The

Undeniable

Ruth

®

…and the Ruth shall set you free!

  • SALK Day 20 – Tyler Allen Law Firm

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    Ruth Carter

    Today’s sponsor is Tyler Allen of the Tyler Allen Law Firm, PLLC in Phoenix, Arizona.  He asked me to tell you about his estate planning services for LGBT couples.  This is a topic that is hugely important because LGBT couples need to create legal agreements between the partners in order to obtain a fraction of the rights that are automatically bestowed to their married heterosexual counterparts.

    Photo courtesy of Tyler K. Allen

    Tyler Allen assists LGBT couples in estate planning.  This includes creating wills, living wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and healthcare powers of attorney.  Allen takes the time to understand each client’s unique situation and designs an estate plan that ensures that the client receives the maximum benefits for themselves and their loved ones.  His goal is to foresee and prevent problems in determining who should receive your possessions after you pass.

    Arizona is not as cool as Iowa, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Washington, DC where same sex marriage is legal.  Therefore, it is imperative that LGBT couples protect their rights and relationships with domestic partnership agreements.  This is a legal document that is similar to a prenuptial agreement.  It declares how property will be owned in the relationship and how it will be distributed in the event of one partner’s death or if the couple breaks up.

    Arizona is also severely lame in that it only recognizes one parent – the biological or adoptive parent – as a child’s parent.  Allen can also create parenting agreements to protect the best interests of LGBT couples’ children.  These agreements state what the couple’s joint rights and responsibilities are.  These agreements are exceedingly helpful to ensure that both parents can continue to be in the children’s lives if couple ever separates.

    Committed LGBT couples need powers of attorney for each other.  A power of attorney lets a person decide who will make decisions for them in the event that they are incapacitated.  Married heterosexuals are automatically given the power to make decisions on their spouse’s behalf under these circumstances.  LGBT couples need healthcare powers of attorney to make medical decisions for their partner and financial powers of attorney to make financial decisions.  Without a power of attorney, the person’s family and not their partner will be given the power to make these decisions, regardless of how long the couple has been together or whether the partner is the only one who knows what their partner would have wanted.

    If you need assistance in establishing an estate plan or domestic partnership, please contact Tyler K. Allen for a free consultation.  He also maintains a fabulous gay rights blog.  If you are not LGBT, you can contact him too – he’s open to heteros too – married and unmarried.

    Sponsor A Law Kid is my endeavor to pay for my last semester of law school. Today’s sponsor is Tyler Allen.   For more information about Sponsor A Law Kid or to see what days are still available for sponsorship, visit my Sponsor A Law Kid page.

  • SALK Day 8 – Amanda Ellis – The Social Media Connection

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    Ruth Carter

    My sponsor today is Amanda Ellis, attorney recruiter and founder of Amanda Ellis Legal Search.  Her firm assists associate level attorneys in finding jobs.  She is also the author of The 6Ps of the Big 3 for Job-Seeking JDs, a book that provides a detailed overview about how attorneys can use LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook to develop business or find a job.  She also maintains a blog on this topic with tips and her appearance schedule.  Many professionals are afraid of social networking sites.  Her book does a great job of instructing professionals on how to use these sites and tips for having a professional presence online and building relationships with others.  I’m looking forward to implementing some of her suggestions on how to use LinkedIn to find a job in my upcoming search for post-graduation employment.  When Ellis sponsored today, she asked me to share one of my success stories of being a law student and using social media.  I thought I would tell the social media history of Sponsor A Law Kid.

    One thing I’ve learned about networking through social media is that it is a process, not an event.  It’s about building relationships and seeing each connection and conversation and a potential stepping stone.

