BAR BLAST – July 14, 2015

Annual Membership Reporting & Fees

On June 12, 2015 all Active and Inactive members were mailed an orange postcard via USPS. This postcard contains instructions on how to complete reporting and fees for the 2015-16 fiscal year.

The deadline for Reporting and Fee payment is midnight, September 1, 2015. For more information on how to complete this process go to www.wvbar.org.

Annual Professional Limited Liability (PLLC) Organization Renewals 

In order to insure that your PLLC is in compliance with the laws of The State of West Virginia, you need to file an annual renewal application with The State Bar. Any change in the corporate organization from the prior year must be reported. COPIES OF CURRENT CERTIFICATES OF INSURANCE ARE REQUIRED. Every PLLC must also register an email address.

If your organization renewed online previously click here to login.  PLLC Annual Renewals were due by July 1, 2015.  If you have questions concerning PLLC reporting requirements contact Anita R. Casey at 304-553-7228 or caseya@wvbar.org. If you have questions concerning the process for online filing contact Mike Mellace at 304-553-7223 ormellacem@wvbar.org.

North Carolina Reciprocity

The West Virginia Board of Law Examiners and the Board of Law Examiners of the State of North Carolina have agreed to resume reciprocity admission for qualified applicants, effective immediately.  Additional information about North Carolina’s admission requirements may be obtained at https://ncble.org/.

Legal Aid of West Virginia Announces New and Retiring Board Members

Click here to see list of new and retiring board members. 

The Judicial Conference of the United States has authorized the appointment of a full-time United States magistrate judge for the Southern District of West Virginia at Bluefield.
Applications must be submitted only by applicants personally and must be received by July 22, 2015.

State Bar Annual Meeting 2016

The West Virginia State Bar is pleased to announce that the 2016 Annual Meeting will be held at The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.  Six hours of continuing legal education will be offered on Monday, April 4, for a total cost of $75.  Discounted room rates will be available for the dates surrounding the meeting. Agenda topics are being finalized.  Presenters will include members of our federal judiciary and two nationally renowned speakers.  A buffet dinner will be held on Sunday, April 3. All are invited to attend the dinner where 2015 Fifty Year Bar Members, Past Presidents of the State Bar and award winners for both the State Bar and Legal Aid of West Virginia will be recognized.  The cost for the dinner will be $130/person.  Keep watching the Bar Blast for updates on the Annual Meeting.

Trial Court Rule 15A.04

The Court has amended Trial Court Rule 15A.04, making participation of Actions in the e-filing Pilot Project in Jefferson County mandatory as of August 3, 2015.

The approval of the amendment is subject to a thirty-day comment period that concludes July 15, 2015.

Click here for a copy of the order

The Court is requesting public comment on amendments to the Rules of Child Abuse and Neglect Proceedings. The Rules have been updated and amended  to reflect code changes and codes repealed by the WV Legislature . The rules have also been amended to reflect changes in legislation following passage of the federal Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening  Families Act, approved on September 29, 2014. The Court has approved a 60 day comment period to end on July 28, 2015.Please send any comments to the WV Supreme Court Clerks Office.

Click here for the Order

The West Virginia Human Rights Commission is providing notice of public comment on the Proposed Legislative Rule, 77CSR10 Pregnant Workers’ Fairness Act (PWFA). Click Here to view the proposed rule.
Deadline for submissions: July 30, 2015 at 2:00p.m.

The Court entered an order seeking public comment on proposed revisions to the West Virginia Code of Judicial Conduct. The order is available on the Recent Rules Orders page of the Court’s website using this link.

The public comment period ends September 8, 2015. All comments must be in writing and filed with the Supreme Court Clerk’s Office.

On July 13, 2015, the Court entered an order requesting public comment on proposed revisions to the Rules of Appellate Procedure that will likely be of interest to your organizations. Among other changes, the proposed revisions are intended to provide guidance to counsel in criminal appeals, habeas corpus appeals, or abuse and neglect appeals when counsel lacks a good faith belief that an appeal is warranted, and the client demands that an appeal be advanced. The order is available atthis link. The deadline for public comments is September 11, 2015. All comments must be in writing and filed with the Clerk.

The Lawyer Disciplinary Board is soliciting public comments on the following Legal Ethics Opinions:

L.E.O. 2015-01: Use of Stand-In Counsel
Deadline for submissions: September 14, 2015. Please submit your written comments to the following address: Stand-In Counsel Committee, c/o Office of Disciplinary Counsel, 4700 MacCorkle Avenue SE, Suite 1200C, Charleston, WV 25304.

L.E.O. 2015-02: Social Media and Attorneys
Deadline for submissions: September 14, 2015. Please submit your written comments to the following address: Social Media
Committee, c/o Office of Disciplinary Counsel, 4700 MacCorkle Avenue SE, Suite 1200C, Charleston, WV 25304.

L.E.O. 2015: The Amended Rules of Professional Conduct and the Effect on L.E.I. 98-02
Deadline for submissions: September 14 2015. Please submit your written comments to the following address: L.E.O. Committee, c/o Office of Disciplinary Counsel, 4700 MacCorkle Avenue SE, Suite 1200C, Charleston, WV 25304.

July 20-21 & 23-24, 2015

WV Court Improvement Program Cross-Training Conferences 

Host: West Virginia Court Improvement Program

Location: Charleston Marriott – July 20-21,

Bridgeport Conference Center – July 23-24.

August 2-7, 2015

Summer CLE Seminar

Host: Waynesburg University’s Stover Center for Constitutional Studies and Moral Leadership

Location: Cambridge, England

August 13-15, 2015

West Virginia Bar Association Annual Meeting

Host: The West Virginia Bar Association

Location: Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, Farmington, PA

September 24-26, 2015

Appalachian Addiction and Prescription Drug Abuse Conference

Host: The West Virginia State Medical Association and CAMC Health Education and Research Institute

CLE: 16.1 Live Credits in Substance Abuse

Location: Embassy Suites – Charleston, WV

Click Here for the Registration Form

September 25-26, 2015

WVCLE Solo and Small Firm Law Conference (WVU v. Maryland)

Host: West Virginia Continuing Legal Education (WVCLE)

Location: WVU College of Law – Morgantown, WV

CLE: We will apply for MCLE credit in WV, PA, VA, KY, and OH.

More Information: CLICK HERE