Welcome to the VBA Pulse
Scroll down to register for our Annual Meeting, CLE updates, VT court updates, COVID-19 updates, news from our Affinity Partners, and more!
Odyssey Court Users Survey - Sept. 7 Deadline
In response to the Legislature's directive in Act 120 for the Judiciary to meet with VBA representatives and other court users regarding their experience with the Odyssey File and Serve system, the Judiciary has set up a confidential survey for persons who have e-filed in the Windham, Windsor, and Orange Units and/or in the Judicial Bureau in 2020. The deadline for completing the survey is September 7. Click HERE for more details and for a link to the survey.
Legislative Committee Urges Delay of E-File Rollout
The Legislative Committee on Judicial Rules has sent a letter to Chief Justice Reiber and to Court Administrator Patricia Gabel, urging a delay of the roll-out of the Odyssey e-filing system to the Bennington, Rutland, Addison, and Chittenden Units, and to the Environmental Division until the e-filing issues present in the Windham, Windsor and Orange Units are resolved, and until training for the roll-out is improved. Click HERE for more details.
ANNUAL MEETING UPDATE
We're changing up the registration to make sure you're not paying full rate for just a few programs. We'll have a base registration rate based on your membership status, THEN you can select as many (or as few) webinars as you'd like for $20 each. Don't worry, though - the webinars will be available individually without the full registration discount for anyone who prefers registering a la carte.

We're still working out some of the details and hope to have more descriptions for our flyer soon, but here's some of what you can expect: a smattering of our annual Year in Review programs in the areas of criminal, environmental, family, and probate law; a voting track covering the Electoral College, 19th Amendment, and 26th Amendment; Ethics Quiz; Lawyer Like an Athlete; Implicit Bias - Disability; Intellectual Property; Human Trafficking; Mindfulness; Remote Court Hearings; Tax Code Bias, and some Law Practice Management.

We'll start on our original dates of October 1st & 2nd, and continue the following week of October 5-9. The Business Meeting will be on Thursday, Oct 1st from 4-4:30pm, as well as two earlier webinars. Friday will be full with four webinars beginning at 8:30am, ending at 4pm. We will have two webinars in the afternoons during the week of Oct. 5th-9th.

Total MCLE credits available: 23.5
Total includes: 1.5 diversity; 3.0 wellness; 1.0 ethics; and 8.5 approved and certified for Rules 12(a)(1) and 15(c ) of the VT Rules of Admission for 1st-year credits.

View our Meeting Flyer here - still under construction so check back often for updates!

Basic Skills in Vermont Practice & Procedure
This program meets the live requirement for those of you working on Rules 12(a)(1) or 15(c ) of the VT Rules of Admission.

Our speakers will touch on the basics of practicing in Vermont with quick overviews of a variety of practice areas, as well as professionalism and ethics.

Date: September 29 & 30
Credits: 6.0 (incl. 1.0 ethics)
Format: WEBINAR

Register HERE!
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 - boost your mood and find some peace of mind.  

This 60 minute session will increase clarity for your practices. Mindfulness is an ongoing practice, so feel free to join additional sessions once they are scheduled. Register by clicking date below.

September 24th - 12-1pm - $35 - 1.0 Wellness CLE
2020 Bankruptcy Holiday CLE
This year's Annual Bankruptcy Holiday CLE has moved to a virtual format! We'll have three 2-hour sessions on Thursdays in December - 3rd, 10th, & 17th, with additional time set aside beforehand for networking. Topics include the annual Year in Review and Judge Brown's State of the Court and VTB Stats, as well as ethics, technology, an intro to bankruptcy for the new practitioner, and small business bankruptcy issues. Attend any or all three sessions by visiting our website CLE calendar and refresh to December 2020!
TECH CONFERENCE UPDATE
After much thought, feedback, and restructuring, we've decided to morph our Tech Conference into a virtual week of informative, current, and hot topic webinars from November 16-20. Stay tuned for more information!
ADDITIONAL DATES TO SAVE:

--Elder Law Day webinar on October 23rd

--Real Estate Law Day webinar series on November 11, 12, & 13
VBA DIGITAL LIBRARY
New titles added from June and July webinars!

CLICK HERE to view all titles
TELESEMINARS have a new & 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.
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
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.
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 2nd 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.
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