October 19, 2021
In honor of the American Bar Association’s Pro Bono Celebration Week, the West Virginia State Bar and Legal Aid of West Virginia are highlighting some of the reasons why attorneys donate their time.

Rule 6.1 of the West Virginia Rules of Professional Responsibility guides attorneys on how to fulfill their professional responsibility to engage in pro bono, so Legal Aid of WV is sharing 6.1 more reasons you should do it too! Click Here for 6.1 Reasons to do Pro Bono
News
Cybersecurity Awareness Month
Join the State Bar this October, with The National Cyber Security Alliance and CISA, in Cybersecurity Awareness Month as we raise the importance of cybersecurity awareness and ensure individuals and organizations have the resources to be safer online. “Do Your Part and #BeCyberSmart.” 
TOYS FOR TOTS
 
The West Virginia State Bar's Veteran and Military Affairs Committee is participating in the Marine Corp Reserve's Toys for Tots program again this year. Toy Boxes will be dropped off in the Charleston Area on Wednesday, November 3. The toy pickup will occur on December 6 and/or 7. If you are still interested in volunteering to help by hosting a drop box, collecting, and/or sorting toys, please contact Anita Casey at caseya@wvbar.org.

Sorting will occur the week of December 13 at NOSH Catering & Carryout, 189 Summers Street, Charleston. If you are interested in sorting contact Anita Casey at caseya@wvbar.org. Distribution will be on December 18.
NDWV PUBLIC NOTICE FOR REAPPOINTMENT OF
MAGISTRATE JUDGE ROBERT W. TRUMBLE

The current term of office of United States Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble at Martinsburg, West Virginia, is due to expire on June 2, 2022. The United States District Court is required by law to establish a panel of citizens to consider the reappointment of the magistrate judge to a new eight (8) year term. The duties of a magistrate judge in this Court include, but are not limited to, the following: 1) conduct of most preliminary proceedings in criminal cases; 2) trial and disposition of misdemeanor cases; 3) conduct of various pretrial matters and evidentiary proceedings upon delegation from the judges of the district court; and 4) trial and disposition of civil cases upon consent of the litigants. Comments from members of the bar and the public are invited as to whether the incumbent magistrate judge should be recommended by the panel for reappointment by the Court and should be placed in an envelope marked “CONFIDENTIAL” and directed to Cheryl Dean Riley, Clerk of Court, U.S. District Court, 1125 Chapline Street, P.O. Box 471, Wheeling WV 26003. Comments must be received by November 15, 2021.   
Events
Court Improvement Program
Examining Legal Representation of Youth in Foster Care
October 19, 2021 beginning at noon

The Court Improvement Program of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia invites you to a presentation by Jay Miller, PhD, MSW, CSW to discuss his national research on Guardian ad Litem perceptions of legal representation that foster youth receive and how we can improve representation models for foster youth. Dr. Miller is a foster and kinship alum and Dean of the College of Social Work at the University of Kentucky.
CLE: 1 credit
Speaker: Jay Miller, PhD, MSW, CSW, Dean of the College of Social Work, University of Kentucky
Location: Virtual
To register, please visit http://www.courtswv.gov/public-resources/CAN/training.html or contact Kandi Greter at kandi.greter@courtswv.org
 Pro Bono Attorney Domestic Violence Protective Order Training
October 26, 2021- 1:00 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. (Kanawha/Putnam)
October 28, 2021 - 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. (Monongalia/Preston)
 
Cost: Free. Legal Aid of West Virginia asks that attendees join the LAWV Pro Bono Domestic Violence Project Team and take at least one pro bono DVPO hearing case within 12 months of the training. 
CLE: 10/26/21 session - 1.2 credits    |  CLE: 10/28/21 session - 1.5 credits
Course Description: During this training, you will learn how to help underserved victims of domestic violence obtain civil protection orders. You will learn about these kinds of cases from start to finish. You will also learn more about the underlying dynamics of domestic violence. This training will you give you the knowledge and resources needed to help a victim of domestic violence in a time-limited way. These cases are also a wonderful way for new attorneys to gain experience representing clients in court. The trainings are being conducted in conjunction with Domestic Violence Awareness Month and National Pro Bono Celebration Week.
Location: Virtual
Sign-up:
For the 10/26/21 session, please email David Frercks at: dfrercks@lawv.net
For the 10/28/21 session, please email Maria Borror at: mborror@lawv.net
Supporting Well-Being in Law Firms: 
Tips and Tools for Breaking Down Stigma While
Maintaining a Competitive Edge
November 3, 2021 -- 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.
Live Webinar
Host: WVJLAP and the West Virginia Task Force on Lawyer Wellbeing 
Presenter: Steve Wall, Esquire, Managing Partner for Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, and a senior partner in its Labor & Employment Practice. As Managing Partner, Steve is responsible for the global firm’s practices, industry initiatives, lateral partner recruitment, and strategic business planning.
Location: Virtual - Live Webinar
Cost: Free
CLE: 1.2 credits, including 1.2 in attorney well-being
As someone in long-term recovery from alcoholism, Steve will share his personal story with lawyers, law firm leaders, and members of the judiciary in the hope of shedding light on and reducing the stigma associated with mental health issues in the legal industry.
Bridge the Gap Program
November 5, 2021 -- 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
 
Host: West Virginia State Bar Young Lawyer Section Bridge the Gap Program
About: Any new lawyer admitted to practice between July 1, 2018 and 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.
Location: Bridgeport Conference Center – Bridgeport, West Virginia
Cost: Free
CLE: 7.6 credits including 3 ethics credits (2 credits for attorney well-being and 1 credit for legal ethics)

Only attorneys 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.
 
Last day to register for the Bridge the Gap Program is November 1, 2021.


 
The Wingate Hotel, attached to the Conference Center, has a block of rooms available for attendees of Bridge the Gap. For room availability and a special rate of $75.00 per night, plus tax, contact the hotel before October 22, 2021 at 304-808-1000 and let them know you are attending the WV State Bar's Bridge the Gap program.
The 63rd Annual Tri-State Tax Institute
November 9, 2021 8:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Host: Tri-State Tax Institute, West Liberty University & The WV State Bar State and Federal Taxation Committee
Location: Virtual
Registration Fee: $100.00
CLE: WV 3.6 credits, PA 3.0 credits, OH 3.0 credits
Veterans & Military Affairs 2021 Annual CLE
Live In-Person at State Bar Center and via Live Webinar
November 10, 2021 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
 
Host:  The West Virginia State Bar's Veterans & Military Affairs Committee.
CLE:   3 general credits
Location: State Bar Center "Live In-Person" and "Live Virtual" Zoom Webinar
Speakers:  Victoria Gorby, Dustin Holbrook, Amanda Rayburn, Nicholas W. Leftwich,
and Judge Jennifer Bailey
Topics:  Effective Representation of Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) claims; Earlier Effective Date Buffet; Justice Outreach Program Overview and Services; and Veterans Treatment Court 101.


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.