By Chris S. Edwards Judges in North Carolina’s state and federal appellate courts don’t reach for printed briefs much anymore (the Chief Judge of the Fourth Circuit, Albert Diaz, has said that he and his colleagues routinely read briefs only on their iPads). Instead, they read briefs just like you or I would, on a […]
By Donald R. Pocock I am pleased to serve as the chair of the section this year, and I am writing to encourage all of you to take advantage of the benefits the section has to offer. On November 30, the section will be hosting a CLE called Threading the Needle. The program focuses on […]
By Keith A. Wood, Chris W. Genheimer, and Michael J. Allen Sometimes publicity is a bad thing, and notoriety is even worse. That seems to be the case with respect to an apparent major change in the IRS’s views on the tax treatment of contingent fee deferral arrangements that plaintiffs’ attorneys often use. Structured attorney […]
By Rick Conner After much anticipation and several postponements, eCourts is now live in the four pilot counties: Wake, Johnston, Lee, and Harnett. All new filings in these counties, including subsequent filings in open cases, must be done via eFiling aka File & Serve. Attorneys can file pleadings, submit documents to the court, pay fees, […]
By Amy Richardson The Supreme Court of North Carolina recently approved amendments to Rules of Professional Conduct 1.6 (Confidentiality of Information) and 1.9 (Duties to Former Clients). The amendments permit a lawyer to disclose information acquired during the representation of a former client if the information is contained in the public record and disclosure is […]
By Matt Van Sickle Hello Litigation Section Members. We have received an additional update on eCourts training and implementation. The Administrative Office of the Courts training schedule for the eCourts program can be found here. One point of clarification since the initial announcement is that the training is available for attorneys and legal staff. There remain options for virtual […]
By Matt Van Sickle Hello Litigation Section Members. I am honored to serve the Litigation Section as Chair for the 2022-23 Bar Year, and will provide a roadmap for the coming year in another post. The purpose of today’s post is to let you know the Administrative Office of the Courts has released the schedule […]
By Karsin Williard Each year, the North Carolina Bar Association recognizes members for their substantial contributions to pro bono service in North Carolina. The nomination deadline for 2021-22 NCBA Pro Bono Award recognition is February 18. Please consider nominating a colleague for pro bono recognition. You can find more information and a nomination form here. […]
By PJ Puryear With Covid came a new chapter in most litigators’ lives: remote depositions. There are no doubt lovers and haters of this development, but there is also no doubt this technological development is here to stay. Accordingly, everyone needs to be aware that N.C. Gen. Stat. § 10B-25, which authorized “emergency video notarization” […]
By Kevin J. Stanfield Cybercriminals exploited remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) saw a record 70% increase in the number of reported internet scams and losses exceeding $4.2 billion, due in part to the pandemic driving more commercial activities online and increasing remote work. According to […]