Five Tips for Making the Most Of ABA Techshow 2017

By Joyce Brafford

How many times a day do you think about going paperless? What about email security or digital backups? Do you spend time wondering about document automation or online legal research? Have you been thinking about upgrading your virtual law practice management tools or client communication software?

If you’ve thought about any of those questions, or if you’re just starting to think about how technology can make your practice more efficient, you’ll find something to love at the ABA Techshow 2017. And as an NCBA Member, you’re entitled to a discount! Just use code: EP1720.

ABA Techshow is the premier conference for legal technology innovators and lawyers who want to better their practices through technology.  As always Techshow will happen in March in Chicago. I know. It’s not as easy as a conference at Wrightsville Beach, but it’s a great opportunity to make your practice more efficient, more responsive, and ultimately, more profitable. But I get that a multi-day trip can be intimidating, especially if you’ve never attended the conference before. So here are my top five tips for getting ready.

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Pretrial Justice and Criminal Case Management Reform

By Robert C. Kemp III

One of the greatest honors in my professional career was serving on the N.C. Commission on the Administration of Law and Justice. As a member of the commission, I was assigned to the Committee on Criminal Investigation and Adjudication. Two of the topics we focused on were pretrial justice and criminal case management.

Although various methods of pretrial release exist in North Carolina, a secured bond is the most common form of release for a person charged with a criminal offense. Few defendants can afford to post the bail amount in full. Some defendants utilize bail bondsmen, who charge a percentage of the total bond amount in exchange for obtaining the defendant’s pretrial release. Unfortunately, many defendants cannot afford either option and are forced to remain in jail. Most such defendants are also unable to retain counsel and are instead represented by court-appointed counsel, such as a public defender.

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Tick-tock: February Means Attorneys Have 28 Days To Meet CLE Deadline

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By Kim Wentworth

Ready or not, February is upon us.

As of Feb. 1, attorneys have 28 days to get their North Carolina State Bar Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) in for 2016.

As attorneys know, they must complete 12 hours of CLE credit each year. Two of these hours must be ethics/professional responsibility credit and at least once every three calendar years, each attorney must complete one hour of substance abuse/mental health credit.

We all know how busy things get for attorneys and how the year can easily slip away, then before you know it, the grace period is almost over and you still don’t have your CLE hours completed. For that reason, the NCBA CLE department makes sure that its February schedule is as jam-packed as possible in order to give everyone ample opportunity to get their hours completed. It is our mission to get everyone across that finish line.

Here are some numbers to highlight what February looks like at the Bar Center and around the state:

  • 16 live programs this month in three locations — Cary, Greensboro and Pinehurst;
  • 12 webcasts members can participate in from the comfort of their own home or office;
  • 66 video replays happening in 17 cities all across the state including Cary, Winston-Salem, Concord, Pinehurst, New Bern, Boone, Wilson, Wilmington, Asheville, Greensboro, Fayetteville, Hickory, Lumberton, Roanoke Rapids, Charlotte, Manteo and Shelby;
  • 40 phone/audio streaming options, five webinar options and over 800 on-demand programs to view from your computer or mobile device;
  • Two Marathon Days (Feb. 25 and 28) when you can earn up to 18 hours of MCLE credit including seven hours of ethics/professional responsibility and four hours of substance abuse/mental health hours.

By the time this month comes to an end, not only will we have all lawyers caught up on their MCLE credit hours, we will also be celebrating another successful February in the books.