jquery validation plugin not working
$('#buttonID').live('click', function(event) {

        $('#formID').validate({
          rules: {
                firstName: "required",
                lastName: "required",
                phoneNum: {
                    required: true,
                    minlength: 10
                },
                pword: {
                    required: true,
                    minlength: 7
                },
                cpword: {
                    required: true,
                    minlength: 7,
                    equalTo: "#pword"
                },
                emailId: {
                    required: true,
                    email: true
                }
            },
            messages: {
                firstName: "Please enter firstname",
                lastName: "Please enter lastname",
                phoneNum: "Please provide a phone number",
                pword: {
                    required: "Please provide a password",
                    minlength: "Your password must be at least 7 characters long"
                },
                cpword: {
                    required: "Please provide a password",
                    minlength: "Your password must be at least 7 characters long",
                    equalTo: "Please enter the same password as above"
                },
                emailId: "Please enter a valid email address"
            }

        });

    event.preventDefault();
});

function createNewUser(event){
    //clear all the divs
                    if ($("#srchResults").length > 0){
                            $('#srchResults').empty();
                    }
        var htmlTable;

                    htmlTable = '<form id="userAttrC">';
                    htmlTable += '<table style="border: 0px; width: 91%;" id="createUserTable" class="rec_filters">';
                    htmlTable += '<tr><td>';
                    htmlTable += '<input type="submit" id="saveUser" class = "buttons" value="Save" >&nbsp;<input type="submit" id="cancelUser" class = "buttons" value="Cancel" >';
                    htmlTable += '</td></tr>';
                    htmlTable += '<tr>';
                    htmlTable += '<td style="width: 30%; vertical-align: top;">';
                    htmlTable += '</td>';
                    htmlTable += '<td style="width: 1%; text-align: center;">';
                    htmlTable += '</td>';
                    htmlTable += '<td style="width: 60%; text-align: left; vertical-align: top;">';

                    htmlTable += '<b>Personal Information</b><br />';
                    htmlTable += '<hr class="d">';
                    htmlTable += '<label for="salutation">Salutation:</label>';
                    htmlTable += '<select id="salutationDD" name="salutation" class="filterselect">';
                    htmlTable += '<option value=""></option>';
                    htmlTable += '<option value="Mr.">Mr.</option>';
                    htmlTable += '<option value="Ms.">Ms.</option>';
                    htmlTable += '<option value="Mrs.">Mrs.</option></select><br />';

                    htmlTable += '<label for="fname">First Name:</label>';
                    htmlTable += '<input type="text" name="fname" id="firstName" class="readOnlyIp" value="" /><br />';

                    htmlTable += '<label for="lname">Last Name:</label>';
                    htmlTable += '<input type="text" name="lname" id="lastName" class="readOnlyIp" value="" /><br />';

                    htmlTable += '<label for="suffix">Name Suffix:</label>';
                    htmlTable += '<input type="text" name="suffix" class="readOnlyIp" value="" /><br />';

                    htmlTable += '<label for="email">Email:</label>';
                    htmlTable += '<input type="text" name="email" id="emailId" class="readOnlyIp" value="" /><br />';

                    htmlTable += '<label for="country">Country:</label>';

                    htmlTable += '<select id="countryDD" name="country" class="filterselect">';

                    //get country list via ajax call
                    $.ajaxSetup({
                        async: false,
                        "error":function() {
                            alert("error");
                    }});
                    $.getJSON("<url>",
                    {
                    countries: "1"
                    },
                    function(data) {

                            htmlTable += '<option value=""></option>';

                            for(var i=1; i<data[0].length; i++){
                                htmlTable += '<option value="'+data[0][i]+'">'+data[0][i]+'</option>';
                            }
                    });
                    htmlTable += '</select><br />';

                    htmlTable += '<label for="phone">Phone Number:</label>';
                    htmlTable += '<input type="text" name="phone" id="phoneNum" class="readOnlyIp" value="" /><br />';

                    htmlTable += '<label for="ext">Phone Extension:</label>';
                    htmlTable += '<input type="text" name="ext" class="readOnlyIp" value="" /><br />';

                    htmlTable += '<label for="cell">Cell Phone:</label>';
                    htmlTable += '<input type="text" name="cell" class="readOnlyIp" value="" /><br />';

                    htmlTable += '<label for="pwd">Password:</label>';
                    htmlTable += '<input type="text" name="pwd" id="pword" class="readOnlyIp" value="" /><br />';
                    htmlTable += '<label for="cpwd">Confirm Password:</label>';
                    htmlTable += '<input type="text" name="cpwd" id="cpword" class="readOnlyIp" value="" /><br />';
                    htmlTable += '</td></tr>';
                    htmlTable += '</table>';
                    htmlTable += '</form>';

     $('#srchResults').append(htmlTable);
    event.preventDefault();
}
$("#createUser").click(function(event){ createNewUser(event); });

$('#formID').valid();

if($('#formId').valid()){
    //do your form posting logic here
}
else{
   //anything special you want to do with an invalid form

}

$('#srchResults').append(htmlTable);

if($('#formId').valid()){
        //do your form posting logic here
    }
    else{
       //anything special you want to do with an invalid form

    }

$('#buttonID').live('click', function(event) {

var _validator;

$(function() {
    _validator = $('#formID').validate({
          onsubmit: false,
          rules: { ... },
          messages: { ... }
    });

    $('#buttonID').click(function(e) {
        e.preventDefault();
        if ( _validator.form() ) {
            // valid form code
        }
    });
});