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Bar News - June 7, 2002 Dues & Fees for 2002-2003 - What's New This Year
ALL MEMBERS OF the New Hampshire Bar Association should have received their mailing of dues, Supreme Court fees and NHMCLE booklet at their designated mailing address by the time this issue is published. For the most part, there is no change to the forms that attorneys are required to complete. NH Bar Association membership dues have not changed this year, although the Professional Conduct Committee has increased its annual assessment on active attorneys, and imposed a small assessment on inactive members. (See related article on page 22.) Member Demographics Sought A new area on the NHBA dues invoice – appearing in red ink under the invoice amount – asks attorneys to indicate the setting in which they practice (listed as "type of business"), e.g., sole practitioner or law firm, corporation, government, non-profit, educator or not currently practicing. This information is being collected to assist in the Bar’s ongoing review of services and programs offered to members. Collecting this information will enable the Bar to better target the services provided to members. NHMCLE Survey Bar members are encouraged to complete the survey on Supreme Court Rule 53 (NHMCLE Requirement) contained in the NHMCLE booklet. The rule creating a minimum continuing legal education requirement is 10 years old and the NHMCLE Board, considering technology and other changing aspects of law practice, is seeking input before revisiting aspects of the rules and regulations. If you have received the survey by e-mail, but would prefer to respond on paper by regular mail, please use the paper version of the survey in your compliance booklet. The e-mail version cannot be tabulated unless it is returned by e-mail. The following is a series of frequently asked questions regarding the Bar dues invoice, Supreme Court fees and other components of the mailing. General Information Q: Can I pay my dues and court fees invoices with one check? A: Yes. For your convenience, you can write ONE check for both the NHBA Dues Invoice and the Supreme Court fees (including the Professional Conduct Committee fee and the Public Protection Fund fee.) Please make all checks payable to the NH Bar Association. Q: If I have questions regarding the NH Supreme Court Annual Trust Compliance Certificate, whom do I call? A: You can speak with Craig Calaman at the Professional Conduct Committee. Call 224-5828. Q: Do I send my forms to the NHBA? A: Yes. You can send your dues invoice, NH Supreme Court Annual Trust Compliance Certificate, NHMCLE Compliance Certificate and IOLTA forms all in the same envelope to the Bar Center. We will distribute them appropriately. NHMCLE Compliance Q: Are there any new requirements for NHMCLE this year? A: Yes. If you have completed a non-traditional education program that was not presented by an Annual Sponsor (e.g., NHBA, PLI, Lorman) or not approved by the NHMCLE Board, you must apply for credit using the Attorney Credit Application Form before you can claim the credit on your Certificate of Compliance. This kind of program includes presentations online, by satellite, CD-ROM, audio/video and teleconference. Check with the program sponsor to see if the course has been approved in NH before applying on your own. The application form and the list of Annual Sponsors is available in your compliance booklet and on this Web site under NHMCLE Information in the Continuing Legal Education section. Q: Do CLE credits have to be completed in NH? A: No. Lawyers can apply for credit for courses completed outside NH or the sponsor can apply within 30 days of the course. Always check with the program sponsor to see if the program has been approved in NH (and to receive a copy of the attendance record). The Attorney Credit Application Form is available on the back page of your compliance booklet as well as on this Web site under NHMCLE Information. Continuing Legal Education Q: What is the definition of "live" program attendance? A: You must attend six hours as a student of live CLE programming that is held outside of your office and is not limited to an invited group, or you may participate in NHMCLE-approved online courses in which lawyers can communicate with faculty by e-mail or other reasonably contemporaneous methods. CLE programs with attendance limitations are considered "in-office" programs that qualify for non-live credit regardless of their method of presentation. Distance learning programs without the opportunity to speak with the faculty are categorized as "non-live" credit and must be pre-approved by the NHMCLE Board unless presented by an Annual Sponsor. Member Status Q: Are there any NHMCLE requirements for inactive members? A: You do not have to comply with Rule 53 if you have been inactive for the entire reporting year (July 1, 2001-June, 30, 2002). If you have changed your NHBA membership status during the year, it depends on the date you made the change. If you are unable to answer your NHMCLE questions using the information in the compliance booklet or on the Web site, contact Lee Jones in the NHMCLE Office. If You Have Changed to INACTIVE Status... Q: Do I need to complete the Authorization to Financial Institutions IOLTA form mailed with my dues bill if I change my status to inactive? A: No. If you have any questions, please call Mary White at the Bar Center, (603) 224-6942. Q: Must I complete the Trust Account Compliance form mailed with my dues if I change my status to inactive? A: If, after reading the instructions included with the packet, you still have questions, please call the PCC office at (603) 224-5828. Q: If I choose to go on inactive status, must I pay the PCC fee on the court fees invoice? A: Effective this year, inactive members are required to pay a $10 PCC fee unless they are in either the military or honorary categories. You must change your status to inactive within 30 days of the dues invoice date or you will owe the full PCC fee. Q: If I choose inactive status, can I still be listed in the NH Law Directory & Daybook? A: No. Only active members are listed. Note: The "green book" is privately published and is not affiliated with the NH Bar Association. Q: If I am on inactive status and I wish to return to active status, what must I do? A: You may reactivate your active status at any time. Call Anna O’Neill, Member Records coordinator, or Staff Accountant Shirley Butler at (603) 224-6942 to determine the amount of dues owed. (If you have paid inactive dues for the year, it will be the difference between that amount and the current active dues.) General questions regarding member status should be directed to Anna O’Neill at the New Hampshire Bar Center, (603) 224-6942 or aoneill@nhbar.org. The mailing address and fax number for the Bar Association, Bar Foundation and NHMCLE Office: 112 Pleasant Street Concord, NH 03301, Fax: 603 224-2910.
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