The Latest on the Law: Updates from the Boston Bar

Join us for an essential conversation addressing the unprecedented surge of asylum seekers and migrants arriving to Massachusetts, posing. This surge has triggered sociopolitical and financial hurdles for cities like NYC, Chicago, and Boston, further complicated by the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. The prolonged wait for migrants to acquire work permits, along with the arrival of in...

Formation of Tax-Exempt Organizations is the second in our six-part Fundamentals Series on public charities and private foundations.  The series will provide a basic overview geared toward new attorneys and attorneys new to the practice area on forming, operating and dissolving a tax-exempt organization in Massachusetts.  The Formation program will describe how to form a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organi...

The Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), which goes into effect January 1, 2024, is estimated to affect more than 32 million pre-existing entities in its first year and approximately 5 million new entities in 2024 and each year thereafter. The sweeping new law requires businesses with qualifying entities to disclose certain personal information about their owners and control persons. Our panelists wi...

Learn the fundamentals of one of the most powerful tools available to federal prosecutors: 18 U.S.C. § 1343, the Wire Fraud statute. This statute prohibits using electronic communication systems to execute fraudulent schemes, including small-scale telemarketing scams, long-running billion-dollar Ponzi schemes, and everything in between. Panelists will provide a broad overview of the statute, offer...

Join Superior Court judges and clerks for insights and practical guidance on managing cases through judicial rotations in Superior Court    Questions? Inquiries about program materials? Contact Trenon Browne at tbrowne@bostonbar.org

Non-Competition Agreements vary state by state and when employees find themselves working in a new state, headaches can arise. This program will feature perspectives from a management-side attorney and employee-side attorney on the issues that occur when non-competes cross state lines. The program will highlight the current landscape, specific challenges that can arise, and the questions that need...

Introduction to Tax Exempt Organizations is the first in a six-part Fundamentals Series on public charities and private foundations.  The series will provide a basic overview geared toward new attorneys and attorneys new to the practice area on forming, operating and dissolving a tax-exempt organization in Massachusetts.  The Introduction program will describe what it means to be a nonprofit and a...

As 2024 approaches, it is a good time to refresh your knowledge on laws governing advocacy, lobbying and political activities your nonprofit or tax-exempt organization clients may engage in. This program will be particularly helpful for attorneys who represent organizations focused on social, economic, and political issues. Attendees will learn what constitutes advocacy, lobbying, or political act...

The failure of Silicon Valley Bank and others in the spring of 2023 caused bank depositors around the country to as “Are my deposits safe?” This webinar will provide an explanation of how Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) deposit insurance works, why it covers what it does and why it does not cover all deposits, options for maximizing deposit insurance coverage and reducing exposure to...

This program will review recent decisions and guidance from the National Labor Relations Board on non-disclosure and non-disparagement clauses in settlement agreements, employer handbook policies, and bargaining orders. Emily Goldman, Supervisory Attorney for Region 1 of the NLRB, will provide attendees with an overview of these topics and employer and union-side attorneys will weigh in on the pra...

In this program, Assistant Bar Counsel Sherri A. Gilmore will delve into the ethical rules surrounding representation of clients with diminished capacity. Neuropsychologist Rebecca Wershba will guide us through practical considerations for assessing capacity in our elder and special needs clients.   Questions? Inquiries about program materials? Contact Trenon Browne at tbrowne@bostonbar.org

A financing transaction is a critical piece of the real estate life cycle; these transactions can help equip borrowers with the funds to acquire, construct, and operate buildings as they envision.  Join us for a discussion in which we will cover the basics of a commercial real estate financing transaction – from key loan documents and provisions to borrower- and lender-specific issues and best pra...

Please join staff from Kids In Need of Defense (KIND) as we cover the basics of Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) and dig deeper into the state court processes for guardianship, custody, and other options for obtaining SIJS special findings. The training will cover governing state regulation and case law with regards to key findings a SIJS predicate order must contain, as well as a step-by-...

Allegations of research misconduct deeply threaten academic research enterprises and individual investigators responsible for conducting responsible research and whose eligibility to receive federal funding rely upon assuring that this is the case year after year. Nevertheless, the numbers of reported research misconduct allegations continue to rise and demand growing attention of institutional gr...

Learn about patents and their role in building value across various industries including computers and software, medical devices, biotech/pharma, consumer electronics and more. Our expert panel will discuss how patents create and maintain economic value for businesses, as well as their place today among competing forms of intellectual property.   Questions? Inquiries about program materials? Conta...

Hear it from the source. Staff from the Massachusetts Health Connector will describe the appeals process for taxpayers who did not have Minimum Creditable Coverage and face income tax penalties, and will also introduce advocates to some of the inner workings of the Health Connector. More specifically:     What is the health insurance mandate in Massachusetts?  Who can appeal a health care penalty,...

How to complete the Complaint or Joint Petition and what forms must accompany them. The differences between each process and the timeline for each process. Discussion will include Supplemental Probate Court Rule 411.   In the Motion practice segment, we will discuss when and how to file a Motion for Temporary Orders, what should be included, when the Motion should be supported by an affidavit and...

A conversation discussing how the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Sackett v. EPA will impact wetland and waterway protections in Massachusetts. The webinar will cover how to we got to where we are, impacts from the holding and subsequent rule makings, and predictions for the future. Questions? Inquiries about program materials? Contact Trenon Browne at tbrowne@bostonbar.org

The program will focus on the myriad of challenges presented during the administration of trusts involving blended families.  The panelists will provide practical tips from their collective experiences on the common issues which arise from trusts involving blended families and how to avoid, limit, or pursue litigation and ensure smoother administration when representing beneficiaries or fiduciarie...

The discussion will include the format and content of the divorce client initial intake interview and advising the client about the divorce process. Questions? Inquiries about program materials? Contact Trenon Browne at tbrowne@bostonbar.org

Chapter 93A is ubiquitous in Massachusetts business litigation. Courts continue to shed new light on business-to-business claims. This program highlights some recent decisions from the state and federal courts with an eye toward providing attendees with five things they need to know. Questions? Inquiries about program materials? Contact Trenon Browne at tbrowne@bostonbar.org

Please join us this Pro Bono Month to learn about the important work that Prisoners’ Legal Services does on behalf of incarcerated people in Massachusetts and to explore our many pro bono opportunities. Our pro bono offerings are suitable for attorneys of all experience levels and practice settings; they range from small one-time research projects, to limited scope representation such as medical p...

Join the Boston Bar Association and  Greater Boston Legal Services  (GBLS) in learning the skills needed to volunteer at the virtual CORI Sealing Clinic. This volunteer opportunity is open to licensed attorneys.   This project was launched in partnership with GBLS to serve our low-income communities in Boston. As CORI records can present a significant barrier to housing, employment, and educationa...

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued its final Massachusetts Contingency Plan (MCP) regulatory revisions on September 1, 2023, which will become effective March 1, 2024.  Among the changes, for the first time, the regulations will require consideration of foreseeable climate change impacts that may affect the permanency of a disposal site cleanup.  This program wil...

The home is increasingly a hub of technology.  We use voice assistants to help organize our lives, watch smart TVs, and rely on virtual security solutions to protect us.    Even our vacuum may learn the layout of our house to more efficiently clean.  But what are we teaching our technology about ourselves?  How does that technology learn?  And does it change the equation when our technology talks...