Bar Blast – March 14, 2017

March 14, 2017

You are invited to the

2017 West Virginia State Bar Annual Gathering

April 2-3, 2017 | Charleston Marriott

Registration Now Open | Click Here for More Information

FULL REGISTRATION: $115

Includes CLE Seminars, Annual Banquet and Reception

SEMINAR REGISTRATION: $75

Includes CLE Seminars Only

BANQUET REGISTRATION: $50

Includes Annual Banquet Only

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Opportunity to Sponsor State Bar Annual Gathering

Opportunities exist for individual attorneys and/or law firms to sponsor the State Bar Annual Gathering. If you are interested in serving as a sponsor click here. For additional information contact Anita Casey at caseya@wvbar.org.

The Roadmap to Successful Mediation: Effective Communication at Every Turn

An Advanced Mediation Training

The ADR Committee will be sponsoring a mediation training with Louise Phipps Senft, a nationally recognized mediator and mediation trainer, and author of the best-seller, Being Relational. This training will take place on June 28, 2017, at 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at the Bridgeport Conference Center and will qualify for 7.5 hours of CLE. Join us and learn how to more effectively communicate in mediation, whether as an advocate or as a mediator. All registrants will receive a complimentary copy of Louise’s book as part of the registration process. The Honorable Michael John Aloi will also present at the training. Cost for the training is $150.00. Click Here to Register. For further information contact Monica at monicahaddad@comcast.net.

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.

Beginning April 1, the State Bar will require anyone calling in to access or change information in the State Bar’s database to have the member’s date of birth and employer name. If the member is a sole practitioner, the employer name will be the member’s name. This measure is also intended to increase the security of information contained in the State Bar’s database.

29th Public Interest Advocates Auction

The 29th annual PIA auction will be held on Thursday, March 23 at the WVU College of Law in Morgantown. Dinner is served at 6 p.m. in the law school lobby; it is a buffet and costs $10 per person. The auction will kick off at 7 p.m. in the College of Law Event Hall. The auction is open to the public and FREE to attend. The live auction features sports memorabilia, game tickets, resort getaways, golf packages, jewelry, fine dining, trip packages, and much more!

All money raised goes toward funding summer and full time public interest fellowships for WVU College of Law students. For more information contact Jennifer Powell at the College of Law, jennifer.powell@mail.wvu.edu.

House Bill 2740 Moves Through Legislature

House Bill 2740 funding Public Defender Services moves through legislature. Click here for more information

2017 State Bar Membership Directory Now Available

The 2017 edition of the membership directory is now available online to members. To download or print a copy click here
To purchase a paper version click here for the order form.

Public Comment

Adoption of Amendment to Rule 23, Class Actions the Rules of Civil Procedure

By order entered on March 8, 2017, the Court approves an amendment to Rule 23 – Class Actions – of the Rules of Civil Procedure to provide for the distribution of residual funds.
Click Here for the Order

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

Proposed Amendments to the Rules Governing Guardians Ad Litem in Family Court

The Court has provisionally approved proposed amendments to the rules governing guardians ad litem in family court, and will accept public comment on the amendments through April 10, 2017. The amendments are necessary because guardians ad litem should not routinely be appointed in family court cases. Click Here for the Order

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

Click Here to Register

Click Here for the Agenda

Topics

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