The VLW Blog

Fairfax solo practitioner David Kaufman has been selected to administer the popular “SoloSez” listserv hosted by the American Bar Association.

Founded in 1996, SoloSez is a national e-mail forum that allows solos and small firm attorneys to exchange ideas and referrals. “It’s a very robust list,” Kaufman said. He estimates that about 600 lawyers post regularly, with another 1,000 or 1,500 that post once or twice a year when they have a problem.

“There are 200 to 300 messages a day,” Kaufman said. Topics include client selection, the handling of difficult clients, technology issues and referrals. It’s not all business, though. According to Kaufman, lively discussions occur over issues such as the proper use of cast iron pots and how to respond to the “Tropic Thunder” movie.

“It’s a way for solo and small firm attorneys to support each other,” Kaufman said. He begins his year-long contract as listserv admin in September.

Kaufman practices business and commercial law in Virginia, Maryland and D.C. Fittingly, his Web site is www.businessbrawls.com.

By Peter Vieth

Yesterday, the American Bar Association renewed its call for a nationwide moratorium on use of the death penalty; the group issued a report based on several states’ experience, calling the system “deeply flawed.” Virginia was not one of the states studied.

Through a spokesman, Attorney General Bob McDonnell says he disagrees with the ABA study, adding that the death penalty is constitutional and that the system works.

As a practical matter, there has been a general freeze in executions across the country since Sept. 25, when the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear the case of a Kentucky man challenging lethal injections as cruel and unusual punishment.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch has the story.