit from something very cool offered by law book publishers that law students across the country describe as “simply amazing, making things so much more clear and understandable.”

It’s Casebook Connect from Wolters Kluwer and the Interactive Casebook Series from West Publishing.

Now, before we tell you what they are, join me as we step into H.G. Wells’ Time Machine, and take a little trip, 40 years back in time. Our guide is Vikram Savkar, Boston-based Vice President and General Manager of Wolters Kluwer’s Legal Education Group.

“Dennis, if you walked onto the campus of any law school in the country over the past 40 years, the same scene would be repeated. Students would be lugging around briefcases filled with heavy casebooks. But then, five years ago, we realized that something had changed,” he began.

“It was the students who had changed, because those entering law school were digital natives. They had grown up with Google, Facebook, and as undergrads, had used a great deal of technology on a regular basis.”

A challenge to legal publishers

Having grown up with technology, and “Suddenly in law school using only thick books was a bit of a shock to these tech-savvy students,” Savkar points out, adding, “The need for something better was clear. Law school is very hard and students felt there were tools that could greatly improve the learning experience, but were not then available.”

So, the publishers of casebooks used in our nation’s law schools asked themselves a question: “How can we bring cutting edge educational technology into the world of casebooks, helping today’s law students succeed in mastering the material, developing confidence for both law school exams and the Bar Examination?”

The Interactive Casebook Series, both developed after years finding out from students and teachers how technology could facilitate law study. Both publishers hit a home run and “Professor Beaver” is impressed.

“Beaver, back to work! Stop playing!”

These publishers bring to law students what amounts to their own private tutor, applying the legal concepts and terminology acquired from the casebook to challenging real life and hypothetical fact situations. Law school is fascinating to begin with, but these two legal publishers have made learning the law fun.

It’s like having someone saying, “We’ve been studying the types of contracts which must be in writing in order to be enforced and ways to get around that written requirement. So, after reading this hypothetical, tell me if Ms. Jones will be able to successfully argue that, even though there was nothing in writing, her client should still be able to claim that a valid contract was created?”

The student is given a series of possible arguments to use and clicks on, we hope, the right answer. Immediately the correct answer appears, along with the legal reasoning to support the point. There is no more “hiding the ball,” which is one of the greatest criticisms of the way law is still taught at some schools. Here, the material studied is reinforced in a variety of positive ways, so if you are wrong, you are not made to feel like a dummy.

In preparation to be a guest instructor at the Bakersfield campus of the Monterey College of Law, Savkar sent me a log-on password to the casebook, Epstein on Torts, giving access to the complete book and the simply marvelous study aids that Casebook Connect offers.

This did not make my office staff very happy, as I was like a kid in a candy store, shutting my door, having a ball, bouncing around the text and hypothetical, visuals and tests–and it was all so interesting, so well put together. You just have to admire the thought put into this user-friendly technology.

So, Angie, you can worry much less. Law school is terrific!

Dennis Beaver practices law in Bakersfield and enjoys hearing from his readers. Contact Dennis Beaver.

The post Are you headed to law school? appeared first on Dennis Beaver.

If you are in college and considering law school, or out in the working world and looking for an occupational change, Los Angeles based attorney Shant Karnikian has some very specific recommendations, and I’ll get to those in a moment.
But first, let me tell you about this young attorney making a real difference in the lives of his clients.

I met him in 2009 when he was a first year law student at Loyola, in Los Angeles. Karnikian demonstrated real initiative by applying for a summer scholarship to study international law in Paris at a summer program conducted by Cornell University.

While these scholarships had only been given to second-year students, those of us on the selection committee were impressed by one of the most compelling personal statements we had ever received, and is so relevant in today’s America.

It read, in part:

“It is my profound, personal sense of injustice as an Armenian-American that drew me to the study of law, as it is our best hope for achievement of social justice when all other avenues seem to be failing. Law can transform issues of intense divisiveness into opportunities for us to heal our cultural wounds, reunite as a national community and strengthen the promise of social justice for future generations.

“These beliefs drive me to want to become a lawyer,” his statement concluded.

Announcing that Karnikian had been selected, one member of the panel said, “Here is someone who understands injustice firsthand, from what happened to his family in the Armenian genocide. Loyola can be confident that he will use his legal education in the cause of justice.”

He passed the California bar in 2012–on the first try–itself quite an accomplishment–and works in downtown Los Angeles as a senior associate with Kabateck LLP, a nationally respected plaintiff’s firm that litigates complex cases with an impressive record of success.

Coincidentally, founding partner Brian Kabateck, was one of the first attorneys to successfully sue insurance companies withholding money from heirs of victims of the Armenian Genocide.

“I feel passionate about representing people who have been harmed. Our law firm plays a valuable role in society. In so many ways, I am living my dream,” he told me when we spoke recently, but admitted, “I went into law with a romantic notion of the good that I could accomplish which has worked out. But I have been very fortunate.”

His boss, attorney Brian Kabateck, describes Karnikian as: “Capable, skilled, a great trial lawyer who never complains about the long hours and hard work this profession requires. He has the right attitude; juries like him, and we all like him.”

Find out What the Practice of Law is Really About

“The most important piece of advice I can offer to anyone thinking of attending law school and becoming an attorney is to find out what the practice of law is really about, and believe me, it is not what you see on television or in the movies,” Karnikian underscores.

