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November 2004FYI: For Your InformationFree Online Legal-Research Tool Coming to WSBA Members The WSBA will soon provide a free online legal-research tool to all members, through the Casemaker Consortium of Bar Associations. Casemaker is an online legal-research system providing access to state and federal materials. Launched by the Ohio State Bar Association in 1999, the system is marketed only to bar associations. There are currently 20 member state bar associations, including our neighbors Oregon and Idaho. Other members are Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Vermont. Michigan case law is also available to all lawyers who are members of Casemaker Consortium states. Each member bar shares its library with all the other member bars. The WSBA will provide this benefit to WSBA members at no charge; the WSBA will absorb the cost of Casemaker. We anticipate that Casemaker will be available to all WSBA members by June 2005. Time is needed for Casemaker to create the Washington database, and for the WSBA to develop an online application that will enable members to access Casemaker quickly and easily through the WSBA website. Casemaker will be in a password-protected “members only” section of the website. Stay tuned for more information! Creditor-Debtor Section Publication: Bankruptcy Case Law Digest for Washington State (3d ed.) Update your resources with this two-volume set of printed materials plus searchable CD. The third edition of the Digest contains the bankruptcy cases dating from 1996 through 2002, with a linked topical index, case list, code, and rules. Bankruptcy cases included are from the U.S. Supreme Court, 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit BAP, 9th Circuit District Courts, and the Washington Bankruptcy Courts. Cost for the set of both volumes and companion searchable CD is $90, with a discounted cost of $75 for members of the WSBA Creditor-Debtor Section and the Idaho Commercial Law and Bankruptcy Section. To order, visit the Creditor-Debtor Section webpage at www.wsba.org/lawyers/groups/creditordebtor/bankruptcy_digest.htm. CLE Bookstore Open for WSBA Members in December For members who must complete their MCLE credits before December 31, 2004, the WSBA CLE Seattle bookstore will be open at the WSBA office, 2101 Fourth Ave., Ste. 400, from December 16 through December 30, with the exception of Friday, December 24, when the bookstore will be closed. Hours of operation will be from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Available MCLE A/V credit-approved material will include a limited supply of selected taped seminars with coursebooks. Payment may be made by cash, check, MasterCard, or Visa, and there are no shipping and handling charges for members who take their purchases with them. (You may claim up to 15 total A/V credits for the current reporting period. All ethics credits can be acquired using approved A/V self-study.) Thinking of Changing Your WSBA Membership Status? Consider Emeritus. As the 2005 WSBA licensing period approaches, you may be thinking of changing your membership status to more accurately reflect your current career or lifestyle. If you no longer need your active WSBA license, here’s why you should consider Emeritus status. APR 8(e) creates a limited license status of Emeritus for attorneys otherwise retired from the practice of law, to practice pro bono legal services through a qualified legal services organization. A qualified legal services organization is defined as “an organization that exists primarily for the purpose of providing legal services to low-income clients.” There are no MCLE requirements (although you may attend optional CLE seminars at no cost so that you stay apprised of changes in the law). The 2005 license fee for Emeritus is $117. This is a significant savings in time and money if you are paying for an active license that you no longer need. Under most circumstances, Emeritus attorneys can remain in Emeritus status indefinitely without having to re-take the bar exam if/when returning to active status. Volunteering for a “qualified legal services organization” allows you to control your own schedule. Most importantly, the Emeritus program provides an opportunity for attorneys to give something back to their communities by helping those who are less fortunate. One or more qualified legal service organizations are present in most Washington state counties. They include Columbia Legal Services, a statewide legal services program; Northwest Justice Project, a central statewide point of access for clients; specialized legal services programs (such as Northwest Women’s Law Center, Unemployment Law Project, and others); and county volunteer-attorney programs. These organizations offer a wide variety of volunteer opportunities, such as direct representation, mentoring, advice clinics, self-help clinics, board service, telephone advice, and document preparation. Emeritus also allows for pro bono services for criminal cases through some public defender offices. Emeritus attorneys and judges are currently volunteering in many capacities, including the Northwest Justice Project’s CLEAR intake line (one remotely, from home); the Northwest Women’s Law Center Board of Directors; a Columbia Legal Services administrative law case; King County Bar Association Neighborhood Legal Clinics; defense services for the Associated Counsel for the Accused in the Seattle Municipal Court’s Mental Health Court; and writing wills for low-income seniors in Skagit County. We will do our best to find a niche to fit your legal expertise and time schedule. An Emeritus training session has been scheduled for Tuesday, January 25, 2005, at the WSBA office in Seattle. This training is a requirement for changing to Emeritus status and will provide an opportunity for you to meet the providers. Travel expenses will be reimbursed. For more information about the Emeritus program, the