2021 - 2022 Executive Committee Officers |
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Mark B. Morse
President-Elect
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Nicole J. Benjamin
Treasurer
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Christopher S. Gontarz
Secretary
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Congratulations to the 2021-2022 Executive Committee Officers! We appreciate your hard work and commitment to serving the Rhode Island Bar Association. To learn more about these dedicated individuals, click here to view their profiles on our Officer Profiles page on our website. |
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2021 Virtual Annual Meeting Speaker Thank You! |
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While this year’s hard-working Annual Meeting Planning Committee, ably chaired by Nicole J. Benjamin, had initially hoped to produce an in-person meeting this year, it was forced to change gears late last year due to the uncertainty of the pandemic. We would like to express our gratitude to the panelists who agreed to move forward with their programs in a virtual format. We were able to produce an extremely successful two-day virtual program on the Eventmobi platform, despite the pandemic, thanks to your hard work, flexibility, and collaboration. |
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Joanna M. Achille, Esq., Burns & Levinson
Hon. Keith A. Cardoza, Jr., RI Workers' Compensation Court
Stacie Collier, Esq., Nixon Peabody, LLP
Michael J. Colucci, Esq., Olenn & Penza
Richard P. D’Addario, Esq., Law Offices of Richard P. D’Addario
Hon. Francis J. Darigan Jr., RI Superior Court (ret.)
William J. Delaney, Esq., The Delaney Law Firm, LLC
Thomas M. Dickinson, Esq., Law Offices of Thomas Dickinson
Michael A. DiLauro, Esq., Assistant Public Defender and Director of Training & Legislative Liaison
Vincent A. DiMonte, Esq., Attorney at Law
Joyce A. Faraone, Esq., Attorney at Law
Cassandra Feeney, Esq., Hamel, Waxler, Allen & Collins, P.C.
Hon. Francis X. Flaherty, Supreme Court of RI (ret.)
Francis J. Flanagan, Esq., Flanagan Law, LLC
Natalia N. Friedlander, Esq., RI Center for Justice
William Gardner IV, Esq., Izzo, Gardner & Moran, LLP
Michael M. Goldberg, Esq., M. Goldberg Law LLC
Professor Jared Goldstein, RWU School of Law
Deborah Gonzalez, Esq., RWU Immigration Clinic
Patrick A. Guida, Esq., Duffy & Sweeney, Ltd.
Thomas S. Hemmendinger, Esq., Brennan, Recupero, Cascione, Scungio & McAllister, LLP
Margaret M. Hovarth, Esq., Hovarth & Hovarth
Jane F. Howlett, Esq., Howlett Law, Inc.
Rhiannon S. Huffman, Esq., Strauss, Factor, Laing & Lyons
Christian R. Jenner, Esq., Partridge Snow & Hahn, LLP
Lauren E. Jones, Esq., Jones Associates
Hon. Paul T. Jones, Jr., RI Family Court
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John F. Kelleher, Esq., LaSalle & Kelleher, P.C.
Paul M. Kessimian, Esq., Partridge Snow & Hahn, LLP
Lisa Kresge, Esq., Brennan, Recupero, Cascione, Scungio & McAllister, LLP
Hon. Sandra A. Lanni, RI Family Court
Christopher A. Lisy, Esq., Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP
Hon. Richard A. Licht, RI Superior Court
Nicholas Trott Long, Esq., Lawyers Helping Lawyers Committee Chairperson
Zachary K. Lyons, Esq., Gonzalez Law Offices
Zachary Mandell, Esq., Mandell, Boisclair & Mandell
Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., U.S. District Court for the District of RI
Lenore Montanaro, Esq., Animal Law Committee Chairperson
Lara E. Montecalvo, Esq., Office of the Public Defender
Hon. Edward H. Newman, RI Family Court
Peter J. Panciocco, Rhode Island Supreme Court Judicial Technology Center
John R. Parziale, M.D.
