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Last Call! RI Bar Award Nominations Are Due This Friday, March 14
It's time to recognize excellence in the legal profession with the 2025 Rhode Island Bar Association Awards! With just one week left, this is your last chance to submit nominations. Help us honor outstanding legal professionals—nominations for all awards are due by this Friday, March 14, 2025.
The four awards open for nominations are listed below. Please click each link for more information and detailed award criteria.
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Your nominations help to recognize and celebrate the outstanding efforts of your fellow members. Acknowledging their accomplishments not only honors your colleagues but also serves as inspiration for the entire legal community.
Please email your nominations or direct questions to Director of Communications Erin R. Cute at ecute@ribar.com.
Names of past award winners can be found here on the Bar's website. We encourage you to send in your nominations today!
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2025 RI Bar Association Annual Meeting
Mark your calendars! The Rhode Island Bar Association Annual Meeting will take place on Thursday, June 12, and Friday, June 13, 2025, at the Rhode Island Convention Center. The Annual Meeting brings members of the legal community together to learn, exchange ideas, and reconnect with colleagues while fulfilling CLE requirements.
This year’s program features 35 workshops and two engaging plenary sessions. We are pleased to welcome Professor Bryan A. Garner as our opening plenary speaker. A renowned lawyer, lexicographer, and expert in legal writing, Professor Garner has dedicated his career to enhancing clarity and effectiveness in legal communication. For the closing session, we are honored to host Hon. Lara E. Montecalvo, Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
Attendees can look forward to the always popular Civil Case Law, Criminal Case Law, Family Case Law, Trusts & Commercial Law Updates and Estate Planning, along with an outstanding lineup of additional workshops.
New this year! On Friday, we’re introducing more opportunities to connect. The day kicks off with a New Member Coffee Mixer for those admitted to the Bar within the past ten years, providing a chance to meet and network in a casual setting. During the lunch break, we are hosting a Headshot Event, providing a free opportunity to update your professional photo while connecting with colleagues.
We look forward to seeing you at this don't-miss event. More information regarding how to register will be disseminated to members next month.
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Upcoming Continuing Legal Education | |
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2025 DUI Laws & Hardship Licenses
March 27 | 2:00-4:00 PM
2.0 credits | In Person Only
The prosecution and defense of DUI cases are rapidly changing. Significant changes include the introduction of the Intoxilyzer 9000 breath testing machine, the use of drug recognition experts in addition to the standardized field sobriety tests, and the potential for individuals in drunk driving and refusal cases to obtain a hardship license after the installation of an ignition interlock device.
This program will provide a comprehensive nuts-and-bolts analysis of the basics of drunk driving and refusal cases and an extensive review of the changing science and technology in these cases.
The interactive program is appropriate for both new and experienced attorneys. Attendees will receive a digital copy of the 2025 DUI Practice Manual.
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Excelling in Commercial Law Litigation
April 2 | 1:00-4:00 PM
3.0 credits | In Person Only
This program is designed to deepen your expertise in commercial law by focusing on the litigation aspects that attorneys frequently encounter. Panelists will cover best practices for drafting commercial documents, with particular attention to identifying and mitigating potential risks.
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Electronic Discovery Conferences and Orders—Rhode Island and Federal
April 4 | 12:30-1:30 PM
1.0 credit | Live Webinar Only
This program will provide an introduction (or refresher) on meet and confers pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(f) and Super Ct. P. 26(a)(2) and select strategic considerations concerning orders governing discovery of electronically stored information ("ESI").
| Be sure to visit the CLE calendar as new programs are added regularly! | |
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It's March Madness at the Volunteer Lawyer Program
Please consider joining your bar association’s ongoing public service efforts to put a winning team together for justice in our communities and score big for a client who needs a full “court” press!
We have provided the screen. Now we can only continue with the assist by passing to you to provide the offense that is vital for many Rhode Islanders to power forward with their lives.
So please contact John Ellis or Elisa King today and pick and roll from the sweet 16 civil cases waiting for placement. So many of our pro-bono clients are in critical need of the representation that only you can provide.
Your “Fan Base” is truly grateful!
