Yesterday (July 9) the Bennington County Bar Association and County Court participated in the Judiciary’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The audience gathered at the historic Court House in downtown Bennington. A portrait of Moses Robinson, the first chief justice of Vermont, was dedicated in the courtroom. The Hon. Robert…
The Vermont legal community was shocked and saddened to learn last Thursday (July 2, 2026) that the Hon. H. Dickson Corbett had died. Judge Corbett had served for three years as a superior court judge, having been appointed by Gov. Phil Scott in 2023. Judge Corbett had been a law clerk in Orange and Windsor…
Montpelier was busy on July 1 with the Tri-Branch celebration of the birthday of the Declaration of Independence. An ad hoc committee, co-chaired by Supreme Court Justice Nancy Waples and State Court Administrator Teri Corsones, worked for nearly a year to plan inspiring, educational, and fun events to mark the occasion. These were scheduled…
Heads Up From the Judiciary… The Vermont Judiciary is preparing to change its online payment system for Judicial Bureau fines. A new site called the Vermont Judiciary ePayment Hub will replace the payment function of the Public Portal website by autumn of 2026. The Public Portal website will continue to be used for online access to court records. This update does not impact eFiling processes. The Vermont Judiciary ePayment Hub will provide court users a safe…
At its meeting on May 15 the Board of Managers of the Vermont Bar Association approved the creation of a Section for Vermont’s State’s Law Office Study (“LOS”) Program. The first co-chairs of the section are its proponents Kira Botting, Esq., a law office study graduate who practices at Rousseau & Ross, PLLC in…
Vermont Legal Aid (VLA) has announced today (May 1, 2026) that Alistair Deakin, Esq. will serve as its new Executive Director. Deakin brings more than 25 years of experience in civil legal services, nonprofit leadership, and public policy. He began his legal career with Atlanta Legal Aid Society, representing clients in housing, public benefits,…
VERMONT BAR ASSOCIATION’S STATEMENT ON SUPPORT FOR THE RULE OF LAW At its monthly meeting on Feb. 20, 2026, the Board of Managers of the Vermont Bar Association adopted the following statement: The Vermont Bar Association is deeply concerned by the loss of life arising from recent federal immigration enforcement activity. The Vermont Bar Association…
The Young Lawyer’s Division again hosted the beloved VBA tradition – the “Mid-Winter” Thaw in Montreal –over the MLK Holiday weekend. Vermont legal professionals turned up in droves for a weekend of camaraderie and learning at a new location for the event, Le Westin Hotel at the edge of Montreal’s Chinatown and Old City. There…
Each year, a committee comprised of representatives from the VBA staff, the VBA Diversity Section, and the VBA Young Lawyers Division, chooses a quotation by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to inspire Vermont’s middle school students to participate in a Poster-Essay Contest. This year’s quotation was, “Courage is an inner resolution to go forward despite…
Nominations are now open for candidates for VBA’s Annual Pro Bono Service Award. The Award is given each year to one or more attorneys who have devoted themselves in a noteworthy way to provide pro bono legal services. Standards for the award reflect Rule 6.1 of the Vermont Rules of Professional Conduct which exhorts lawyers…