This spring, the North Carolina Supreme Court approved amendments to The Plan for Certification of Paralegals, 27 N.C.A.C. 1G, Section .0100. The amendments eliminate the educational prerequisite for paralegal certification for applicants who satisfy work experience requirements. To be certified, applicants who satisfy the work experience requirements must pass the certification examination.
Update from the North Carolina Industrial Commission
The Industrial Commission has issued the following policies for Full Commission hearings, Deputy Commissioner medical motion hearings, and Executive Secretary’s Office informal hearings, which have been posted to the NCIC website. These policies are effective June 1, 2020. Policies for Deputy Commissioner hearings (non-medical motion hearings) and mediations to be held as of June 1, 2020 will be announced shortly.
In normal times, our section dues are carefully budgeted for use throughout the year for substantive reasons related to the work of the Section, communicating that work to you and getting you involved, as well as face-to-face networking and other personal interaction. This spring, most of the activities for which the Section budget allocated funds have been canceled or moved online due to the COVID-19 emergency. Under NCBA rules, there are, of course, restrictions on how and when Section funds can be expended and what happens if they are not expended by the end of the NCBA fiscal year.
https://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.png00Administrativehttps://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.pngAdministrative2020-05-26 15:26:162020-05-26 15:40:21Your Dues Do Good Work
Do you need a listening ear during this time? BarCARES is here for you now and always to provide support during any difficult time. Available 24/7 via telehealth (video + audio) or telephone, BarCARES is a confidential, short-term counseling program, cost-free, for members of the NCBA and law students at participating schools.
BarCARES can help all of us as we try to manage and balance family, work, and study in the face of the unknown future. Skilled professionals available through BarCARES assist in dealing with depression, anxiety, financial concerns and marriage and family conflicts, as well as professional stressors. In these challenging and uncertain times, why not utilize a benefit of your NCBA membership and ask for guidance?
https://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.png00NCBARBLOGhttps://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.pngNCBARBLOG2020-05-26 14:10:112020-06-01 16:15:37BarCARES is Here for You
Thank you all for being members of the Litigation Section! As you know, your Section membership offers numerous benefits, such as networking opportunities, discounted CLE rates, and the opportunity to read and publish on our blog.
Because of COVID-19, we are living in strange and challenging times, unlike anything any of us have ever seen during our careers. Attorneys, judges, courthouse officials, legal staff, and our clients are all doing their best to adapt to social distancing and public health recommendations that make operating a business and maintaining a litigation practice much more difficult. New rules and recommendations are being written and revised nearly every week, and it is a constant challenge to stay up to speed on the latest developments.
https://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.png00Litigationhttps://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.pngLitigation2020-05-26 12:34:222020-05-26 12:39:35Be a Part of Our Team – the Litigation Section Needs You!
Chief Justice Beasley just rolled out her newest orders on the courts.
You can read about them here, but below are the highlights that should be of interest to North Carolina litigators:
Filing, Deadlines, and Statutes of Limitation/Repose
Filings due pursuant to statutes of limitation or repose are extended until July 31.
Filings and actions due in civil matters that had been previously extended are due June 1.
Filings by mail are encouraged and clerks may require filings be dropped off rather than submitted face-to-face at a service counter as well as reduce hours/require appointments.
To encourage filing by mail, a 5-day grace period will be provided for documents delivered by mail.
Art MacCord is a patent attorney with 40 years of experience. He keeps an eye on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the U.S. Copyright Office for new rules and practice tips of interest to intellectual property attorneys. Find his latest updates here:
NCBA IPL Section Blog News Blasts for May 19, 2020
Copyright Office Releases Report on Section 512 regarding safe harbors for online service providers
https://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.png00IntellectualPropertyhttps://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.pngIntellectualProperty2020-05-21 16:40:242020-05-21 16:40:24MacCord’s List: IP News & Notices From Art MacCord
On May 8, the Administrative Law Section conducted its first-ever free-for-all and open-to-all-section-members discussion by Zoom conference. We hope you will find the information below informative and that you will join us for our next teleconference.
We opened with Section legislative committee co-chair David Ferrell, who provided a brief overview of the action in the General Assembly regarding COVID-19. David outlined some of the key administrative law related provisions in the primary COVID-19 bill, S.L. 2020-3 (S 704), for which most of the provisions presently expire on August 1. He mentioned the following: health care changes, including some related to regulated professions, such as pharmacists and dentists; emergency video notarization (which is not the same as remote notarization, he said); emergency video witnessing; e-signatures for warrants; temporary loosening of witness/notary requirements for advance health care directives; rescheduling public hearings; authorization for the Chief ALJ to extend the time for filing contested case petitions; electronic meetings of public bodies; and regulatory flexibility for State agencies, including occupational licensing boards. David also discussed what people, including legislators, are saying about when they will return and what they will be doing when they return.
https://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.png00Administrativehttps://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.pngAdministrative2020-05-21 16:14:122020-05-21 16:14:12What You Missed at the May 8 Administrative Law Discussion on COVID-19 Developments
In order to excel in the workplace, one of the most essential tools to understand is Microsoft Excel. A spreadsheet program, Microsoft Excel is used for a variety of reasons, mainly to track data. For so many of us in the legal field, Excel is a program that we keep close.
Whether it is for tracking deadlines, calculating numerical amounts, or more, we tend to use this software on a daily basis.
Below are some common (and not so common) tricks for working in Excel.
The economic side effects of the coronavirus pandemic on divorced or soon-to-be-separated clients can’t be ignored. As family law attorneys, we know the flood is coming.
We see the tidal wave. We see the stress of family and work, the emotional imbalance, the inability to make decisions, the very quick accusations that one side or the other is acting crazy. We see our clients crumbling into tears with non-case related issues like trying to get their Instacart or Shipt groceries delivered on time and making sure their kids get on their Zoom classroom meetings.
https://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.png00FamilyLawhttps://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.pngFamilyLaw2020-05-21 09:03:572020-05-21 09:03:57What in the World Happens Next? How Family Law Attorneys Should Plan Now for Alimony and Child Support Case Modifications
By 
By 
By 
By Art MacCord
By 