At the NCBA’s Dispute Resolution Section Council meeting on March 17, 2022, the Council unanimously approved the following motion, made by the Race & Equity Committee: We move for the NCBA Dispute Resolution Section to adopt an initiative to actively support, promote and encourage the designation and appointment of mediators of color in North Carolina […]
By Mallory Lidaka and Samantha Aktug Hello section members! We are looking forward to the upcoming NCBA conference at the Grandover next week, the first to be held in person for the past two years! On behalf of the Pro Bono Committee of the Workers’ Compensation Section, we wanted to make you aware of an […]
By Barry Jennings I hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday season despite all the challenges we continue to face from this enduring pandemic. The Workers’ Compensation Section of the North Carolina Bar Association held its quarterly meeting on January 26, 2021. Several updates came out of the meeting and I wanted to share them with […]
By Barry Jennings All, John Schafer, Deputy Commissioner of the N.C. Industrial Commission, sent the below guidance on the N.C. Court of Appeals’ recently published opinion Mitchell v. Boswell, No. COA19-1077 (N.C. Ct. App. Nov. 3, 2020). The case arose from a dispute over the enforcement of a memorandum of settlement signed by attorneys on […]
By Mallory Lidaka and Samantha Aktug As you will recall before the world was overwhelmed with a global pandemic, our Section’s Pro Bono Committee had set up an opportunity at the Annual Meeting to allow members to register for and participate in NC Free Legal Answers. We were happy to see so many of our […]
By Barry Jennings On October 22, 2020, the NCBA Workers’ Compensation Section is hosting a free webinar (not approved for CLE credit) featuring Deputy Commissioner Kevin Howell of the North Carolina Industrial Commission. Deputy Commissioner Howell will be presenting “Practical Tips and Considerations for Webex Hearings.” Due to COVID-19, the majority of NCIC hearings are […]
By Barry Jennings On August 21, 2020, the North Carolina Industrial Commission posted a quarterly update to their website. The update can be found here. The update addresses the upcoming NCIC Educational Conference, the emergency amendment to Rule 11 NCAC 23G, and ways for interested stakeholders to receive updates via email.
By Barry Jennings The North Carolina Industrial Commission has recently revised its guidelines for In-Person Deputy Commissioner Hearings. Those guidelines can be found here. The revisions came after Chief Justice Beasley’s July 16, 2020, Order and Emergency Directive 21 related to face coverings in courthouses. The Emergency Directive requires all persons in a court facility […]
By Barry Jennings The practice of workers’ compensation law in North Carolina continues to adapt to the challenges we all face associated with the COVID-19 Pandemic. Currently, the North Carolina Industrial Commission is primarily holding hearings via video conference on the WebEx platform. In certain limited matters, in person hearings are taking place when ordered by […]
By Barry Jennings On Thursday, May 28, 2020, the NCBA Workers’ Compensation Section hosted an informal discussion regarding the use of the Zoom videoconference platform in the mediation environment. Ketan Soni, partner with Soni Brendle, PLLC in Charlotte, presented on the general use of Zoom, provided tips on how to adjust your settings to most […]