The Latest on the Law: Updates from the Boston Bar

The Supreme Court on June 27, 2024 issued its long awaited decision in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma L.P., holding 5-4 that a Chapter 11 plan of reorganization that releases claims against nondebtors without the consent of the claimants is prohibited by the Bankruptcy Code.  Come hear the petitioner himself, William K. Harrington, United States Trustee for the New England states and New York, discus...

Are you looking to improve your essay writing skills in preparation for the bar exam? Join this workshop and receive some best tips and practices before you head into the exam. Don't miss out on a great opportunity to improve your score!  Questions? Inquiries about program materials? Contact Trenon Browne at tbrowne@bostonbar.org

The BBA extends an invitation to all bar exam takers to attend a stress management workshop. Led by Shawn Healy, a Clinical Psychologist from Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers, this workshop aims to provide valuable insight and guidance on navigating the pressures and expectations associated with bar exam preparation.   Questions? Inquiries about program materials? Contact Trenon Browne at tbrowne@bos...

An expert witness can make the difference between success and failure in business litigation. Join us to explore the role of experts throughout the business litigation process and how proper management of the attorney-expert relationship can create admissible and effective testimony. Three experienced trial attorneys will provide their insight and strategies on engaging and working with experts, e...

Historically, the climate of fear within low-income immigrant communities and the uncertainty around healthcare benefits have deterred immigrants from seeking medical care. Anxiety over immigration status and other socioeconomic barriers contribute to poorer health outcomes among those in the immigrant community. Medical-legal partnerships for immigrants (MLPIs) are designed to address these healt...

An annual event not to be missed, the Trusts & Estates End of Year Review covers recent federal and state case law, legislation and tax law matters.  This year’s program will touch on:   New Developments Committee:  The committee will review recent cases regarding the Massachusetts anti-lapse statute, a conservator’s authority to create a will for an incapacitated person, undue influence, and...

In this session, the panelist will discuss: The process for dividing retirement accounts, including when to use QDRO’s and Letters of Instruction. Contempt actions and the process for enforcing the terms of the Judgment of Divorce including when an award of attorney’s fees is appropriate. Modification actions and the process for modifying the terms of the Judgment of Divorce Nisi. Questions? Inqui...

The Office of the Bar Counsel, the Board of Bar Overseers, and the Boston Bar Association are co- sponsoring a free one-hour program on trust account record keeping.  The program will provide guidance for attorneys, paralegals, bookkeepers, or other law office support staff interested in receiving training on the requirements of Mass. R. Prof. C. 1.15, as revised effective July 1, 2015. This progr...

This program will provide an introduction to revocable trusts in estate planning and review the key components of trusts, including funding formulas, marital provisions, structures for children and other beneficiaries, and trustee provisions. The program will provide drafting suggestions and advice when advising clients on establishing revocable trusts.  Questions? Inquiries about program material...

The opportunities for growth in leveraging artificial intelligence technologies has changed the legal landscape for businesses. This panel presentation will discuss:   · AI considerations for commercial agreements · AI impacts on the practice of law · How to effectively use generative AI to optimize tasks and increase efficiency · AI's swift evolution and how it's reshaping intellectual property p...

In this session, the Panelists will discuss the essential provisions for all Separation Agreements related to: alimony, custody/parenting plans, child support, the division of the marital estate, health insurance, income taxes, and life insurance, as well as the key provisions related to the enforcement and modification of a Separation Agreement.   Questions? Inquiries about program materials? Con...

The BBA, in collaboration with  Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers (LCL)  is offering a three-part series directed at helping leaders improve their skills in three key areas-building connections, building capacity for difficult conversations, and building capacity for innovation. We strongly encourage BBA leaders and all BBA members that are leaders within their firm or organization to watch the introd...

Round out your skills as a “dirt,” or real estate, lawyer by learning about the basics of constructing a building from the ground up – from obtaining the permits or relief needed to unlock development potential on a site to entering into AIA contracts with the architects and contractors who will help design and construct the building. Join us for a discussion in which we will cover important conce...

The program will provide an introduction to bank capital, its uses and purposes, and the current debate on how to raise capital, including trade-offs between the benefits of raising capital and the impact of doing so on the economy.   Questions? Inquiries about program materials? Contact Trenon Browne at tbrowne@bostonbar.org

Join a panel of three experts in various areas of trust administration, including drafting, trusteeship, and fiduciary litigation. The panelists will delve into strategies for managing poorly drafted trusts and navigating worst-case scenarios that could lead to litigation. Topics will span from the initial drafting of the trust document to termination, offering comprehensive coverage of aspects in...

This program will provide a comprehensive assessment of EPA’s recently released final greenhouse gas emissions limits for power plants, including the rule’s pollution control requirements, available control technologies, climate change benefits, environmental justice impacts, and electric reliability implications, as well as analysis of potential legal challenges to the rule that may be on the hor...

Many of the men and women who served in the U.S. armed forces are cut off from veterans’ services and benefits because they were given a less-than-honorable discharge. They may have served in combat or have suffered physical or mental wounds, but are nevertheless unable to access much-needed treatment and support from federal and state veterans agencies because of their discharge status. In many c...

In this program, Attorney Karen B. Mariscal will guide us through the most recent developments relative to the HOTMA regulations and procedures. Executive Director of PLAN of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, Joan McGrath, will update us on changes to the policies surrounding the funding and use of pooled special needs trusts in Massachusetts.    Questions? Inquiries about program materials? Contact...

 Join experts in issues pertaining to energy and environmental law to learn about how the public currently engages in agency procedure and how the Commonwealth and advocates are working together to enhance these processes to accomplish better and more equitable outcomes. Hear perspectives from attorney and non-attorney advocates and from the Commonwealth on efforts to increase engagement, protect...

Your clients envision leaving the family’s vacation home to their heirs to be enjoyed for generations to come. How forcefully should you dissuade them? And if they persist, how can you best structure the bequest in order to mitigate the problems that might arise in the future? In this hour-long session, an experienced estate planning lawyer and a probate litigator will address these questions, div...

This program is held in remembrance of Hon. Maureen Mulligan, whose collaborative and inspiring leadership as the Chair of the ABA's Commission on Women in Profession from 2020-2023 was integral to the formulation and publication of the ABA's "Legal Careers of Parents and Child Caregivers" report. Last October, the ABA’s Commission on Women in the Profession issued a report entitled “Legal Careers...

Panelists will discuss hot topics related to Hatch-Waxman and biosimilar litigation, including recent scrutiny from the FTC over what patents may be listed in the Orange Book.    Questions? Inquiries about program materials? Contact Trenon Browne at tbrowne@bostonbar.org

Chapter 40T is designed to preserve the stock of affordable rental housing in Massachusetts that is at risk of loss due to expiring affordability restrictions, and to protect tenants in these developments from displacement. It applies to affordable housing properties that are assisted with or funded by any of 16 specifically identified federal and state programs, such as rental assistance (Section...

In this program, our esteemed group of panelists will provide an overview of the FTC’s recently-announced Final Rule prohibiting most non-compete agreements. The panel will address the Final Rule and explain what it prohibits, and discuss its exceptions, practical implications for both employers and employees who may be affected, and the ongoing challenges to the Final Rule’s implementation.    Qu...

Join tax litigator Keri Brown for a journey through the IRS’s current (and common) challenges to gift and estate tax audits. This presentation addresses valuation, formula transfers, installment sales, GRATs, penalties, Section 2036, split-dollar life insurance, and more – including how to best help your clients help themselves.    Questions? Inquiries about program materials? Contact Trenon Brown...