During this holiday season, DRI would like to take the opportunity to thank all of our bloggers and readers for 2011.

Postings on the DRI Blog were provided by DRI members representing nearly every substantive law committee and practice area! Your efforts have provided quality content and food for thought for your fellow DRI members and the legal community.  

We would also like to thank our officers, board of directors and committee leaders, as well as their companies and firms. The time and effort you sacrifice on behalf of DRI are greatly appreciated.  We look forward to working with all of you in the coming year!

Look for new content on the DRI Blog beginning on January 3, 2012.

Thanks again to all of you and we wish you a safe and happy holiday season and a prosperous New Year!

Attending the DRI State Representatives meeting brings home the point that DRI has maintained its relevance in these difficult economic times. The organization strives not only to serve the interests of members in terms of education and networking, but continues to work with corporations to enhance the visibility of DRI attorneys for selection as outside counsel.

We continue to work to improve the DRI "Brand" in furtherance of the DRI Strategic Plan. The group of DRI leaders attending this meeting is quite impressive and committed to excellence. All of them would serve you well as outside counsel.

Charles H. Cole
Schuyler Roche
ccole@schuylerroche.com

From the DRI State Reps/Executive Directors Meeting in New Orleans.

The speakers here remind me that during these challenging times in our nation, for our economy and for our profession, it is important to reflect on how my career has progressed. DRI provides the finest CLE and networking opportunities around. Because of the vast array of CLE and practice resources available, connection to DRI gives lawyers the opportunity to change their practice quickly to repsond to trends and downturns. Panelists are emphasizing Return On Investment. (ROI) DRI provides that. A few dollars in these financial times invested in our careers now will yield dividends in our careers in the future. Query whether our transactional lawyers can pick up a few skills from DRI to engance their practice and that of their firms. The Commercial Litigation Seminar, April 22-24 in Chicago would be a good place to start.

J. Michael Weston
Lederer Weston Craig
mweston@lwclawyers.com

Our next speaker coached our oratorical skills to shape us into top notch personal and professional communicators.

Step 1: Dress for success- as superficial as it sounds, don't underestimate how your appearance influences jurors. Also, don't be afraid to wear color to stand out in Court. Our speaker donned a bright red suit jacket. Yeah for color! She also said women can wear pants in the courtroom. I think this still requires judgment and filtering.

Step 2: Have presence and interact confidently. There will be people in the room who may still stereotype you as a paralegal, but get past it and think of yourself as the host. Be diplomatic and make a good impression.

Step 3: Surprise- Men can interrupt the dialogue without being cast in a bad light. Women who interrupt don't have that luxury. Just don't do it. Always allow a lull or a pause after a comment and before you make your point. Don't get into a war of words.

Step 4: Think out loud, but enumerate your points- for example, say, Two points I want to make in response . . . . Some of us have short attention spans, but listeners will stick with you if you tell them how long they have to wait for the punchline.

Step 4: Vocal components affect how one is perceived by jurors. Be aware of this effect. Videotape yourself and be objective. If you sound like Alvin in Alvin in the Chipmunks, be cognizant of it and fix it. If you sound monotone, learn how to be conversational.

Louder volume also tends to engender more credibility. Don't be a bully pulpit pounder though.

In terms of rate of speech, most people speak at 150 words per minute but our listeners can hear up to 300 words per minute. That said, for those of us with turbo tongues, s-l-o-w-d-o-w-n a bit without losing your dynamicism (I think that's a word).

Step 5: Don't be afraid to pause and use silence. It is effective with jurors. Don't use "Ummh" or "So" to fill the silence. Instead of using those silence fillers, swallow it (not gulp), and soon you will find that you will use those crutches less.

Step 6: Read the nonverbals of your listeners and also give nonverbals (nod your head in validation, lean forward to show you are engaged-speakers love that!). The speaker says we women are better than men at doing this. Talk with your hands and be animated. (Read: Not a problem for this writer-partially attributable to my caffeine intake and partially attributable to my Italian heritage.)

Step 7: Avoid passive voice. It is stilted. Speak in the singular-- "You can do this," as opposed to "all of you out there." The former is more personalized. Avoid "I" and "me." Let the message talk to the listeners.

