January 19, 2021
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COVID 19 ISSUES

WV STATE BAR OFFICE ACCESS

The Bar Center will remain closed until further notice.

COVID-19 VACCINATION

The WV State Bar continues to work with the COVID-19 Task Force to identify and provide information to State Bar members regarding efforts to obtain COVID-19 vaccines. You are strongly encouraged to continue to watch for notices from Anita Casey and the WV State Bar.
Free CLE Seminars:
19 seminars for a total of 39 online A/V credits are available if you watch all of the seminars.  Click here to see complete list of available recorded CLE credits


BAR ID CARD ONLINE SERVICE UNAVAILABLE  
The WV DMV is currently unable to process requests for Bar ID cards due to an upgrade of their system. The online system has been taken offline and will be offline until further notice. We hope to have the system back online soon.


News
West Virginia University College of Law Announces New Dean
On Tuesday, January 12, 2021, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Maryanne Reed announced the appointment of Amelia Smith Rinehart as the new Dean of the WVU College of Law.
United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
Notice of Adoption of Standing Order 21-01
The Fourth Circuit has adopted new procedures for filing, service, and management of highly sensitive documents. Comments on the new procedure may still be sent to the Court. All comments must be submitted to the Court on or before March 12, 2021 by writing Patricia S. Connor at 1100 East Main Street, Suite 501, Richmond, Virginia 23219 or via email at rulecomments@ca4.uscourts.gov.
To view the full text of the Notice and the Order click here.

Interest Rate for 2021
The Administrative Office of The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia has set the interest rate at 4.00 percent for judgments and decrees entered during the 2021 calendar year. 
Call for Judges: 2021 National Energy and Sustainability Moot Court
 
The National Energy and Sustainability Moot Court Competition, hosted March 10-13 by WVU Law, is seeking volunteer judges. This year, 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 11th year, the National Energy and Sustainability Moot Court Competition attracts exceptional law students from across the country. A record 40 teams are signed up to compete this year. To volunteer or for questions, please email wvumoot@mail.wvu.edu. For more information on the competition, click here.
TUESDAY LEGAL CONNECT
The State Bar is in need of volunteer attorneys on Tuesday evenings, during January 2021, to field legal questions from the public as part of the "Tuesday Legal Connect" program. Volunteers from anywhere in the state can now work remotely from their home, office, etc. All the volunteer needs is a telephone and computer/tablet etc. If you would be interested in helping in December, please email David Frercks as soon as possible.
2021 State Bar Membership Directory
See below for pre-order information and forms for the 2021 edition of the West Virginia State Bar 2021 Membership Directory. To pre-order a paper version, click here.
Events
FEBRUARY 4-5, 2021 Webinar
Litigation2021

Host:  West Virginia University College of Law
Location:  Live Zoom Webinar
Time: February 4 - 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
February 5 - 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Cost:     $225
CLE: 11.3 credits, including 2.9 in ethics and law office management. Pending approval in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

Questions contact Lauren McCartney at lauren.mccartney@mail.wvu.edu

FEBRUARY 18 - 19, 2021 Webinar
2021 WVAJ Mid-Winter Seminar LIVE, INTERACTIVE WEBINAR
Host: West Virginia Association for Justice
CLE: 15.90 credits, including 3.9 in ethics and law office management
Time: See Convention Program
Location: Live, Interactive Webinar
Open to all attorneys practicing in West Virginia. The best high-quality, low-cost CLE available, featuring leading state and national attorneys. Special discount available through January 31!
CLE Announcements
Extension of the Bridge the Gap Requirement
Attorneys admitted to the WV State Bar between May 1, 2019, and December 31, 2020 have been granted a one-year extension of time to complete mandatory the Bridge-the-Gap Program.
This extension is in addition to the one-year extension previously granted by the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia to those admitted between July 1, 2018, and April 30, 2019. A determination was made that additional attorneys were adversely affected by the cancellation of the Bridge-the-Gap program scheduled in April 2020 due to COVID.
The West Virginia State Bar
www.wvbar.org
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