January 16, 2024

The 2022-2024 CLE reporting period

ends in 6 months!! 

The reporting period for 2022-2024 ends on June 30, 2024. At this time nearly 5,000 Active status attorneys are still not in CLE compliance. If you have completed CLE for this reporting period the time to report it is NOW – not at the end of the reporting period! All CLE credits must be completed AND reported on your CLE transcript by July 31, 2024 to avoid penalty. The late fee for reporting CLE credits is $200. There is an additional $200 reinstatement fee if you are suspended for CLE non-compliance. The suspension process will begin promptly after all required notices are sent to non-compliant attorneys.

Please CLICK HERE for additional information regarding FREE CLE opportunities, confirmation of pending CLE credits, and CLE requirements.

INTEREST RATE ON JUDGMENTS AND DECREES FOR 2024

The Administrative Office of The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia has set the interest rate at 8.00% for judgments and decrees entered during the 2024 calendar year.

Click Here for the Administrative Order of the Supreme Court of Appeals

FULL TIME UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

OPENING IN HUNTINGTON

The Southern District of West Virginia has issued a Public Notice seeking the appointment of a full-time United States Magistrate Judge in Huntington, West Virginia. The duties of the position are demanding and wide-ranging, including: (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 on delegation from a district judge; and (4) trial and disposition of civil cases upon consent of the litigants. The basic authority of a United States magistrate judge is specified in 28 U.S.C. § 636.

Click here to review the Public Notice for additional details about the posting and how to apply. The application deadline is January 31, 2024.

Appellate Court Clerk, Edythe "Edyie" Nash Gaiser, Retiring New Clerk, C. Casey Forbes, Appointed

Edythe “Edyie” Nash Gaiser, Clerk of Court for the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia and the Intermediate Court of Appeals of West Virginia, is retiring.  The Supreme Court appointed Deputy Clerk C. Casey Forbes to be clerk effective January 1, 2024. He will become the sixteenth person to serve as Clerk of the Supreme Court of Appeals since West Virginia was founded in 1863, and the second clerk of the Intermediate Court of Appeals since it was founded in 2022.  

Click here to read more

WVU Law Registering Employers for On-Campus Interviews

Saturday, January 27, 2024

Join many of West Virginia’s top private firms and public offices in recruiting talent right here at the College of Law! You can also sign up for our Resume Collection service, to interview candidates at a time and location of your choosing.

To participate, private sector employers must offer paid compensation to summer interns/clerks. While paid employment is always more attractive to students, public sector employers may post volunteer legal intern positions or allow students work for academic credit as part of a recognized externship with the College of Law.

Click Here to Register Your Participation

If you have questions or would like additional information, please contact Brad Grimes, Assistant Director of Career Services for the College of Law, at (304) 293-7750 or at https://tgrimes@mail.wvu.edu. 

WVU College of Law Survey



The State Bar has been asked to share the following message from a group of WVU Law Alumni who are interested in exploring the impact of the General Clinic at the WVU College of Law:

Many of you may not be aware that the West Virginia University College of Law's General Clinic has been non-operational for the 2023-2024 academic year. As a part of WVU's academic restructuring, the College of Law is now evaluating the General Clinic's future.  

Over its 40+ year history, the General Clinic has benefited the lives of thousands of indigent West Virginians through zealous student-attorney legal services. The clinical law program is one of the few avenues at the College wherein students get an education that transcends theory into practice. 

We respectfully ask that any attorney who has participated in, collaborated with, or simply wants to express an opinion of the clinical program, take the following short survey, which our group plans to publish results to the WVU College of Law. 

Click here to access the survey

CLE Reporting Tip

Non-Approved Course Applications and

Written Materials Requirement 

The CLE application for Non-Approved Courses requires at least a sample of the written materials for the course. The application clearly notes that a course must include the distribution of high quality written materials pertaining to the subjects covered. Agendas, course brochures, certificates of completion, session descriptions etc. are NOT high quality written materials pertaining to the subjects covered.  If a course did not include the distribution of actual written materials it should NOT be submitted for CLE credit in WV.

PHV Annual Renewal Fees

How are the annual fees calculated and when does the attorney pay the annual renewal fee?

When an attorney is admitted pro hac vice in a WV civil action, the attorney must pay a fee of $350 to the WV State Bar pursuant to Rule 8 of the WV Rules for Admission to the Practice of Law. A separate fee must be paid for each civil action for which the attorney requests admission. In addition, if the attorney has been admitted for one year or more in one or more civil actions, the attorney must pay an annual fee of three hundred-fifty ($350) in addition to the application fee. The annual fee is charged per lawyer, not per civil action.

