July 13, 2021
News
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP REPORTING & FEE NOTICE
It is time to complete reporting and pay fees for the 2021-2022 fiscal year. The deadline for reporting and paying fees is on or before midnight, September 1, 2021. To complete the reporting process go to https://wvbar.org/2021-22/ and click on the Membership Reporting and fees 2021-2022 tab.
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KELLER NOTICE TO STATE BAR MEMBERS
The time schedule to follow on Keller issues is available on the State Bar’s website or  Click here for Keller Notice . If any member has questions concerning this matter, please contact Anita Casey at The West Virginia State Bar at 304-553-7228 or by email at casey@wvbar.org.  
Challenges should be directed to Executive Director Anita Casey and may be submitted by mail: 2000 Deitrick Blvd., Charleston, WV 25311 or email: casey@wvbar.org
BAR ID CARD TEMPORARY
IN-PERSON PROCEDURE -
ONLINE SERVICE CURRENTLY REMAIN 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. The State Bar and DOT/DMV has developed a temporary solution. Until the online service can be reestablished, please follow the following steps to obtain your Bar ID card:

Attorney - To request a State Bar Photo ID Card from the DMV
  1. Login to  www.mywvbar.org/bar-id-card;
  2. Click on the “View and Print your Membership Record” link;
  3. Print the “attorney profile” page;
  4. Call the DMV Driver’s Help Desk at 304-926-2508. The DMV Help Desk will assign a photo card number;
  5. The DMV Help Desk will communicate the assigned “photo card number” to you (You will need this number when visiting a DMV Regional Office. Note: Your photo card number is not the same as your State Bar number);
  6. The Help Desk will guide you to the closest DMV Regional Office to have your photo taken for your Bar Photo ID Card;
  7. Take the print out referenced above "attorney profile" and your driver’s license with you to a DMV Regional Office.
**The attorney will visit a Regional Office after speaking with the DMV Help Desk and receiving a photo card number. The DMV will charge $25 fee per card.** State Bar Photo ID Cards will not be given out the same day. Once your photo is taken and the registration process is completed at the DMV you will receive your card in the mail within 10-14 business days.
State Bar staff continues to work with DOT and DMV to get the Bar ID card issue corrected. Continue to watching the Bar Blast for updated information.
Social Security Committee Vacancy
The Social Security Committee of the West Virginia State Bar is open to lawyers who represent claimants applying for disability benefits before the Social Security Administration. The Committee meets on a regular basis to discuss changes in the rules and regulations governing the disability process. If you are interested in serving on the committee, please contact David Pence at David@ZerbePence.com by July 14, 2021
NOTICE
On July 19, 2021, the United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia is scheduled to “go live” with the Next Generation of CM/ ECF (“NextGen”), the latest iteration of the national case management and electronic case filing system. All CM/ECF filing attorneys must take steps to continue to file electronically in the United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia on or after July 19, 2021Filers will use one singular username/password (aka Central Sign-On) to access PACER to electronically file documents in our CM/ECF system. Attorneys are encouraged to visit the Court’s website at https://www.wvnd.uscourts.gov/nextgen to determine whether they are prepared for NextGen.
Office of Lawyer Disciplinary Counsel VACANCY
ATTORNEY POSITION AVAILABLE - The Office of Lawyer Disciplinary Counsel is hiring a full-time staff attorney to review, evaluate and prosecute legal ethics complaints; present oral argument to appellate court; advise attorneys regarding compliance with the Rules of Professional Conduct; teach Continuing Legal Education Seminars; and serve as counsel to the Lawyer Disciplinary Board. Ideal candidates must possess strong writing skills and general practice experience. Some travel is required. State benefits. Applicants must be admitted and in good standing with the West Virginia State Bar. Salary commensurate with experience. Please provide resume, writing sample, and references to: Office of Lawyer Disciplinary Counsel, 4700 MacCorkle Avenue, S.E., Charleston, West Virginia 25304. Written inquiries only. All inquiries confidential. Please apply by July 23, 2021.

Events
Back to Basics: Abuse and Neglect Proceedings 102
Lunch-time training for attorneys, social workers, educators, providers, and any member of the M.D.T.

