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MAY 2019
Making the Time Finding My Balance Between Law and Home
My dad always taught me to fight for the voiceless. He told me our good tidings and resources should be used to help those who haven’t been so fortunate. Ever since I was a little girl growing up in South Korea, my family instilled in me these values I still carry to this day. Luckily, over the years I’ve been fortunate enough to pass those lessons along to my family and clients alike. For that, I am forever grateful. When I first started this firm in 2011, I knew I wanted to give back to my community in ways only an attorney could, and since then, my husband and I have been able to do just that. Here at Pendleton Law we believe no person should go unrecognized, no matter what kind of hand they’ve been dealt in life. That’s why we continue to fight for our clients day after day and work tirelessly to see their cases resolved with the best possible outcome. While finding the proper balance between marriage, family, and client dedication can be difficult, we can rest easy knowing we’ve given everything to better our lives and the lives of those around us. I see all these moving parts as inextricably connected to one another to begin with. While we fight for our clients first and foremost, we also keep up our standard of care, so our children can grow up with the role models they deserve. That balance is shown through the many satisfied clients we’ve been able to serve here at Pendleton Law. Their smiling faces show us that justice has been served— and we’re just getting started. Our work has ripple effects we can’t even begin to understand. While you may not think it today, my future wasn’t always so set in stone. As my dad worked as a college professor and youth pastor when I was growing up, we moved back and forth from South Korea and the United States every few years. In Jan. 2000, when I was a junior in high school, we settled down here for good. Through
my lifelong passion for music, I attended the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill on a music scholarship for classical piano. I was all settled in the fact that I would spend my life as a pianist until I decided to take the LSAT during my senior year. Those study sessions and meetings leading up to the exam started to change my life’s direction. I began attending every law-related club I could find on campus and asking every question I could think of about law school. Then I pulled the trigger, packed my bags after graduation, and headed off to North Carolina Central University to begin my journey in law. Along the way, as fate would have it, I had a law class at NCCU with my future husband, Damon. After my graduation, we moved to Virginia to start our professional lives. Damon and I were married in July 2010. Understandably, we were very excited to start our careers in our respective fields, but life is not a cake walk for a couple of brand- new lawyers. After a few contract attorney jobs commuting back and forth between Washington, D.C. and Richmond and a position at another law firm here in Richmond, I decided it was time to pave the way for myself, and in mid-2011, I did just that. Two months later, my husband, an incredible attorney in his own right, joined the firm, and we began growing our business to where it is today. Around the time we opened the firm, we learned our first child, Jordan, was on the way. Now, with four kids on our hands, we have a full family and even fuller hearts. As if that wasn’t enough, our firm is doing better than we could have ever dreamed, and we only have our clients to thank for that. Through your trust, we have been able to serve the Richmond area over the past eight years, and we look forward to many more. No matter what life throws at
The Pendleton boys catch a recent game at the Diamond
you, the dedicated professionals at Pendleton Law are here to see your case through to the end. For more information on how we can help, give us a call at 804-250-5050 or visit our website anytime at VirginiasInjuryLawyers.com.
-Christina Pendleton
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THE GOLDEN ERA OF ATHLETES ON SOCIAL MEDIA Out of the Dark and Onto the Web
It’s not an overstatement to say that social media has revolutionized the way we live our lives today. But with that massively powerful platform comes a massive responsibility, especially if you’re already in the spotlight. Athletes have taken the opportunity social media affords them to build their personal brands and engage in community outreach with the fans who look to them as role models, but there’s a downside to cataloging years of unfiltered thoughts on the internet. For better or worse, social media is here to stay, and we have full access to all the drama that unfolds for our entertainment. Despite the web’s potential for good, some pros can’t seem to get the message that every post falls under the scrutiny of the public. PR firms representing players have now made it a top priority to keep their clients’ images in line by scrubbing old posts that could be offensive and land them in hot water. Still, though, it seems like there’s a new controversy every week. One of the best examples comes courtesy of former football star “Johnny Football”Manziel. The former Heisman Trophy winner was notorious for posting embarrassing images of himself partying when he should have been practicing, and he often blasted his private issues in public,
seemingly with no filter. He’s out of a job now, most recently having been banned from the Canadian Football League. For every bad apple, though, there is a bushel of athletes who use their platforms for the greater good. Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt, five-time Pro Bowler and NFL star, has used his social media “juice” to spread the word about his charity, raising over $4.6 million for youth athletic programs and organizations.
Philanthropy aside, part of the beauty of celebrity social media is that the people who seem so much larger than life become accessible because of it. In decades past, you might have written a letter that, if you were fortunate, got a response from some unpaid intern. Today, fans can reach out directly to their favorite athletes. It is a personal connection unparalleled in history. What a time to be alive.
Leaving a Legacy of Giving MAKING CHARITY A PART OF YOUR ESTATE PLAN
Your estate plan is far more than just a set of documents. It’s a declaration of what you find most important and a roadmap of the legacy you’d like to leave. Not only does a proper estate plan ensure that your loved ones will be taken care of when you’re gone, but it also allows you to make an impact on the wider world through charitable giving. Many avenues exist for making planned gifts to nonprofits, but here are some of the basics on how to make giving a part of your plan.
notify an organization about what you are planning to give. Smaller philanthropies may not accept complex assets, such as stocks or real estate. On the other hand, some charities may specialize in specific assets. For example, if your home is considered a historic site within your town, you may want to gift it to a preservation society so that it stays properly maintained.
