Catherine Berlin has launched Penning Berlin, a program
designed to teach persuasive writing. She is in the process of
publishing The Art of Storytelling for Lawyers and other Creative
types.
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visit www.artstoryhumor.com
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William Altreuter is teaching two courses at the State University
of New York at Buffalo. He is teaching a discovery course at the
John Lord O'Brian School of Law, and "Lawyers in Movies" for
media savvy undergraduates.
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From a recent letter:
"We [published] your article on Spas and Medi-Spas in the CMAA
Newsletter. I have excerpted a portion of an email from a CMAA
reader below. Thank you for the great article!
"What a great read – “Lessons on Operations and
Expectations.” I am the GM of a 3 year old, high-end, club on
Nantucket island. We have an 18,000sq ft. spa that recently
introduced facial enhancements and physical therapy (billed
right to insurance.). We belong to ISPA which assists with
regulations and standards but this was a great article that after
being underlined and highlighted got forwarded to our spa
director!
Thanks and we look forward to more articles focusing on this
new and relatively unregulated industry."
A scriptwriter friend recently told me that lawyers have an
incredible writing ethic. It's true. We draft, compose, and edit,
and then do it all again the next day for most of our working lives.
The reward is usually limited to a postal notification of a win,
lose, or draw. Exclamation points and praise we get not so
much, so the change up is greatly appreciated. - CB
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Spas and Medi-Spas: Lessons for Counsel on Operations and
Expectations
Contact Catherine Berlin at
berlin@altreuterberlin.com
if you would like a copy
of the article.
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ctors. The Jaeckle Award is the highest honor the Law
School can bestow and this year it went to Dean R. Nils
Olsen, who is stepping down after serving nine years.
Nearly a decade is a long tenure, and Olsen has been
an extremely popular dean. This was attested to by the
robust attendance at the event and the speakers and
presenters of the award. Erie County District Attorney
Frank Clark and Distinguished Service Professor
Charles Patrick Ewing both gave remarks, and the
Jaeckle Award was presented by University Provost
Satish Tripathi and University President John Simpson.
Dean Olsen’s successor has not yet been determined.
MMP
(Ed: Photo via here, but with broken drivers. Not sure
who took the image of the Dean - on right - or who he
is with, but the obvious poke at privacy rights is too
good to pass up. Let us know who you are so we can
give credits, ask permission, or offer a tidy IP
settlement.)
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WIL Connect: This past Monday, Nov., 12, Mary Penn
and I attended Women in Lodging: A View From the
Top, as part of the annual AH&LA conference. We had
a chance to meet Steve Porter, David Kong, and Geoff
Ballotti, along with the moderator, Barbara Annis.
Everything was made possible through the efforts of
Nancy Johnson, Chairperson of WIL Connect Executive
Council (pictured right), and Vice Chair Vicki Gordon.
In addition to introducing ourselves to some terrific
industry men and women happy to share a decade or
three worth of war stories, we had lunch with a small
group of hospitality students from San Diego State
University and then talked about the greening of the
industry with a Paul Smith College professor.
There are three webinars coming up quickly. Direct
anyone you believe might be interested to visit here for
more information.
"Hit the Kosher food section of the trade show," we had
been encouraged earlier in the day. "It's always the
best." It also had the longest line, so we worked our way
in from behind by first sampling organics and then the
offerings from Mexico. CB
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We take full advantage of our membership in the
Academy of Hospitality Attorneys. Nothing like hotel
folk to arrange for excellent accommodations. This year
the fall meeting was in New Orleans, at the Royal
Sonesta Hotel (right). In addition to the solid
educational programs on liquor law liability, federal
regulation of private charter flights, labor and
management issues and other current topic in the
hospitality field we got to enjoy the paradoxical
sensation of feeling virtuous while enjoying the
hedonistic offerings of one of America's great cities.
I saw what it looked like on TV, but the full extent of the
devastation can only be understood by going there.
Amazingly, a city that was wiped off the map has come
back and everyone there wanted to make sure we
carried that message home. Everyone I met said, "You
tell the people at home that we are ready for them."
And they are. The music, the best food in North
America, and the rest of what makes New Orleans
unique is still there, a testament to why it was great in
the first place. Our luncheon speaker was the head of
the NOLA Convention and Business Bureau who said,
among other things, that nearly 40% of the city's
economy is based on tourism.