“Speak with lawyers and ask them to tell you their likes and dislikes about their jobs. Would they choose this occupation if given the chance to go back in time?

“As you would research any major purchase, do the same thing with law, because that’s what you are about to do, only it is a ‘purchase’ that could easily cost over $200,000 and once you ‘own’ it, could lead to great disappointment. There is a lot of information online written by people who left the practice of law, and their stories could help prevent making a wrong decision.”

Law School Isn’t Just an Extension of College – Take a Year off First

In many European countries it is common after earning a college diploma to work for a year before pursuing an advanced or professional degree. Karnikian feels this is an excellent idea:

“If you are in college now, by taking time off after graduating and working before law school, you’ll likely acquire a better sense of responsibility, and a much more accurate idea of how society functions.

“In addition, it is important to understand that law school isn’t college simply with three more years tacked on to your bachelor’s degree. A completely different approach to study is required, and you cannot cram for tests. You are being trained to become a professional, someone who others will rely on.”

Never off the Clock

Karnikian had heard that, “Time demands take away from a lawyer’s personal life,” but only understood what that meant when “12 hour days became the norm with no such thing as being off the clock.”

He has these words of caution for anyone considering the legal profession:
“Never forget that the law is a jealous mistress.”

Dennis Beaver practices law in Bakersfield and enjoys hearing from his readers. Contact Dennis Beaver.

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Today’s story will be of special interest to students who attend California State University Channel Islands and live on campus in a residence hall. For those who cherish Freedom of Speech and Expression, it is now a safe place to live.

Until just a few days ago, it wasn’t, and here’s why

Policies enacted earlier this year by the school’s administration created a real, life-long danger to students who resided on campus, and as you will see, this is no exaggeration.

Upon checking into their dorm, the school’s administrators forced them to wear the equivalent of a mental dog muzzle, knowingly and flagrantly violating the single most important right guaranteed by the United States Constitution, Freedom of Speech.

In a place where open, free debate and discussion must be encouraged, CSU Channel Islands’ administrators made it clear they did not believe these rights should be allowed in its residence halls.

They threatened students with action all the way to expulsion for daring to engage in the kinds of discussions so essential on a college campus, and they did it by making legitimate, protected speech illegal.

Welcome to the Residence Hall – Now Shut Up or Risk Expulsion!

Ask anyone who lived on campus during college days about the exciting discussions over just about any topic under the sun that would come up with room mates, or friends in the dorm. Animated, passionate debate is the spice that makes university exciting, enriching students’ lives in so many ways.

Learning to listen to opinions which differ from our own–especially when accompanied by sarcastic put-downs and pointed language–these things are preparation for dealing with the world outside campus walls. College students quickly learn that other people have strong opinions and are not shy about making those opinions known, often with strong, derogatory language.

Anyone who can’t tolerate being told that they are an idiot for thinking a certain way will face a life of conflict. It is good to be told off, to have our reasoning challenged; it makes us think.

But when a student fears punishment for exercising the most important right the founders of this country gave, then debate, and voicing contrary opinions are stifled. When it becomes “Watch out for what say, and for what you think,” then we are all in trouble.

When a university makes normal speech punishable, then a long winter has settled upon that campus. So, for a moment, picture yourself as a Channel Islands student in the dorm cafeteria, about to get into a debate over the President’s policies with supporters and people who hate the man.

You are just about to accuse one of the students of being “a roaring idiot who is full of @#$#% when someone says, “Stop! Read these Resident Hall rules before saying a word!”

Labeled Derogatory Comments as Harassment

In violation of a standard established by the U.S. Supreme Court in the Davis decision of 1999, the Resident Handbook stated, “Harassment includes, but is not limited to, verbal harassment–epithets, derogatory comments, or slurs–and visual forms of harassment, such as derogatory posters, cartoons, drawings, symbols, or gestures.”

Talk about an elephant squashing Free Speech! Violate those rules and you could get yourself punished, all the way up to expulsion!

And just what is the legal standard for harassment?

As the Court stated in Davis, “Harassment in education is behavior that is so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive and that so undermines and detracts from the victims’ educational experience, that the victim-students are effectively denied equal access to an institution’s resources and opportunities.”

Telling a dormitory resident that he’s a moron for “feeling that way” opens the door to the moron showing them by using the school’s power to find harassing behavior and kick someone out of school!

A School Lawyer Who Did the Right Thing

When this dangerous, twisted, illegal language came to my attention, I contacted the school’s attorney, Marc Mootchnik, who admitted that it did violate the Davis decision and promised to do what he could to make things right.

Unlike lawyers who will support a client who he knows is wrong, Mootchnik kept his word. That language is now gone from the handbook, and while not perfect, does appear to meet the Davis standard, and states:

“Harassment and bullying do not include constitutionally protected activity or conduct that serves a legitimate purpose.”
And if Mootchnik had not prevailed? Professor Lyle Sussman of the University of Louisville had this comment:

“Recall the conversations we had in our respective student union, cafeteria, dormitory rooms, and walking to and from classes. Those conversations might have resulted in our suspension/expulsion if they occurred at Cal State Channel Islands, 2019.”

Dennis Beaver practices law in Bakersfield and enjoys hearing from his readers. Contact Dennis Beaver.

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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.

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