The Board of Managers of the Vermont Bar Association approved the creation of a section for In-House Counsel at its meeting on May 23 in Montpelier. The new section was proposed by Mary Bouchard, Esq. of Vermont Gas Systems Inc.. VBA Board President Josh Diamond will be consulting with Mary to find and appoint the…
The VBA Young Lawyers Division Marathon Relay Teams met bright and early on race day (Sunday, May 25) ready to run. The weather was chilly in Burlington, and the teams coordinated an exchange of jackets to keep everyone warm after their leg of the relay! Both teams’ first leg runners, Danielle Simpson for Team…
Richard T. “Rich” Cassidy, President Elect of the Vermont Bar Association and storied Vermont attorney, has died. Rich died late on Monday, April 21, 2025, after a long illness. Rich was not only an accomplished attorney, known and respected around the state, he was a servant of the profession. His dedication to improving…
The VBA held its 2025 Mid-Year Meeting at the Equinox Resort and Spa in Manchester on March 28. A crowd of about 200 Vermont attorneys and judges, special guest speakers, and 20 meeting sponsors were on hand for a memorable day. The weather held, which is always a mercy for a meeting in Vermont in…
The Vermont Judiciary is conducting surveys of court users and attorneys to learn more about the experiences of people who participated in a remote or hybrid court hearing. Click here to take the survey.
Many of our Vermont County bars have robust programs for community engagement. Rutland and Windham counties, for instance, have long standing Law Day programs that bring lawyers and judges to schools, or school kids to lawyers and judges each spring. That wealth is not evenly spread, however. One of Josh Diamond’s goals for his…
The Vermont Bar Association congratulates Sheilagh Smith, Esq. of Chelsea, Vermont, as the 2025 winner of the VBA’s Pro Bono Service Award The Pro Bono Award is given annually by the VBA’s Board of Bar Managers to an attorney who provides extraordinary legal services to indigent and disadvantaged clients in our community. Smith was nominated…
Vermont’s superior court judges serve six-year terms and are then subject to a judicial retention process. The Joint Committee on Judicial Retention oversees the process. After various hearings and meetings, the Committee provides its recommendations on retention to both chambers in a joint assembly where the vote is taken by secret ballot. There are eight…
Three attorney members have seats on the Judicial Nominating Board, including an At-large Seat, a Northern Seat and a Southern Seat. The three seats came open for election at the end of last year. The deadline for submitting ballots was Jan. 13, 2024. Today, the Judiciary announced the results of the election. The following people…
In November of last year, Gov. Phil Scott announced the appointment of four new Vermont Superior Court Judges. The new judges are Bonnie Badgewick of Woodstock, Dana DiSano of South Burlington, Timothy Doherty of Burlington, and Laura Rowntree of South Burlington. Rowntree and DiSano, both formerly Assistant Attorneys General, were sworn in by Vermont Supreme…