January 31, 2023
FRIENDS OF THE STATE BAR
Nominations for Young Lawyer of the Year 
and Mentor of the Year now being accepted
 
Young Lawyer of the Year Nominations
The 2023 Young Lawyer of the Year Award will be presented at the 2023 State Bar Annual Meeting held at the Greenbrier Resort on Sunday, March 26, 2023.
Mail nominations to: The West Virginia State Bar/Young Lawyer Award, 2000 Deitrick Boulevard, Charleston, WV 25311 or submit by email to pickensmj@wvbar.org.

Mentor of the Year Nominations
The 2023 Mentor of the Year Award will be presented at the 2023 State Bar Annual Meeting held at the Greenbrier Resort on Sunday, March 26, 2023. Mail nominations to: The West Virginia State Bar/Mentor of the Year Award, 2000 Deitrick Boulevard, Charleston, WV 25311 or submit by email to pickensmj@wvbar.org.
 
Nominations must be received by 
noon on Friday, February 24, 2023
News
INTEREST RATE ON JUDGMENTS AND DECREES FOR 2023
The Administrative Office of The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia has set the interest rate at 7.00% for judgments and decrees entered during the 2023 calendar year.
The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia
Position Vacancy Announcement

The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia has an immediate professional opportunity for Chief Counsel in Charleston, West Virginia. This position directly reports to the Chief Counsel of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia.

Deadline to Apply - February 24, 2023
U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of West Virginia
Vacancy Announcement 23-1, Clerk of Court

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of WV is seeking qualified applicants for the position of Clerk of Court. The Clerk of Court is a high-level management position. The Clerk serves as the chief executive officer for virtually all the Court’s non-judicial functions and, as such, manages a wide variety of administrative and operational activities.

Please visit the Court’s website at https://www.wvnb.uscourts.gov/employment/.

Please note that applicants must be U.S. citizens or eligible to work in the United States. The deadline for submitting applications is March 2, 2023.
Call for Judges: 2023 National Energy and Sustainability Moot Court
 
The National Energy and Sustainability Moot Court Competition, hosted March 2-4 by WVU Law, is seeking volunteer judges. The competition is being held online. Early round judges must be attorneys of good standing licensed to practice law in any state. Now in its 13th year, the National Energy and Sustainability Moot Court Competition attracts exceptional law students from across the country. This year, 40 teams from 26 law schools are registered to compete. To volunteer or ask questions, please fill out this availability survey or email wvumoot@mail.wvu.edu. The problem is posted on the competition website.

Roadways to the Bench:
Who Me? A Bankruptcy or Magistrate Judge?

The federal Judiciary, led by the Judicial Conference Committees on the Administration of the Bankruptcy System and the Magistrate Judges System, will hold the second iteration of the national diversity event for law students and attorneys, "Roadways to the Bench: Who Me? A Bankruptcy or Magistrate Judge?"

When:
  • April 3, 2023, at 4 p.m. ET at the WVU College of Law in Morgantown, West Virginia, as well as 37 other locations across the United States.
  • A cocktail and heavy hors d’oeuvres reception will be held immediately following the roundtable event in the Fitzsimmons Event Center.
Local Roundtable Sessions:
  • After the national presentation, the program will proceed to in-person local roundtable sessions among law students, attorneys, and federal district, magistrate and bankruptcy judges from West Virginia. 
Event Registration and Contact information:
Registration is required and invitations will be limited. The registration window will open on January 31, 2023, and close on March 24, 2023. Registration and attendance is limited to attorneys and law students and will be awarded on a first come, first serve basis. Available seats may fill up before the registration window closes on March 24, 2023, so please register early.
Applicants will be notified by email of their acceptance as an attendee. Only applicants receiving a written email invitation may plan to attend the event.
Contact Monica Nassif Haddad at monicahaddad@comcast.net  for more specific information about the event, including registration questions.
CLE
CLE Rule Spotlight
Reporting Tip

Administrative Rule 6.08(d) outlines the basic approval standards for a CLE course and it states “(t)o be approved, a course shall have significant intellectual or practical content; it shall deal primarily with matter directly related to the practice of law (which includes professional responsibility and office practice); it shall be taught by persons who are qualified by practical or academic experience in the subjects covered and must include the distribution of high quality written materials pertaining to the subjects covered.”
In accordance with the requirements outlined in this rule, the Individual Course Approval Application requires an attorney to attach (1) a detailed, timed agenda (so that credit requests can be calculated and course content can be verified); (2) speaker bios (so that speaker qualifications can be verified) and (3) written course materials for a course. Please make sure that you have all of these attachments before submitting an application for CLE credit. Incomplete applications cannot be processed. If any of the attachments are too large for the application size limitations they can be emailed directly to the Compliance Coordinator at volka@wvbar.org but the CLE course approval application itself must still be submitted via the online member portal.
Events
2023 WVAJ Mid-Winter Convention & Seminar
February 2 – 3, 2023
Register Onsite Beginning February 2, 8:00 a.m.
 