Hon. Susan Pepin-Fay, RI Workers' Compensation Court
Charlene Pratt, Esq., RI Office of the Public Defender
Stephen M. Prignano, Esq., McIntyre Tate, LLP
Edwin Smith, Esq., Morgan Lewis & Bockus, LLP
Hon. Jeanne L. Shepard, RI Family Court
Hon. Brian P. Stern, RI Superior Court
Hon. Sarah Taft-Carter, RI Superior Court
Hon. O. Rogeriee Thompson, Circuit Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals
Kerry Reilley Travers, Esq., Office of Disciplinary Counsel
Gail M. Valuk, Esq., Rhode Island Supreme Court
Steven O. Weise, Esq., Prosauker Rose, LLP
Jennifer L. Wood, Esq., RI Center for Justice
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The CLE Committee of the Rhode Island Bar Association in collaboration with the CLE Office is committed to presenting a curriculum that will integrate substantive areas of law with practical training and skills to the members of the Bar. The CLE Committee encourages any member of the Bar to submit ideas and programs for presentation. When planning your topic, keep in mind the audience wants practical information that can be used in their everyday practice.
If you would like to submit an idea for an upcoming seminar or you would like to participate as an instructor for a future CLE program, please click here to fill out and submit a proposal form. The CLE office welcomes and encourages presenters of diverse backgrounds in regard to race, color, religion, country of ancestral origin, handicap, age, sex, or sexual orientation. Please contact CLE Director Tanya Nieves at tnieves@ribar.com or by phone at 401-421-5740 with any questions. |
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2021-2022 Committee Membership
If you have not yet signed up as a member of a 2021-2022 Rhode Island Bar Association Committee, please do so today. Bar Committee membership runs from July 1st to June 30th. Even Bar members who served on Bar Committees this year must reaffirm their interest for the coming year, as committee membership does not automatically carry over from one Bar year to the next.
To sign up for a 2021-2022 Bar Committee, please click here to access our Bar Committees page on our website. Click on the BAR COMMITTEE SIGN-UP link and log in using your RIBAR credentials. As an alternative, you may download the Bar Committee Application form appearing above the list of committees and mail or fax it to the Bar Association.
Please join no more than three committees and only use one method to register to avoid duplication.
If you have any questions concerning membership or the sign-up process, please contact the Bar’s Director of Communications Erin Cute at (401) 421-5740 or ecute@ribar.com. |
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Call for Rhode Island Bar Journal Articles!
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The editors of the Rhode Island Bar Journal invite Bar members to submit articles and information for Rhode Island Bar Journal publication consideration. As a primary source of news and information for all Rhode Island Bar Association members, the Bar Journal is an outstanding forum for articles concerning all areas of practice. The Journal seeks original articles, written expressly for the first publication in the Bar Journal, by members of the Rhode Island Bar Association. Rhode Island Bar Journal submissions include:
- Articles written about specific areas of the law or relating to the practice of law.
- Case Studies of historic or recent past cases.
- Counterpoint pieces to recent, previously published articles.
- Histories regarding the practice of law and government in Rhode Island.
- Book Reviews about law practice, legal, or political topics.
- Bar Committee reports and information of interest to members.
Please click here to review the Rhode Island Bar Journal Article Selection Criteria, which also appears on page 4 of every Rhode Island Bar Journal. To view the most recent issues of the Bar Journal, please click here or visit our website at ribar.com, sign in to the Members Only area using your Bar ID number and Password, and click on the Rhode Island Bar Journal Homepage. Currently, all issues of the Bar Journal since 2009 are available for download on our website in the Bar Journal Archive. If you have any questions concerning Bar Journal article or news item submissions, please contact Rhode Island Bar Journal Editor Erin R. Cute by telephone: (401) 421-5740 or email: ecute@ribar.com. |
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Follow Us on Social Media So You Never Miss an Update! |
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The Bar is going paperless! As a reminder, the Rhode Island Bar Journal is now being distributed to members in a digital format via email, as well as our monthly CLE seminar brochures. Make sure you are following us on all our social media accounts, so you never miss an update!
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Senior Centers are Starting to Open Up!
