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the initial stages of planning a cross-border CLE , as well as a CLE on the introduction to immigration law . If anyone is interested in participating in or helping to plan these seminars , please contact Sidney Collier at scollier @ collierimmigration . com . We encourage members to become involved in the listserve . Information sharing is so important in the immigration field , and the listserve is an ideal location to ask questions about all facets of immigration law and share experiences . We will continue to work toward greater participation in the listserve to share ideas and information and to ask questions with respect to all facets of immigration law . VBA ’ s new higher logic online communities should encourage increased involvement .
INSURANCE LAW SECTION By : Paul Perkins
The Insurance Law Section activities have been limited in the past year , other than the annual year-in-review CLE presented at last year ’ s VBA annual meeting . There has been only one coverage opinion this year from the Vermont Supreme Court , which has been the case the last couple of years as opposed to prior years , when there were significant decisions from the Vermont Supreme and Superior courts . In those years , the Section was able to present standalone year-in-review programs that were extremely well-attended . This year , our annual review will be combined with the torts and worker ’ s compensation sections because of the lack of recent court decisions .
Because of the lack of decisions in the last few years , and because those few decisions often dealt with issues that have been dealt with again and again in Vermont , the Insurance Law Section is looking into holding a CLE that is more national in scope . Doing so would introduce our section members , and any other members of the bar , to issues that are being litigated elsewhere and are likely to arise in Vermont . We are currently looking into the cost and availability of a national speaker and stand-alone event for the Section .
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW SECTION By : Andrew Manitsky , Esq .
The Intellectual Property Section put on a lively media presentation on Music and the Law at the VBA ’ s Procrastinator ’ s Day , which was well attended and very engaging for the members . The Section will also be putting on a detailed year-in-review for the VBA annual meeting with multiple section member presenters on the new Defend Trade Secrets Act , trademark parody and patent trolls . The Summer Bar Journal contained an informative article by a section member on the Defend Trade Secrets Act and the Section Chair did presentations
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for high school students and the design community about intellectual property issues like copyright , ethics and video games . Thinking about next year , the Section is actively engaged in listserve conversations about potential CLE topics , perhaps even a full day in conjunction with the Vermont Artists ’ Council .
INTERNATIONAL LAW PRACTICE SECTION
By : Mark Oettinger , Esq .
Members of the International Law & Practice Section ( ILP ) actively engage in referring cases to other ILP members where we lack the necessary expertise ourselves , but know other members who do have it . Recent examples include referrals to immigration lawyers ( many of whom are also ILP members ) of matters relating to family unification , employment-related visas , asylum , and the intersection of immigration and criminal law . In addition , we often cross-refer matters related to import , export , and inbound and outbound foreign investment , to colleagues with the necessary industry-based or geographic familiarity . We believe that there is an important relationship between this type of seamless networking and the long-term economic vitality of the State .
Recent VBA seminars coordinated by ILP include a seminar on US-Canada transactions , with an emphasis on cross-border taxation and tax treaties generally , and a seminar on cross-border bankruptcy . The latter seminar included presenters who were bankruptcy judges from Vermont , New York and Toronto , as well as practitioners from both the Vermont and Quebec City .
ILP members continue to teach public and private international law subjects as adjuncts at local colleges and at Vermont Law School , and to participate in the delivery of pro bono programs on the topics of international judicial reform and the international protection of human rights .
JUVENILE LAW SECTION By : Pamela Marsh , Esq .
The Juvenile Law Section primarily utilized the listserve in 2016 to disseminate information regarding new legal developments and pending legislative initiatives . Activity was light , as the Section had one telephone meeting , attended by only four people . Unfortunately , on two occasions , Chair Pam Marsh asked Section members to respond as to whether the Section should take a position on certain legislation , and received few , if any responses . Despite the passage of H . 95 and other pressing legal juvenile issues affecting our Court time and system generally , there seems to be little interest in the work of this important Section . We hope that the
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improved service of the online community , which allows for easier collaboration , will serve to increase activity for this Section .
LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT SECTION By : Stephen Ellis , Esq .
The Labor and Employment Law Section presented the “ What in the World is Wage Theft ?” program at the VBA ’ s mid-year meeting , addressing recent developments in the law relating to classification and misclassification of employees for purposes of overtime , workers ’ compensation and unemployment compensation . The CLE featured provocative and entertaining presentations by some of our most distinguished labor and employment lawyers , and a lively interactive discussion .
MUNICIPAL LAW SECTION By : Brian Monaghan , Esq .
The Municipal Section presented its annual Year-In-Review session at the VBA ’ s 2015 Annual Meeting , with a discussion by Brian Monaghan on the Vermont Supreme Court ’ s latest cases affecting municipalities . The Section also conducted its semiannual Municipal Attorneys Forum in Montpelier on December 3 , 2015 . Speakers included Norm Blais , Bernie Lambek , Rich Cassidy , John Leddy , Brian Monaghan , all of whom sat on a panel discussing the Supreme Court ’ s decision in Nelson v . Town of St . Johnsbury , Cindy Hill and Dick Saudek who spoke about representing municipalities dealing with proposals for large energy projects , Eileen Blackwood , Gregg Meyer , and Kim Sturtevant , who gave a presentation on the “ sharing economy ,” such as AirBnB and Uber , and Dan Richardson and Ryan Kane , who regaled the audience with an ironically humorous and mostly real discussion of the ethical issues attorneys face when representing municipal entities . The Municipal Section will present a panel Year-In-Review session at the 2016 Annual Meeting , and will hold a daylong session sometime in 2017 further addressing the developing case law on renewable energy developments and municipal involvement , amongst other topics .
PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE SECTION By : Gregory A . Weimer , Esq .
The Practice and Procedure Section put on a seminar at the mid-year meeting this spring addressing the subject of Sovereign Immunity entitled “ Sovereign Immunity : Everything You Don ’ t Know and Were Afraid to Ask .” We covered a general overview of immunity and 11 th amendment issues , municipal immunity and § 1983 actions , Bivens actions and claims against federal officials . Chair Weimer served as moderator and Matt Burns , Jonathan Rose and Deb Bucknam were presenters . The seminar was well attended with approxi-
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2015-2016 Section and Divisions Annual Report |