2014 Annual Conference: “We are in this together”
This year’s Annual Conference will be held June 12-13 at Oglebay Resort & Conference Center. The event is for public defender and private attorneys committed to representing the indigent in criminal and family court, at all experience levels. Please monitor the PDS website at www.pds.wv.gov for more information as it becomes available. For questions, please contact Pamela Clark, CLRC Coordinator, at Pam.R.Clark@wv.gov
The USCIS Charleston Field Office, the only immigration service provider of its kind in West Virginia, will soon be relocating. Questions about this important move may be addressed to the WVU Immigration Law Clinic, at immigrationclinicofwvu@gmail.com.
Members of the Bar are invited to the retirement celebration for WVU Professor of Law and Dean Emeritus John Fisher on Wednesday, May 7, 2014, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the College’s new Event Hall. The John W. Fisher II Courtroom will be dedicated at 5:30 p.m. Please RSVP with names of all attending by May 1, 2014, to margaret.obuch@mail.wvu.edu.
By order entered April 14, 2014, the Court approved a 60-day period of public comment on major revisions to the Rules of Professional Conduct that are intended to update the rules in conformity with West Virginia law, and are largely patterned after the American Bar Association Model Rules of Professional Conduct. As a consequence of the proposed revisions to the Rules of Professional Conduct, two additional subject matters are affected: admission of out-of-state lawyers pro hac vice and the administration of client trust accounts, including the Interest on Lawyer’s Trust Accounts (IOLTA) Program. These two subject matters are addressed in Rule 8 of the Rules for Admission to the Practice of Law and proposed State Bar Administrative Rule 10, respectively. State Bar Administrative Rule 10 will form a part of a new set of rules that will replace the existing State Bar Rules and Regulations. The new State Bar Administrative Rules are still under development, and the remaining portions will be released for comment later this year. Because State Bar Administrative Rule 10 relates to the subject matter in the proposed amendments to Rule 1.15 of the Rules of Professional Conduct, it is appropriate for consideration as part of this package of rule changes. All practicing lawyers are encouraged to review the revisions carefully and submit comments. The public comment period closes on Friday, June 13, 2014. To review the proposed changes, click here.
By order entered April 11, 2014, the Court approved a 30-day period of public comment on proposed revisions to Trial Court Rule 29, governing the Business Court Division. The public comment period closes on Monday, May 12, 2014. To review the proposed changes, click here