This was one dynamic and motivational speaker.

Marisa Trasatti
Semmes Bowen & Semmes
mtrasatti@semmes.com

It was like old home week at last night's cocktail reception as we reconnected with some old friends, but also made some new friends. Everyone was ecstatic to be here and networking away.

Dinner gave us all an opportunity to debrief about flights, work focus, and catch up on family events. There are a few new expecting moms here--Congrats to them!

We also had a chance to experience the local cuisine and of course, find the nearby hot shopping spot called the Promenade. Starbucks is a mere 3 blocks away for the coffee junkies in the crowd.

This morning, the rain has stopped, the sun is shining bright, and we have an amazing view of the beach from the hotel. What more could we ask for? The locals seem laidback and diverse--think very fit and tan surfers to the pin stripe suit business types--and the architecture is a combo of electric and edgy.

Today's early bird speaker, a professor at Stanford, was a hit. Her topic was happiness and she summarized years of research on the topic and our 'Survey Monkey' responses, as well as providing pointers on how to achieve balance between work and play. It was a lively, interactive presentation, rich in insight, and practical pointers. The perky Kelly Ripa video clip evinced a loud roar of laughter from the crowd.

She spoke to us about minimizing multitasking and regimenting ourselves to increase productivity and improve work product. Learning when we are most creative and productive (that is morning, noon, or night) can guide how we carve out our day. Find your "temporal sweet spots."

The takeaway from this one: Go to more DRI Women's Seminars in Cali and . . . The meaning of happiness is personal and defined differently by each of us. Stay away from people who "deplete" you and gravitate toward people who energize you. Stop chasing instantaneous happiness (i.e., instant gratification Gen-Xers and Yers) and instead, seek long-term real enrichment. Work smart, not hard, and laugh often.

Marisa A. Trasatti
Semmes Bowen & Semmes
mtrasatti@semmes.com

I just returned from the DRI Young Lawyers Committee http://www.dri.org/open/Committees.aspx?com=0240 leadership meeting in Chicago, and I have to say that DRI and defense bar appear to be in good hands looking towards the future. Nowadays, there are articles about law school graduates and young attorneys expecting to be coddled as they enter the work force, after all, they are the generation where everyone got a trophy. That is not the case with the 40 young attorneys I spent the afternoon with.

The meeting presented reports from 21 different initiatives and subcommittees ranging from the committee's annual seminar to a Supreme Court committee that organizes a swearing in ceremony at the Supreme Court of the United States to Diversity efforts to Women Attorney mentoring. The leadership is diverse, welcoming and definitely hard working.

These young attorneys and the thousands of other members of the Committee are the future of the defense bar. Many will go "in-house" and become General Counsel. Some will become judges and most will become successful private practitioners. In large part, they will be successful because of the skills they develop in their practices, the education and training they get from DRI programming, and the relationships they build through this committee and, as they call it "Big DRI."

Young lawyers that are starting out need a home outside their firms. The DRI Young Lawyers Committee is a big house with many rooms. Join, get involved -- from what I saw, you won't regret it.

R. Mattthew Cairns
Gallagher Callahan & Gartrell
cairns@gcglaw.com

I've been attending the DRI Board of Directors meeting for the past two days and marvel at the level of talent of this truly remarkable volunteer organization. In these difficult economic times, my colleagues on the Board give their time and effort to make DRI an organization of superior lawyers committed to the protections inherent in a democratic civil justice system.

Holding court with these insightful men and women discussing the best ways to serve the membership while promoting the greater good warms my heart and makes me proud to be a part of this effort. As a member of this preeminent civil defense bar association, you can be confident that your interests are foremost. I hope you are a member of DRI, whether active in a DRI Committee or serving your professional interests on a state or local level. If not, you really need to consider becoming a part of this movement.

I believe you will be hearing and learning more about DRI in the coming weeks and months. The brand of DRI will become far more prominent in our legal profession. In difficult times, DRI will be ready to answer to call. I'm very happy to be a part of it all.

Charles H. Cole
Schuyler Roche
ccole@schuylerroche.com