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Monthly Archives: August 2012

Do The Impossible

Posted August 29, 2012 by Ambassador Ann

In this TEDx video that Dave shared, Croix Sather tells the story of his run across America and how he was able to push through the pain and challenges of running a marathon and a keynote speech each day for 100 consecutive days. As you watch, you will realize how incredible he is.

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No Ants Allowed

Posted August 27, 2012 by Ambassador Ann

A relaxing and fun-filled picnic under a beautiful sky is what Lawline was all about last Friday afternoon.
Equipped with food, Frisbee, football, uno cards,  and great company (all pun intended), the afternoon couldn’t have been more perfect!

Fierce Competition in this Uno Match!

Micheke's One-Finger Catch!

Beautiful View of NJ

Frank's Super Frisbee Toss

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Trivia!

Posted August 27, 2012 by Ambassador Ann

Casey: The other day I wanted to see if everyone was “in the know” of all the excitement that is going on in the company, so I decided to play a little trivia game! I asked a variety of questions ranging from state requirements to who will be speaking at our big Lawconomy 2012 Conference.

I was very impressed that it was a head-to-head competition. The game went into the finals rounds with both teams tied 4-4, ultimately, Team 2 won! As a company everyone should be aware of who we are, who are customers are, what our purpose is, and a clear idea of the future. Here at Lawline, the trivia game proved all of that!

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Department Tip of the Week: Human Resources

Posted August 23, 2012 by Stephanie

It’s often said, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.  While this is true, the parts must be strong as well.  This theory can easily be used in human resources when recruiting future employees for a company.  A company’s success and compatibility is of the utmost importance, but it is the individual employees and how they work together that create that unique, innovative team.

One of the most important things (and our tip of the week) an HR professional should keep in mind is that recruiting A players requires A hiring methods. To ensure as a company that we are hiring A players, there is an effective formula we use that includes; phone screening, top-grading interview, focused interview, references and trial period.

The phone screening focuses on clearing out the B and C players, so that we are only left with A players.  If you have landed an in-person interview, we already under the impression we are dealing with an A player.  To confirm this, we use the top-grading interview process.  During this portion of the interview real life experience, not generalities are key.

In a focused interview we are looking to gain an understanding of the outcomes and competencies of the candidate.  This allows us to see what the candidate is truly capable of  based on past performance and it also gives HR another chance to ensure compatibility with the company culture.

The final part of the process is a two week trial period, if and when possible. This serves as the best way to see if the candidate truly fits with the company culture since they will be interacting directly with their potential colleagues.

Combined with the intuition of the HR representative, this process serves as a great foundation for recruiting compatible A list employees!  Even though the company as a whole is priority, it must have a strong employee foundation to ensure success.  This recruiting process is a great way to build that foundation.

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Schooling A Mascot for Your Yacht?!

Posted August 20, 2012 by Ambassador Ann

Has the title made you curious? Well on this lovely Monday morning, curiousity got a hold of Sal. He wrote down five question on the wall and asked us to answer only three. Among the choices were some really unique questions.

  1. What punctuation mark best describes your personality? Why?
  2. What was the best thing that happened  to you this weekend?
  3. What were your best/worst subjects in school? What subject would you like to learn new?
  4. You were given a yacht. What would you name it?
  5. If you could be any cereal mascot, who would you be and why?

It goes without saying that the answers were amusing and insightful! Here’s what some Lawliners wrote down.

Micah
  1. The period . It is not the end of something so much as the beginning of the next chapter, the next task, the next concept.
  2. I had the honor of filming a feminist rally in DC and then an innovative anti-street harassment skit on DC metro
  3. Yacht - Perseverance
Stephanie
  1. Exclamation Point ! I’m always loud and want to make a statement.
  2. My best is English. My worst is Math and its the subject I would like to learn more on.
  3. Yacht – S.S. Pumpkin.
Ryan
  1. Semi-colon ; Because they are super useful, except that no one knows how to actually use them.
  2. Favorite part of the weekend was the Giants games. They won against the Jets.
  3. Yacht – Opulence
Melissa
  1. Toucan Sam because he is adventurous.
  2. I spent my Friday in Disney World
  3. My best subject was English, my worst was chemistry.  I’d like to learn more about History.  My sister is a history teacher and has a wealth of information about US and world history I admire.

