News and Information
November 01, 2018
SCOVA Approves Amended Rules in Bid to Encourage Lawyer Wellness
As part of an ongoing effort to encourage wellness in the legal profession, on October 31, 2018, the Supreme Court of Virginia approved proposed rule amendments that govern competence, lawyer assistance programs, changes in membership for impaired attorneys, and guardian ad litem costs and fees.
A change to Rule of Professional Conduct 1.1 adds a comment to the rule about a lawyer’s duty to maintain competence and is effective immediately.
Amendments to paragraphs 3 and 13 of the rules that govern the organization of the VSB are effective January 1, 2019, and are responsive to the report of the National Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being and the Court’s Committee on Lawyer Well-being’s recent report.
Read more about the changes:
- Revisions to Paragraph 13-1 and 13-30 regarding lawyer assistance programs;
- Revisions to Paragraph 3 and 13-23 regarding change of membership for impaired attorneys; and
- Revisions to Paragraph 13-1 and 13-9 concerning assessment of guardian ad litem fees and costs.
