Frequently Asked Questions

 

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Address & Office Hours:
The mailing address for the Vermont Bar Association is PO Box 100, Montpelier VT 05601-0100. The physical address is 35-37 Court Street, Montpelier VT 05602. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Address Changes:
Any name, firm name, address, phone, fax or e-mail address changes need to be submitted to the Vermont Bar Association in writing, either by fax (802-223-1573), e-mail (lwelcome@vtbar.org), or mail (VBA, PO Box 100, Montpelier VT 05601-0100). VBA members can update information by logging on to the member only section of the website.

Advisory Ethics Opinions:
The full text of Advisory Ethics Opinions for the years of 1978 - current are available online HERE. A formal request for an ethics opinion should be addressed to Sheila Ware, Esq., Chair, VBA Professional Responsibility Committee, Darby Laundon Stearns Thorndike & Kolter, LLP, 89 S Main St, Waterbury, VT  05676-1538. The Committee can only fulfill requests for opinions submitted by VBA Members.

Attorney Licensing/Admissions:
Any questions regarding admission to the Vermont Bar, reciprocity with other states, exam schedules, etc. should be directed to the Board of Bar Examiners, 2418 Airport Rd, Ste 2, Barre, VT 05641. CLICK HERE to be directed to their site.

Vermont Bar Foundation:
The Vermont Bar Foundation administers the IOLTA program. The Foundation makes grants to programs which provide legal services to the poor or to promote the administration of justice. The mailing address for the Vermont Bar Foundation is PO Box 1170, Montpelier VT 05601-1170. The VBF phone number is 802-223-1400, fax number is 802-229-4051. The office is open Tuesday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. To visit the Vermont Bar Foundation website CLICK HERE

Client Security Fund:
A claim may be made against this fund to recover a loss caused by the dishonest conduct of a lawyer. Contact the Vermont Bar Association office for further information at 802-223-2020 or PO Box 100, Montpelier VT 05601-0100.

Complaints Against Judges:
Complaints against judges should be directed to Roberty Gerety, Chair of the Judicial Conduct Board at (802) 864-0217

Complaints Against Lawyers:
Complaints against lawyers should be directed to the Professional Conduct Board, ATTN: Michael E. Kennedy, Disciplinary Counsel, 32 Cherry Street, Ste 213, Burlington VT 05401, 802-859-3000.

Continuing Legal Education Credit:
All requests for approval of Continuing Legal Education credit should be submitted to the MCLE Board (Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Board), 2418 Airport Rd, Ste 2, Barre, VT 05641, 802-828-3281.

CLICK HERE to be directed to their site.

 

Continuing Legal Education Seminars:
For further information on CLE seminars, please see the additional page on
CLE on this web site.


Directory:
The Vermont Bar Association publishes an annual Directory of Vermont licensed attorneys and complete listings of interest to the legal profession. Generally, address changes, etc. will appear in the next directory (which will be available in early January) if received by November of the current year. If you would like to order the next annual  Directory, please send a check to the Vermont Bar Association, PO Box 100, Montpelier VT 05601-0100, or CLICK HERE for cost and ordering information.

E-Mail Addresses:
The e-mail addresses for the staff of the Vermont Bar Association are as follows:

Robert M. Paolini, Esq., Executive Director - bpaolini@vtbar.org

Kevin F. Ryan, Esq., Director of Education and Communication- kryan@vtbar.org 

Tami Baldwin , Administrative Assistant - tbaldwin@vtbar.org

Faith Copeland , Programs Coordinator - fcopeland@vtbar.org 

Lisa M. Maxfield, Director of Finance - lmaxfield@vtbar.org

Laura Welcome , Lawyer Referral Coordinator – lwelcome@vtbar.org

 

Fax:
The Vermont Bar Association fax number is 802-223-1573.

Fee Arbitration:
Clients who wish to contest the fee charged by their lawyer may contact Joseph J. O’Dea, Esq., Chair, VBA Arbitration of Fee Complaints Committee, Route 7 South, PO Box 286, Manchester VT 05254-0286.

Insurance Programs (health, dental, vision, disability, professional liability, personal insurance, retirement):
For further information on insurances offered by the VBA, please CLICK HERE

IOLTA:
An IOLTA (Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts) account is a pooled, interest-bearing trust account for deposit of client funds that are so small or that will be held for so short a time that they would not earn net interest that would be payable to the client. The Vermont Bar Foundation administers the IOLTA program. Please contact the VBF office at 802-223-1400 for further information. CLICK HERE to vist the website.

Lawyer Referral Service:
The Vermont Bar Association operates a Lawyer Referral Service. There is no charge for use of the referral service. The Lawyer Referral Service office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Please call 1-800-639-7036 to be referred to an attorney.

Mailing Labels:
The Vermont Bar Association sells mailing labels of its membership, which may be broken down by county, membership, location, etc. at a cost of $.05 per label for VBA Members, $.15 per label for Non-VBA Members. For more information, contact Lisa Maxfield (lmaxfield@vtbar.org) at the Bar Association at 802-223-2020.

Membership Dues:
The Vermont Bar Association dues structure is tiered based upon the number of years admitted to practice law in the State of Vermont. The VBA fiscal year is September 1 - August 31. The amounts below include a $10 surcharge for the Client Security Fund. Go
here for dues structure and application forms.


Vermont Bar Journal:
The Vermont Bar Journal is the only Vermont-based magazine designed to reach Vermont lawyers. With a circulation of over 90% of the Vermont bar, the Journal reaches the majority of practicing attorneys in Vermont and a number of others throughout the country. The Journal is published quarterly by the VBA. The magazine is provided at no cost to all members of the VBA as a membership benefit. The subscription price for non-members is $35.00 per year or $65.00 for a two-year subscription. Click here for advertising information.

A large collection of continuing legal education videotapes are available for viewing at a member’s convenience. Please contact the VBA (802-223-2020 or (lwelcome@vtbar.org) for an updated list of videos, or click here