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Permalink: http://www.furthered.com/2012/08/20/schooling-a-mascot-for-your-yacht/

Plastic Surgery For Bullied Kids: Overboard or not?

Posted August 20, 2012 by Ambassador Ann

“Hey fatso! Four-eyes!” We’ve all heard name-calling in school whether indirectly or directly. Sadly bullying is very prominent in many schools and affects many people’s self-esteem  even through adulthood. I came across this video about plastic surgery for bullied kids. In my opinion, it is really horrible that any kid has to resort to that instead of loving themself or being accepted for who they are. This story is about 14-year old Nadia Ilse who, with her mother’s approval, had surgery done to her ears, nose, and chin. An organization called Little Baby Face Foundation funded her surgery which costed about $40,000.

I understand the medical use for plastic surgery and think the Little Baby Face Foundation is a wonderful and generous organization for kids with severe cases. If you check out their website, you will see pictures some unfortunate deformities.  All the while, unnecessary cosmetic use is a bit extreme. The fact Nadia didn’t have counseling first and still hasn’t afterwards makes me wonder if would she still have gone through with it if she did receive it. Bullying affect the victims more psychologically.  She is looking forward to starting the school year as a freshman without being called Dumbo. I truly hope that while she has changed her outside appearance, she grows inside to be a better and more confident woman.

What do you think? Would you have plastic surgery or let your kids have it in the hopes to stop bullying?

Please read/watch previous blog posts and courses about bullying:

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All You Need Is Heart

Posted August 17, 2012 by Ambassador Ann

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Lauren: For my presentation this morning I shared the story of South African Olympian/Paralympian Oscar Pistorious. Pistorious was born with fibular hemimelia and had his legs amputated as a baby. Despite his disability he has trained to become a great runner and athlete through the use of his Cheetah Flex-Foot prosthetic. This year at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games he became the first person to qualify in both the Olympics and Paralympics. In the Olympic Men’s 400m he took second in the first heat and qualified for the semi-finals. He is an inspiring athlete and his story reflects some of Lawline’s core values: seeking creative solutions, driven to find a better way, and exuding optimism.

Posted in: Driven to be better, Exuding Optimism, Seeking creative solutions | Leave a comment
Permalink: http://www.furthered.com/2012/08/17/all-you-need-is-heart/

The Bleacher Creatures featuring Lawline.com!

Posted August 16, 2012 by Stephanie

Tuesday evening for Lawliners consisted of great food, great drinks and of course great company. The Yankees were victorious with a 3-0 win over the Texas Rangers and Lawline saw it all from the right field bleachers, even participating in the infamous NYY roll call!

In line for food and drinks before the first pitch!
Julie, Todd and TT
Kenny, Brandon, Lauren and Micah are all smiles!
Posted in: Exuding Optimism, Lawline Events | Leave a comment
Permalink: http://www.furthered.com/2012/08/16/the-bleacher-creatures-featuring-lawline-com/

Lawline Learning Session: “Law for Lawliners”

Posted August 15, 2012 by Ambassador Ann

Do you ever wonder, can I sue for that? What’s the difference between these criminal and civil cases? What’s that Constitution thing that everyone talks about and what’s it ever done for me? What’s the difference between state and federal law and who’s in charge? How do you even become a lawyer? If you’ve ever asked yourself one of these questions or all of these questions, check out this exciting presentation from the Lawline content production team, which culminates in an outstanding role-playing exercise.
Posted in: Actively learning, Staff Insights | Leave a comment
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Lawline Learning Session: “From Google AdWords to Karaoke Kings”

Posted August 14, 2012 by Ambassador Ann

Today’s Lawline Marketing Learning Session introduced each member in the marketing
team through the various advertising formats we use, including postcards, facebook ads
and emails. We also demonstrated how we pushed a hypothetical “karaoke” vertical
through these various media outlets.
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Book Lovers Day: What’s Your Favorite Book?