Host: West Virginia Association for Justice
Location: Embassy Suites, Charleston
CLE: 15.7 WV Hours, Including 2.7 in ethics and law office management  
 
Online registration closed. Register onsite at the event
Unpacking Hidden Prejudice and Understanding Privilege
February 8, 2023

Host: WV State Bar Minority Lawyers Committee
CLE: 3.3 credits, including 3.3 credits in ethics
Location: In-person at the State Bar Center, Large Lower Level Conference Room, Charleston and via video conference.
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Cost: Free
Speakers:
  • Shante Ellis, Director of the YWCA Racial Equity and Inclusion Program
  • Katherine L. “Kitty” Dooley, Attorney-at-Law, The Dooley Law Firm, P.L.L.C.
  • Kenyatta Coleman Grant, Community Organizing Coordinator, West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence
  • Bob Pepper, Member and Training Team Member of the YWCA’s Racial Equity & Inclusion Committee; Retired Senior Vice President & Chief Administration Officer of NGK Spark Plugs (U.S.A.), Inc.



Registration closes February 3, 2023

Facility Details:  Due to limited capacity for live attendance at the State Bar Center, registration is limited to the first 35 registrants.
Attendance via webinar is also limited to the first 500 registrants. There is an increased interest in attending webinars, therefore, you are encouraged to register early to secure a link to attend virtually. All attendees, whether in person or virtual, will receive an email confirming registration. If you do not receive a confirmation of registration, you will not be able to participate in the seminar on the day of presentation.  

Note to those attending in person: 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. Handicap accessible restrooms are available. If you need other assistance, please contact the State Bar 304-553-7220, in advance of the meeting, so arrangements can be made with you.
Showing is Knowing LGBTQIA+ 101
February 10, 2023 - Noon
Host: Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia, Court Improvement Program
CLE: 1 credit 
Platform: WebEx
Speaker: Heather Imire MEd
Learning objectives:
  1. How to talk to LGBTQ+ children
  2. The proper LGBTQ+ terms to use when talking to the children.
  3. Resources to work with LGBTQ + children
 
Questions: Please contact Kandi Greter, kandi.greter@courtswv.gov or 304-340-2755
MID-ATLANTIC WOMEN LEGAL PROFESSIONALS' RETREAT
March 2-5, 2023
Hosts: West Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia & Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Programs Location: Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center, Roanoke, Virginia
CLE: 16.80 WV credits in ethics


A block of rooms has been reserved at the The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center. Reservations must be made by Tuesday, January 31, 2023.
West Virginia State Bar Annual Meeting
March 26-27, 2023
Host: West Virginia State Bar
Location: The Greenbrier Resort, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
Cost: $180 Banquet only, $150 CLE Program only, or $330 Sunday Banquet and Monday CLE program
CLE: Pending
Schedule of Activities:
Sunday, March 26 -

  • 5:30-7:00 p.m. Attorney and Judicial Welcome Reception and sponsor displays.
  • 7:00-9:30 p.m. Annual Banquet and sponsor displays ($180 per person)

Monday, March 27 -

  • 8:00-9:00 a.m. Registration and sponsor displays
  • 9:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. Continuing Legal Education Program ($150, includes a box lunch)
 
State Bar Members who are employed as Federal/State Public Defenders, Federal/State Court Law Clerks, and/or with Legal Aid of WV are offered a special discounted rate of $50 for the March 27 Seminar. Click Here to Register as for the Seminar.

Event Registration deadline is March 17, 2023, at 4 pm.
Accommodations: A block of rooms has been reserved at the Greenbrier Resort for $199/night for a Traditional Room (plus resort and historic preservation fees and applicable taxes). This rate is good for the nights of Saturday, March 25 – Monday, March 27. Please call reservations at (855) 441-2078. Room Reservations must be made by Wednesday, February 22, 2023.

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Hampton Inn, Lewisburg for $119/night. This rate is good for the nights of Saturday, March 25 – Sunday, March 26. Please call (304) 645-7300 and mention the West Virginia State Bar or use group code CHHWVB when booking online. Room Reservations must be made by Saturday, February 25, 2023.
Save the Date
March 27, 2023
West Virginia State Bar Young Lawyer Section 
Bridge the Gap Program
To be held in conjunction with the West Virginia State Bar Annual Meeting
 
About: Each new lawyer admitted to practice between July 1, 2018 through December 31, 2020 will have thirty-six months after their date of admission to complete the program. All new lawyers admitted on or after January 1, 2021 will have twenty-four months after their date of admission to complete the program.
Host: WV State Bar Young Lawyer Section 
Location: The Greenbrier Resort, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
Cost: Free
Time: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Registration and Agenda coming soon

Only members admitted after July 1, 2018 or attorneys admitted prior to July 1, 2018, who have not previously completed the Bridge the Gap requirements, may attend the live course and satisfy the mandatory Bridge the Gap requirements.
The West Virginia State Bar
www.wvbar.org
*You are receiving this email because you have elected to receive the Bar-Blast from the WV State Bar. To change you email address or manage your email subscriptions, you must log into the Membership Portal at mywvbar.org. This mailing list is updated weekly.
**UNSUBSCRIBE WARNING**
Using the link below to unsubscribe from the bar blast will stop all important notices regarding membership payment and CLE deadlines, in addition to the weekly bar blast.