Louisiana Bar Center to Close for July 4The office will reopen for business at 8:30 a.m. on July 5.
ATJ Developing Leadership Internship Program to Begin Second YearWith the success of the first year of the Access to Justice Developing Leadership Internship Program, representatives of the LSBA, the Louisiana Bar Foundation, Louisiana civil legal aid providers, the Louisiana District Judges Association, Louisiana law schools, the Louisiana Supreme Court and the private bar are joining forces once again for the second year.
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Louisiana Civil Justice Center Launches Second “Justice Tour,” Seeks Attorney InvolvementThe Louisiana Civil Justice Center (LCJC) began its second “Justice Tour” in March. The tour, which will continue through October, addresses the overwhelming legal needs in the poorest and most underserved rural parishes of Louisiana.
LCJC will host civil legal clinics at libraries in 16 parishes. The clinics, open to the public, allow residents to speak with attorneys about civil legal issues, including divorce and custody, consumer debt, housing and successions. Attorneys offer advice, legal documents and referrals free of charge. LCJC representatives also meet with businesses, community groups and legal services organizations to discuss the main legal challenges facing each parish and build awareness about the services that LCJC offers.
Attorney participation is encouraged to conduct civil legal clinics in parish libraries or to take on cases on a sliding scale or pro bono.
More clinics are scheduled through October. To sign up, email
coordinator@laciviljustice.org. To review the tour schedule, go to:
http://laciviljustice.org/.
The 2016 Justice Tour visited 15 parishes, providing more than 500 people with direct legal assistance and, through new partnerships with libraries and local organizations, sharing critical information about existing legal resources at the local and statewide levels with rural communities. In recognition of its success in raising awareness about barriers to justice in rural Louisiana, the tour was honored with the Louisiana State Bar Association’s 2016 Legal Services Innovation Award.
LBLS Sets Submission Date for Bankruptcy Law Certification ApplicationsThe Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization (LBLS) is accepting applications for business bankruptcy law and consumer bankruptcy law certification through Sept. 30, 2017.
In accordance with the Plan of Legal Specialization, a Louisiana State Bar Association (LSBA) member in good standing who has been engaged in the practice of law on a full-time basis for a minimum of five years may apply for certification. Further requirements are that each year a minimum percentage of the attorney’s practice must be devoted to the area of certification sought and a written examination must be passed to demonstrate sufficient knowledge, skills and proficiency in the area for which certification is sought.
Applicants must meet a minimum CLE requirement for the year in which application is made and the examination is administered. CLE is regulated by the American Board of Certification, which is also the testing agency.
With regard to applications for business bankruptcy law and consumer bankruptcy law certification, although the written test(s) is administered by the American Board of Certification, attorneys should apply for approval of the LBLS certification simultaneously with the testing agency in order to avoid delay of board certification by the LBLS. Information concerning the American Board of Certification will be provided with the application form(s).
Anyone interested in applying for certification should contact LBLS Executive Director Mary Ann Wegmann, email
maryann.wegmann@lsba.org. For more information, go to the LBLS website:
https://www.lascmcle.org/specialization/.
Supreme Court Approves Amended LSBA Plan of Legal SpecializationBy court order signed on March 9, 2017, the Louisiana Supreme Court approved an amended Louisiana State Bar Association Plan of Legal Specialization, effective upon signing. To review the amended plan online, go to:
https://www.lascmcle.org/specialization/LSBA_Plan_of_legal_specialization_2017.pdf.
Attorney Volunteers: Offer Your Time with LA.FreeLegalAnswers.org! To volunteer or learn more, go to the LSBA’s Access to Justice webpage,
https://www.lsba.org/atj. Or contact Rachael Mills with the Access to Justice Department at (504)619-0104 or email
rachael.mills@lsba.org.
Yes, It Is Important to Report Your Pro Bono Hours!Is it really that important to report pro bono hours? Yes . . . if you want to support your local pro bono and legal services programs.
Each year, attorneys provide thousands of hours of pro bono work for those who cannot afford to pay for legal services — and each year thousands of hours go unreported. Some attorneys say it is self-aggrandizement to report. Others say only the office manager sees the reporting form.
Don’t do a disservice to your local pro bono and legal services programs by not reporting. When seeking funding, these organizations are frequently asked, “What are attorneys doing to help?” Help the Louisiana State Bar Association support your local public interest organizations by providing them information to respond to that question.
Report your hours online at:
www.lsba.org/goto/pbreporting.