NSBA News
2017 NSBA Annual Meeting - Equality Before the Law
The 117th Annual Meeting of the Nebraska State Bar Association will be held at the Embassy Suites-La Vista Wednesday, October 11, through Friday, October 13, 2017. The theme of this year's meeting is "Equality Before the Law". This year’s Annual Meeting offers numerous seminars of interest, a number of section and committee breakfasts and meetings, lunches for Creighton and UNL, In Honor of Your Honors Judges’ Reception, and a OctoBARfest Reception sponsored by the Mercer Consumer and the Minnesota Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company. Complete meeting information and online registration are available on the Annual Meeting event page. Space is limited so register early.
- New Associate Hiring Fair – Employer Registration
In an effort to connect current 3L students and recent graduates* with employers in Lancaster, Sarpy and Douglas counties seeking to hire, the Nebraska State Bar Association is conducting its first ever New Associate Hiring Fair during the Annual Meeting. If you are an employer from a different county, please contact Sam Clinch for other opportunities. Employer Registration Form
Veterans’ Administration Practice
If you practice before the US Department of Veterans’ Affairs, or would like to, you’ll want to attend the seminar on DVA practice offered by NSBA and the Military Law Section on Nov 17. A lawyer must be accredited by the DVA to practice before the DVA. To be accredited a lawyer must apply for and receive accreditation and then take three hours of CLE. If you want to be accredited before Nov 17, apply NOW. Details and registration, including a link to apply for DVA accreditation, are online.
Nebraska Criminal Offense Penalties List Now Available
Professor Steven J. Schmidt has updated his list of criminal penalties through July 1, 2017, and it’s now available in the online NSBA Library (free to all voluntary NSBA members) and the NSBA Store. The List is available electronically and in laminated print form. This 12 page handy quick reference includes felony penalties, habitual criminal sentencing enhancement, misdemeanor and infraction penalties, traffic penalties, DUI sentences, common City of Lincoln ordinance violations, and failure to appear penalties.
Never Too Late
With the NSBA Annual Meeting coming up soon, this is a great time to join an NSBA section. Most of the 31 NSBA sections will be meeting during Annual Meeting and offering opportunities to get involved with section leadership, shape section plans for the coming year, and build professional relationships in your practice area. Any voluntary dues-payer may join a section at any time on the NSBA website or by contacting the NSBA office. For more information contact NSBA Section Facilitator Lorrie Benson at lbenson@nebar.com or 402-475-7091.
Celebrate Pro Bono Week—Volunteer 1, 2 or 3 Hours
Lawyers in the City, Omaha, Friday, October 20, 2017
Pro Bono Week is a global celebration that takes place during the last week of October. This year as a kick off to Pro Bono week the Volunteer Lawyers Project, Creighton University School of Law Legal Clinic, Justice for Our Neighbors, Legal Aid of Nebraska, Midlands Bar Association and the Omaha Bar Association are hosting a third “Lawyers in the City” event in Omaha. On Friday, October 20 from 9am to 4pm, volunteer lawyers and students will meet with low-income Omaha residents to answer basic civil law questions, provide information about the court and court process, and distribute information and resources on uncontested divorce, child custody and support, name changes, protection orders, filing a small claim, tenant rights, bankruptcy and debts, and immigration. The clinic will be held at Metropolitan Community College–South Campus, 2801 Babe Gomez Avenue, Omaha, in the Connector Building second floor, Room 250.
To register, go to Sign Up Genius and select 1, 2 or 3 hours or sign up all day. Refreshments and snacks available for volunteers.
