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Bar Blast -May 5, 2020

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May 5, 2020
2020 Annual Meeting
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COVID-19 Information 
FREE CLE WEBINARS ON COVID -19
May 6, 2020
 
WEBINAR 5:
In an effort to answer questions and communicate with the Bar, the Supreme Court has coordinated with the State Bar to offer this Webinar.
May 6, 2020
10:00-11:00 a.m.
1.0 CLE Credit Hour, Law Office Management
WV Courts Moving Forward:  A Conversation with the Supreme Court 
Speakers:  Chief Justice Tim Armstead
Justice John A. Hutchison
Supreme Court Clerk Edythe Nash Gaiser
Moderator:  Justice Beth Walker
Questions should be directed, during the webinar,  to Justice Walker at beth.walker@courtswv.gov. Questions will be answered as time permits or shortly after the conclusion of the webinar. 
(The materials used during the webinar can be accessed by  clicking here. )
 
WEBINAR 6:
May 6, 2020
1:00-2:00 p.m.
1.0 CLE Credit Hour, general credit
Keep Calm and Avoid Coronavirus Scams
Speaker:    Christian M. Capece, Attorney, Federal Trade Commission
(Note: Webinar 6 will not be recorded and will not be available at a later date.   During the webinar, attendees will be directed to the FTC website where information referenced by Mr. Capece will be available.)
The State Bar continues its efforts in bringing informed, educational content to its members during these unprecedented times.  
UPDATE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION
The State Bar will be mailing orange postcard reminders regarding membership reporting and fees in June for the July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021 fiscal year.  Please be sure to log into the membership portal and verify or update your contact information by June 1.
NATIONAL ABA LAWYER WELL-BEING WEEK
Don’t forget to visit West Virginia Judicial & Lawyer Assistance Program at wvjlap.org, May 4th through 8th, for information on National ABA Lawyer Well-Being Week. 
Judicial Emergency Extended to May 15, 2020
Access to WV County Courthouses
Many West Virginia county courthouses have closed their doors to the public as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Each county is dealing with issues and may allow access as needed for such things as performing record reviews, including title searches.  To assist with contacting county officials, the West Virginia Association of Counties has provided contact information for County Officials.  To view the contact information for each County’s Assessor, Circuit Clerk, Commission, County Clerk, Prosecutor, and Sheriff click here.
CLE Announcements
Supreme Court Extends CLE Reporting Period and Bridge the Gap Completion Dates
 
