January 4, 2022
News
Interest Rate for 2022
The Administrative Office of The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia has set the interest rate at 4.00 percent for judgments and decrees entered during the 2022 calendar year. Click here for the Administrative Order of the Supreme Court of Appeals
Tuesday Legal Connect
Recruitment Update/Volunteer Need

The State Bar is in need of volunteer attorneys for all Tuesday evenings in January 2022 to field legal questions from the public as part of the "Tuesday Legal Connect" program. Volunteers from anywhere in the state can take calls remotely from their home, office, etc. All you need is a telephone and a computer/laptop/tablet. Volunteers are eligible to receive 1 pro-bono CLE credit for each two-hour shift completed. Each year, the largest law firms in WV individually cover a month, and we are now looking for medium and smaller sized firms to cover a specific week. If you or your firm would be interested in helping in January, please email David Frercks at dfrercks@lawv.net as soon as possible. 
West Virginia State Bar
Executive Director Position
The West Virginia State Bar, with the support of Association Options, is recruiting and evaluating candidates for the position of Executive Director.

Questions may be directed to Meggan Teague, Vice President of Strategy and Executive Search, at mteague@associationoptions.com
2022 State Bar Membership Directory Pre-Order
The pre-order information and forms for the 2022 paper edition of the West Virginia State Bar 2022 Membership Directory are available. Click here to pre-order the paper version.
Events

January 26, 2022 -- 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
CROSS EXAMINATION FROM BOTH CIVIL
AND CRIMINAL PERSPECTIVES
Live In-Person or Virtual Webinar

Host: West Virginia State Bar
Speakers/Topics:
  • Mark Neil - "Cross Examination in the Criminal Case Setting: Methods and Tactics"
  • Tammy Bowles-Raines - "Cross Examination: Back to the Basics - The Plaintiff's Perspective", and
  • John McGhee - "What You Want Out of It Decides How You Do It - Civil Case Cross Examination from the Defense Perspective"
Location: In-person at the State Bar Center, Large Conference Room, Charleston or via video conference.
Cost: Free
CLE: 3 credits



Facility Details:  Due to limited space at the State Bar Center, live registration is limited to 35 fully vaccinated attendees at The State Bar Center. There is unlimited capacity for attending the live webinar. If you do not receive a confirmation of registration, you will only be able to attend this seminar via video conference.  
If you are unable to use the stairs from the first floor to the lower level, please drive down the driveway on the left-side of the Bar Center and enter the building at the bottom of the driveway. There are also handicap accessible restrooms available. If you need other assistance, please contact the State Bar 304-553-7220, in advance of the meeting, so arrangements can be made.
Second Annual West Virginia Estate Planning Institute
Sponsor: The West Virginia Bar Association and WV State Bar Probate Law Committee
LocationCharleston Marriott Town Center, Charleston, WV and a simultaneous Zoom option
CLE: WV: 7.8 hours, including 1.2 ethics. Applied for OH, PA, & KY.
Speakers:
  • Christopher J. Winton, Ray, Winton & Kelley, PLLC J.E. White, Jackson Kelly PLLC
  • Marcia Broughton, Jackson Kelly PLLC
  • Anna M. Price, Jenkins Fenstermaker;
  • John Brewster, Ray, Winton & Kelley, PLLC
  • John F. Allevato, Spilman Thomas & Battle, PLLC
  • Joshua Rogers, Dinsmore & Shohl LLP

Learn about the new probate options for small estates, updates to estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer tax exemptions, charitable giving strategies, and much more. Also, back by popular demand, is a panel discussion on estate planning and probate issues, focusing on ethics and law practice management. Bring questions to ask the experts!


Sponsorship opportunities are available. Contact Tessa White at director@wvbarassociation.org
CLE Announcements
Temporary Waiver of Online and In-house
Continuing Legal Education Credit Limit

Due to ongoing 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, or half of the mandatory continuing legal education requirements FOR THE 2020-2022 reporting period.

Extension of the Bridge the Gap Requirement
Attorneys admitted to the WV State Bar between July 1, 2018 and December 31, 2020 have been granted a one-year extension of time to complete the mandatory Bridge-the-Gap Program.
The extension was based on a determination by the Court that attorneys within that time frame were adversely affected by the cancellation of the Bridge-the-Gap program scheduled in April 2020 due to COVID.