When it comes to your in-house career, are you headed in the right direction?  At our February signature luncheon - Career GPS for In-House Counsel - our panelists, GCs Steve O'Brien of the Gallup Organization and Ellen Koplow of TD Ameritrade, will explain the decisions they made at critical turning points that led to their current positions and the road hazards they confronted along the way. Vandana Allman, Chief of Leadership Development at Womble Carlyle, will facilitate the discussion. Then, each lunch table will be guided through a discussion of career challenges faced by in-house counsel, and strategies for facing those challenges. For more information and to join the discussion on Feb. 29, click here.

Many thanks to the 18 terrific volunteers who packed 192 boxes of non-perishable food items at Manna Food Center on Wednesday evening.  For most of the participants, it was their first outing with Team WMACCA - and they did us proud, finishing in one hour! (A special shout-out to the six attorneys from Emergent BioSolutions who told us they had been looking for a community service project when this one came calling.)

WMACCA will be back at Manna in Gaithersburg, MD, on Tuesday, February 28. Members, friends, and their children over 8 years of age are welcome. We start at 6:45 p.m. Want to join us? Registration is now open at http://www.cvent.com/d/mcql37

One of the hottest issues in the employment-law space is misclassification - whether a worker should be treated as an independent contractor or an employee. The costs of misclassification can be huge for employers, with remedies that include back wages, overtime, taxes, employee benefits, damages, and attorneys' fees and costs. This week's news alert - Treacherous Waters - Understanding and Navigating Independent Contractor Classification In a Hostile Legal and Regulatory Environment from Cooley LLP, a 2012 Emerald Sponsor of WMACCA - discusses all the aspects of this minefield and the proactive steps that businesses should take to limit their exposure. 

A final reminder:  If you have not yet renewed your WMACCA/ACC membership, the grace period has expired and your benefits have run out. Individual memberships expired on January 1 and the one- month grace period has now expired.  Don't miss out on a single thing going on at ACC and WMACCA! It takes only a few minutes to log onto the ACC website and renew your membership. And, at only $295 per year, ACC/WMACCA membership is the most effective investment you can make in your in-house career. Visit www.acc.com/renew to stay connected.

Are You A Value Champion?  Have you and your department made great strides in improving the value of legal spending -- either through a novel in-house project or in your relationship with your outside counsel?  If so, ACC invites you to demonstrate your leadership and submit your story for recognition as an ACC Value Champion.  Nominations are due by March 15.  Click here for more information and to submit a nomination....

ACC’s Member-to-Member Mobile App: It's Alive!  ACC’s Member-to-Member mobile app is now available.  Through this app, you can get ACC announcements, find members, participate in eGroup discussions, and build your own contact list. The app is ready for iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry devices. Go get it!

• The Literacy Council of Northern Virginia teaches adults the basic skills of reading, writing, speaking and understanding English in order to empower them to become more productive citizens. Through four distinct educational programs LCNV meets the diverse needs of the lowest literacy level and beginning-level English language learners. Click here for a flier that describes these four programs and provides details on the training schedule.  Please consider volunteering with the Literacy Council of Northern Virginia.
  

• The D.C. Bar Community Economic Development Project is sponsoring walk-in legal clinics to assist community-based entrepreneurs with general questions about their aspiring and existing small businesses.  They are seeking volunteers to staff these Small Business Brief Advice Clinics.  Volunteers will receive a free training manual on the legal issues that arise in the clinics.  Upcoming clinic dates are Sat., Feb. 11; and Wed., March 14.  Click here for a flier with full details and a volunteer form.
  

• Georgetown Law CLE is presenting its annual two-day Corporate Counsel Institute on March 8-9.  WMACCA members are invited to attend for $300 off the regular rate of $1195 for the two-day conference.  For more information, please visit https://www.law.georgetown.edu/cle/showEventDetail.cfm?ID=263.  For assistance with registration, contact Sarah Jean Kelly (sjk72@law.georgetown.edu).