Task Force on Diversity & Inclusion Survey
As we announced this summer, the Rhode Island Bar Association recognizes that diversity within the profession supports our mission and promotes a fair and equal justice system. After launching our Task Force on Diversity & Inclusion, it was decided that the best way to begin to analyze the state of diversity and inclusion in the legal profession is to survey our membership. Neither the Rhode Island Bar Association nor the Rhode Island Supreme Court currently maintains this type of data that would allow us to compare our profession to the population of Rhode Island. We hope to use the information gained from this survey to integrate diverse perspectives in our activities and educational programming and to encourage and cultivate social intercourse among all members of the Rhode Island Bar, elevate attorneys of diverse backgrounds to positions of leadership within the Association, and promote interest in the practice of law to diverse populations. While this survey is anonymous, please be aware we may share the data collected with the RI Supreme Court and other legal organizations.
You may answer only what you are comfortable answering, but please know that your candor will assist the Task Force as it begins to outline specific goals.
Please note: If you have already taken this survey which was previously circulated, please do not take it again. Thank you for your time and consideration!
For members interested in joining the newly initiated Task Force on Diversity & Inclusion, please contact Erin Cute at 401-421-5740 or ecute@ribar.com.
Ada Sawyer Centennial Celebration Postponed
Due to the ongoing pandemic and limit on gatherings, we must postpone our Ada Sawyer Centennial Celebration originally scheduled for October 15, 2020 at Rhodes¬-on-¬the-¬Pawtuxet. The event has been rescheduled for October 14, 2021 at Rhodes¬-on-¬the-¬Pawtuxet. The event, organized by the Bar Association’s Ada Sawyer Centennial Planning Committee and supported by the RI Women’s Bar Association and the Roger Williams University School of Law, will feature a plated dinner and cash Bar with several exciting speakers. More information will be disseminated in early 2021.
This gives the Ada Sawyer Centennial Planning Committee plenty of time to develop a digital memorial booklet to honor Ada’s accomplishments and show how her courageous actions changed the future of the profession in our state. We are asking Bar members who may have known or been influenced by Ada, or who may have had doors opened as a result of her actions, to submit a short piece detailing how you were affected. Please click here to access the submission form.
Please keep your submissions to 500 words or less so we can accommodate as many as possible. The deadline for submissions is December 1, 2020.
Bar’s Government Lawyers Committee Offering Free, 1-Credit CLE
The Rhode Island Bar Association’s Government Lawyers Committee is sponsoring a free-to-Bar-members, one-credit, virtual Committee CLE seminar. On Monday, November 9th, from 2:00 – 3:00 pm the State’s Administrator of Adjudication (DOA), Catherine Warren, Esq., will present Administrative Hearings – Foundational Concepts and Virtual Practice. Attendees will gain knowledge of foundational concepts such as the Administrative Procedures Act, due process, evidence, and procedure as applied to administrative hearings and practice. Building on that foundation, attendees will have an opportunity to discuss how these concepts translate to the virtual hearing context. A small segment will be included to consider access to administrative hearings by persons with disabilities and non-English speaking.
To register, please contact Heather Chea by email at hchea@ribar.com or phone at 401-421-5740.
Please note, per the RI MCLE Commission, the Rhode Island Bar Association can only report the attendance of attorneys completing a minimum of 90% of this CLE program.
Don't Miss the October FREE Seminar Series: Unique Aspects of Military Divorce: & Ancillary Issues
Do you represent service members, their spouses, or want to start? If so, this October CLE series is designed for you. During this two-part series scheduled for Wednesday, October 14 & 28, Attorneys Francis Flanagan, Kristy Garside and Paul Pederzani will address the unique issues and challenges presented when handling a military divorce, including the complexities of pensions and the recent changes to the military pension law. Moderating sessions 1 & 2 are Attorneys Barbara Margolis and Kerry Reilley Travers, respectively.
If you are not a member of the Volunteer Lawyer Program or US Armed Forces Legal Services Project, please contact us to join today and receive further information on the upcoming registration process.
