Practice Resources - Vermont Bar Association

Attorney Licensing/MCLE/Professional Responsibility Board/Standing Orders

The Vermont Bar Association is a voluntary professional association for attorneys. While some states have mandatory bars who also handle licensing and discipline, the Vermont Bar Association, as a voluntary organization, does not. We are an approved agency that provides local, quality CLE programming and can track credits for members, but we do not license or discipline attorneys. For questions about licensing, license renewal, attorney discipline and attorneys in good standing, please follow the appropriate links below.

Criminal Jury Instructions

The Criminal Jury Instruction committee has met regularly to update reporter’s notes and maintain these Vermont Model Criminal Jury Instructions.

Practice Manuals

A Practical Guide to Estate Planning in Vermont: https://www.mcle.org/product/catalog/code/2150449B00
A Practical Guide to Residential Real Estate Transactions and Foreclosures in Vermont: https://www.mcle.org/product/catalog/code/2190342B00

Vermont Title Standards

The first version of Vermont’s Standards of Title was adopted by the Vermont Bar Association Board of Bar Managers on March 18, 1999. The Title Standards Committee is a subcommittee of the VBA’s Real Property committee and meets biannually to update the standards.

Disaster Preparation

No state or community is shielded from disaster, as Vermont learned all too well after Tropical Storm Irene and the recent July 2023 Floods. All lawyers should prepare for disasters, large or small, to protect their practices and serve their clients (and victims) in the aftermath of any disaster. Here are some resources to help you develop your plan.

Writing Guide

Brian Porto has generously offered this writing guide for lawyers: You Convinced Me: A Lawyer’s Guide to Persuasive Writing.

Superior Court Judge Rotation Schedule

Vermont’s judges rotate annually, a traditional practice codified at 4 VSA s73. The rotation schedule was designed at the onset to avoid familiarity between judges and practitioners and to prevent burn out. The Superior Judge rotation schedule is published every September.

Advisory Ethics Opinions

To read the opinions, please click on the box below to view the categories.

Opinion Categories

A Short Guide to Vermont Appellate Practice

(Written by Benjamin D. Battles, Esq. and published in the Vermont Bar Journal Spring 2022 issue)

Succession Planning

Succession Planning is essential to every lawyer’s practice and in fact, according to the comment in RPC 1.3, is required for sole practitioners. A plan protects your clients, your colleagues and your loved ones in the event of disability or death. Lawyers should maintain records as to the location of client information, bank records, computer access, passwords and their named successor. The links below provide some helpful resources for you to get started.

Vermont Law Blogs or Blawgs

You can check out the VBA’s latest Blawg under our updates or at the top of our home page. Other regularly updated Vermont Blawgs of interest include:

Resources for Attorneys Working with “Justice Involved” Veterans

The Veterans Justice Outreach Program (VJO) is a nationwide program run by the VA that is designed to assist veterans who have been caught up in the justice system. Vermont has a VJO program based at the White River Junction VA Medical Center in White River Junction and provides VJO services to every county in Vermont as well as all of the western counties of New Hampshire.

More Information HERE