NCBA+NCBF COVID-19 Response - North Carolina Bar Association

The public health situation regarding Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to evolve. The health and well-being of our members and employees is our highest priority. We are closely following developments with COVID-19 and we are making adjustments to our operations and events in response to those developments.

A Message From Executive Director Jason M. Hensley To Our Members Regarding COVID-19

March 30, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has already impacted most aspects of our lives. I am reaching out to you today to let you know what the North Carolina Bar Association is doing to support you and the legal profession during this time of great uncertainty.

Last week, we made two key efforts in support of our members, their clients and the public in North Carolina. First, we asked Governor Cooper to classify legal services as essential services in his Stay At Home order. Legal services, along with many of the services that support legal services work have been included as essential services in his order, which is effective later today.

Second, recognizing the particular challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic presents, four of our sections (Elder & Special Needs Law, Estate Planning & Fiduciary Law, Litigation and Real Property) collaborated to draft and propose legislation that would enable remote witnessing/notarization and execution during the current state of emergency. The draft legislation was submitted to legislative leaders this weekend. The intersection of current witnessing/notary and execution requirements and the steps that need to be taken to limit the spread of COVID-19 are already creating hardships for attorneys and their clients. The legislation, if enacted, will make it possible for clients, including those who are at high risk of contracting COVID-19 or that have been placed in medical isolation, to execute key legal documents remotely during the current state of emergency, while also limiting potential exposure for attorneys, notaries and witnesses. It is critical to the legal system and the needs of our clients that estate planning processes, real property transactions and the execution of other instruments that occur during this pandemic are and will remain valid. We will continue to work with all branches of government to ensure the continued provision of legal services during the pandemic and to advocate for needed changes and improvements.

Because the health and well-being of our members and employees is our highest priority, the North Carolina Bar Center is currently closed and all in-person meetings and events scheduled through May 31, 2020, have been postponed. However, the work of our team goes on as we all adjust to working remotely and utilizing new technologies and online resources, including:

Continuing Legal Education – In-person CLE events scheduled between now and May 31, 2020, are being converted to On Demand CLE programs, to the fullest extent possible. Already existing and available to you is our On Demand catalog of 1,000 CLE programs covering 49 topic and practice areas. Please note that as of January 1, 2020, there is no longer a 6-hour limit on online CLE for annual North Carolina CLE requirements; North Carolina attorneys may now take all of their required annual CLE hours online.
Center for Practice Management – The NCBA Center for Practice Management continues to develop digital and video practice management and technology resources to help our members and their firms maintain operations, serve clients and develop business continuity plans.
Member Discount Partners – A number of our Member Discount Partners including Clio (practice management software), LawPay (payment processing company), RingCentral (telephone service solution) and Fastcase (legal research) have implemented new discounts, credits and updates.
Section Resources – NCBA Section and Division members continue to publish articles and updates to help our members stay informed about issues affecting their practice areas. We’ve tagged the NCBarBlog posts germane to COVID-19 to make it easier to find everything that our members are writing on that topic.

We are also working to maintain the stability and effectiveness of the NCBA and the North Carolina Bar Foundation by moving forward in several key areas. Members are encouraged to volunteer for committee service in 2020-21, and we are asking all who are interested to complete the NCBA+NCBF Committee Preference Form by April 10.

The NCBA Annual Meeting is still scheduled for June 25-28 in Charlotte. Like most summer events, we are monitoring this evolving situation and will keep you informed should we need to adjust our plans.

The important work of the North Carolina Bar Foundation continues through these difficult times. We are navigating these unchartered waters of the pandemic together, in a spirit of service and generosity, and we are grateful for your support and involvement.

The Young Lawyer Division’s Legal Feeding Frenzy food drive, continuing through March 31 and supported with a grant from the North Carolina Bar Foundation Endowment, has had a remarkable response from our members. Donations made to the Legal Feeding Frenzy help the growing number of food-insecure North Carolinians. Attorneys continue to serve low-income residents through the North Carolina Bar Foundation’s NC Free Legal Answers web-based pro bono program.

The Lawyers for Literacy program is exploring opportunities for lawyers and paralegals to read to students through virtual classrooms and the NC LEAP program will work with community partners to bring information and resources to affected small businesses. Over the coming months, the Wills for Heroes program aims to engage volunteer lawyers and paralegal notaries to serve front-line medical personnel using technologies in place of in-person contact.

Your membership and commitment make the work of our Association and Foundation possible every day. We thank you for being there for us, and we will work hard to continually support you as we navigate this new environment together.

Jason M. Hensley
Executive Director
North Carolina Bar Association and Foundation

NCBA Asks Governor To Regard Legal Services As Essential Services

March 24, 2020

The North Carolina Bar Association is asking Gov. Roy Cooper to consider legal services as essential services in the event a shelter in place order is issued for North Carolina in conjunction with the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the complete letter.

NCBA In-Person CLE Events

Due to the lead time involved in providing and attending in-person CLE events and the need to provide clarity for participants, speakers and planners, the NCBA will be converting all in-person CLE events scheduled between now and May 31, 2020, to On Demand CLE programs, to the fullest extent possible. Individuals who have registered for affected programs will have the option of receiving a refund or a credit toward On Demand CLE programs. We will continue to monitor COVID-19 developments with regards to in-person CLEs scheduled after May 31, 2020.

Please note that, as of January 1, 2020, there is no longer a 6-hour limit on online CLE for annual North Carolina CLE requirements. N.C attorneys may now take all of their required annual CLE hours online.

NCBA/NCBF In-Person Events

All civic engagement, conference, networking, public service and social events scheduled between now and May 31, 2020, will be postponed and rescheduled if possible.

NCBA section and division council meetings and NCBA/NCBF committee meetings will be held exclusively via video and teleconferencing through May 31, 2020.

NCBA/NCBF Remote Work

Beginning Friday, March 13, and until further notice, we are significantly reducing our employee presence at the Bar Center. All departments will remain in operation and we are executing plans to reduce potential interruptions in service as much as possible.

The NCBA will continue to carefully monitor the rapidly evolving public health situation regarding COVID-19.