MARION COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION INVITES YOU TO ATTEND THE SWEARING IN OF MICHAEL JOHN ALOI - The Marion County Bar Association invites you to attend the formal swearing in ceremony for Michael John Aloi, who was recently appointed by Governor Earl Ray Tomblin as Circuit Judge for the 16th Judicial Circuit serving Marion County.

The Farmington, West Virginia, native and Fairmont lawyer will fill the judicial vacancy created by the retirement of the Honorable Fred L Fox II, the longest serving judge in the history of West Virginia. Michael John Aloi is a Past President of the Marion County Bar and the West Virginia State Bar.

The ceremony will take place on Thursday, August 4, 2011, at 4:00 pm in the Fred L Fox II courtroom, Marion County Courthouse, Fairmont, West Virginia. RSVP not necessary.

MEDIATION TRAINING SESSION - An  Advanced Mediation Training Session will be held on August 9, 2011, also at the Days Hotel in Flatwoods.  This session will offer 7.8 hours credit with 1.2 hours in ethics.  Registration deadline is August 5.  

Click here to register for the Advanced Mediation Training Session.

Click here to review the Agenda.

  
The State Bar has made arrangements with The Days Hotel for discounted rooms for those attending the training session.  Contact should be made directly with the hotel at 866-700-7284.  Advise the hotel you will be attending the training session to obtain The State Bar discount.  If you have questions concerning the discounted rooms, contact Kathy Henning at henningk@wvbar.org or 304-558-1044.    

FAMILY LAW COMMITTEE INVITES NEW MEMBERS - The next State Bar Family Law Committee meeting will be held on August 12th from 10:30 until noon at the State Bar Office in Charleston.  This is a very active committee and, if you practice family law, your participation is welcomed and encouraged.  The committee is working on an instructional videotape,  QDRO bank,  newsletter ideas and other ways to help our members.  For those who register with the Committee chair or The State Bar, lunch will be supplied after the meeting. Please attend!

PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD - The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia has placed proposed changes to the by-laws of The West Virginia State Bar for a public comment period ending August 26, 2011.  The proposal relates to the power of the State Bar to hold property and to borrow money.  Click here to review the Order and proposed amendments.  Please send any comments on the proposal in writing to Edythe Nash Gaiser of the Office of the Clerk, State Capitol, Room E-317, Charleston, WV 25305.

ETHICS: HOW TO AVOID HAIL MARY ETHICS - WVU v. MARSHALL - SUNDAY, SEPT. 4 - WVCLE, sponsored by The West Virginia State Bar and the WVU College of Law, will present the Ethics: How to Avoid Hail Mary Ethics live seminar on September 4, 2011, live at the WVU College of Law, Morgantown, West Virginia. This conference features experts addressing ethical implications of motions to recuse, ethical dilemmas for litigators in mediation as well as plaintiff's litigators, and perspectives on what defense lawyers do that they should not. Speakers include: Honorable John Preston Bailey, Honorable Michael J. Aloi, Allan N. Karlin, Esquire, and Michael J. Farrell, Esquire. If you would like to register for this seminar or for more information, please CLICK HERE or call (304) 293-7255. 

WEST VIRGINIA STATE BAR GOVERNMENT LAWYERS COMMITTEE presents CLE - Ethical 'Red Flags' for Public Lawyers: Responsibilities, Conflicts and More. This program focuses on the unique ethical issues confronted by public lawyers using an entertaining, interactive audio format. Expert panelists dramatize illustrative hypothetical scenarios followed by a discussion session after each hypo. Program topics include: special conflicts of interest for former and current government officers and employees; duties to former clients; communication with persons represented by counsel; organization as a client, and more.  Committee Chairperson Charlene A. Vaughan announced the Committee wants to increase its membership so the CLE is FREE to government lawyers and will be held November 8, 2011 from 12 pm to 2 pm in the 3rd floor OIG conference room at One Players Club Drive, Charleston, WV (1st right turn on Greenbrier heading for the airport). 1.8 hours of CLE audio ethics credit has been approved.

WEST VIRGINIA ETHICS COMMISSION - From time to time, the West Virginia Ethics Commission publishes a newsletter.  The latest edition is especially relevant for attorneys who advise governing bodies and/or public officials.  Specifically, the first article reviews the recent legislative changes to the Ethics Act, including the new Revolving Door provision; the second analyzes the United States Supreme Court's recent decision upholding the voting prohibitions in Nevada's Ethics Law, and discusses voting rules under the West Virginia Ethics Act.  Click here  to review the newsletter.

UPCOMING FASTCASE WEBINARS - Click here to review a complete listing of upcoming Fastcase webinars.    

These Fastcase webinars have now been approved for 1.20 online (audio/video type) office management credits each.