For example, if the attorney is admitted in one case on June 19, 2019, the attorney pays the initial $350 PHV admission fee. If that same attorney requests admission in 10 news cases on May 1, 2020, the attorney must pay the initial $350 PHV admission fee per civil action for a total of $3,500. The attorney must then pay one annual renewal fee of $350 by June 19, 2020. The oldest case (June 19, 2019) is the attorney’s annual renewal date and will trigger the annual fee notice. Even if the June 19, 2019 case settles or the attorney withdraws from the case, the June 19, 2019 case remains the oldest case in which the attorney requested and received admission and is still the attorney’s annual renewal date as long as the attorney is admitted PHV in any open civil action.  

The State Bar will send notice in advance of the due date for the annual fee, and will provide notice of the date when the annual fee will become delinquent. Failure to pay the annual fee within thirty days of the due date will result in termination of the attorney’s right to practice law in WV.

Events

The West Virginia Bar Association’s

Virtual Lunch & Learn Series

January 23, 2024

Uniform Premarital Agreement Act

Host: The West Virginia Bar Association

CLE: 1 credit live online /audio visual credit

Platform: Virtual (Zoom)

Speaker: Judge Brittany Ranson Stonestreet of the Eleventh Family Court Circuit

Event Highlights: Join the Bar Association for its first Lunch & Learn of the year as Judge Ranson Stonestreet kicks off this virtual series with a presentation on recent changes to the Uniform Premarital Agreement Act.

Click Here to Register

Court Improvement Program - Lunch & Learn

Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) Desk Guide

January 26, 2024

Host: Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia, Court Improvement Program

Time: Noon to 1 p.m.

CLE: 1 credit 

Platform: Live WebEx  

Cost: No cost

The session's purpose is to discuss updates and provide the latest information relating to the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) Desk Guide, West Virginia Prudent Parenting Training, and the Child Contact Sheet. A group of provider panelists will discuss each of these documents and share their updates and importance.

Click Here to Register

Contact Kandi Greter, kandi.greter@courtswv.gov or 304-340-2755, with any questions. 

Civil Legal Issues in Reentry

February 20, 2024

Host: WV State Bar Multicultural Lawyers Committee

CLE: 3 Credits

Location: In-person at the State Bar Center, Large Lower Level Conference Room, Charleston and via live video conference.

Time: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Cost: Free

Speaker: Marie C. Bechtel, Esq. Supervising Attorney, Beckley Office, Legal Aid of West Virginia

Topics:

• Criminal Record Expungement
• Driver's License Restoration and Child Support Modification
• CPS File Sealing and Post-Dispositional Modification in Child Abuse and Neglect Cases

Click Here for Live In-Person Registration

Click Here for Live Online/Webinar Registration

Facility Details:  Due to limited capacity for live attendance at the State Bar Center, registration is limited to the first 35 registrants. Attendance via webinar is also limited to the first 500 registrants. There is an increased interest in attending webinars, therefore, you are encouraged to register early to secure a link to attend virtually. All attendees, whether in person or virtual, will receive an email confirming registration. If you do not receive a confirmation of registration, you will not be able to participate in the seminar on the day of presentation.  

Note to those attending in person: If you are unable to use the stairs from the first floor to the lower level, please drive down the driveway on the left-side of the Bar Center and enter the building at the bottom of the driveway. Handicap accessible restrooms are available. If you need other assistance, please contact the State Bar 304-553-7220, in advance of the meeting, so arrangements can be made with you.

Women Legal Professional Retreat 

February 29, 2024 - March 3, 2024

Hosts: West Virginia, North Carolina, and Virginia Lawyer Assistance Programs 

Location: The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center, Roanoke, VA 

CLE: 14.1 credits in ethics/attorney well-being/law office management/elimination of bias

Click Here to REGISTER

A block of rooms have been reserved at The Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center at a discounted rate of $122.00/single and $142.00/double (not including taxes, fees and parking). This discount rate is available until February 1, 2024 unless all rooms have sold out. Click Here to make a reservation at the discounted rate or contact the hotel at 540-985-5900. There are also other hotels in and around downtown Roanoke.

West Virginia State Bar 2024 Annual Meeting

April 7 - 8, 2024

Host: West Virginia State Bar

Location: Embassy Suites, Charleston, West Virginia

Cost:

• $75 Banquet only
• $150 CLE Seminar only
• $225 Sunday Banquet and Monday CLE program

CLE: Pending

Sunday, April 7th -  

• 6:30-7:30 p.m. Attorney and Judicial Welcome Reception and sponsor displays.
• 7:30-9:30 p.m. Annual Banquet and sponsor displays

Monday, April 8th -  

• 8:00-9:00 a.m. Registration and sponsor displays
• 9:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. Continuing Legal Education Program (includes a box lunch)

State Bar Members who are employed as Federal/State Public Defenders, Federal/State Court Law Clerks, and/or with Legal Aid of WV are offered a special discounted rate of $75 for the April 8th Seminar.

Registration closes on March 22, 2024 at 4:00 p.m.

Accommodations: A block of rooms has been reserved at the Embassy Suites, Charleston for $149/night for Sunday, April 7, 2024 only.

Room reservations must be made by March 15, 2024.