17^th Judicial Circuit Court Vacancy

The Judicial Vacancy Advisory Commission is currently receiving applications to fill the judicial vacancy created by the resignation of Judge Phillip Gaujot in the 17^th Judicial Circuit Court serving Monongalia County. Candidates must submit their completed applications and letters of recommendation or comment no later than 5:00 p.m. on November 18, 2022. For more information about the application process, please call the Office of General Counsel at 304-558-2000. Interviews will be held in Morgantown at the West Virginia University College of Law on December 8, 2022.  

The West Virginia State Bar is seeking candidates for the position of Commissioner of the Legislative Claims Commission. The State Bar Board of Governors will nominate three (3) lawyers and will submit these names to the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate for appointment to the Claims Commission. The term is for six (6) years. A minimum of ten (10) years’ experience as a licensed attorney is required. A full description of qualifications can be found in W.Va. Code Section 14-2-4 and 14-2-10, and compensation is provided for in W. Va. Code Section 14-2-8. This position involves hearing and deciding claims filed against state agencies and the Crime Victims Compensation Fund. The main offices of the Claims Commission are at the State Capitol with travel to other parts of the state for hearings. Some administrative law, mediation, or other judicial experience would be beneficial.

If you qualify for appointment, and would like to be considered for nomination, please send your resume, with any supporting information and/or letters of reference, to Mary Jane Pickens, Executive Director, The West Virginia State Bar, 2000 Deitrick Blvd., Charleston, WV 25311 or pickensmj@wvbar.org. Nominations must be received by December 31, 2022 at 11:59 p.m.

 Your Fellow West Virginians Need Your Guidance!

The State Bar is in need of volunteer attorneys each Tuesday evening in November, to field legal questions from the public and provide legal information ONLY as part of the "Tuesday Legal Connect" program.

Volunteers from anywhere in the state can take calls remotely from their home, office, etc. All you need is a telephone and a computer/laptop/tablet.

If you would be interested in helping in November, please email Kimberly Hart as soon as possible at khart@lawv.net 

Thank you to the firms that have already contacted Anita Casey and agreed to participate in hosting a drop box. If you are interested in volunteering to help by hosting a box, collecting, and/or sorting toys, please contact Anita Casey at caseya@wvbar.org.

A lawyer can earn 1 credit of CLE for every 3 hours of completed pro bono legal services at one or more of the four approved organizations currently enumerated in Rule 6.05(f), up to a maximum of 6 credits per reporting period. The current organizations are: Legal Aid of WV; WV State Bar Free Legal Answers program, WV State Bar Tuesday Legal Connect program and the WVU College of Law Center for Law and Public Service. Completed pro bono hours are reported directly to the State Bar by the qualified organizations each June. The hours are converted to credits based on the 3 hours to 1 credit rule and the pro bono credits are added to the attorneys’ transcripts by the State Bar. Notification is sent to the individual attorneys when pro bono credits are added to their transcripts.  Please note that a lawyer cannot earn CLE credit providing pro bono legal services at any organization other than the ones listed in the rule and pro bono credit is not self-reported. Excess pro bono CLE credits do not carry-over and there are no partial credits.

Legal Aid of WV invites you to the Justice for All Ball: Celebrating 20 Years of Community Partnership. This special anniversary gala will take place on November 3, 2022, in the Grand Ballroom at the Charleston Marriott (Town Center) from 6:00 to 9:30 p.m. The event will feature dinner, a silent auction, and Keynote Speaker Scott Turow, bestselling author and attorney. Tickets and sponsorships for the event are available until October 26.

Host: The West Virginia State Bar's Veterans & Military Affairs Committee

Locations: Zoom or in-person at the following VA Medical Centers in Beckley, Clarksburg, & Martinsburg. The VA Regional Office in Huntington. Also, via video conference.

CLE: 3 credits

Time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Free Legal Clinic for Veterans will take place from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.*

Registration: Opens October 10th

*This is the first time since 2019 that participants are permitted to attend in-person. Please consider attending in-person so we can help as many veterans as possible.

The following locations have in-person attendance limits. Beckley 6; Clarksburg 5; Huntington 10; Martinsburg 15. Please consider registering for the video conference option if the in-person options are at capacity at time of your registration. 

Host: West Virginia State Bar Probate Law Committee, The West Virginia Bar Association, and WVU College of Law

Location: WVU College of Law, Morgantown, WV and a simultaneous Zoom option

CLE: WV: 9.0 credits, including 1.2 ethics. Applied for OH, PA, & KY (7.5 hours, including 1.0 ethics).

Speakers: Howard M. Zaritsky, J.D., LL.M.; John F. Allevato, Spilman Thomas & Battle, PLLC; Marcia Broughton, Jackson Kelly PLLC; David H. Lunsford, City National Bank; Christopher J. Winton, Ray, Winton & Kelley, PLLC; and Joshua Rogers, Dinsmore & Shohl LLP.

Learn about hot topics in estate planning from nationally-recognized estate and gift tax expert Howard Zaritsky, nonjudicial settlement agreements, planning around the sunset of the estate tax exemption, trustee and will drafting errors, advanced directives, and much more! Also, back by popular demand, is a panel discussion on estate planning and probate issues, focusing on ethics and law practice management. Bring questions to ask the experts!

CLICK HERE to REGISTER and for more INFORMATION

Sponsorship opportunities are available by contacting Tessa White at director@wvbarassociation.org.

Host: WV State Bar Minority Lawyers Committee and WV State Bar LGBTQ+ Committee

Location: The West Virginia State Bar Center

Time: 12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.

Credits: 1.2 credits

 Registration for both closes November 11 at 4:00 p.m.

Facility Details:  Due to limited capacity for live attendance at the State Bar Center, live registration is limited to the first 35 fully vaccinated 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.