Welcome to the VBA Pulse
Calling all VT licensed attorneys who are also VBA Members - we need you!
The Mid-Year Meeting Business Meeting has been shortened to cover Board Elections and the ABA Delegate Election ONLY.

Cast your vote online -
June 12th from 1:15 - 1:45pm
FREE for you, PRICELESS for us all
THANK YOU TO OUR LOYAL SPONSORS & EXHIBITORS FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT
Mid-Year Meeting - Restructured into WEBINARS
We've restructured our Mid-Year Meeting seminars into live webinars to air throughout the month of June. Pre-registration allows for your choice of any 5 webinars. Or go a la carte to select as many or as few as you'd like!

View the month's offerings on our June CLE Calendar

Basic Skills in VT Practice & Procedure
Restructured into a 2-part live webinar to air on June 11 & 12, 2020
Whether you’re a Vermont licensed attorney interested in learning another area of law, or planning to become licensed in Vermont – this is the course for you!
This 6-hour plenary session is designed to give you an overview of the major areas of Vermont legal practice and an introduction to ethics, courtroom etiquette, and professional standards in Vermont, and is approved and certified to satisfy Rule 12(a)(1) and Rule 15(c ).

Click here to register and view the agenda for this two-day LIVE webinar.

Don’t forget, the additional required 9 credit hours are available through our Mid-Year Meeting webinars or from our digital library
Mindful Moments for Wellness - webinar series
In the face of a heightened level of chaos & uncertainty around us, we need to focus on increasing our overall well-being & decreasing the harmful effects of stress now more than ever. Join Samara Anderson, Esq., 500 RYT, our local wellness guru & certified MBSR (Mindful Based Stress Reduction) teacher as she guides us through some mindful practices to help us reduce stress, increase clarity & focus, boost our immunity systems and implement simple self-care practices that will have a profound impact on your life & the lives of those around you.  

Give yourselves the gift of wellness during these times of stress. Join for a few minutes or the entire 30 -60 minutes, to help boost your mood and find some peace of mind.  

The 60 minute sessions will be somewhat more involved in terms of increasing clarity for your practices. Mindfulness is an ongoing practice, so feel free to join one, two or all the sessions. Register by clicking dates below.

June 18th - 12-1pm - $35 - 1.0 MCLE ; BOGO registration includes July 9th!
June 25th - 12-12:30pm - FREE

July 9th - 12-1pm - $35 - 1.0 MCLE
July 23rd - 12-12:30pm - FREE
VBA DIGITAL LIBRARY
The Vermont Supreme Court has removed the 10-hour cap for self-study MCLE hours due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, no longer requiring 10 hours of live CLE's for the 2018-2020 licensing group. With unlimited self-study allowed, why not go ahead and grab all the credits you need through our Digital Library? We have titles on subject areas galore, and you can view them whenever it’s convenient for you for a period of 30 days!

CLICK HERE to view all titles
TELESEMINARS have a new (and definitely improved) format!
The VBA has been working with Webcredenza to bring you an easier way to browse and register for teleseminars. You can still take part using your phone, but now you also have the option of taking part using your laptop, desktop, or other device with internet access. Both are live, as you have the opportunity to interact with presenters via phone or emailing/chatting through your browser.
No more waiting for materials to be posted to our website or searching through your email to find that call-in number! Simply go to our website and select Teleseminars & Audio Webcasts on the CLE/Events dropdown.
You'll be taken here , where you can browse by practice area or preferred format. Create your own account and you're all set. 
Coronavirus (COVID-19) UPDATES!

The VBA is working hard to get you the latest information affecting your practices with respect to the Coronavirus. There has been no better time than NOW to join and utilize VBA Connect's online communities! Members are sharing information on the family, probate, property and other listserves daily. If you need assistance with VBA Connect, call or email today!

Please also check out our COVID-19 Resource Page located on our website. We will update those resources regularly to include the latest Governor’s Orders, Court Orders, enacted legislation, Reopening Plans and Toolkits, webinars and communications from our COVID-19 committee. Thank you for enabling us to be a resource for the legal community and to have a seat at the table as Vermont navigates through this crisis.
IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID 19 CRISIS,THE VBA'S TECHNOLOGY CONSULTANT, TCI CONSULTANTS, INC.,
IS HERE TO HELP OUR MEMBERS
As a small business Owner, I understand how uneasy many may feel with the uncertainty today’s business world. I want to say first and foremost, be safe and be healthy. We at Technology Consultants, Inc. continue assisting small businesses that are not our clients to implement a safe work environment by setting up Remote Work or Telecommute services. Many options are available to access your office computer or your office network. Please keep in mind security! Do not rush into a setup for accessing your company information and take a chance in opening your Company to Internet Thugs.

