The Senior Lawyers Division had its Spring Meeting on April 15; once again on Zoom, with the Chair, Justice Rhoda Billings, presiding. The meeting was preceded by a meeting of the Council on April 13, and the Bar Association’s CLE program “Planning for Success: Succession Planning and Business Continuity for All Stages of Your Legal Career” intervened on April 14. Attendance at the Spring Meeting was nearly 50 members. Business included the election of the Chair-Elect, Judge Richard Doughton; Secretary, Ed Gaskins; Treasurer, Hank Van Hoy; Council Member, Lynn Gullick; Council Member, Susan Olive; Council Member, Barbara Morgenstern; and Council Member, Elizabeth Quick.
Please join the Appellate Practice Section for our next Bluebook Club meetings. Sign up now to join a small group of other appellate-minded attorneys for a Zoom social meeting. You can choose from two dates (or join us for both). Each registrant will be assigned into a small group of other participants for a quick and fun discussion over the lunch break. Whether you have attended one of our previous sessions or are a new participant, we would love for you to join us!
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Last week the Supreme Court of North Carolina adopted amendments to the General Rules of Practice, clearing the way for the implementation of the Judicial Branch’s eCourts initiative. In case you missed it, over the next few years, North Carolina Courts will implement the Odyssey Integrated Case Management System (Odyssey ICMS), which among other things, will allow attorneys to file pleadings digitally.
The Supreme Court’s recent order affects the following rules:
Rule 5, “Filing of Pleadings and Other Documents in Counties with Odyssey”
Rule 5.1, “Filing of Pleadings and Other Documents in Counties Without Odyssey”
Rule 22, “Local Rules of Practice and Procedure”
Rule 27, “Sealed Documents and Protective Orders”
Read the rest of the NCAOC’s press release here —LINK.
The first four counties — Harnett, Johnston, Lee, and Wake — are projected to go live on Odyssey in August 2021. Electronic filing is one small component of the eCourts initiative. For a full listing of all the changes you can expect in the near future, please visit NCAOC’s eCourts webpage for a comprehensive explanation of the eCourts initiative and rollout plan — LINK.
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We thought we’d take a moment to note a few recent legislative items involving military members and veterans in North Carolina. House Bill 584, which is currently in the House, seeks to allow post-traumatic stress disorder to be taken into consideration by courts when a veteran is being sentenced: https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookup/2021/h584. The bill states that if a veteran has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in connection with his or her military service and is undergoing professional treatment, this condition can be a mitigating factor in sentencing.
Finally, Governor Cooper signed House Bill 138 into law last week, which recognizes April 24 as Wounded Heroes Day in North Carolina. It is in honor of retired Sgt. Michael Verardo, who was catastrophically wounded in Afghanistan while serving with the 82nd Airborne Division in 2010.
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The American Bar Association hosts Law Day every first Friday of May to celebrate the role of law in our society and to cultivate a deeper understanding of the legal profession. Law Day 2021 will focus on “reminding us that we the people share the responsibility to promote the rule of law, defend liberty, and pursue justice.” The North Carolina Bar Association’s Law Week and Liberty Bell Committee hosts several competitions to recognize students and legal professionals throughout the State that have dedicated their time to pursuing justice and being a voice for all. Please see a list of the competitions below:
Liberty Bell Award: The Liberty Bell award is one of the most prestigious awards a North Carolinian can receive. The award is given to individuals who have made significant contributions or exemplify lifelong service to the law in North Carolina. Past recipients have included prominent lawyers, judges, and legislators.
McIntyre Award: The McIntyre Youth Leadership Challenge allows middle school and high school students to develop plans to help their communities and share them through public speaking on citizenship.
Essay Competition: The Law Day Essay Contest is a fun and challenging experience for North Carolina students in sixth through 12th grade and an opportunity for their respective schools to participate in Law Day.
Poster Competition: The Law Day Poster Art Contest is a fun and challenging experience for North Carolina students in 3rd-5th grade and an opportunity for their respective schools to participate in Law Day.
Moot Court Competition: The Moot Court Competition brings together middle and high school students for a chance to take on real-life legal scenarios to showcase their preparation, logical reasoning, and oral skills. These students argue in front of volunteer attorneys, and those who reach the final round have a chance to present their argument to the N.C. Supreme Court Justice and Court of Appeals Judges.
Please join us in celebrating these public officials, attorneys, and students who continue to strive to make a difference in our State on Friday, May 7 at 12:30 p.m.! Please RSVP here to join the event.
In response to public comments, the Office of Administrative Hearings and the Rules Review Commission have approved amendments to the Administrative Rule Style Guide. The updated version of the Style Guide is now available here on the OAH website.
If you want to see exactly what changed, a redline version is available here. Examples of changes include: use of “their” as a plural pronoun, and clarification of which statutes to cite in a history note.
As a reminder, the Style Guide is meant to assist agencies drafting rules; it is not a binding document. If you have any questions, contact Rules Division staff.
From OSBM:
OSBM has updated its guidance materials for regulatory impact analyses to more fully address common questions and challenges. The revised guidance can be accessed in the State Budget Manual Chapter 10. Additional resources, helpful links, and the archive of approved analyses are also available on OSBM’s regulatory analysis webpage.
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Beginning this summer, the Judicial Branch will implement Odyssey, a statewide electronic-filing and case-management system. The system will be made available across the state in phases over the next few years. Among other things, the amendments adopted by the Supreme Court define electronic filing in counties with Odyssey.
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Please join us for the Appellate Practice Section’s final Appellate Insights event of the bar year, a Fireside Chat with the Chiefs, featuring Chief Justice Paul Newby of the Supreme Court of North Carolina and Chief Judge Donna Stroud of the North Carolina Court of Appeals. Chief Justice Newby and Chief Judge Stroud were sworn in as chiefs of their respective courts in January 2021. During this program, they will discuss their distinguished careers, their responsibilities as chiefs, and their perspectives on the work of the North Carolina appellate courts. Duke Law School Professor Marin K. Levy, a national expert on appellate courts and appellate process, will moderate. We hope you will join us to learn more about the North Carolina appellate courts from the unique perspective of the courts’ distinguished chiefs.
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This year, we will continue with the tradition of celebrating our members during the month of May! We have scheduled free events and workshops during the entire month to thank you for being a member. The events will include Wellness Wednesdays, Winning Wednesdays, and Free Fridays.
On Wellness Wednesdays, you will have the chance to learn from a yoga expert all the way from Montenegro who specializes in stress management, mindfulness, and habit change. This will not be your typical yoga class. Anita Steele will teach you how to work on the five layers of your well-being. With her guidance, you will learn techniques that will help you to refresh, recharge and tap into an ideal state of mental well-being.
On Winning Wednesdays, you will be eligible to win a gift basket filled with your favorite North Carolina products. To enter, retweet or share an NCBA social media post that week. One member will be selected and announced on Wednesday, May 12, and an additional winner will be selected on Wednesday, May 26. Be sure to follow us on Twitter,Facebook,LinkedIn, and Instagram to share your posts.
https://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.png00NCBARBLOGhttps://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.pngNCBARBLOG2021-04-23 10:15:182021-04-28 11:54:41May is NCBA Member Appreciation Month!
You are excited to graduate, to pass the bar, and to be sworn in as a licensed attorney in North Carolina, but did you know there are requirements other than passing the bar and getting sworn in?
Although this information is readily available on a variety of websites, finding the answers to questions may be overwhelming for a newly licensed attorney.
Below is a quick preview of organizations you will be required or recommended to join and information on dues that must be paid. Read more
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By Leon Corbett
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