by Lawrence J. McElwain *
Our Section's mission is in part ". . . to enhance and sustain the highest quality of professionalism among members of the legal community as to matters pertaining to issues involving real property." The means that have been adopted to carry out this mission include our three annual seminars, the semi-annual distribution of the FEE SIMPLE, our flagship newsletter, and the quarterly meetings of the Section's governing body, which has recently been revamped to reflect the evolution of our practice. Hopefully these forums provide sufficient modes for you to at least stay even with the ever-changing content of the practice of real property law in the Commonwealth.
Changes to Advanced Real Estate Seminar
In constructing this year's seminars, attention has been devoted to addressing the broad range of specialties encompassed by the practice of real property law. Changes have been incorporated into the Advanced Real Estate Seminar, to be held February 25-26 at Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg. For the first time, the Seminar will include break-out sessions that enable the presentation of eight, as opposed to six, programs. By soliciting input from several attorneys around the state, a concerted effort has been made to provide what is believed to be a range of timely topics for the varied makeup of our constituency. For the first time, this year attendees will be given the choice of attending sessions designed around either residential or commercial topics. In addition, the ethics component has been increased to two hours, thus enabling each attendee to meet an entire year's requirement. In an attempt to promote the collegial atmosphere of the Seminar an option to attend a Friday night dinner at one of Williamsburg's finer restaurants will be available to all. Coupled with a strong program and the fine amenities available to spouses/significant others, we hope the presentation will have a significant turnout.
May Program
The Annual program will once again be presented live in Richmond, Norfolk, Roanoke and Fairfax in early May, followed by taped showings around the state. Among the topics will be a presentation concerning the impact of domestic relations law on real estate matters. While there are many other topics under discussion, none have been locked in. With this in mind, I ask that you please contact me with any issues that you may like to see addressed.
Summer Meeting Seminar
The summer seminar will again be held in conjunction with the annual Bar meeting in June at Virginia Beach. The program will be a joint presentation with the Environmental Section of the Bar. At this time the topics have not been finalized; however, it is anticipated that they will be chosen from the following: environmental site assessments; liability for contamination; and/or lead paint issues. We anticipate incorporating a one-half hour ethics component into the program.
FEE SIMPLE
With the hope that the FEE SIMPLE will become a permanent part of your library, a great deal of attention has been paid to streamlining both the content and presentation. Hopefully our efforts will be evident as you digest this issue. Should you have comments about either form or substance, please forward them to my attention.
Joint Meetings with the Real Property Section of the VBA
When I first became an active participant in the Section there were occasional joint meetings with the property section of Virginia Bar Association, however no such joint session has occurred in the past few years. This oversight will be corrected immediately prior to our next Section meeting which is held in conjunction with the semi-annual meeting of the VBA on January 21 in Williamsburg. I am confident that expanded communication will lead to cooperation that will benefit both groups. You are urged to attend both meetings.
Writing Competition
The Section will be sponsoring a writing competition which will be primarily focused on students at the various Virginia law schools. In addition to the publication of the winning article, modest cash prizes will be awarded for the three submissions judged best. Larry Schoenberger is to be acknowledged for the effort he has put into this project.
Section Dues
At the September meeting, the Board of Governors voted to raise the annual Section dues from $20 to $25 effective fiscal year 2005-2006. The issue was raised in order to address the shortfall that has occurred in the Section=s accounting for the last two fiscal years. The decision to raise dues was arrived at only after extensive discussion from those present, there being significant concerns raised by both proponents and opponents. While the Board=s vote has been registered, it is not irrevocable. I am hereby soliciting opinions from all members on this matter. Should you care to voice your opinion, please let me hear from you no later than December 31. After that date the process for establishing next year's budget will begin in earnest.
It is evident that the Section has a lot on its plate for the next few months. It goes without saying that a great deal of effort has been put forth by many individuals in an effort to provide our membership with useful tools and information that will assist you in the development of your practice. The surest way for us to know if we have hit the mark is by active participation or attendance and/or feedback. Toward that end you are requested to contact any of the Area Representatives or Members of the Board of Governors (all of whom are identified on our Section's web site) with comments and criticisms. After all, in the final analysis, all of this energy is put forth for your benefit.
* Lawrence J. McElwain is a partner at Parker, McElwain, and Jacobs PC in Charlottesville, Virginia. He is Chair of the Board of Governors and of the Programs Subcommittee.