Please note you must be a member of the pro bono programs and agree to accept a family law case to register.
Staff members John Ellis, jellis@ribar.com or Elisa King, eking@ribar.com will be happy to provide further details. You may also reach them at 401-421-7758 or 421-7799.
Follow Us on Social Media So You Never Miss an Update!
The Bar is going paperless! As a reminder, the Rhode Island Bar Journal is now being distributed to members in a digital format via email, as well as our monthly CLE seminar brochures. Make sure you are following us on all our social media accounts so you never miss an update!
CLE Corner
There are so many great CLE programs being offered virtually this October! Here are just a few:
Trust the Process: How to Build and Manage Law Firm Workflows
1:00 – 3:00 p.m., 2.0 credits
Live Webinar ONLY
Checking Account: Law Firm Compensation Models
1:00 – 3:00 p.m., 1.5 credits + 0.5 ethics
Live Webinar ONLY
Recent Developments in the Law
Wednesday, October 21, 2020
Live Webinar Only Via Zoom
To view all our live webcast offerings, visit the CLE calendar.
2020-21 Bar Member Dues Invoices Now Available
The Rhode Island Bar Association online dues invoices are now available for the 2020-21 year. The Bar no longer postal mails invoices to members. Please go to the Bar's website at ribar.com and log in with your Bar ID and password. Click DASHBOARD and then MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL. Once there, you may access your personalized invoice and make your payment online by following the prompts.
You do not have to pay your dues online. As an alternative, you may download your invoice and pay by check. Or, you may contact the Bar at (401) 421-5740 and request your invoice be sent to you via postal mail. Please remember you must request the postal mailed invoice, as otherwise the only way to access your invoice is online.
If you have any questions, please contact Office Manager Susan Cavalloro by phone at (401) 421-5740 or email: scavalloro@ribar.com
Noteworthy News
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In the recent Above the Law article, “With Apologies To Michael Scott, Lawyers Should Ditch Some Paper Products” author Jared Rothman explains how COVID-19 has shown us that we can use less paper. To read the full article please click here.
The recent article from Law.com/The New York Law Journal, “Fighting Business Email Compromise Fraud in the COVID Era,” covers the types of fraud to watch out for and ways all employees can be more vigilant. Click here to read the full article.
Public Service Corner
Lawyer Referral Service
Thank you for being a member of the Lawyer Referral Service.
Renewing your LRS membership is easy to do by checking off the appropriate box on your 2020-2021 Rhode Island Bar Association dues invoice. Please include the LRS annual membership fee of $100.00 along with your Rhode Island Bar Association Membership Dues payment. If you prefer, you can mail your annual $100.00 LRS dues separately to the Lawyer Referral Service, 41 Sharpe Drive, Cranston, RI 02920.
If you are not a member, please consider joining now. The Lawyer Referral Service makes over 8,000 referrals a year to attorneys located statewide! Membership in the LRS is an excellent and very inexpensive way to increase your client base and visibility within the community, especially during these difficult times. Applications may be found by clicking here or in the Members Only section on our website.
Please contact Caitlin Poland by phone at 401-421-7799 or email at cpoland@ribar.com for an application or any questions you may have about joining. We look forward to hearing from you!
Don’t Let Your CLE Coupons Expire!
In addition to the free seminars sponsored by the Bar Association pro bono programs, members who contribute and report thirty plus hours of pro bono service annually through these programs are eligible to receive CLE coupons to be used in the following calendar year. Eligible volunteer attorneys are given the choice of attending one, free, three-credit seminar or three one credit courses. If you have 2020 coupons and have not used them, please contact us to register you for an interesting and informative live webinar being offered by the CLE department. To view all of our program offerings, visit the CLE Calendar.
Fall Back into Health
Feel like you’ve fallen out of a healthy routine because the COVID-19 pandemic has you staying at home? You're not alone! Many of us are struggling to adjust to this new normal. Here are five tips to help you take back control and fall back into a healthy routine.