training session, and the logistics of changing your WSBA status to Emeritus, please contact Sharlene Steele, WSBA access to justice liaison, at 206-727-8262 or sharlene@wsba.org. Washington Attorneys Assisting Community Organizations (WAACO) WAACO is a statewide organization that matches volunteer attorneys with charitable and community-based nonprofit organizations in need of business-related pro bono legal services. Volunteer lawyers are needed; those interested in volunteering are encouraged to attend a training seminar on December 7 in Seattle; e-mail contact@waaco. Address Update Reminder The 2005 license fee renewal packets are scheduled to be mailed in early December. The deadline for updating your address to be included in the license fee renewal packet mailing was October 15, so please call the WSBA to request a duplicate packet if you have not received yours by December 31. You can check your listing by going to the online lawyer directory at http://pro.wsba.org. If any of your contact information (name, address, phone, fax, or e-mail address) has changed, please update the information by e-mailing questions@wsba.org; faxing the change to 206-727-8319; or calling the WSBA Service Center at 800-945-WSBA or 206-443-WSBA. Senior Attorneys Discussion Group We meet one Thursday a month to talk about issues important to senior attorneys who continue to be involved, creative, healthy, and active. November 11, author Bonnie Genevay will discuss loss, resilience, grief, and aging. December 16, we will share our volunteer activities. Please join us from 4 to 5:40 p.m. at no cost in the WSBA 4th-floor conference room. For more information, call Jennifer Favell, Ph.D., at 206-727-8267. Research reports indicate that at least 20 percent of lawyers suffer from clinically significant levels of depression. If you or a colleague is among this group, you might consider the services of the Lawyers’ Assistance Program. We will offer a small, confidential therapy group for active members of the WSBA, meeting on Wednesdays, 4-5:30 p.m., beginning as soon as the group has formed. Cost will be on a sliding-scale basis. If you have questions or would like further information, please call Jennifer Favell, Ph.D., at 206-727-8267. Coming Soon: 2005 Annual Publications Catalog The 2005 edition of the Publications Catalog from WSBA-CLE Publications will be in the mail soon. Look for your convenient guide to outstanding products and services, from the leader in innovative legal education, this month. Save your catalog for the coming year to order our premier deskbooks, audiotapes, coursebooks, and more — whether online, or by phone, fax, or mail. To help you plan your schedule, WSBA-CLE is listing upcoming seminars through the end of the year at www.wsba.org/cle/seminars. If the seminar is open for registration, you can register online. For later seminars, you can ask to be notified when registration opens. MCLE Certification for Group 1 (2002-2004) — Complete Credits by December 31, 2004 Active WSBA members in MCLE Reporting Group 1 will be required to report compliance with MCLE credit requirements for 2002-2004 at the end of this year. Members in Group 1 include active members who were admitted to the WSBA in all years through 1975, or in 1991, 1994, 1997, or 2000. Members admitted in 2003 are also in Group 1 but are not due to report until the end of 2007. Their first reporting period will be 2005-2007, but any credits earned on or after the day of admittance to the WSBA may be counted for compliance. If you are a Group 1 member, you will receive a Continuing Legal Education Certification (C2/C3) form in the license packet that will be mailed to you at the beginning of December. This form is an affidavit that lists all the WSBA-approved courses that are in your MCLE online profile for the 2002-2004 reporting period. The C2/C3 form, not your online profile, is the official record of MCLE compliance. • Alternatively, you may simply add by hand to the back of the C2/C3 form the additional WSBA-approved courses you took. Ensure that you include the activity ID number and all other required information for each course. • The deadline for completing the C2/C3 form and returning it to the WSBA is February 1, 2005. All active members in Group 1 must send in a completed C2/C3 form. If you are not able to meet the credit requirement by December 31, 2004, an automatic extension will be granted until May 1, 2005; however, a late fee will be imposed. If this is the first period in which you have not met MCLE compliance requirements, the late fee is $150. The late fee increases by $300 for each consecutive reporting period that you are late in meeting MCLE requirements. See the “MCLE Certification for Active Members — General Information” section that follows for further information about MCLE reporting-period compliance. MCLE Certification for Active Members — General Information Due Date for MCLE Reporting. All WSBA members are divided into three MCLE reporting groups based on year of admission: Group 1: Admitted through 1975, 1991, 1994, 1997, 2000, or 2003.