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25 B. Rep. 1 (1996-1997)

handle is hein.barjournals/breport0027 and id is 1 raw text is: Exploring the features of the D C Bar's new home page are D.C Bar Communications Specialist Meredith Hawkins (left) and D.C. Bar Membership Benefits Coordinator Theresa Upshaw The home page is part ofa new membership benefits program offering discounted Internet access and web page services through Internet Interstate. The Bar welcomes memberfeedback on the contents and graphics of its home page, which is found at http://ww.dcbarorg. Bar launches home page, Internet program D.C. Bar members have a new resource for information about the programs and benefits of the orga- nization with the debut of the Bar's home page on the Internet at http://www.dcbar.org. For those with Internet access, the page can be accessed simply by typing in that address. And for those who have been con- sidering a voyage into cyberspace, the Bar's Membership Benefits Program has made it easier and more affordable by negotiating discounted Internet access and web services through Internet Interstate. For newcomers to the Internet, a home page is an electronic information center that enables its creator to share virtually unlimited amounts of information with curious viewers. The Bar's home page includes details on membership services and benefit programs and access to other sources of useful information. The Bar's Internet program, Surfing for Lawyers, offers members direct access to the Internet for $199 annually with Net- scape Navigator software for either Win- dows 3.1 or Windows 95. The program also features e-mail service and discounted development and hosting of home pages for firms, businesses, or individuals. Unveiled on July 1, the Bar's home page continues to evolve. Created and hosted by Internet Interstate, the home page includes general information about the Bar, mem- bership benefits programs, professional development sources, practice help fea- tures, and other resources. The page also has a number of hot links, connections to other Internet sites related to the practice of law or to useful programs available to members. We hope the members take advantage of the home page's feedback feature as well to let us know what they would like to see and how we can make the page as use- ful as possible, said Meredith Hawkins, the D.C. Bar's webmaster and liaison to Internet Interstate. For details or to request software, call Interstate Internet at 301/652-4468. Board approves ovei Following a spirited hour-long dis- cussion, the D.C. Bar Board of Governors voted by 13 to 3 to rec- ommend a substantial revision of District of Columbia Court of Appeals Rule 49 concerning the unauthorized practice of law in the District of Columbia. The vote of approval at the July 16 Board meeting culminated three years of work by the Bar's Examination of Rule 49 Committee chaired by James P. Schaller. The final text incorporated comments from 47 individual attorneys and interest groups submitted after a preliminary draft was published in the April/May 1995 Bar Report. The proposal will be submitted to the D.C. Court of Appeals, which ultimate- ly will decide whether to adopt any changes. In formulating the revision, the commit- tee rejected two approaches used in other jurisdictions: an overly general prohibition developed on a case by-case basis and an extremely specific rule that attempts to address every type of conduct in which people do anything lawyers are trained to do. Instead, the committee created a specif ic general rule that elaborates exceptions and offers commentary on the more com- Deadline for Bar dues payment approaching By mid-September, several thousand D.C. Bar members who have not paid their 1996-97 dues will have received sec- ond notices along with a reminder that dues payments not postmarked within 30 days of those notices will result in the imposition of late fees. D.C. Court of Appeals Rules re- quire all Bar members to complete their statements and return them with dues payments for the year. Dues amounts are $110 for active members, $79 for inactive members, and $52 for judicial members. The late fee, ap- plied for members who do not submit payment within 30 days of the second notice, is $20. A third notice is sent by certified mail to members who do not respond timely to the September mailing. Those dues payments and late fees must be postmarked by December 2 in order for the member to avoid an automatic suspension from the prac- tice of law. Individuals ultimately suspended for nonpayment of dues and late fees are subject to an addi- tional reinstatement fee of $50. In completing the registration statement, members may change their membership class. Members should consult Rule 49 of the D.C. Court of Appeals, concerning who must be an active member of the D.C. Bar, before changing their status. Active Bar members living in the Metropolitan Washington area and all Section members are reminded to pay particular attention to their business address, since that address will be used when the Bar creates its 1997 Membership Directory. Also on the registration statement is a request for member contribu- tions to support the work of the Bar's Public Service Activities Cor- poration (PSAC). The suggested amount is $50 but many members write in larger amounts. Contribu- tions to PSAC are tax deductible. This dues statement also asks members to identify their particular racial or ethnic background, infor- mation which is sought solely for in- ternal D.C. Bar uses in order to en- hance the Bar's continuing efforts to reflect diversity within its own pro- grams and to provide aggregate de- mographic data. Members who have not received their statements should contact the Bar's Membership Office at 202/626- 3475. rhaul of Rule 49 mon and harmful instances of unauthorized practice. The fourfold goals of the Rule 49 revi- sions are to protect the public from persons who are incompetent or unfit to provide professional legal services; ensure that everyone who provides the services of a lawyer in the District of Columbia is sub- ject to the D.C. Bar disciplinary system; maintain the efficacy and integrity of the administration of justice and the system that regulates practicing lawyers; and pro- vide sufficient financial support for that system and other Bar activities. The proposal's significant changes and clarifications address exemptions for indi- viduals practicing before United States Government agencies and courts, those practicing before District of Columbia agencies, those serving as in-house coun- sel, those appearing pro hac vice, and those coming to the District from other jurisdic- tions who are practicing under the supervi- sion of an active D.C. Bar member The proposal also clarifies the require- ments of individuals accepting pro bono representation and specifically provides that they will be acting under the supervi- sion of a member of the D.C. Bar. It also permits lawyers to provide pro bono ser- vices authorized by the District of Colum- bia Court of Appeals or the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. In addition, the proposal clarifies the operation of the Court's Committee on Unauthorized Practice of Law, proceedings that it may initiate before the Court of Appeals, and adds a specific provision for the Court to compensate persons harmed through violations of the rule. A full copy of the proposal is available from the D.C. Bar by calling 202/737- 4700, extension 234, or by visiting the D.C. Bar's web site at http://www.dcbar.org. Bar publishes newly- adopted civilty standards his edition of Bar Report includes the full text of the D.C. Bar Stan- dards for Civility in Professional Conduct approved by the Bar's Board of Governors earlier this summer The 50 standards, which are aspirational, are the work product of a special D.C. Bar task force that spent two-and-one-half years considering the question of civility in the legal profession and what role the organized Bar should play in addressing that issue. The full text of the standards appears on pages 8 and 9. The final report of the Task Force on Civility in the Legal Profession is available on the D.C. Bar's website at http://www.dcbar org.

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