Technology Consultants, Inc. is here to help the Vermont Bar members to find the best way to setup and assisted in a remote worker program, also known as Telecommute system. Many users can purchase simple direct and secure programs such as LogMeIn Pro, TeamViewer or GoToMyPC. If you have an IT managed service company helping you, please talk to them about first securing and protecting your remote computer and then how to best connect to your office.

Many Law firms are moving to Microsoft Office 365 for email and file management, please remember even that needs to be setup correctly and setup security. You can setup Dual Authentication so even if someone can talk you into giving up the password, they would not be able to login without that 2 nd step.

Look out for Phishing attacks. We have been told by the DOD, and the State of Vermont that email scams are on the rise. Please examine the email address that sent you that email. If it looks off, it may be a phishing email looking for information from you. That is why making sure you have a powerful Virus/Malware protection. If you need help with this during this crisis, please let the Vermont Bar Know and we will assist you.

With the correct tools you can do a lot of work remotely. We have helped with Medical Telemedicine, Business to Business, Person to Person conference system, such as Teams, Zoom and Skype. If you need more information, please ask us. Use our on-line chat feature under https://www.tcivt.net/support-center/ web page.
A MESSAGE FROM ABA
RETIREMENT PROGRAM
As news of the novel coronavirus continues to evolve, we want to keep you informed and provide you with timely updates, resources and educational information. We created an online resource for you and your participants. Visit our ‘COVID-19 and the Market Impact’ page on the Program website at abaretirement.com . Please feel free to share this link with your employees.
Beginning the week of March 23, if your plan offers loans and/or hardship withdrawals, the Program will temporarily deliver these checks directly to participants instead of sending them to firms.* Loan checks will be sent regular mail and hardship withdrawal checks will be sent by overnight delivery. For the loans, we will send you the repayment information via email so that you can begin payroll deductions.
 
If you have any questions, please call our toll-free Plan Administrator Line at 800.752.6313 or email us at contactus@abaretirement.com .
We hope you, your staff and your families remain healthy and safe and we are standing by to assist you if necessary.

Stay Well,
ABA Retirement Funds Program
While the situation with COVID-19 evolves and you work through your own business continuity plans, we understand if you’re a bit unsettled by the uncertainty of current circumstances, as well as the possibility of missing out on cash flow. Our member benefit partners at LawPay understand the critical role that electronic payments will play as this situation evolves, and that’s why they’re offering a $100 credit on processing fees if you want to get started with a new LawPay account. Their team is fully operational and here to support you however they can. Learn more>>
VBA Offers an Independent Telemedicine Solution to its Membership

With the onset of the coronavirus, the VBA’s telemedicine program offers the most comprehensive solution in the marketplace. The complete group virtual-care program includes-

·          General Medicine $0 copay
·          Behavioral Health $0 copay
·          Dermatology $0 copay
·          Expert Second Opinion Services $0 copay

Your firm will pay a low monthly fee for you and your family. There is a minimum of two enrolled for group plans and you will never be billed for services that you receive.

Individual programs are also available with a modified benefit offering.

For more information call our broker, Tim Clain at Pinnacle Financial Corporation, our broker for over 25 years. You can reach Tim at 802-773-2617 ext. 202 or by email at tclain@financialguide.com  
NEW AFFINITY PARTNER!
Easy Soft real estate closing software will revolutionize the way you handle closings. With Easy Soft you can automate redundant tasks, close 70% faster, reduce risk and work anytime, anywhere. Easy Soft real estate software has been the trusted source for real estate attorneys nationwide for over 30 years.
All you need is a device (laptop, tablet, PC or smartphone) and an internet connection to access and work on any of your real estate closing matters. 

Members save 25% off your first year*

Easy Soft real estate closing software includes:
  • The most commonly used closing documents
  • 1099-S Reporting and Filing
  • Centralized data entry
  • Automatic calculation of tax prorations, government recording charges, projected payments and cash to close
  • Ledger Balancing
  • Title Searching
  • Integration with popular software programs, including Dropbox, RynohLive, CosmoLex and InfoTrack

For more information please visit https://www.easysoft-usa.com/ and check out the 14-day free trial option. Or call 1-800-905-7638 and use Code VTBAR at initial purchase to receive your 25% off first year discount*.

*Available to new subscribers only.
Looking for new clients?
Sign up for our
Lawyer Referral Service.

Find your next career at the Vermont Bar Association
Check back frequently as new jobs are posted every day.

To post a job opportunity on our website, click HERE .
The VBA offers a great service to its members!
We can publish your law firm announcements to our legal community. Announcements may include law firm name changes, new partners, and location changes.

This service offers our members a significant savings by eliminating the need to print & mail announcements. It also helps our members keep informed of changes in our legal community. And it helps keep our planet just a little greener!

To submit an announcement click HERE
YOUR online community!

Don't forget about this valuable member benefit. Join any of our online communities and stay CONNECTED.

To access VBA Connect, click HERE

READ MORE ABOUT RED CAVE CONSULTING HERE