April 13, 2021
ANNUAL MEETING SPONSORS
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE BAR'S NEW OFFICERS AND BOARD MEMBERS FOR 2021-2022

Board of Governors Officers
Thomas E. Scarr – President
Benjamin M. Mishoe, President-Elect
Christopher B. Frost, Vice President

Board of Governors from Districts 9 through 12 and African American Representative
Joshua T. Thompson, Pineville
Sarah W. Harmon, Princeton
R. Grady Ford, Lewisburg
G. Isaac Sponaugle III, Franklin
Kimberley D. Crockett, Martinsburg

Young Lawyer Section Board
Angela N. Brunicardi-Doss – Chairperson
Ashton L. Bias, Vice-Chairperson
Lindsey D. C. McIntosh, Secretary

Young Lawyer Section Board from Districts 9 through 12 and African American Representative
Morgan Dawn Spolarich, Shady Spring
David A. Pfeifer, Princeton
Nicole Dawn Graybeal, Lewisburg
District 12 Vacant; and
Lindsey D. C. McIntosh, Charleston
_____________________________________________________________
The West Virginia State Bar Congratulates the Recipients of the following State Bar awards presented during the 2021 Banquet and Awards Ceremony  
 
2021 Citizen Soldier Award – CAPT Brad Dorsey
2021 Young Lawyer of the Year - Michael J. Moore
2021 Mentor of the Year – Howard Seufer
2020 Kaufman Award - Stephen R. Broadwater, Jr.
WV STATE BAR OFFICE ACCESS
The State Bar Center will be open for individual/in-person access for members beginning March 1, 2021. Masks will be required. Group meetings will continue to be held via Zoom access until further notice. Bar staff remain available and happy to answer questions and/or assist members of the Bar and public, via telephone or email, during normal operating hours of 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. The Bar can be reached by calling 304-553-7220.
News
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. If you need confirmation of your status as an active member of the Bar, in order to obtain access to a correctional facility, please ask the facility if they will use/accept the procedure below: 
The State Bar staff is working with DMV and the Department of Transportation to get this issue corrected as soon as possible. Keep watching the Bar Blast for updated information.
2021 State Bar Membership Directory - NOW AVAILABLE
The 2021 edition of the West Virginia State Bar Membership Directory is now available.
Click here to login and download a digital pdf version or
Click here to order a paper version.
Events
Court Improvement Program
Back to Basics: Abuse and Neglect Procedure 101
April 16 and 30 2021

The Court Improvement Program is providing a three-part, lunch time series entitled “Back to Basics: Abuse and Neglect Procedure 101” as part of our annual Cross-Training training for attorneys, social workers, counselors, school personnel, foster care agency providers, parenting providers, and all other members of the M.D.T. All sessions will be held from 12:00 p.m. to 12:50 p.m. Both CLE and CEU Credits will be provided.

Part II: Adjudication and Improvement Periods (April 16, 2021)
 
This presentation will include an overview of how the Court determines whether a child has been abused and/or neglected, and the steps that a parent can take to work towards reunification in an improvement period. Natalie Sal, Esq. and Teresa Lyons, Esq. will co-present.

Click Here To Register for Adjudication and Improvement Periods

Part III: Disposition and Permanency (April 30, 2021)
 
This presentation will discuss the preparations required by all parties before a Disposition Hearing can be held, the available options to the Court under the six available dispositions contained in the West Virginia Code, and how a Disposition Hearing is conducted. We will also discuss the obligation of the M.D.T. and the Court in achieving permanency and the process of achieving permanency for our children. Natalie Sal, Esq. and Teresa Lyons, Esq. will co-present on these topics.

Click Here To Register for Disposition and Permanency

Please contact Kandi Greter (kandi.greter@courtswv.gov) with any questions!

The Pathway to Lawyer Well-Being Webinar
MAY 6, 2021 - 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Host: West Virginia Judicial & Lawyer Assistance Program
CLE: 3 CLE credits in attorney well-being (ethics)
Cost: Free Webinar
Speakers/Times:

1:00 to 1:50 - "The Psychology of Transitions" by Robynn E. Moraites, Esq., Executive Director of the North Carolina Lawyer Assistance Program

2:00 to 2:50 - "Transforming Stress" by Colleen Harshbarger, MS, Wellbeing Solutions

3:00 to 3:50 - "Compassion Fatigue in the Legal Profession"  by
  • The Honorable William S. Thompson, Circuit Judge of the 25th Judicial Circuit
  • David Wandling, Esq., Logan County Prosecuting Attorney
  • Rachael Fletcher Cipoletti, Chief Counsel of the WV Office of Disciplinary Counsel
Location: Live, Interactive Webinar
WVJLAP ANNUAL CONFERENCE & RETREAT
MAY 14 - 16, 2021
2021 Wellness Weekend
Host: West Virginia Judicial & Lawyer Assistance Program
CLE: 5.6 CLE credits in attorney well-being (ethics)
Cost: $150 CLE & Banquet (See registration for optional costs)
Location: Stonewall Resort, Roanoke, WV

Save the Date
2021 BASIC MEDIATION TRAINING
JUNE 2 and 3, 2021
Host: State Bar ADR Committee
CLE: 16.5 credits including 1 Ethics
Cost: $150
Location: Flatwoods Days Inn and Suites and Flatwoods Conference Center, 350 Days Drive, Sutton, WV

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Flatwoods Days Inn & Suites at the discounted rate of $99.00 plus and taxes and fees for June 1 and 2. To receive the discounted rate, inform the hotel that you are attending the WV State Bar's event when making your reservation. The reservation contact number is 304-765-5055.  
Registration and Agenda Coming Soon

Information on the Advanced Mediation Training, scheduled for July 29, 2021, coming soon
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.
The West Virginia State Bar
www.wvbar.org
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