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SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETER NEEDED - There is currently an urgent need for an attorney whose skills include sign language interpretation. If any member of the WV State Bar has this ability, or knows someone licensed outside of WV who has this ability, please contact Rebecca Lester at the West Virginia Human Rights Commission at 304-558-2616 ext. 76217 or by e-mail at rebecca.a.lester@wv.gov. |
| Unlawful Practice Committee Amends Advisory Opinion 2010-002 -
The West Virginia State Bar's Unlawful Practice of Law Committee has issued its "Amended Advisory Opinion 2010-002". This Opinion replaces the original Opinion and the Real Estate Guidelines which were previously issued by the Committee. The Amended Advisory Opinion clarifies many questions of growing concern over the unlawful practice of law in real estate transactions and related issues and is in conformity with recent case law that, has been ratified by the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. This Amended Advisory Opinion should be reviewed by all attorneys, legal assistants, and companies which are, in any way, involved with title work and real estate closings. For the full text of the Amended Advisory Opinion 2010-002 click here. The text of the Amended Advisory Opinion may also be accessed on The West Virginia State Bar's website. |
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP DUES - Dues payments must be received by September 1, 2011, to avoid the $25 late penalty fee. The 2011-12 Financial Responsibility Disclosure (FRD) Notice is located ON THE BACK OF THE DUES CARD. The FRD Notice must be received by September 1, 2011, to avoid an additional $25 late filing fee. Members who are on "active but not practicing" status, do not have to comply with this mandatory FRD requirement. If you have questions regarding your dues or FRD Notice, please contact Cheryl L. Wright at cheryl@wvbar.org |
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MANDATORY COMPLETION OF IOLTA INFORMATION - Effective July 1, 2010, The West Virginia State Bar was given administrative responsibility for the IOLTA program. The State Bar purchased a database and has been inputting data for the past several months. In order to complete this process, it is essential that each active member of The Bar complete a "Notice of Compliance with Rule 1.15." The completed form must be returned to The State Bar no later than September 1, 2011. To access the instructions and form for the Notice of Compliance click here. If you are a member of a firm which maintains one IOLTA account for all attorneys, or for a practice group, the managing member of the firm or practice group may complete the form for all attorneys listed on one account.
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HOW TO AVOID HAIL MARY ETHICS SEMINAR - SEPT. 4, 2011 - 3.3 WV MCLE credits, including 3.3 Ethics credits. WVCLE, sponsored by The West Virginia State Bar and the WVU College of Law, will present the "How to Avoid Hail Mary Ethics" seminar on September 4, 2011, 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 challenges faced by 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. The seminar is also approved in Pennsylvania for 2.5 PA MCLE credits, including 2.5 ethics credits. If you would like to register for this seminar or for ore information, please CLICK HERE or call (304) 293-7255. |
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CPS SAMS Legal Partner Survey- The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) Bureau for Children and Families (BCF) requests that any attorney who practices in child abuse and neglect cases complete a brief survey on your perceptions of Child Protective Services (CPS) and the Safety Assessment and Management System (SAMS), a new CPS model designed to respond in a more precise way to protect unsafe children and better determine child safety. Please CLICK HERE and take a few minutes to provide BCF with your feedback. If you have already completed this survey at one of the recent conferences or trainings for the legal or child welfare community, you do not need to do so again. The survey will be open through September 23, 2011. BCF thanks you for your time and participation.
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STATE BAR REGIONAL MEETINGS - The State Bar will begin its annual set of Regional Meetings on October 4, 2011. Ten meetings will be held at various locations throughout the State. The meetings will begin at 10:30 am, include a lunch, and should end by 1:30 pm. The meetings will provide a total of 3.0 MCLE credit hours in legal ethics, office management, substance abuse and/or elimination of bias. The cost is $100 per person. Click here for the registration form. Click here for a complete schedule of the Regional Meetings. |
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LAWYERS IN OUR SCHOOLS- To assist educators in locating attorneys who are willing to go into classrooms and/or work with after school and/or summer educational programs, The West Virginia State Bar is re-establishing its School Mentor Program. Attorneys who are willing to assist educators will appear on a separate database. When someone uses the "School Mentor Search" tab found under the Public Information heading, they may select participant in the areas of elementary, middle and/or high school and the county(s) in which they need assistance. If you are interested in participating in the Program, please sign into the members section, click "update profile" and go to the bottom of the page and make your selections: Click here for additional information.
Interested in becoming a mentor?
__ High School Mentor
__ Middle School Mentor
__ Elementary School Mentor
If you have questions, contact Anita Casey at caseya@wvbar.org
or 304-558-7993 or Don Ryan at ryand@wvbar.org or 304-558-8920.
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TAX CREDITS FOR ATTORNEYS AVAILABLE FROM LEGAL AID OF WEST VIRGINIA! Haven't yet made your annual contribution to the Campaign for Legal Aid? Now is the time - Legal Aid of West Virginia has NIP Tax Credits! Available on a first-come, first-serve basis, donors to the Campaign for Legal Aid may use NIP Tax Credits to reduce liability for the following West Virginia taxes: Corporate Income Tax, Business Franchise Tax and Personal Income Tax. The minimum eligible donation to receive NIP tax credits is $500.00. In return, LAWV will send you a Tax Credit voucher of up to 50% of your donation. For example, if you send LAWV $1,000, we'll send you back $500 in the form of a WV State Tax Credit --- it's that easy! For more information on NIP Tax Credits and donating to the Campaign for Legal Aid, contact LAWV Development Director Jennifer Jordan at 304.414.5438 or via email jjordan@lawv.net. Get them .... before they're gone!
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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. |
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