Checking In: December 17, 2024

Compiled by Jessica Junqueira

The Law Offices of James Scott Farrin Welcomes Attorney

Sara, a white woman with brown hair, wears a black shirt and grey blazer.Sara Royster is now an attorney with the firm, where she is a member of the personal injury team. Before becoming an attorney, Royster was a social worker for more than twelve years. Royster graduated from Elon University School of Law in 2019 and became an attorney in 2020. She holds a Master of Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Robinson & Lawing, LLP Adds Attorney

Mitchell, a white man with brown hair and a mustache, wears a white shirt, orange and blue paisley tie, and black blazer with light grey stripes.Mitchell R. Bledsoe practices corporate law and commercial real estate. He assists in structuring and negotiating business transactions, oversees matters of corporate governance, and represents clients who are purchasing commercial real estate. He graduated from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. While in law school, he received a certificate in health law. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a double emphasis in sport management and marketing from Ouachita Baptist University.

Attorney Joins Triangle Smart Divorce

Rebekah, a white woman with light brown hair, wears dark-rimmed glasses, a green shirt and a black blazer. Rebekah Lester has joined the firm. She has been practicing law since 2023. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina School of Law. During law school, she worked at the Domestic and Sexual Violence Clinic and received a Certificate of Merit for Trauma-Informed Lawyering to recognize her work with the clinic. While studying law at UNC, Lester served as a legal clerk at a family law firm. She holds a bachelor’s degree from UNC in journalism.

 

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Upcoming Changes to Continuing Legal Education Requirements for Attorneys in North Carolina (2024-2025)

John, a white man with brown hair and a beard, wears glasses, a white shirt, black jacket and green bowtie.By John Szymankiewicz

As attorneys, we understand the importance of staying current with legal trends, ethics, and developments in our practice areas. Continuing Legal Education (CLE) plays a vital role in ensuring that we provide the best possible service to our clients and uphold the standards of our profession. Starting in 2024, North Carolina has implemented significant changes to CLE requirements that all attorneys should be aware of.

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Exploring New Horizons: Attending HELM – A Premier Conference for Higher Education Professionals

Tina, a woman with brown hair, wears wire-rimmed glasses, a grey blouse and jacket and is smiling.By Tina Dadio

What is HELM?

HELM (Higher Educational Legal Managers) is a nationwide group of legal administrators from both public and private colleges and universities across the United States. This voluntarily-formed body of like-minded colleagues is not incorporated nor affiliated as a legal entity with any other association. Members join HELM to exchange ideas, share job experiences, and seek continuing education opportunities.

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Pro Bono Spotlight: Brooks Savage and Brad Piland, NC Disaster Legal Services

By Sidney Thomas

Elizabeth “Brooks” Savage

Brooks, a white woman with long, light brown hair, wears a white shirt and light blue blazer.When legal professionals are nervous or not sure how they can help those impacted by a disaster, Brooks’ words come to mind. “One act of service (no matter how small you self-perceive it to be) can make the world of difference for a disaster survivor who needs trusted counsel after experiencing such severe loss.” Brooks has worked in disaster relief for several years from working at Legal Aid of North Carolina’s Disaster Relief Project as a W.C. Dawson Fellow and Staff Attorney to serving as an Assistant General Counsel in the Disaster Recovery Division of the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management. Throughout her career in disaster recovery, she has served survivors directly to alleviate legal barriers with FEMA, insurance, and displacement matters and provided outreach and education on disaster legal issues. Notably in response to Hurricane Helene, Brooks is a volunteer leader with NC Disaster Legal Services (DLS), where she works closely with state and national DLS partners, recruits and trains volunteer legal professionals and coordinates DLS operations for clinics, FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers, and case management, just to name a few responsibilities.
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An Apology to Myself, Part 1: Imposter Syndrome

Tiqeece, a Black man with black hair, wears a blue shirt, plaid blue tie, and grey blazer. He is smiling and holding a book.By Tiqeece Brown

Qeece:

Bro, young Simba, I owe you a huge apology. I’m so sorry for not maximizing your potential. I am sorry for doubting you for one bit. I let you down. I let us down. I take full responsibility. I want to take this time to reflect, highlight the experiences, and remind us about giving ourselves grace. It is called the practice of law for a reason.

