PDO is back with its Solo/Small Firm Panel Discussion Series! August’s panel will take place next Wednesday, August 10, from 4:00-5:30 p.m. and features a panel discussion with four SJQ alums who started their own law practices: Anthony Capone (SJQ 2010), Jana Tibbitts (SJQ 2004), Russell Yauney (SJQ 2010) and Spencer Couch (SJQ 2009). An RSVP is required (link below).
What: A Light Dinner and Panel Discussion/Q&A on the topic, “What I Wish I had Known/What I am Glad I Knew When I Started My Firm.”
When: Wednesday, August 10, 4:00-5:30 p.m.
Where: Borchard Conference Room, College of Law
Who Should Attend: Students and Alumni. This is a great way to learn about practicing in a small or solo firm–the settings in which most private practitioners work. If you are a student, it will help you plan and understand how firms as a business operate (no matter the size—all firms are businesses, in the end). If you are an alum thinking about setting up your own shop, it is a great way to hear some tips from those who have blazed the trail.
RSVP: https://spreadsheets2.google.com/spreadsheet/embeddedform?formkey=dDM3LXJNYVpQTnpKOEdaRzJidXhOVXc6MQ
Panelists and Biographies:
- Anthony Capone, SJQ 2010, Law Office of Anthony Capone (business, real estate, estate planning) Tony is originally from New York but came to Utah in 1999 to attend college. Before law school he worked as a realtor in Orem, Utah, selling homes in Salt Lake and Utah Counties. He graduated from BYU in 2007 with a degree in Urban, Rural, and Environmental Planning. He then went directly to law school. During law school, he clerked the Multi-Cultural Legal Center doing immigration law and later at Bastar & Singer, doing business, estate planning, and real estate transactions. He currently works as a solo practitioner in Salt Lake City and practices a variety of areas including real estate, land use, estate planning, business, and immigration.
- Jana Tibbitts, SJQ 2004, Tibbitts Law, P.C., http://tibbittslaw.com/index.html, (family law, child welfare, disability and benefits). Originally from California, Jana received her B.S. degrees in Social Work and Honors Sociology from Utah State University before attending law school. During law school, she received the David T. Lewis Outstanding Clinic Award for her work at Utah Legal Services and Legal Aid Society. After law school, Jana established the Community Food Co-op of Utah, a non-profit food security project that continues to serve thousands of Utahns each month. Prior to co-founding Tibbitts Law, she maintained a very active child welfare and family law practice at Lokken & Associates, routinely representing clients in mediations, hearings, and trials. She has extensive child welfare training and has represented hundreds of clients in all aspects of juvenile court child welfare proceedings, from initial shelter hearings to appeals. She also served as a Family Dependency Drug Court attorney-member and has been the past recipient of the Parental Defense Alliance of Utah’s “Rookie of the year” award.
- Russell Yauney, SJQ 2010, Law Office of Russell Yauney http://rylegal.com/, (family law, adoption, parental rights). Russell was born in Utah, where he has lived for most of his life. He is an officer in the United States Army Reserves, and was deployed to Baghdad, Iraq from ’05-’06, prior to law school. Russell was named 2011 Pro Bono Young Lawyer of the Year by the Utah State Bar. He has contributed numerous hours to Family Law Clinic, the Street Law Clinic, and the Debtor’s Counseling Clinic, in addition to working on pro bono cases.
- Spencer Couch, SJQ 2009, Couch Law http://www.couchlawfirm.com/, (bankruptcy, tax, estate planning, business organization, and general litigation). After graduating from the University of Utah with B.A. degrees in both German and Political Science, Spencer attended the S.J. Quinney College of Law. During law school, Spencer focused on classes dealing with conflict resolution and client relations. He has worked for a large law firm, the Utah Attorney General, a US District Court judge, in a small firm, and as a sole practitioner. His experience allows him to see the legal system from all sides, giving him a balanced understanding of legal proceedings.