Posted August 13, 2012 by Stephanie

In honor of Book Lovers Day last Thursday (August 8), I asked each Lawliner to write down their favorite book and give one reason why they loved it.  With a company as diverse as Lawline you’d be right to think our choice of books would be just as varying. Choices ranged from childhood books to historical non-fiction, each holding a special place.

  • Brandon picked George Orwell’s 1984. Lessons in this book show such a forward thinking of society and it can serve as a great example of self-reflection.
  • Sal chose, Corduroy by Don Freeman because of the nostalgia it evokes from his childhood.  Some books you can just never let go of, especially one about an adorable teddy bear.
  • The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger was naturally a popular choice.  Casey loved it because regardless of who you are or what age, everyone can relate to Holden’s complex character.
  • If you’re in need of a good laugh, pick up Sigalle’s favorite The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.  There’s nothing like laughing out loud, it’s infectious.

Other choices included: The Wretched of the Earth by Frantz Fanon, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, Tuesday’s With Morrie by Mitch Albom, Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer and many others.

At Lawline, we’re all about furthering education in any way possible and reading is one of the easiest ways to do so.  It’s key to embodying one of our very important core values, actively learning.

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BOOK REVIEW: Imagine, How Creativity Works

Posted August 13, 2012 by Ambassador Ann

Kenneth: My presentation last Friday centered around my experience reading and thinking about the opinions posed in “Imagine: How Creativity Works” by Jonah Lehrer. Lehrer focuses on a wide-range of creative geniuses, from Malcolm Glaser, the inventor of the I Heart NY logo and the Brooklyn Brewery insignia, to Yo-Yo Ma, the world-renowned cellist, and analyzed their creative processes through both objective outside assessment as well as through in-person interviews with the subjects. He is also academically-trained as a neuroscientist, and the most impressive sections of the book were those where he combined his knowledge of the human brain and the various routes of electrical impulses and linked this with the external stimuli and the creative process of the individual.

He believes that anyone can be creative, but that to allow oneself to reach an epiphany, an insight, a world-changing or at least paradigm-shifting thought, requires ample frustration and repetitive attempts to address the problem before a creative solution is finally “discovered”.

Culture and the atmosphere you live in can play a role in increasing the probability and frequency of creative insights. He specifically touches on the impact of cities, amongst many stimuli, and urban life on creativity, and cites a few studies that give pretty convincing evidence that the “sidewalk ballet” of urban life, the constant bustle, has a significant multiplying effect on the likelihood of individuals in the urban environment to produce more patents, more new ideas, than their suburban counterparts (so working and living in New York City has already given us a distinct advantage in the creativity department).

He truly believes anyone can be creative, but that being prepared and being willing to fail big, to expect to fall, is a necessary part of the creative process. According to him, if we never fail, we are never forced to expand our boundaries, to think outside the proverbial box.

I finished my presentation by acknowledging that not everyone will become a Dick Drew, the inventor of masking tape, or a Keith Richards, the Rolling Stones guitarist who, according to Lehrer and many other accounts, was able to write the chorus chords and stanzas of the famous “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction” after falling asleep with his tape recorder on because his brain was in essence more willing to free associate because he was less focused at the task at hand. But, I noted, there are a lot of basic, simple steps we can take to encourage our brains to be more creative, and thus be more creative ourselves, and that, to me, seems like quite an inspiring reality.

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Lawline Learning Session: “Customer Service: The Art & Science”

Posted August 10, 2012 by Ambassador Ann

Lawline customer service guru Chris Deoleo instructs listeners on how to save the world with customer service – and not just metaphorically! He identifies common questions that Lawline customers raise, shares tips on the “art of calling” and the value that comes from never using a script, the importance of maintaining an effective internal communication chain, and the interactions and synergies of the various departments at Lawline.
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Lawline Learning Session: “Burt Randolph & the Life of a Lawline Webcast”

Posted August 10, 2012 by Ambassador Ann

Join the Lawline production team for an instructive and highly memorable roll-playing adventure, examining content production from booking to broadcast to live on the web. The original skit stars the ever-engaging Tim the Tour Guide and no less a figure than Criminal Law Tax Attorney Burt Randolph.
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Trip Down Memory Lane: Part Deux

Posted August 10, 2012 by Ambassador Ann

Avid Culture Blog Readers,

Here’s the second recap of presentations done since Mid-June.

