The Latest on the Law: Updates from the Boston Bar

What Does the IT Bond Bill Cover: With Court Administrator Thomas Ambrosino and Chief Information Officer Steven Duncan

Join us to hear from Court Administrator Thomas Ambrosino and Chief Information Officer for the Trial Court Steve Duncan about the impacts of the Court IT Bond Bill. Passed last session with support from the BBA, the Bill provides for $164 million in bond funding to modernize technology in the state courts, develop digital courtrooms, and modernize court operations and security. This virtual program will give an overview of what the IT Bond Bill covers, and what changes attorneys can expect.

 

Questions? Inquiries about program materials? Contact Trenon Browne at tbrowne@bostonbar.org

Summary Process Eviction Defense Basics

After the training, attendees will walk away with a general understanding of the eviction process in Massachusetts and specifically what defenses and resources are available to tenants to prevent or win an eviction case. Program participants will gain enough knowledge to begin volunteering with VLP’s housing unit. 

 

Questions? Inquiries about program materials? Contact Trenon Browne at tbrowne@bostonbar.org

How to Increase Your Visibility as a New Lawyer

Thinking about getting more involved outside of the [home] office lately? Interested in sharing your knowledge and skills with the greater legal community? Join us for a panel-style webinar to learn more about how you can increase your visibility as a new lawyer by contributing to journals and publications such as Mass Lawyers Weekly and at your firm, planning and speaking at educational events, presenting at bar association events and more. Listen in as a panel of speakers including experienced attorneys, an editor of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, and a member of the professional development team at a large law firm speak to the opportunities available for new lawyers and their own experiences expanding their impact in the legal community.

Questions? Inquiries about program materials? Contact Trenon Browne at tbrowne@bostonbar.org

 

209A Restraining Orders Basics Training

This training, in partnership with the Women's Bar Foundation, covers the basics of advocating for clients in 209A Abuse Prevention proceedings and equips attorneys with the tools necessary to represent survivors of abuse in restraining order hearings. We encourage all attorneys interested in making a difference for families impacted by domestic abuse to attend. (10/12/2023)

 

Attendees will leave with:

•  An overview of 209A law and procedure
• Advice for preparing and conducting a 209A hearing 
• Knowledge of the dynamics of an abusive relationship 
• Guidance for advocating for survivors of abuse in court

The Women's Bar Foundation will receive a list of registrants for this program after it concludes to follow up with opportuntites that you can get involved in. Please contact Noah, by the end of the program, at nwilliams@bostonbar.org if you would like to be removed from the distribution list.

Housing Advocacy for Landlords The Basics and How to Get Involved

This live webinar training will provide a basic overview of how to assist and represent low-income, owner-occupant landlords, many of whom have been financially impacted by the pandemic. It will provide information on why this underserved population needs assistance and how to help by volunteering with Volunteer Lawyer's Project's Landlord Advocacy Program. Law students and attorneys are encouraged to attend this training and volunteer with VLP.

 

Why we advocate for low-income landlords:

• To keep legal system even-handed, low-income landlords need access to free legal advice too
• Advocating for small, low-income landlords helps keep the rental market affordable and stable
• Mom-and-pop landlord demographic is vulnerable – typically elderly, non-native English speakers who survive on pensions and moderately priced rental income to pay bills, maintain properties, and keep mortgages up to date
• Owner-occupant landlords live in the property they rent out, so their tenants are also their neighbors; these circumstances can create unique challenges

Questions? Inquiries about program materials? Contact Trenon Browne at tbrowne@bostonbar.org

 

Rian Immigrant Center Forms Workshop Training: Help our Immigrant Neighbors!

During the 2023-24 bar year, the Rian Immigrant Center will be hosting regular clinics in partnership with the BBA to help immigrant members of our community complete basic, but necessary immigration paperwork, including green card renewals, work permit applications, family-based petitions, and citizenship applications. The clinics will happen on the second Monday of every month at 2 pm.

This training will prepare law students and attorneys to participate in our clinics by giving you an overview of the US immigration system, of the applications we complete in the clinics, and of our clinic model. 

While these might be basic applications, they make a world of difference to our neighbors who need these documents to continue working, going to school, and contributing to our city. Register today so you can help.

 

Questions? Inquiries about program materials? Contact Trenon Browne at tbrowne@bostonbar.org

Pro Bono as a New Lawyer: How Do I Start?

Are you a newly admitted lawyer interested in pro bono work and serving your community? With Pro Bono Month starting in October, you may be wondering how you can get involved. Hear from experienced attorneys as they discuss their own career pathways in pro bono work and how you can get started.  (9/26/2023)

 

Attendees will walk away with:  

• • Insight about pro bono advocacy 

  • Guidance on representing clients of different backgrounds 

  • Tips for gaining your firm's/organization's support for your pro bono work 

Questions? Inquiries about program materials? Contact Trenon Browne at tbrowne@bostonbar.org

Rise of Anti-LGBTQ Laws across the US: What You Need to Know

We are all reading headlines about discriminatory new laws passing in other states that are targeting our LGBTQ community.  These include anti-trans laws on health care, sports and bathrooms, educational restrictions on sexual orientation and gender identity and many others.  While we in Massachusetts have not seen these enacted locally, lawyers here often represent and work for organizations with regional and national footprints.  We need to know about these laws as we advise our clients and assist them in complying with the law while staying true to inclusive, equitable, and diverse values that we share and that make our organizations successful. (9/20/2023)

 

Attendees of this program will leave this program with knowledge about: 

 

1. Anti-LGBTQ policies across the country
2. How anti-LGBTQ policies elsewhere can impact your practice here in Massachusetts

Questions? Inquiries about program materials? Contact Trenon Browne at tbrowne@bostonbar.org

 

The Path Forward for Affirmative Action in Higher Education

The recent Supreme Court decision in Students for Fair Admission, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College substantially limited the use of race as a consideration in the admissions process for higher education institutions. The decision will trigger colleges and universities across the U.S. to reassess their admissions processes to ensure compliance with this new Supreme Court guidance. This BBA webinar is aimed at understanding the Supreme Court’s opinion, navigating continued diversity recruitment, and discussing ongoing barriers to diversity, including admissions processes that offer preferential treatment to applicants with familial ties to donors and alumni (“legacies”). (9/15/2023)

 

Questions? Inquiries about program materials? Contact Trenon Browne at tbrowne@bostonbar.org

 

Protecting Trade Secrets as Your Tools are Taken Away by the NLRB, the FTC, and Others

For over 200 years, noncompetes have provided protections for companies’ trade secrets and other legitimate business interests. But the FTC, the NLRB, and some state governments are starting to take them away, and the tide of public opinion is reaching further. 

What will your clients and companies do? How will employees be affected? Will it be good? Will it be bad? 

Join us for a 1-hour webinar to answer those questions. 

This program will provide the state of the law, explain what the NLRB, the FTC, and others are doing to erode the available trade secret protections, and discuss how to protect your company and your clients now.   (7/13/2023)

 

Questions? Inquiries about program materials? Contact Trenon Browne at tbrowne@bostonbar.org