* Credit Requirements. The following credit requirements must be met by December 31 of the last year of an active member’s reporting period: Earn at least 45 total credits of WSBA-approved CLE activities, which must include a minimum of 30 live credits and a minimum of six ethics credits. A/V courses can be no more than five years old, except skills courses. No more than four pro bono credits can be earned per year. Carryover CLE Credits. Carryover credits from the previous reporting period must be used to meet the requirements of the current reporting period. If your current reporting period total credits exceed 45, you may carry over a maximum combined total of 15 general and ethics credits. Only two ethics credits and five A/V credits may be carried over. MCLE Late Fees. All active members who have not completed their credits by December 31 of the last year of their reporting period, or who submit their C2 reporting forms after March 1 of the following year, must pay a late fee of $150. The late fee increases by $300 for each consecutive three-year reporting period of noncompliance. Newly Admitted Members. If you are a newly admitted member, you are exempt from reporting CLE credits for the year of your admission and the following calendar year. If you were admitted in 2003, you will not report this reporting period (2002-2004) even though you are in Group 1. You will first report at the end of 2007 for the 2005-2007 reporting period. When you report at the end of your first reporting period, you may claim all CLE credits earned on or after your date of admission to the WSBA. MCLE Comity. If you are an active member of the WSBA and your primary practice is in Oregon, Idaho, or Utah, you may meet your mandatory CLE requirements by providing proof of current compliance. Only a Certificate of Compliance from your state bar will satisfy your MCLE requirements in Washington. MCLE System — Course Listing and Member Profiles. You can use the online MCLE system at http://pro.wsba.org to review courses taken and credits earned, apply for course approval, apply for writing credit or for prep-time credit, and search for approved courses being presented in the future. To use the MCLE system, go to http://pro.wsba.org, click on the Member tab, then select Member Login. The online instructions will lead you through the process of creating a confidential password and beginning to use the system. Online help is available. If you have any questions about using the MCLE system or about the MCLE compliance requirements, please contact the WSBA Service Center at 800-945-WSBA or 206-443-WSBA, or questions@wsba.org. Lawyers’ Assistance Program Peer Counselor Statewide Network We are attorneys who volunteer support to others who need someone to listen when times are tough. We are not professional mental-health counselors, but do receive training at our statewide conference in April and regional trainings throughout the year. We seek to expand the diversity we represent and offer to WSBA members. Would you have time and interest in listening, recognizing when a peer needs referral for additional support, attending a training, educating the legal community about the healthy practice of law, or otherwise giving of yourself as your time allows? Please call Jennifer Favell, Ph.D., at 206-727-8267. WSBA Mileage-Reimbursement Rate It is the WSBA’s policy to adjust the mileage-reimbursement rate every October to the optional standard business rate set by the IRS. Effective October 1, 2004, the WSBA mileage reimbursement rate for meetings and travel on behalf of the WSBA is $0.375 per mile. For a summary of the WSBA Expense Policy, download the WSBA expense report form at www.wsba.org/info/operations/finance/expensereport.htm. Lawyer-to-Lawyer Program: Mentors Needed for Newer Admittees The WSBA’s Lawyer-to-Lawyer Program matches newer admittees with experienced lawyers. The program is not a structured mentoring program and does not supplant any similar programs of local or specialty bars. We connect lawyers with similar practices in the same geographic area for mutual information-sharing and goodwill. We need experienced attorneys to serve as informal mentors, especially in King County. Help new lawyers get a head start on learning those lawyering skills not found in any textbook. Interested members may contact Pete Roberts (206-727-8237; peter@wsba.org) in the Law Office Management Assistance Program. Program guidelines and sign-up forms are available at www.wsba.org/lawyers/services/lawyerto Usury Rate The average coupon equivalent yield from the first auction of 26-week treasury bills in October 2004 was 2.038 percent. The maximum allowable interest rate for November is therefore 12 percent. Compilations of the average coupon equivalent yields from past auctions of 26-week treasury bills and past maximum interest rates for June 1988 to June 1999 appear on page 53 of the June 1999 Bar News. Information from January 1987 to date is on the WSBA website at www.wsba.org/media/publications/barnews/usury.htm. Keep in Touch The WSBA uses e-mail to communicate with members quickly, efficiently, and inexpensively, and increasingly it is becoming the preferred method of communication for committees and sections. If you haven’t already, please consider providing us with your e-mail address. Contact the WSBA Service Center at 800-945-WSBA or 206-443-WSBA, or questions@wsba.org. Representatives are available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Upcoming Board of Governors Meetings December 10-11 — Everett With the exception of a one-hour executive session the morning of the first day, Board of Governors meetings are open, and all WSBA members are welcome to attend. RSVPs are appreciated but not required. Please contact Donna Sato at 206-727-8244 or donnas@wsba.org. The complete Board of Governors meeting schedule is available on the WSBA website at www.wsba.org/info/bog/schedule.htm. Visit the WSBA Online Store Go to www.wsba.org and click “WSBA Store” in the left navigation bar to purchase Cutter & Buck polo shirts, twill baseball caps, ballpoint pens, and brass luggage tags, all sporting the WSBA logo. The store offers secure online credit-card ordering. You can also purchase logo merchandise by calling the WSBA Service Center at 800-945-WSBA or 206-443-WSBA. • Polo shirt (pewter or white, size L or XL) — $56 Prices include shipping and handling. Sales tax (8.8 percent) will be added to orders shipped within Washington. Learn More about Case-Management Software The WSBA Law Office Management Assistance Program (LOMAP) office maintains a computer for members to review software tools designed to maximize office efficiency. LOMAP staff are available to provide materials, answer questions, and recommend options. To make an appointment, contact Pete Roberts at 206-727-8237 or peter@wsba.org. |