The morning huddles are more than just meetings; it is our morning coffee before our real morning coffee. There are where our minds wake up and get set for the day. We get to experience more than one of our core values every single morning and that in itself is truly a wonderful privilege.

Enjoy reminiscing. :)

  1. If Lawline Was A Dance Crew…
  2. Is it Large? Object? Place?
  3. Born To Fly
  4. Perception Creates Reality
  5. How Much Do You Know About the Revolutionary War?
  6. Underground Secret
  7. Happiness Is A Moral Obligation
  8. I Bet You Can
  9. Hello, My Name Is ____
  10. The Cookie Story
  11. Open Wide and Don’t Say ‘Ah’
  12. Second Chances
  13. 30-Day Habit
  14. Je suis! Je chante! Je fais!
  15. In The Eyes Of The Beholders
  16. Can You See What You Hear?
  17. Interdepartmental Pop Quiz!

For the previous recap, click here.

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CASEY: July’s Winner of the “Actively Learning”

Posted August 9, 2012 by Ambassador Ann

Casey had made a seamless transition from an internship position to full time at Lawline.

In her short time here, Casey has played many roles.  From marketing genius to a smooth talker on the phone with customers, Casey does it all!  She even serves as the head of the IT Department when necessary!

Casey started at Lawline.com in January 2012 in an internship position while attending Pace University full time.  Upon graduating, Casey started working full time in Customer Support and Marketing. Casey not only learns quickly but once she learns she improves the formula presented to her.  Customers sing praises of her constantly. Her greatest attribute is her infectious enthusiasm with which she spreads through the office every single day!  And we are all very familiar with Casey’s laugh!

Casey has also been known to grace us with the Casey Bop, a dance many of us have witnessed but cannot recreate.

Previous Months’ CV Awards – Actively Learning

Posted in: Actively learning | 1 Comment
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TODD : July’s Winner of the “Seeking Creative Solutions”

Posted August 9, 2012 by Ambassador Ann

Todd's new ticketing system for live events promises to be a Lawline game changer.

Congratulations to the Web Development Department for their third straight victory for Seeking Creative Solutions.

This month, Todd takes the award for spearheading the live event ticketing system.  It has always been a dream to have thousands of attendees at our live events, and now we are a giant step closer! Todd’s ability to create the entire system of assigning codes to each customer, then testing the system during Pizza Thursdays, has set us up to make that dream become a reality in the near future.

Previous Months’ CV Awards – Seeking Creative Solutions

Posted in: Seeking creative solutions | 1 Comment
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MICAH & MELISSA: July’s Winner of the “Taking Time To Help Others”

Posted August 9, 2012 by Ambassador Ann

In Kenneth’s first month here, Melissa and Micah have repeatedly gone out of their respective ways to ensure that Kenny was brought up to speed and felt comfortable in all aspects of video production.

Because of the considerable time they have contributed to guaranteeing that his Lawline video production education was meaningful, iterative and replete with constant feedback and discussion, he feels as though he has been set on track to become an adaptive, creative and intellectually curious video editor and not simply an editing and filming automation.

Their commitment to having Kenny take ownership over his role, and not simply be taught in a rote manner, has contributed greatly to making Kenny’s Lawline experience thus far exceptional and inspiring. Whether accompanying Kenny to Tuesday after hours Bridge the Gap live sessions or assisting him with live webcasts, they have been incredible mentors and guides.

Micah and Melissa have quite literally taken multiple hours out of their past few weeks to help Ken and he could not recommend them more to be honored for embodying the “T” in ASTED during the month of July.

Previous Months’ CV Awards – Taking Time To Help Others

Posted in: Taking time to help others | 1 Comment
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BRANDON: July’s Winner of the “Exuding Optimism”

Posted August 9, 2012 by Ambassador Ann

Brandon’s performance in the Content Development and Production Learning Session, as the lead tour guide for the department safari, was amazing.  The entire department did a tremendous job in creatively presenting the process of producing a course, and it was Brandon’s enthusiasm that put the program over the top.