With that in mind the Bar’s Legal Information & Referral Service for the Elderly, a component program of the Lawyer Referral Service, will once again be offering our senior citizens the opportunity to receive legal assistance through Ask A Lawyer and legal clinic forums at senior centers throughout the state. We are seeking attorneys to volunteer to provide legal information that empowers older members of the public to better understand their legal rights to help them better determine their future. Please contact Elisa King by email at eking@ribar.com or phone at 401-521-5040 for available locations and further details.
Spanish Speakers Needed!
If you are a member of the Lawyer Referral Service or Volunteer Lawyer Program and speak another language or have staff who do, please let us know today. Adding this information to your profile will help strengthen the referral process for those with language requests. Spanish speakers are desperately needed. Please contact Elisa King by email at eking@ribar.com or phone at 401-421-7799.
FREE Landlord/Tenant CLE Opportunity
If you missed last month’s FREE live seminar, An Overview of Tenant Protections & Strategies for Successful Results you can now view it on-demand. The program provides an excellent current overview of tenant protections. The speakers also cover protections due to COVID-19 to better represent clients and successful negotiating strategies for advocates for BOTH tenants and landlords.
Please note, You must agree to accept a pro bono landlord/tenant or eviction case to complete the registration process. The staff will provide further details on how to join the Volunteer Lawyer Program, Elderly Pro Bono Program, or US Armed Forces Legal Services Project if you are not already a member of one or more of these pro bono programs. Please contact Susan Fontaine by email at sfontaine@ribar.com or by phone at 401-421-7758 for further details.
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Five Simple Summer
Wellness Tips
Every season represents a new opportunity to revamp our wellness routine and incorporate lifestyle changes to promote health and well-being! Here are five simple summer wellness tips to help you stay healthy this summer.
Take a Vacation (Safely): After a year of staying at home, major restrictions on travel, and burnout on the rise, what most of us need is a chance to get away! Enjoy a staycation, by taking time off from work to relax at home or enjoy local sites. Choose an easy day trip or nearby destination, for low-stress travel and easy planning.
Make a Plan for Mental Health: Many are looking to the summer and early fall to return to the office and pre-pandemic operations. Whatever the reopening of the world means to you, now is the time to make your mental health plan. Consider what you have learned about yourself, under the restrictions of the pandemic, and what pros and cons you want to take with you into the “new normal.”
Embrace Fresh Fruits & Veggies: The summer harvest season yields a delicious array of healthy snacks – melons, cucumber, corn, peppers, arugula, and tomatoes to name a few. Enjoy warm summer Saturdays at your local farmer’s market or get your hands dirty in your own vegetable garden!
Stay Hydrated: With the increased heat and exposure to sunlight, it’s important that you make a point of staying hydrated by drinking water throughout the day. Overall fluid intake includes anything you eat or drink that contains water, so foods high in water such as fruits and vegetables are included.
Wear Sunscreen: It’s hard to resist the warm summer weather! While you’re catching rays, be sure to practice proper sun safety. Wearing sunscreen is a simple way to protect yourself during the summer from the sun’s harmful UV rays. Choose a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 and reapply every two hours.
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Lawyers have been texting with clients for a long time; yet, attorneys almost never capture a record of those conversations. And, that’s problematic, as it increases a law firm’s malpractice risk – you don’t have a complete record of client communications.
The good news is that it’s easier than ever before to capture and archive text messages. Many law practice management softwares' are building the functionality into their suites. VoIP (internet-based) phone systems capture text messages and can be integrated with cloud software. And, standalone products like ZipWhip allows users to access comprehensive texting dashboards.
Texting gets a better response than almost any other communication method; your law firm just needs to be able to archive those communications as part of the client record.
This tech tip is brought to you by the Bar Association’s Law Practice Management Consultant, Jared Correia, of Red Cave Law Firm Consulting. If you need help with billing, client relations, data management, financial management, marketing, office technology, time management, disaster prevention & recovery, or any other area related to managing your practice, Red Cave Law Firm Consulting will provide Rhode Island Bar Association members with unlimited virtual consulting services (email, telephone, chat, video) FREE OF CHARGE. To get started, visit the Bar’s LPM page here, or just email Jared directly at jared@redcavelegal.com. |
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Rhode Island Bar Association
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