Create a Sleep Routine: As the sun starts to go down earlier, it can throw off your natural daily rhythm. Try to maintain a sleep schedule of at least seven hours and keep your normal bedtime and waking hours the same as the rest of the year.
Eat Colorful Meals: During this time of year beautiful vegetables and fruits make their appearance in grocery stores. When you are making your shopping list, try to choose different vegetables and fruits to add a variety of color to your meals. A new routine with new, delicious produce is a great way to kick-start your healthy eating plan.
Hydrate: Make sure to keep your water intake high as fall slowly fades into winter. As it gets colder, your body can lose as much fluid as it might in hot climates due to the high rates of energy used in colder climates. Thanks to heavier clothing, you’ll sweat more. An appropriate water intake will also keep your skin supple, which can be a problem as the weather gets drier.
Make Time for Physical Activity: A great way to ease back into a workout routine is to cut down the time you spend working out. The consistency of working out is much more important than how much time you spend actually doing your workout. Aim for at least 20 – 30 minutes a day to start. Online exercise videos are a great way to ensure a balanced workout!
Take Time to Journal: Journaling does more than just help you record your memories or find self-expression. It’s good for your health. Journaling can be an incredible stress management tool, writing about stressful experiences can help you manage them in a healthy way. Try establishing journaling as a pre-bedtime meditation habit to help you unwind and de-stress.
Technology Tip
With everybody still working from home more than ever before, there is stress on home-based internet connections, like never before. This is exacerbated when kids are home on remote learning programs. It may be the case, that, even if your internet connection was good before, it’s not so good any longer. It may be that there is too much stress on your modem -- especially if you have an old modem from your internet provider. After you call to update that modem, you can use routers to more effectively spread the signal around your home. You can even use routers to provide a dedicated internet connection in certain rooms and for specific devices. Eero has a great product in this vein.
This tech tip is brought to you by the Bar Association’s Law Practice Management Consultant, Jared Correia, of Red Cave Law Firm Consulting. If you need help with billing, client relations, data management, financial management, marketing, office technology, time management, disaster prevention & recovery, or any other area related to managing your practice, Red Cave Law Firm Consulting will provide Rhode Island Bar Association members with unlimited virtual consulting services (email, telephone, chat, video) FREE OF CHARGE. To get started, visit the Bar’s LPM page here, or just email Jared directly at jared@redcavelegal.com.
Member Benefit Tips
Have You Tried Casemaker4?
Working from home? This is a great opportunity to check out Casemaker4. Just as with previous versions of Casemaker, your access includes not just your state, but all 50 state and federal jurisdictions. You get case law, statutes, rules, regulations, registers, attorney general opinions, constitutions, bar journals, and more!
To try Casemaker4, simply log in to Casemaker through the ribar.com website as you normally would and click the Casemaker4 tile on the right of the home page. The redesigned user interface leverages improved search speed and more intuitive site navigation to deliver faster results. Need help navigating the new features? Click here to learn how to access video tutorials, webinars, customer support, and the Casemaker learning center.
Contact the Bar Association at 421-5740 if you have trouble logging in through our website. Questions about navigating the new Casemaker? Contact Casemaker at info@casemakerlegal.com or 877-659-0801.
Looking For Ways To Cope With Anxiety And Stress?
Join Coastline EAP for 30-minute meditation or yoga sessions on zoom. Sessions are offered on a weekly basis. Please click on the links below to register for an upcoming session. Can't attend a session? Don't worry, Coastline has pre-recorded meditations on their website. To access their website, please click here and enter RIBAR as the company username.
Meditation (30 Minutes):
Yoga At Your Desk (30 Minutes):
Coastline EAP is a private, non-profit consulting service contracted by the Association to assist you at no charge. The professionals at Coastline EAP provide confidential consultation for a wide range of personal concerns. If you are in need of assistance, you can contact Coastline EAP and identify yourself as a Rhode Island Bar Association member seeking help. To contact Coastline EAP please call
1-800-445-1195.