Cross Training Continuing Education opportunities for the
WV Court Improvement Program

July 14, 2021 @ noon: Kinship and Fictive Kinship Placements with Judge C. Carter Williams
Attorney CLE: 1 credit (CEU pending)

July 22, 2021 @ noon: Reasonable Efforts with Judge Bridge Cohee and Judge James W. Courrier, Jr.
Attorney CLE: 1 credit (CEU pending)

July 27, 2021 @ noon: One Child One Plan- Services from AETNA Mountain Health Promise
Attorney CLE: 1 credit (CEU pending)

To register, please go to:
Or contact Kandi Greter at kandi.greter@courtswv.gov
Hot Topics in Family Law and Evictions
Live and via Video Conference
July 21, 2021
Host:   Legal Outreach Committee of the West Virginia State Bar
Location: West Virginia Bar Conference Center - Charleston, WV and via video conference.
Date and Time: July 21, 2021 - 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Cost: Free
CLE: 3 credits
Speakers/Topics: Family Court Circuit Judge, Patricia A. Keller, 6th Circuit, and David McMahon, Esq. will lead a discussion on recent changes in family law and recent case law. Followed by a presentation on eviction and housing issues given by Katheryn E. Marcum, Esq. and Susana Campos Duarte, Esq.

The Bar Conference Center is open for 35 participants who are fully vaccinated or agree to comply with CDC face mask requirements. All others may participate via the webinar.

or

Attention: The seminar will be held in the new lower level conference room. If you are unable to use the stairs from the first floor to the lower level, please drive down the driveway on the far side of the Bar Center and enter the building at the bottom of the driveway. There are also handicap accessible restrooms available. If you need other assistance, please contact the State Bar at 304-553-7220 in advance of the meeting so arrangements can be made to accommodate you.  

134th Annual Meeting of The West Virginia Bar Association
July 22-24, 2021

Sponsor: The West Virginia Bar Association
Location: The Greenbrier Resort, White Sulphur Springs, WV
CLE: WV: 7.2 credits, including 1.2 ethics. Applied for OH & PA.
Speakers: Dean Amelia S. Rinehart, WVU College of Law; Chief Judge Roger L. Gregory, US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit; Charles M. Johnson, Frost Brown Todd LLC; Anoop K. Bhasin, West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Administration; Forest J. “Jack” Bowman, WVU College of Law; Dean Jonathan Nash, Emory University School of Law; Chief Justice Evan H. Jenkins and Edythe Gaiser, WV Supreme Court of Appeals.
Please join us at The Greenbrier Resort for our 134th Annual Meeting, including a judicial appreciation reception, WV craft brew tasting, CLE credits, and our Main Installation Dinner. View more information and register at: http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07ei4rgfqpc5f3ac2a&llr=5rzfel6ab
Sponsorship opportunities are available. Contact Tessa White at director@wvbarassociation.org.

Bridge the Gap Program
July 23, 2021
Rescheduled from our Spring event
 
Host: West Virginia State Bar Young Lawyer Section Bridge the Gap Program
About: Each new lawyer admitted to practice after July 1, 2018 through 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: The Summit Bechtel Reserve – Glen Jean, West Virginia
Date and Time: July 23, 2021, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Cost: Free

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.

View information on the outdoor recreational activities available to those attending the program and their guest by clicking here.

Last day to register for the Bridge the Gap Program is July 21, 2021.



The Summit Bechtel may still have rooms available. For room availability, contact Curtis George at curtis.george@scouting.org.


The West Virginia State Bar
ADVANCED MEDIATION TRAINING
Eliminating Obstacles in Mediation with Effective Communication
July 29, 2021
Location:  Bridgeport Conference Center, Bridgeport, WV
Host: State Bar ADR Committee
Cost: $100.00
A block of rooms has been reserved for the night of July 28 at the Bridgeport Wingate Inn at the discounted rate of $96.00 plus taxes & fees. To receive the discounted rate, call reservations at 304-808-1000, inform the hotel that you are attending the WV State Bar's event, and reference block code 072821WVS when making your reservation.  The cut-off date to reserve a room at the reduced rate is July 15. Rooms will be released and go to full rate after July 15.  
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.