2015-2016 Section and Divisions Annual Report |
mately 68 people .
In his capacity as Chair , Weimer continues to serve ex officio on the Vermont Supreme Court Civil Rules Committee and in that capacity serves on the Vermont Supreme Court Special Committee on Video Appearance & Court Room Electronics chaired by Justice Dooley .
PROBATE AND TRUST SECTION By : Mark Langan , Esq .
While the Probate & Trust Section remains fairly active in terms of helping each other with questions on the listserve , the bulk of the past year ’ s activity involved rules and legislation committee activity . The Probate Rules Committee worked on the passage of Rule 16.1 giving the probate judges the power to mandate mediation . For legislation , a subcommittee has been established to review the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act . A subcommittee has also been established to review the Uniform Durable Power of Attorney Act . Finally , a subcommittee has been established to review the Uniform Trust Decanting Act . A full draft act amending the probate statutes will be submitted to the legislature for the next legislative session . After receiving input from the Section , the Legislature passed the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act in the last biennium ( Vermont was the last of two states to pass this Uniform Act ).
PROFESSIONAL REPONSIBILTY SECTION By : Sheila M . Ware , Esq .
The Professional Responsibility Section has issued 3 formal advisory opinions since last year . Members of the section have also assisted VBA members with informal inquiries on particular ethics issues . The section has undertaken at least 6 of these projects and has performed significant research on each request . Requests for formal opinions have steadily declined over the past few years , possibly due to more readily accessible online sources .
REAL ESTATE LAW SECTION By : Jim Knapp and Benjamin Depmann , Esqs . Throughout the year , the Real Estate Section has pursued its mission of providing high quality CLE programs to members and newly admitted attorneys . Members participate in the semi-annual Boot Camp programs for attorneys being admitted on motion . Also , many members of the Section have presented in VBA programs including the popular Year-in-Review and specific topics in real estate practice . The Section has taken a lead role in the VBA ’ s participation in the Annual Real Estate Law Day Program co-sponsored with the Realtors™ Association . Most notably , the Real Estate Section ’ s listserv is by far the
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most active listserve with members providing guidance and suggestions to each other regularly on a wide range of issues . A sub-committee of the Real Estate Section serves as the Title Standards committee working the drafting and revision of the Vermont Title Standards .
SOLO & SMALL FIRM SECTION By : Michael D . Caccavo , Esq .
The Solo-Small Firm section has not been too active this year , again taking a hiatus from the Office Tech CLE and the off year for the Small & Solo Conference . This coming year we ’ ll host the Solo & Small Firm Conference / Retreat at Basin Harbor Club in May . If there is interest in reviving the Office Tech Seminar for the following year , we ’ d love to hear about it . There appears to be a real need for a Tech Law Day .
We are beginning to plan for May ’ s Solo-Small Firm Retreat , which has always been a well-attended two-day conference at Basin Harbor . This event generally focuses on practice management , technology , software , business development and other general matters not related to specific substantive areas of practice . If anyone has suggested topics , speakers or activities , please contact the section co-chairs : Michael Caccavo ( michael @ vtestatelaw . com ) and John Thrasher ( thrasher @ c-tlaw . com ), or Jennifer Emens-Butler at the VBA ( jeb @ vtbar . org ).
We do maintain a list-serve , and periodically we have an interesting discussion , although to date the list is under-used . With the upgrade of all the VBA list-serves to online communities coming this Fall we hope to see the list become more active . We would encourage all members to join and participate in discussions or to post questions or topics for discussion . The list is not oriented towards any specific area of practice , so feel free to raise any topic or ask any type of question . There are plenty of people on the list willing to help and to share . The discussions are a great way to share tech tips , software or hardware recommendations and law practice management issues generally .
WOMEN ’ S DIVISION By : Elana Baron , Esq .
The Women ’ s Division shined most brightly in its support of Ms . Shakia Woods-- a 2 nd year VLS student . Ms . Woods is a VLS scholarship student who was diagnosed with a challenging medical condition . Women ’ s Division member Anna Saxman , a VLS instructor of Ms . Woods , notified Beth Novotny ( our VBA Board representative ) of Ms . Woods and her need for financial assistance . Beth secured donations to Ms . Woods from the VBA and from the VBA Young Lawyers Division . Several of our members also individually donated
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in response to an email Beth sent out regarding Ms . Woods .
The support extended to Ms . Woods is a testament to the willingness of our section to support each other . She sent the following email to our Division : Thank you very much to the entire Vermont Bar for all of your help and support . It is truly appreciated . When I started this Neuromyelitis Optica ( NMO ) journey there was so much uncertainty as to my future and treatment . While there are still unknowns , your support and encouragement helped me obtain the treatment I needed and will continue to need . Your support also gave me a sense of not being alone in this battle . My eyesight has improved and I ’ m hoping to keep getting better . I look forward to joining the Vermont Bar one day and contributing to Vermont ’ s excellence in helping others . With much gratitude , Shakia Woods The Women ’ s Division annual meeting will be November 16 , 2016 at the Capital Plaza . We will be discussing the upcoming year , any new initiatives or CLE ’ s by the section , and will be treated to an engaging CLE on managing finances for lawyers by Christine Doreen Moriarty , a nationally acclaimed Certified Financial Planner , who combines a strong foundation in the mechanics of money management with a compassionate understanding of the emotional underpinnings of personal decision-making . She was Vermont ’ s Small Business Financial Advocate of the Year in 2002 and has received the Financial Planning Award for “ Best Consumer Article of the Year .”
WORKERS ’ COMP By : Keith Kasper , Esq .
On September 15 , 2015 the VBA WC Section , in conjunction with other interested parties , presented a celebration and conference on the Centennial Anniversary of the Vermont Workers ’ Compensation Act : “ Celebrating 100 Years of Workers ’ Compensation in Vermont ; Learning from the Past , Planning for the Future .” The allday conference focused not only on the evolution of Workers ’ Compensation in Vermont over the past 100 years , but also examined where workers ’ compensation is headed in the future with the contingent economy and other dilemmas facing the workers ’ compensation system .
The Summer Issue of the VBA Journal was replete with articles on the WC Centennial written by VBA and VBA WC Section members . There were also educational materials available to high schools for incorporation into their American History classes examining the history and current role of WC in American business and society at large . Kids Chance of Vermont , a charity that pro-
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