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…
The VBA’s legal research partner, Fastcase, upgraded its platform this winter. In 2023, Fastcase merged with vLex, a global leader in legal intelligence and with the merger a new suite of services has arrived. The new platform went live in Vermont on Dec. 5. It has a new appearance and new functionality. With change comes…
Like the rest of the population, Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind clients need legal representation. As all attorneys are aware, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. This includes potential clients with hearing challenges. That said, the Vermont Department of Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living (DAIL) maintains a roster…
This just in from our friends at the Washington County Bar Association: Hello Colleagues, Please come to our annual WCBA Holiday Party, and bring a friend! It will be a great time to mix and mingle, chat with old friends, and meet new people. Here are the details: What: 2024 WCBA Holiday Party. One drink…