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Expand Your Practice This Spring
The Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral Service (LRS) offers you a major opportunity to obtain new clients while you provide a public service. For only $8.00 a month we can help market your practice and increase your client base. New members may join now for the special price of only $35.00 until September 2025 at which time you can choose to renew for the annual membership fee of only $100.00.
Joining is an easy process! Applications are available for completion on the Bar Association website at ribar.com. You may also contact Ana Dominguez to directly to receive an application. If you have any questions about the referral process or would like more detailed information, please contact us.
There is a definite need to expand our referral panels statewide in all areas of law including: Cyber Crime, Condominium, FHA, Education, Employment, HIPPA, Non-profit 501C3, Social Media & Wage Garnishment.
If you are an existing member and would like to update any of your practice areas, please contact Ana at 401-421-7799 or email her.
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Our department receives hundreds of calls every month and, in turn, those seeking legal assistance receive referrals through the programs that most suit their needs and eligibility. Many others receive pertinent information or referrals to other offices and agencies. | | |
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To see the break down of these calls, click here or on the image above.
We are extremely grateful for our members participation in each of these public service programs.
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Foundation Scholarships
The Rhode Island Bar Foundation is offering several scholarship opportunities to Rhode Island residents interested in a career in the law for the academic year 2025-2026.
The Thomas F. Black, Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund was established in 1989 to support and foster high legal practice standards by assisting Rhode Island residents who show promise that they will become outstanding lawyers and who need financial assistance to study law. Two $25,000 Black scholarships will be available to incoming first year law students.
In addition to the Thomas F. Black, Jr. Memorial Scholarships, the Foundation will award two new $25,000 scholarships, the Patrice A. Tarantino Memorial Scholarship and the Nicole J. Benjamin Scholarship. Two additional law school scholarships from the Papitto Opportunity Connection Foundation in the amount of $25,000 each will be awarded to candidates who are committed to actively promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in society.
Each scholarship is a one-year, non-renewable award for full-time Rhode Island residents entering their first year of law school in September 2025. The Rhode Island Bar Foundation Scholarship application deadline is March 31, 2025. For more information and application forms, telephone: (401) 421-6541 or email: tgallo@ribar.com. More Information and application forms are also available on the Rhode Island Bar Association website: ribar.com in the Rhode Island Bar Foundation section.
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Happy March! Much like you may conduct a spring cleaning this time of year to rid your house of clutter, it’s also important to review and eliminate any messy or unnecessary practices your law firm can do without!
When taking a look at how to improve your firm’s attorney-client relationship processes, take time to address these core areas:
- Engagement letters – having a robust engagement letter helps identify the scope of legal representation, communication methods, billing structures, and other key details of working together productively.
- Practice management – identify tools to monitor deadlines, case documentation, pre-litigation requirements, and other core aspects of doing business together.
- Communication – develop methods to keep clients “reasonably informed” regarding the status of a matter or litigation. Develop protocols to avoid social engineering fraud.
- Conclusion of representation – whether a case terminates naturally or prematurely, develop a termination letter and other records.
The end result? By following best practices, you can maintain positive and collaborative relationships with your clients from the very beginning to the very end of working together. Learn more by clicking here.
Speak to an agent today about professional liability insurance from Aon Attorneys Advantage and get a quick quote online!
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What do you use to troubleshoot technology? Some of the better options for DIY are Reddit and YouTube. If you’re experiencing a technology-related issue – there’s probably a Reddit thread or a YouTube video about it. Go ahead, test the theory yourself.
This tech tip is brought to you by the Bar Association’s Law Practice Management Consultant, Jared Correia, of Red Cave Law Firm Consulting. If you need help with billing, client relations, data management, financial management, marketing, office technology, time management, disaster prevention & recovery, or any other area related to managing your practice, Red Cave Law Firm Consulting will provide Rhode Island Bar Association members with unlimited virtual consulting services (email, telephone, chat, video) FREE OF CHARGE. To get started, visit the Bar’s LPM page here, or just email Jared directly at jared@redcavelegal.com.
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The opinions, statements, and facts presented in our newsletter do not necessarily reflect the official stance of the Rhode Island Bar Association or its members unless specifically highlighted. | | | | |