Due to ongoing CLE issues caused by the COVID-19 virus, the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia has granted a request from the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Commission for a one-year extension for completion of the Bridge the Gap program for certain attorneys and an extension of the CLE reporting period to September 30, 2020.  The reporting period normally would have ended on June 30, 2020.  Click here to view the full Court Order 
Bridge the Gap Extension:
Attorneys admitted between July 1, 2018, and April 30, 2019, are granted a one-year extension to complete the Bridge the Gap program.  Therefore, those attorneys must complete the program within thirty-six months after their admission to the Bar.  The necessity for this extension was due to the cancellation of the April 2020 session of the Bridge the Gap course for new admittees.
CLE Reporting Period Extension:
  • All required CLE credits must be completed and reported by September 30, 2020, to avoid late filing fees.
  • An email reminder notice will be sent on August 31, 2020 to those attorneys who are not yet in CLE compliance.  
  • Credits submitted after October 1, 2020 for the 2018-2020 reporting period will require a $50 late filing fee.  Credit will not be entered until the late fee is paid.
  • Certified notice will be sent out as soon as practicable after October 1, 2020, to those attorneys who are in non-compliance after the September 30 reporting deadline.
  • Attorneys will have 30 days from the date of the certified notice of non-compliance to complete and file courses to attain CLE compliance.
  • A petition to suspend any attorney who does not attain CLE compliance within that 30 day period will be sent to the Supreme Court of Appeals.
  • Attorneys will be suspended until such time as they have established CLE compliance.  
New Pro-Bono CLE Rule
Per Rule 6.05 (f) of the new State Bar Administrative Rules: A lawyer may obtain one credit hour for every three completed hours of pro bono legal service which satisfies Rule 6.1 of the West Virginia Rules of Professional Conduct and is performed during the reporting period.  A maximum of six hours of mandatory continuing legal education credit for approved pro bono service hours may be obtained for any two-year reporting period, and no additional service or credit hours may be carried over to the next reporting period. 
While the majority of Rule 6 is not effective until the July 1, 2020-June 30, 2022 reporting period, the pro bono service rule is effective July 1, 2019.
Pro Bono Legal Service – CLE Credits
The CLE Commission has been asked to interpret the phrase “[a] lawyer may obtain one credit hour for every three completed hours of pro bono legal service…,” as contained in Rule 6.05(f) of the State Bar’s Administrative Rules.  The Commission has interpreted the phrase to mean that no partial credit will be given for pro bono work.  An attorney must complete three full hours (or multiples thereof) in order to earn the associated one CLE credit. 
Temporary Waiver of Online Continuing Legal Education Credit Limit
Due to concerns associated with the COVID-19 virus, the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia has granted a request from the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Commission for a temporary waiver of current CLE rules and regulations which limit the CLE credits for online and in-house credits to 12 credits.   The temporary waiver is limited to the 2018-2020 reporting period. Please see the attached link for the full Order of the Court
Recorded Videos of State Bar Seminars 
Available for Viewing for Online Credit
Eighteen and one half hours of online CLE credits are currently available to attorneys through viewing recorded videos of previous State Bar seminars.  The subject matters are criminal law (2 credit), succession planning (3 credits, including 3 credits in Law Office Management), probate law(3 credits), marijuana law (3 credits, including 1/2 ethics credit),  landlord tenant law(3 credits), intellectual property law (3 credits), keeping healthy during the pandemic (1/2 credit in attorney well-being), and maintaining ethics in crisis (1 credit in ethics).  Links are provided below to view the videos and to report the credits upon completion. 
Criminal Law – Click here for seminar link
Succession Planning  – Click here for seminar link 
Probate Law – Click here for seminar link
Marijuana Law – Click here for seminar link
Landlord Tenant Law – Click here for seminar link
Intellectual Property Law – Click here for seminar link
Keeping Yourself and Your Practice Health During the Pandemic
Maintaining Ethics in a time of Crisis; WV Office of Disciplinary Counsel Click here for seminar link
On April 16, 2020, The Supreme Court of Appeals ordered that the 2018-2020 CLE reporting period be extended to September 30, 2020.  
Let us Help YOU Submit Your CLE Credits
Tips and Step-by-Step Directions on 
How to Submit Your CLE Credits
Per the Order of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia, your CLE Reporting Period has been extended to September 30, 2020.  Attached are directions for submitting your credits.  Print the attached document and use it as your CLE Reporting Guide.  If you do not submit your own CLE credits, please share this document with the individual who reports your CLE Credits.  
Upcoming Events
May 13, 2020 1:00 – 4:00 pm
Free Ethics Webinar
The 2020 ETHY AWARDS
CLE:  3 Ethics CLE credits
Host:  State Bar
Speaker:  Sean Carter – Harvard Law School graduate with 10 years of legal practice focused on corporate securities and mergers and acquisitions. He left the practice of law to pursue  a career as the country’s foremost Humorist at Law. He has since delivered comedic professional educational seminars for more than 400 organizations in more than 40 states.
This webinar will also be recorded and available for viewing at a later date.
June 4 – 5, 2020
62nd Annual WVAJ Convention & Seminar ONLINE!
Sponsor:    West Virginia Association for Justice
Location:    Online
CLE:    14.4 CLE hours, including 3.9 in ethics and law office management   
Open to all West Virginia attorneys.  The best high-quality, low-cost CLEs available–and you can attend from the comfort of your home or office.  Special discount available thru May 17!
June 18, 2020 
Family Law CLE
Note:  Rescheduled from April 3, 2020
Host:  Kanawha County Family Law Bench Bar Committee
Location:   Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center
CLE:    8.9 hours – including 1.1 credits in law office management.  
A block of hotel rooms is reserved at the Charleston Marriott Town Center for June 17 and June 18, 2020 at the low rate of $96 plus tax and fees per night. If you would like to make a reservation you can call Marriott Reservations at 1 (800) 228-9290.  When calling, please identify yourself as part of the “June 18 CLE group.”
Save the Date:  JULY 13, 2020 
1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
FREE LAW OFFICE MANAGEMENT WEBINAR
CLE:  3 hours  in law office management
Speakers:  Stephen Embry, Esq.
 Brett Burney, Esq.
 Michael Mellace, MS
More information coming soon
*You are receiving this email because you have elected to receive the Bar-Blast from the WV State Bar. To change you email address or manage your email subscriptions, you must log into the Membership Portal at mywvbar.org. This mailing list is updated weekly. 

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