Follow the Columbus Bar on: In this issue... 1. Commercial Docket to End Next Week 2. 2012 Columbus Bar Annual Meeting & Luncheon 3. Welcome, 2012-2013 Committee Chairs 4. Columbus Bar Winner of National CLE Award 5. Supreme Court News: Proposed CLE Changes 6. Masters Series: Appellate Advocacy 7. Up to 7% Discount on Health Insurance 8. Complimentary Seminar About Health Care Reform 9. Blawg, Blawg, Blawg 10. Et Cetera Commercial Docket to End Next Week Beginning July 1, future business-to-business lawsuits will again be randomly assigned to all Common Pleas Court judges. Franklin County Common Pleas judges voted 9-8 Tuesday to end the Commercial docket pilot program intended to improve the handling of business-to-business lawsuits. Read more from The Columbus Dispatch 2012 Columbus Bar Association Annual Meeting & Luncheon The Columbus Bar hosted its 2012 Annual Meeting on June 15, at which Bradley B. Wrightsel was sworn in as President for the 2012-2013 membership year. Awards were presented at the event to the following individuals: Vicki L. Jenkins (Bar Service Medal) Kathleen H. Ransier (Professionalism Award) Hon. Richard A. Frye, Hon. Charles A. Schneider, Hon. Guy L. Reece II, and Atiba Jones (Liberty Bell Award) Nancy H. Rogers (Community Service Award) Alexander Lagusch (Award of Merit) Kacey S. Chappelear (President’s Award) View all 2012 Annual Meeting photos Welcome, 2012-2013 Columbus Bar Committee Chairs Meet our 2012-2013 committee chairs. Committee participation is a great way to network, gain valuable information about your practice area, and stay on top of what is happening in the legal community. To join a committee, visit our Committee website or contact Donna Sweet at donna@cbalaw.org. Who are the 2012-2013 committee chairs? Columbus Bar CLE Wins Outstanding Achievement Award ACLEA (the Association of Continuing Legal Education) recently chose a Columbus Bar CLE seminar as the recipient of its "Award of Outstanding Achievement." The winning program, "Masters Series: To Encourage, Remind and Inspire - Lawyers in American History," was presented to a full house on November 15 at the Columbus Bar. The Masters Series are CLE Easy Pass eligible programs that are distinctive and exceptional in format, quality, and presentation. They are designed and taught by prestigious judges and attorneys who are experts in their respective areas and who are interesting, engaging and creative. Register for Columbus Bar CLE Continuing Legal Education Changes Proposed Proposed continuing legal education (CLE) changes announced by the Ohio Supreme Court would double the number of online credit hours attorneys could earn, allow attorneys to earn a portion of their CLE hours by engaging in approved pro bono activities, and eliminate the requirement to file final reporting transcripts. Several other CLE changes are proposed as well. Read more... Masters Series: Appellate Advocacy Thursday, June 28, 2012 • 6.0 CLE hours Think appellate advocacy is just a continuation of trial advocacy? Think again. Appellate advocacy has a purpose all its own along with its own set of rules and its own particular hurdles to clear. The Columbus Bar is pleased to offer a Masters Series CLE program devoted exclusively to the ins and outs of appellate advocacy. A full-day program is set for Thursday, June 28. Topics will include obtaining/defeating discretionary review, merits briefing, oral argument, final appealable orders, and amicus briefing along with Q & A sessions with appellate judges and practitioners alike. Presenters include Judge Jeffrey Sutton from the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, Judges Judy French and William Klatt from the Tenth District Court of Appeals, and Judge Clair E. Dickinson from the Ninth District Court of Appeals. The program has been submitted for 6.0 hours of CLE credit and has been approved by the OSBA for specialization CLE credit in the area of appellate law. Register for this program online Download the course brochure CBA Members: Up to a 7% Discount on Health Insurance CBA members only: Up to 7% savings on your health insurance — just in time for your 7/1 renewal. Columbus Bar member firms (2-99 employees) are now eligible for up to a 7% discount with UnitedHealthcare through Willis of Ohio, the Columbus Bar’s endorsed broker since 1989. There is strength in numbers—join more than 100 local law firms who already enjoy discounted rates on one of your most expensive budget items: employee health insurance coverage. New rates are effective June 1, and applying is easy: simply contact Char Bigelow at char.bigelow@willis.com or 614.326.4907, or visit www.cbalaw.org/insurance to apply online. Apply for health coverage online Health Care Reform: Supreme Court Decisions Regarding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Please join Willis for a complimentary seminar on health care reform on July 13 at Hyatt Place Columbus/OSU. In March 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments about four specific issues regarding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. This free seminar will review the implications of the Supreme Court decision as well as next steps in terms of compliance for employer-sponsored health plans. Please note: If the Supreme Court has not made their decision, this seminar will be moved to August 1. More details about the event Download the seminar registration form Blawg, Blawg, Blawg The Columbus Bar Blawg is an online forum for the central Ohio legal community. Your comments, ideas and information are welcome. Members may submit posts (contact sarah@cbalaw.org). Recent Blawg Posts: A Client Service Lesson from My Barber LawWithoutWalls: Rethinking Legal Education Legal Zoom Going Public Et Cetera Supreme Court Sides with Ohio State in ESPN Records Fight (The Columbus Dispatch) '.Law,' '.Blog' and Related Domain Names Coming Soon (Law.com Legal Blog Watch) DISCLAIMER: The CBA provides links to various sources of information in Columbus Bar News Bytes eNewsletter purely for the convenience of readers. The opinions expressed by the authors are their own, and the CBA is not responsible for reliance on any such information. Your membership expires June 30 Reduce Your Travel Expenses The CBA offers high-quality, convenient and affordable seminars right here in central Ohio. With CLE Easy Pass, you get 12 hours of Columbus Bar CLE for just $125. Get yours by June 30. Member Benefit of the Month Members receive exclusive benefits and access to individualized programs designed for small law firms. Columbus Bar inc Sponsors Thank you to the generous sponsors who make Columbus Bar inc possible: June 25 1:30pm-4:15pm CLE: Internet, Social Media & Professionalism (Ethics, Professionalism & Substance Abuse) June 26 9:00am-12:15pm CLE: Green Light & Red Flag: Avoid Case Prep Pitfalls, Part 1 June 26 1:30pm-4:45pm CLE: Green Light & Red Flag: Avoid Case Prep Pitfalls, Part 2 June 28 9:00am-4:45pm CLE: Masters Series: Appellate Advocacy View the full CBA event calendar