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Bar Blast – February 21, 2017

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February 21, 2017
You are invited to the
2017 West Virginia State Bar Annual Gathering
April 2-3, 2017 | Charleston Marriott
Includes CLE Seminars, Annual Banquet and Reception
Includes CLE Seminars Only
Includes Annual Banquet Only
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News

Citizen Soldier, Young Lawyer and Mentor of the Year Nominations
Nominations for Citizen Soldier, Young Lawyer and Mentor of the Year are due no later than March 6, 2017.
Citizen Soldier Nominations:
The 2017 Citizen Soldier Award will be presented at the 2017 Annual Gathering of The West Virginia State Bar at the Charleston Marriott. To obtain information regarding the awards process click here.
Young Lawyer of the Year Nominations
The 2017 Young Lawyer of the Year Award will be presented at the 2017 Annual Gathering. To obtain information regarding the awards process click here.
Mentor of the Year Nominations
The 2017 Mentor of the Year Award will be presented at the 2017 Annual Gathering. To obtain information regarding the awards process click here.

WV Lawyer Assistance Program Website
The West Virginia Lawyer Assistance Program is pleased to announce the launch of www.wvlap.org. The new website provides confidential information regarding services for Attorneys, Judges, Bar Applicants and Law Students who may be struggling with issues such as aging, retirement, stress, anxiety, burnout, work/life balance, depression, substance abuse, suicidal ideation, codependency, compulsive behavior, grief, trauma or any other mental/physical/emotional health disorders. The website also provides links to services related to education, consultation, assessment, intervention, healthcare, crisis management, law office management, monitoring and peer support.

Increased Security Requirements Coming to 
State Bar Membership Portal
The West Virginia State Bar will be increasing password security requirements from 8 to 12 characters in the near future.  General security standards require people to change their passwords regularly with specific character requirements in order to keep their account as secure as possible. The move is needed to protect the State Bar and its members from the rash of hacks that have occurred to large organizations.   Prior to July 1, each Bar member will be prompted to update his or her password upon login if it does not meet our security requirements.  Additional information will be forthcoming before changes take effect.

25th Family Court Circuit Vacancy
The Judicial Vacancy Advisory Commission is currently receiving applications to fill the judicial vacancy on the 25th Family Court Circuit serving Hardy, Grant and Pendleton Counties.    Candidates must submit their completed applications by no later than 5:00 p.m. on March 13, 2017.  The deadline for submittal of letters of recommendation or comment is March 20, 2017.  Applications and instructions are available at www.governor.wv.gov.  For more information about the application process, please call Manda Bickoff at 304-558-2000.  Interviews will be held in Charleston on April 4, 2017.  Click Here for the Application Form

Judge Neil Gorsuch, Nominee of the Supreme Court of The United States
In his role as State Bar President, John McGhee has received a request from the American Bar Association to comment on Nominee Gorsuch.  President McGhee does not personally know Judge Gorsuch but believes some members of the West Virginia State Bar may have had occasion to interact with him.  If you have personal knowledge of Judge Gorsuch’s professional qualifications, please contact President McGhee at 304-344-8900 or jmcghee@kaycasto.com.  President McGhee will pass any information he receives to the American Bar Association.

Legal Aid Wants Your Ideas: Brief Survey
What kinds of cases and problems do you feel Legal Aid of West Virginia should be handling?  We are developing a new Strategic Plan to guide our work over the next several years.  We are asking lawyers and judges to complete a short (just 5 questions!) online survey.  Click the link below to start the survey.  It should not take more than 5 minutes to finish.
Thank you for your cooperation.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Bruce Perrone at Legal Aid of West Virginia, 304-343-4481 ext. 2127 or email bperrone@lawv.net.

2017 State Bar Membership Directory

The 2017 edition of the membership directory will be available online at no cost to members soon. To purchase a paper version click here for the order form.
Public Comment

Legal Ethics Opinion: L.E.O. 2017 – Public Comment

The Lawyer Disciplinary Board is soliciting public comments on the following Legal Ethics Opinion: L.E.O. 2017-__ entitled “FACT WITNESS COMPENSATION”.
Deadline for submissions: April 7, 2017.
Click Here for More Information
Upcoming Events

April 2-3, 2017
The West Virginia State Bar Annual Conference & Meeting
Location: The Charleston Marriott Town Center – Charleston, WV
CLE: 6.1 credits. including 2 credits in Law Office Management and Substance Abuse
  • Legal Research in the 21st Century – Christina Steinbrecker Jack, Fastcase
  • Reflecting on Environmental Enforcement: The Advent of Mega Cases – John Cruden, Former Assistant Attorney General US Environment and Natural Resources Division
  • An update from the ABA – Linda Klein, President of the American Bar Association
  • Criminal Law – Professor Douglas Berman, Professor – Moritz College of Law, The Ohio State University
  • An Introduction to the New Era of Lawyer Assistance Program – Robert Albury, Jr, Director WV Lawyer Assistance Program
  • A Panel Discussion of Practicing Law in WV from the perspective of Women Attorneys – Judge Stephanie Thacker, United States Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals;Justice Elizabeth Walker, Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia; Cheryle Hall, West Virginia Court of Claims; Dina M. Mohler, Office of General Counsel, Charleston Area Medical Center

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