When you meet a New Orleanian they always ask,
"What did you have for diner last night?", so I guess
that's a place to start. Had a fine crawfish
etouffée, had a fantastic veal with crabmeat. Had a nice
piece of Gulf flounder, done with a white wine and garlic
sauce that just danced when I put it in my mouth. I left
time on Saturday to go to Mothers, where I had the
Ferdie's Special--a po' boy with baked ham, roast beef,
debris and gravy, served dressed. Actually, the
sandwich might have been my favorite. I'm told that the
hot dogs aren't bad, but I'd have to be in town for a lot
longer than I was before I'd have time to try one.
Americans list the food as the first thing they think of
when they think of New Orleans, and Europeans claim
to think music first. Yes, I guess I did hear some good
music, too. WCA
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The International Bar Association held its annual
meeting in Singapore this year. I am a member of the
Leisure Industries Section, which is a combination of
the old (1) Travel and Leisure, (2) Travel, Tourism and
Hospitality Law, and (3) Sports and Gaming Law
committees.
Our office will be responsible for the North American
content in the Leisure Industries Newsletter. If you know
of anyone from Mexico, Canada, or the US who wishes
to contribute, please contact us.
Although I have given presentations in Australia and
Hong Kong, when I travel that distance and have
speaking responsibilities upon arrival, there never
seems to be enough time to get a sense of my
surroundings beyond a quick boat or bus tour or a walk
through a noted public park space. I was determined to
do better on this voyage, and I did. Part of my
education began during the IBA opening ceremonies
when Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew (Prime Minister of
Singapore from 1959 to 1990). Lee, who seemed a
blend of Bill Clinton and Johnny Carson, spoke of the
high percentages of Chinese, Indian, Malay,
Indonesian, and Caucasian all living together, quietly.
He claims it is the result of encouraging a single
language for education (English) and forcing everyone
to live together with other races, encouraging everyone
to mingle. He believes that this has helped the country
avoid terrorism. “Because they are living together,
they've gradually accepted that they are one
community."
That is how it appeared on the streets, those born of
Indian lineage working next to veiled or scarfed women,
next to someone with a Chinese background, shoulders
relaxed, eyes focused on business. Nobody stood out
because everybody did in their own way. I walked Arab
Street, Little India, and Chinatown, little ghettos that
exist more for tourists than a planned living spaces. I
visited SAM, for art. The National Museum was a
fabulous way to learn about the history of the land and
people. My experience was enhanced no doubt by the
fact that I was child-free and could linger through each
exhibit listening to the heavy tape recorder I carried
about, until my arms and ears grew tired.
Then I ran into a colleague's wife. She was from Italy.
"There is nothing to do here. All the shops, they are the
same. All the streets, they lead to the same shops. No
beaches. Nothing different."
I was a little bit disappointed that there had not been
enough time to cross the bridge into Malaysia and
experienced its capitol, Kuala Lumpur. A Straits Times
reporter I befriended, who had a passion for Malaysia,
told me they still have tigers there. Perhaps that would
have been exciting enough for my colleague's spouse.
But in truth, the Singapore architecture alone was all I
needed. CB
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AHIA held is semi-annual conference at the Hotel ZaZa
in Dallas, Texas. This is one group that knows
accommodations. The ZaZa decor was second only to
service, as each of the clad-in-black hospitality
providers - from the front desk through food service -
was convincingly deferential. The Four Seasons
Toronto is good at this, too. Nice to know there are
places that not only remember the golden rule about
service, but have turned it into a mantra.
AHIA organizers are masters at putting together
programs that remind us that ours is a service industry,
too. Individuals from the following firms presented:
Hockstad Law Office Ltd., Rudner Law Offices, Alston &
Bird LLP, Ogletree Deakins, Moseley Martens, Addison
Law Firm, and Bickel & Brewer.
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The Salzburg Conference. Asking the hotel clerk or
the cabbie where to go to eat when you are on the road
always carries with it the nagging suspicion that they
are sending you to a place their brother owns. Here is
a valuable tip: Eat dinner at the Monchsberg 32 in the
new Museume der moderne Salzburg. The scene is,
well, modern (you can even take an elevator up
through the carved rock), but the 75 sets of antlers
suspended from the ceiling and the view of the castle
help keep it local, which should be part of the
experience. Try the venison and a short beer from an
area microbrewery, or the fish and Austrian wines.
We also went to a wine bar on the other side of the
river from the old town. It was small and warm, with a
decent selection of "it's not like peppermint" schnapps.
Fridrich. At Steingasse 15. Center for international
Legal Studies, Negligence and Damages in an
International Setting, Crowne Plaza-Pitter Hotel
Salzburg, Austria; 23-26 September 2004
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