The Law Offices of Abigail Kelman

06/30/2026

Rabbi educators and school staffers, come join us tomorrow!

Are you a current or prospective nonprofit leader or staffer? Do you work at a religious school or day school? Are you interested in better understanding your employment terms, contract, or how to renegotiate?

📣 Register at bit.ly/klf-nonprofit-2026
⌚️Date/Time: Wednesday, July 1, 2026; 1pm ET/12pm Central

In this workshop with Abby Kelman of Kelman Law Firm, you will build familiarity with contracts and negotiations. This includes: basic terms, common negotiation pitfalls, red flags, salary and benefits requests, value of professional legal guidance, and which oft-forgotten contract elements are critical for your protection. This workshop is free of charge and open to all!

06/25/2026

Are you a current or prospective nonprofit leader or staffer? Do you work at a religious school or day school? Are you interested in better understanding your employment terms, contract, or how to renegotiate?

📣 Register at bit.ly/klf-nonprofit-2026
⌚️Date/Time: Wednesday, July 1, 2026; 1pm ET/12pm Central

In this workshop with Abby Kelman of Kelman Law Firm, you will build familiarity with contracts and negotiations. This includes: basic terms, common negotiation pitfalls, red flags, salary and benefits requests, value of professional legal guidance, and which oft-forgotten contract elements are critical for your protection. This workshop is free of charge and open to all!

02/11/2026

See you in 1 hour!

Are you in the midst of clergy placement or interested in better understanding your employment contract?

✨Register at bit.ly/klf-contracts-101 ✨

In this practical, hands-on workshop with Abby Kelman of Kelman Law Firm, you will build familiarity with clergy contracts and negotiations. This includes: basic terms, common negotiation pitfalls, red flags, salary and benefits requests, value of professional legal guidance, and which oft-forgotten contract elements are critical for clergy’s protection. This workshop is free of charge and open to all!

01/29/2026

Are you in the midst of clergy placement or interested in better understanding your employment contract?

✨Register at bit.ly/klf-contracts-101 ✨

In this practical, hands-on workshop with Abby Kelman of Kelman Law Firm, you will build familiarity with clergy contracts and negotiations. This includes: basic terms, common negotiation pitfalls, red flags, salary and benefits requests, value of professional legal guidance, and which oft-forgotten contract elements are critical for clergy’s protection. This workshop is free of charge and open to all!

10/17/2023

Are you a clergy-member up for renewal? In this practical, hands-on workshop with Abby Kelman of Kelman Law Firm, you will build familiarity with the nuances of renewal contracts and negotiations. This includes: common negotiation pitfalls, red flags, salary raises, benefits requests, annual increases, sabbatical clauses, and the value of professional legal guidance. This workshop is free of charge and open to all clergy, but guided towards clergy who are anticipating a renewal negotiation in the coming year.

Date/Time: Wednesday, December 13, 2023; 1pm ET/12pm Central
Registration Link: https://bit.ly/klf-renewals-2023

09/13/2023

Fun facts from this year at Kelman Law Firm! Happy New Year, everyone!

01/18/2023

Tomorrow at 1pm ET!

The recording and workshop materials will be sent out to all registrants.

Come join me next week, and forward to anyone who might be interested!

Are you in the midst of clergy placement? In this practical, hands-on workshop, you will build familiarity with employment contracts and negotiations. This includes: basic terms, common negotiation pitfalls, red flags, salary and benefits requests, value of professional legal guidance, and which oft-forgotten contract elements are critical for clergy’s protection. This workshop is free of charge and open to all clergy, but guided towards clergy who will graduate in 2023 or have graduated within the last three years.

Registration Link: https://bit.ly/klf-workshop-2023

01/11/2023

Come join me next week, and forward to anyone who might be interested!

Are you in the midst of clergy placement? In this practical, hands-on workshop, you will build familiarity with employment contracts and negotiations. This includes: basic terms, common negotiation pitfalls, red flags, salary and benefits requests, value of professional legal guidance, and which oft-forgotten contract elements are critical for clergy’s protection. This workshop is free of charge and open to all clergy, but guided towards clergy who will graduate in 2023 or have graduated within the last three years.

Registration Link: https://bit.ly/klf-workshop-2023

09/30/2022

Friends,
In a sense, this time of the Jewish year is all about contracts. In this past week's parsha of Nitzavim, Moses exhorts the people of Israel to affirm their covenant, their contract, with God. In Deuteronomy 30:11-13, after a litany of potential negative consequences, Moses reassures the people,

"Surely, this Mitzvah which I enjoin upon you this day is not too baffling for you, nor is it beyond reach. It is not in the heavens, that you should say, “Who among us can go up to the heavens and get it for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it?” Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who among us can cross to the other side of the sea and get it for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it?”"

That is, you have everything you need to fulfill this mission, should you choose to accept it. A covenant is a choice. God does not obligate or compel, but instead, asks through Moses, are we willing? Will we sign on?

This contract with God is one with an annual renewal clause. The High Holy Days are 10 days of a mandatory and solemn performance review. As we turn to this new year, what can we do in this year's heavenly renewal negotiations to inspire us to recognize our own contract of interdependence with our communities, the impact we have daily on the world around us? How can we take that responsibility as seriously as we take the deliberation of our own fate?

With those words, I wish you and your family a sweet and healthy new year.

08/29/2022

A sobering view of clergy burnout. .

“I just started associating ministry with having to learn new computer programs and having embarrassing, anxious moments around technology.”