The audience thoroughly enjoyed his introduction as it really felt like we were aboard one of the vehicles in the Safari of Kilimanjaro, being reminded not to touch or feed the crew. His ability to exude optimism throughout the office has also been great.  He has transformed himself into one of the staples at the unofficial Lawline Spin classes at New York Sports Club, often continuing the tradition when others are unable to attend.

Previous Months’ CV Awards – Exuding Optimism

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MIKE S: July’s Winner of the “Driven To Find A Better Way”

Posted August 9, 2012 by Ambassador Ann

Mike posed the idea of hosting a breakfast in the lobby as a way to help promote Lawline.com to the entire building at 61 Broadway.  After making the suggestion, he had communicated with all of the necessary people to get it done. He figured out the procedure by crunching numbers and organizing materials for marketing and display.

On the day of the breakfast, he and Julie arrived at 6:45AM to set up and make sure everything was in place. It was an excellent marketing and branding endeavorfor Lawline and made everyone aware of the ed-tech revolution Lawline.com is leading. It was a prideful sight for Lawline and both Julie and Mike gave an excellent representation of Lawline toprospective customers, faculty, and all interested in our programs.

Previous Months’ CV Awards – Driven To Find A Better Way

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Interdepartmental Pop Quiz!

Posted August 8, 2012 by Ambassador Ann

Rob: We often get caught up working in our own departments and not have any idea what is going on in different departments.  The purpose of my morning presentation was to see how much everyone knew about the other departments that they don’t often interact with on a daily basis and to see how much everyone knew about their co-workers.

I made a question from each different department and also wanted to make some questions that I thought would be challenging for everyone.  In the end, it seems like we all know each other pretty well along with all of the departments!  Special shout out to the AMAZING Kyle Robinson for volunteering to be our official scorekeeper, I couldn’t have done it without him.

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Permalink: http://www.furthered.com/2012/08/08/interdepartmental-quiz/

Can You See What You Hear?

Posted August 8, 2012 by Ambassador Ann

“A big, old, hungry dog appeared at our door every morning.” Find the color. Give up? The answer is Gold.

In Monday’s morning presentation, Brandon decided to challenge the company to think outside the box. In the presentation, Brandon read 10 sentences which had hidden colors in each of them. The goal was to demonstrate that within everyday things, such as reading sentences, there can be hidden messages, or something you may have missed. In any situation you encounter, take time, analyze every word for what it is and hopefully you won’t miss the color.

Examples

  • The Brazilian student Paulo lives around the corner from us.
  • The Austrian physicist Wolfgang Pauli lacked the requisite documents to enter the U.S.
  • You shouldn’t sell this fossil very cheaply because it is a rare specimen.



Posted in: Actively learning, Seeking creative solutions | Leave a comment
Permalink: http://www.furthered.com/2012/08/08/can-you-see-what-you-hear/

Department Tip of the Week: CPE

Posted August 7, 2012 by Stephanie

In addition to our already sterling Continuing Legal Education (CLE) course library, Lawline has recently begun developing its Continuing Professional Education (CPE) courses for accountants, enrolled agents (EA) and registered tax return preparers (RTRP).
Our CPE department has been feverishly adding courses each week, but it’s important for Lawline as well as it’s potential audiences to know the important basics of CPE.  This week, the CPE department will help explain the differences between the many types of professionals that are required to take CPE credits across the country.

1.  RTRP.  All tax preparers who are paid to prepare tax returns are subject to the RTRP requirements.  Attorneys, Certified Public Accountants, and Enrolled Agents are generally exempt.
2.  EA. An EA is a person who has earned the right of representing taxpayers before the Internal Revenue Service
3.  CPA. A Certified Public Accountant is an individual who has graduated from a post-secondary learning institution with a degree in accounting.

When booking and presenting CPE courses it’s important to keep these factors in mind since different classes cater to different professionals.

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Lawline Photo of the Day

Posted August 1, 2012 by Stephanie

The Lawline Production Team downtown at Bowling Green Park!

Posted in: Exuding Optimism | Leave a comment
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