Candidly, our imposter syndrome didn’t come from not belonging because of intellect. We are all smart. Our imposter syndrome came from feeling like our identity didn’t mesh with the traditional standards and customs of the legal environment.

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Join Us For A Complimentary Webinar on Law School Debt

By Erin Winters 

Do you have questions about law school debt? Are you a law school student and want a look at how student debt can affect you? Are you a young lawyer interested in learning about your options on managing and handling law school debt? Well, we have a free webinar to help guide you through those questions!

The ABA Young Lawyers and Law Student Divisions are co-sponsoring a complimentary webinar on law school debt in collaboration with the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar. The webinar is scheduled for Thursday, December 12, at 1 p.m. CST. You will see a few of your YLD leaders are participating as panelists, and we hope you will join us!

For more information and to register, visit: https://www.americanbar.org/events-cle/mtg/web/447540327/.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Erin Winters, Section Director, Section of Legal Ed at Erin.Winters@american.

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The Child’s Advocate (TCA): A Project of Legal Aid of North Carolina

Atiya, a Black woman with black hair, wears a black dress. She is photographed with foliage behind her.By Atiya Mosley 

I am a managing attorney and the project director of The Child’s Advocate (TCA), a project of Legal Aid of North Carolina. TCA’s extensively trained attorneys are appointed by family court judges to provide direct representation to children, ages 7 to 17, in contested, complex custody actions. A judge may appoint us when one of the following factors is present:

• Allegations or findings of family violence (domestic violence and/or child physical, sexual, or psychological abuse).

• Substance abuse or mental instability of a parent.

• Special needs of a child requiring additional investigation and advocacy (mental health, medical, educational, etc.).

• Child resisting/refusing visitation with a parent.

• Potential relocation of a parent.

• Child’s gender identity or sexual orientation is a contested issue.

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Equitable Recoupment

John, a white man with dark brown hair, wears a pale blue shirt, lime green and blue tie, and black suit. By John G. Hodnette

The doctrine of equitable recoupment applies to both assessment by the IRS (in Section 6501) and refunds by taxpayers (in Section 6511) where the IRS or taxpayer may characterize a transaction, item, or event in a different way in open tax years than it was characterized in a closed year. Inconsistencies between open and closed tax years may whipsaw either the government or the taxpayer. The courts, recognizing potential abuse, have provided a defense against this potential inconsistent treatment through the doctrine of equitable recoupment.

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Navigating Issues with North Carolina File & Serve Platform: A Paralegal’s Guide, Part 1

Sarah, a white woman with short auburn hair, wears a black shirt with white flowers.By Sarah L. White

North Carolina’s eCourts platform has revolutionized how legal professionals file documents, manage cases, and access court records. However, as with any technology, there are challenges and limitations that users, including paralegals, face when using the system. In this article, we will explore common issues experienced with the File & Serve (eFiling) platform and offer practical tips for navigating these problems.

Introduction to eCourts in North Carolina

North Carolina’s eFiling system is part of the broader eCourts initiative designed to modernize and streamline the court processes by enabling electronic filing, viewing, and management of court documents. While the system has improved efficiency and accessibility for legal professionals, it is not without its hurdles. When filing documents with North Carolina’s eFiling system, users often encounter several challenges. Some of the known issues that can cause frustration or delays include:

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Get To Know Nancy Mayer

Nancy, a woman with black hair, wears wire-rimmed glasses, an orange blouse and orange earrings.By Nancy Mayer

What law school did you attend and what was your graduation year?

North Carolina Central University School of Law, 2006.

Describe a typical work day for you.

I work out in the morning and after lunch, I meet with clients and draft documents for clients. These documents include wills, financial powers of attorney, health care powers of attorney including an advance directive, and medical justification for receiving benefits or accommodations. I also meet with clients to discuss end-of-life planning for themselves and others including Medicaid applications. I also spend considerable time in my role as Disaster Disability Integration for the North Carolina Region of the Red Cross.

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