    In January 2009, I was a 1L who had just finished her first semester of law school and did not stick out in a crowd.  I attended the first Global No Pants Ride in Phoenix.  I was intrigued by the boldness of Jeff Moriarty for planning such an event and decided that I wanted to meet him.  I purposely stood next to him on the ride and struck up a conversation with him.  By the end of the day we were “friends” on Facebook.  Through Jeff, I heard about Ignite Phoenix, and presented on the legalities of participating in public pranks at Ignite Phoenix #5.  One of the other presenters at Ignite was Kade Dworkin.  Kade and I kept in contact and about a year later, he started his own podcast called Meet My Followers where he interviewed his Twitter followers.  I was on his podcast and listened to his other shows.  One of his guests was Jason Sadler, founder of I Wear Your Shirt.  As I listened to Jason discuss how he makes a living by wearing shirts and creating content, I was inspired to use my blog to fund my final semester of law school.  In November 2010, I launched Sponsor A Law Kid.  This campaign has opened the door for me to connect with attorneys all over the country and opportunities to be a guest blogger for other websites.  It took almost two years and at least seven steps from participating in a prank to being mentioned on Above the Law, The Nutmeg Lawyer, Blind Drunk Justice, and ABAJournal.com.

    Twitter is my primary modality for networking.  It is how I create and maintain connections with people in the legal community.  Along with connecting online, I try to connect with as many people as I can in reality through attending events and inviting attorneys to coffee or lunch.  I have stronger connections with people that I have met in person than with people I only know online.

    Sponsor A Law Kid is my endeavor to pay for my last semester of law school.  Today’s sponsor is Amanda Ellis.  For more information about Sponsor A Law Kid or to see what days are still available for sponsorship, visit my Sponsor A Law Kid page.

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  • Undeniable Recap of 2010

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    Ruth Carter

    2010 was an eventful year for me.  As I was driving from Phoenix to my parents’ place in Sonoma, CA, I started reflecting on the highlights of the year.

    1. My Sister’s Wedding. This was hands-down the best day of the year.  I consider myself to be my sister’s little sister and her big brother so watching her get married to such a wonderful man was a very big deal.  I watched Morena marry the love of her life, Rick,  in a wedding that the two of them designed with hand-selected music and readings.  My sister, who is also a law student (super smart, editor of her law review), was stunning.  It was wonderful to meet her in-laws (who are awesome!) and reconnect with friends.  It was everything a wedding is supposed to be.
    2. Sponsor A Law Kid. I am often a person who has creative ideas but who is too afraid to put them into action.  I have to thank Kade Dworkin and Meet My Followers to inspiring this idea and the social media community for encouraging me in this endeavor.  When I posted the first #SALK blog, I thought, “I’m either a genius or crazy.”  I also thought about the advice I received from Sam Glover who said to think about the worst thing that could happen.  For #SALK, the worst thing that could happen was nothing.  To date, #SALK has sold 28 days and funded over $1000 of next semester’s education.

      Photo by Jeff Moriarty
    3. Jester’Z Improv Acting Class. I am a person who thrives in structure.  Most of my flashmobs and pranks are fairly planned out in advance.  This class put my classmates and I had no idea what was going to happen on stage or what scenario we would be asked to play out.  Taking this acting class pushed me think faster on my feet and to enjoy the simplicity of play.  It also gave me a reprieve from reality for three hours every week.  My friend, Jeff Moriarty, shot a snippet of my final showcase.  Per the audience’s suggestion, my classmate Linzi and I were supposed to be “pumped lawyers.”  Most of the audience did not know that I was in law school.  I love how happy I look in this video.
    4. Rock n Roll Half Marathon. I ran my first half marathon in 2010.  It was 2 hours and 9 minutes of masochistic fun.  It was hard, but I’m glad I did it, and I’m doing it again next year.
    5. Finding My Legal Niche. I solidified my decision to specialize in intellectual property and internet law this last year.  I’ve enjoyed so many of my classes in this area: Intellectual Property, Cyberspace Law, High Tech Licensing, Copyright, Trademark Law, and Privacy.  I’m looking forward to working with entrepreneurs through ASU’s Innovation Advancement Program next semester.

    I had many firsts in 2010:

    • First internship at a big law firm
    • First internship with an in-house legal department
    • First half marathon
    • First trip to Ohio
    • First California roll (eww)
    • First guest appearance on a podcast
    • First painted toenails
    • First paintball game
    • First talk on a legal topic at a conference
    • First trip to the Firefly Room in the Phoenix Art Museum

    I am excited for what’s to come in 2011.

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