Thanks for sharing news about this pro bono opportunity with colleagues, family, and friends in your social network. For more information or flyers, contact VLP Staff Attorney Anna Marx at amarx@nevlp.org or (402) 475-7091
Lawyer's Advisory Committee Opinions for 09/11/2017
17-03
A. May an attorney receive digital currencies such as bitcoin as payment for legal services?
B. May an attorney receive digital currencies from third parties as payment for the benefit of a client's account?
C. May an attorney hold digital currencies in trust or escrow for clients?
17-02
A request has been made by a Nebraska attorney to amend or completely withdraw Nebraska Ethics Advisory Opinion for Lawyers No. 13-02. As presently written, Opinion No. 13-02 concludes that a Nebraska Lawyer who is not licensed as a mediator under the Nebraska Parenting Act (Nebraska Revised Statutes §43-2921), should not mediate in cases involving proceedings or modifications where parenting functions are at issue (Nebraska Revised Statutes, Chapter 42 – Husband and Wife, and §§43-1401-1418 Infants and Juveniles).
Recent Supreme Court Opinions
Week of September 15, 2017
Week of September 8, 2017
For a complete listing of recent opinions, visit the Nebraska Judicial Branch Website.
Five Steps to Confront Burnout, Addiction and Depression
By Link Christin, Originally Published in Attorney-at-Work
There’s no denying it: Lawyers have the highest behavioral impairment rate of any profession. Research has shown it. It is spotlighted in the media, as in a recent New York Times feature on a lawyer who tragically spiraled into addiction behind closed doors. And in August, the American Bar Association National Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being released its recommendations on ways the legal community can address it. Full Article
Combating Common Trust Accounting Challenges
By Cosmolex, LLC, Originally Published in ABA Law Practice Today
When it comes to trust accounting (also referred to as IOLTA), having a comprehensive understanding of individual state requirements and compliance should be of the utmost importance to any trusted attorney. From maintaining meticulous records (digital and print) to recognizing the key differences between earned and unearned income, trust accounting presents several unique challenges. Though the processes involved may appear tedious, firms that fail to remain in compliance with trust accounting regulations run the risk of harsh penalties, even possible disbarment. Protect against these potential pitfalls by anticipating the common challenges associated with trust accounting compliance, and by taking full advantage of new technology for added security. Full Article
NLF News
Nebraska Lawyers Foundation 2016 Impact Report
The Nebraska Lawyers Foundation is the charitable fundraising arm of the Nebraska State Bar Association. It raises funding for programs dedicated to ensuring justice for all Nebraskans and strengthening the legal profession. With support from NSBA members, firms, partner organizations, and the legal community, NLF
continues to serve the public and the legal community. We want to thank the 633 donors this past year that contributed to the Nebraska Lawyers Foundation. THANK YOU! Full Report
Member Benefit Spotlight: Nebraska Lawyers Foundation Visa® Card!
Introducing the Nebraska Lawyers Foundation Visa® Card! Now there is an easy way to help support Nebraska Lawyers Foundation. With the Nebraska Lawyers Foundation Visa® Card, a portion of your purchases is given back. Even better, because it’s a rewards card, supporting your organization means rewards for you! Get all of the card details and apply for your Nebraska Lawyers Foundation Visa® card today. It’s the convenient new way to show your support. This is an advertisement. https://www.affinitysolutionsfbc.com/85O0
Casemaker Weekly Update
The Graph Icon
After performing a search you will notice to the far right of each of the results is a graph icon. Clicking this icon will plot, on a line graph, the number of times the case has been cited over the years. Hovering over the dots provided will tell you how many times it was cited in that year specifically, and clicking on the dot will provide you with a listing of clickable links to those cases from that year.
Signing Out
Upon clicking our Sign Out link you will be logged out of the system and provided with a Session Summary. This is a listing of everything you did while logged in. Complete with a date and time stamp, and client labels. Of course, the searches and documents are stored in your history as well!
Browsing Statutes In Casemaker
Browsing statutes is another great way to research your issue. At times, you may not know the exact citation for the statute that is relevant to your issue. On other occasions, you may want to see the surrounding statutes as well. Instead of searching, we can browse the statutes.
Start by clicking on the jurisdiction you wish to view from the list of states on the homepage. Then click on Statutes. From there you can drill down in the Statute library to find what you need. Clicking on Titles, then on Subtitles, then Chapters and so on. There is a trail at the top of each page indicating what level of the hierarchy you are on. This can help you get your bearings in complicated statutes titles with many layers.
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