The Franklin County Bar Association is seeking nominations and letters of interest for a Treasurer. If you are interested, please contact Jennifer at [email protected] by April 7th 2022.
Franklin County Lawyer Referral Service
Please support the Franklin County Lawyer Referral Service by referring clients who need assistance in an area of law that you do not practice.
Consider joining the panel to receive referrals. You may select up to 7 areas of law to receive referrals.
There are several underrepresented areas of law.
We are especially in need of attorneys who practice in the following areas of law:
Pete Miller from MillBrook Benefits in East Longmeadow worked with us to establish a discount for disability insurance products. They have two leading insurance companies willing to offer our members a 10% discount on disability insurance.
Disability insurance is designed to pay you a monthly income if you’re not able to come to work due to a sickness or injury, and it’s critically important for most attorneys.
In addition, disability insurance can also be used to fund buy-sell agreements, provide business expense reimbursement if a partner is unable to work, or protect a practice against the loss of a key employee.
Pete and his team also offer a number of other insurance products including life, long term care, health, dental, professional liability, worker’s compensation, and more.
If you’d like more information, feel free to call Pete at 866-724-0008 or email him at [email protected].
Reminder- Free year of Swift Scan Document Scanner Appexpires April 1st. Members who sign up after will enjoy a 25% discount.
FCBA Members qualify for afree year of premium access to SwiftScan, the fastest and most secure way to scan, sign & send high-quality digital documents from your iPhone or iPad.
SwiftScan replaces your scanner, printer, and fax machine with an easy-to-use, privacy-safe mobile app that captures scanner-quality digital documents using your device camera. Capture a document, edit, and e-sign with ease. Save documents to Google Drive, OneDrive, Box, and Dropbox, or send directly to partners and clients via email & fax.
Emily Eash is a Greenfield attorney specializing in probate administration. She also provides services related to wills, HCP’s, DPA’s, trust work, and family law.
Emily is focused on providing accessible legal representation to her community here in Franklin County.
FCBA Community Fund News:
1st Annual Thomas W. Merrigan Memorial Scholarship Golf Tournament
Monday, May 23, 2022
Crumpin-Fox Golf Club
Bernardston, MA
Join us at Crumpin-Fox Golf Club, the premier golf course in the area to support college bound Franklin County students. Raffles will be held, and prizes announced during the banquet, following the tournament. Please register below to golf, sponsor, or join us for dinner.
The Supreme Judicial Court issued a neworderregarding access to Massachusetts state courthouses, which relaxes the requirements with respect to the wearing of masks, effective March 23, 2022.
The order continues to encourage the wearing of masks inside courthouses to protect against the transmission of COVID-19, especially by those who are at increased risk for severe disease or are not up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations. Masks are no longer required, however, except under certain identified circumstances.
The order also continues to prohibit entry into courthouses by persons who have tested positive for COVID-19 within the previous 5 days, have symptoms consistent with COVID-19, are not up to date on vaccinations and have been in close contact with someone with COVID-19 within the last 5 days, are awaiting test results after experiencing symptoms, or should be in isolation or quarantine.
Court access and operations may be adjusted at any time as the courts continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation across the Commonwealth.
Judiciary IT Bond Bill
An Act to improve and modernize the information technology systems and capacities of the judiciary.
Please contact your local Representative and Senator to advocate for the technology bill. View more information below or click here. Thank you.
Greenfield District Court Specialty Courts
From Referral to Recovery
Come and learn more about the simplified referral process for Greenfield District Court’s Drug Court and Collaborative Treatment Court.
Please see the new CSC statewide brochures as well Greenfield specific referral sheets below. For emergencies, please have litigants or staff email directly to [email protected], or leave a message at 413-775-7483.
Honoring Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan
March 25, 2022 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Garden House at Look Park Florence
Join us in honoring District Attorney Dave Sullivan with the 2022 Changemaker Award! David Sullivan has been a steadfast advocate for vulnerable people in the Pioneer Valley, including children and young people served by Friends of Children. Register Here.
April is National Child Abuse Awareness Month
In honor of this, the Children’s Advocacy Center and the Mayor’s Task Force Against Domestic Violence, in collaboration with DCF, NELCWIT, and the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office, are hosting a child-friendly celebration and flag raising event.
Friday, April 1st at 12:15 p.m.
Greenfield Town Common
There will also be a ceremony in Athol-
On Friday, April 1, 2022, at 10:30 AMat the Athol Public Library, featuring remarks by Rep. Susannah Whipps, NWDA David Sullivan, Police Chief Craig Lundgren, the North Quabbin Community Coalition, Valuing Our Children, MA Department of Children & Families, and the Children's Advocacy Center of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region.
The Supreme Judicial Court
Standing Committee on Pro Bono Legal Services
TheSupreme Judicial Court Standing Committee on Pro Bono Legal Servicesis seeking new committee members. The committee works to support and promote volunteer legal work to assist people of limited means who need legal representation. The committee presents the annual Adams Pro Bono Publico Awardsto honor Massachusetts lawyers, law students, law firms, and legal organizations that have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to providing pro bono services for the benefit of individuals of limited means. The Committee also administers thePro Bono Honor Roll; engages with law schools, bar associations, and other community organizations to promote pro bono legal work; and considers rule changes and other initiatives to facilitate pro bono practice by attorneys and law students.
The Committee reviews membership applications and recommends potential new Committee members to the justices of the SJC, who make all appointment decisions.
The Committee ordinarily meets 5 times a year, and also conducts additional work in subcommittees.
How to Apply:Applicants should submit a résumé and a letter describing their experience and interest in serving on the Committee by Friday, March 25, 2022 to Chip Phinney, Deputy Legal Counsel, preferably by email to [email protected], or by mail to Chip Phinney, Supreme Judicial Court, John Adams Courthouse, One Pemberton Square, Boston, MA 02108.
The SJC Standing Committee on Lawyer Well-Being is set to launch the second annual Statewide Legal Mentorship Program and is seeking both mentors and mentees across the Commonwealth to participate.
Gary Russell, Private Investigator, has a law enforcement background, CPCS affiliation, MA EMT License & is a Notary Public. Mohawk Services provides a very diverse scope of services. Gary has worked with a national investigation firm providing services to insurance companies. He has experience throughout the Northeast gathering evidence and interviews for a variety of accidents, injuries & fraud cases, often using surveillance, video, photographs, written & recorded statements & accident reconstruction. PO Box 505 Greenfield, MA 01302-0505. 413-772-2607 Phone/Fax, 413-834-7160 Cell. Email: [email protected] (Paid Ad)
In 2017, the National Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being published The Path to Lawyer Well-Being: Practical Recommendations for Positive Change that detailed lawyers’ chronic stress, high rates of depression, and substance use and made recommendations for change. This year, Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers, a non-profit organization, has partnered with NORC at the University of Chicago (NORC), a non-profit research organization, to seek your perspective on well-being and how it can be improved among attorneys in Massachusetts.
The survey explores several topics, including:
Work setting (e.g., type of employer, specialty)
Experience working as an attorney in Massachusetts
Health and wellness
Stigma and access to well-being and mental health services
How these topics vary by demographics, employment type, and geography within the Massachusetts bar
We expect this survey will take no longer than 5-10 minutes to complete.
