ABA's 'Legal Rebels' to give lecture at College of Law

Three attorneys who have used their law degrees in non-traditional, innovative ways will speak to students at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law during a special program on April 6.

The program, “ABA Legal Rebels: Reinventing the Profession,” will be held from noon - 2 p.m. in Room 105 and in the Steptoe & Johnson Rotunda of Armstrong Hall. The program is free for current College of Law students. (RSVP by April 4 on Symplicity; under the Events tab, click on “Workshops” and find “ABA Legal Rebels.”)

This year’s event will feature three lawyers who are among the ABA’s “Legal Rebels” who were selected and profiled by the American Bar Association’s monthly magazine, The ABA Journal. The ABA launched the Legal Rebels program to highlight the way legal professionals are reinventing themselves during the current economic downturn.

The Legal Rebels will talk about their different approach to the traditional practice of law, the unique challenges they faced and how they overcame them. They are:

• Mark Britton, founder, chief executive officer and president of Avvo, an online lawyer-rating website. Currently, the website maintains profiles for about 650,000 U.S. attorneys. The site was designed to connect a person who might not have much prior experience looking for legal advice to the right lawyer. Each lawyer’s profile includes work experience, education history and peer evaluations, among other information. To read Britton’s Legal Rebels profile, click here.

• Norman Gregory Fernandez, a motorcycle rider and enthusiast, in 2005 founded the Law Office of Norman Gregory Fernandez, which specializes in personal injury and motorcycle-related cases. Fernandez is also the author of bikerlawblog.com, which discusses legal issues, safety tips and ride reports. To read his Legal Rebels profile, click here.

• Following her graduation from law school, Janelle Orsi, a self-proclaimed sharing lawyer, launched her own sharing law practice that specializes in helping people share. For example, the practice drafted a contract for 10 families who built a day care center to cooperatively care for each others’ children. The practice also writes contracts for shared housing, car and workspace arrangements. Orsi also co-authors the blog, sharingsolution.com. To read her Legal Rebels profile, click here.

Staci McCabe, Staci.McCabe@asu.edu
(480) 965-8702
Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law