DECIDE HOW TO GIVE
NAME A CHARITY IN YOURWILL
There are different ways to structure a charitable bequest, giving you the flexibility to make sure your estate planning goals are met. If you have a set sum of money or a particular asset you wish to leave to a charity, you can make a specific bequest in your will. However, if you want to ensure your loved one’s needs are met before giving a portion of your estate to charity, you can make what’s known as a residuary gift. With a residuary gift, once debts have been paid off and your other beneficiaries have received their bequests, a specified percentage of your remaining estate will go to a charity of your choice.
The most basic way to give to a charity is by naming it in your will. Simply name the charitable organization you wish to support among your beneficiaries, and specify the assets you wish to give. If estate or income taxes are a concern, ensure your chosen organization is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit. These are the charities the IRS deems tax-exempt.
MATCH THE ASSETS TO THE CHARITY Almost all charities will accept cash bequests, though
OTHER AVENUES
Depending on your income level and the kinds of assets in your estate, more complex means of making a planned gift may be available to you. Talk to your estate planner to see if creating a charitable trust or establishing a foundation is the right move for you.
it is always a good idea to
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TAKE A BREAK
How to Cultivate Valuable Customer Reviews THE GOOD KIND OF GOSSIP When you’re thinking about buying a new product or service, what’s the first step you take? If you turn to the WorldWide Web in search of reviews, then you’re in good company. According to a survey conducted by BrightLocal, 85 percent of consumers regard the customer review to be the single most credible and trustworthy source of advertising. That same survey found that 68 percent of customers surveyed were willing to provide feedback for a company. So, how do you get your customers to write the glowing reviews that help close deals? Don’t rely on customers to go to your website to leave reviews. There are numerous websites you can utilize that make leaving feedback more convenient for your clients. What’s more is that these other platforms are highly trafficked. BrightLocal found that Facebook and Yelp were consumers’ most trusted sources of user reviews in the U.S., but you can also use Google My Business or the Better Business Bureau. Most importantly, be sure you are active on all the platforms you use. DIVERSIFY YOUR PLATFORMS
SHRIMP SAUSAGE SKEWERS
Ingredients
OFFER INCENTIVES
CREOLE SEASONING
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1/2 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined 1/2 pound cooked sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces
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2 tablespoons paprika
Give your clients a reason to write reviews. Consider offering incentives like a discount or coupon code, coffee gift card, or an entry to win a contest for an even bigger prize.
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1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
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1/2 tablespoon onion powder
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2 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
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1/2 tablespoon cayenne or chili powder
ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
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2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
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Wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
Think of the review process as a conversation rather than a request to be met, and use open-ended questions to start. Before you even request a review, you can ask customers questions like “How was your recent experience with us?” or “How are you liking your product?”That way, you can gauge their satisfaction before they leave any feedback.
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1/4 tablespoon dried oregano
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1/4 tablespoon dried thyme
Directions
1. Heat your grill to medium high. 2. In a bowl, combine all ingredients for creole seasoning. 3. In a large bowl, combine the shrimp, zucchini pieces, and sausage pieces, and cover them with the olive oil. 4. Add creole seasoning and mix well until all ingredients are covered. 5. Load up skewers with alternating pieces of shrimp, sausage, and zucchini until they’re full. 6. Grill skewers until shrimp are well-cooked (6–8 minutes). Inspired by Food Network
RESPOND, RESPOND, RESPOND
The last thing you want to see is a scathing one-star review. But no matter how hard you work, they are still bound to happen. When you receive one, take the time to respond thoughtfully —without being defensive — and try to come up with a possible solution to the complaint. And be sure to respond to your positive reviews as well. When you show that you engage with all of your customers, prospective ones will be more likely to give you a shot.
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804-250-5050 www.virginiasinjurylawyers.com
T H E H E AV Y H I T T E RS
1506 Staples Mill Rd. Ste. 101 Richmond, VA 23230 L A W T E A M Christina Pendleton & Associates, P.C.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1 2 3
My Journey to Becoming an Attorney The Golden Era of Athletes on Social Media Making Charity a Part of Your Estate Plan
Shrimp Sausage Skewers The Value of User Reviews
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Genealogy Sites Provide Breakthroughs in Cold Cases
GENEALOGY SITES AND THE WARMING OF COLD CASES The Revolution in Forensic Science Continues to Captivate the Masses
We’ve come a long way in the field of forensic science since 1986, when DNA was first used to convict someone in court. In 2019, criminals who would have gotten away with their crimes in the past are now put behind bars where they belong. The advent of genealogy testing has been thrust into the spotlight with high- profile cases that were solved by sequestering information from sites like 23andMe and Ancestry.com. With this revolution in DNA testing on the rise, there’s really no end to the impossible-to-solve cold cases that can finally be put to rest. Whatever the motivation was behind genealogy sites in the beginning, they’re now some of the most sought-after databases in the world and are worth billions for their collection of the most personal consumer data in existence. Using these websites’ data, investigators can make DNA matches with potential offenders. The most famous recent case is the successful apprehension of Joseph James DeAngelo, otherwise known as the Golden State Killer.
After 13 murders and dozens of assaults, he was finally brought to justice after investigators matched his DNA to the evidence found at the crime scenes. They gained access to his DNA from the personal genomics site GEDmatch.
to its customers, law enforcement agencies successfully subpoenaed the companies to hand over the requested data. With the ability to theoretically solve any crime with preserved DNA, law enforcement and websleuths alike are foaming at the mouth at the possibilities genealogy testing has to offer. If only we’d preserved some of Jack the Ripper’s DNA!
Although access to the data of popular sites like 23andMe and Ancestry.com is restricted
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