THE
WEST VIRGINIA STATE BAR LAWYER REFERRAL SERVICE
Organization and Operation of The
West Virginia State Bar Lawyer Referral Service.
A. Organization.
1. The West Virginia State Bar Lawyer Referral Service (Lawyer Referral Service) is a
program of The West Virginia State Bar.
2. The Lawyer Referral Service shall be
governed by the Board of Governors of The West Virginia State Bar.
3. The purpose of the Lawyer Referral
Service shall be to
a. Promote access to legal services for all
citizens of West Virginia.
b. Provide citizens needing legal counsel
with referrals to lawyers in their area.
c. Provide initial attorney-client
consultations at a minimum cost.
B. Membership on Lawyer Referral Service
Panel - Submission & Approval of Application
1. Name
2. Office address
& phone number
3. County (ies) of
practice
4. Statement as to particular fields in
which lawyer will accept referrals. The
Lawyer Referral Service makes no representations as to special skills or
training of panel members. The purpose
of this section is merely to assist in referring the public.
5. Certification as to lawyer's professional
liability insurance with minimum limits of $100,000 per occurrence.
a. Name of insurer
b. Policy limits of coverage
c. Policy number
d. Policy expiration date
e. Agree to continue to carry such insurance
coverage, to notify the Lawyer Referral Service within three days of any change
in insurance coverage, and furnish proof of such insurance coverage if
requested.
f. Agree to submit insurance coverage
information, as requested by the Lawyer Referral Service, on or before the expiration date.
6. Agree to grant to all clients referred by
the Lawyer Referral Service an appointment as soon as practicable after the
request is made.
7. Agree to grant an initial consultation of
a 2 hour for a fee of no more than $25.
8. Agree to remit $50 annual membership fee
to the Referral Service by deadline date of July 1. The panel members will be billed annually by
the Service.
9. Agree that initial and continued
membership on the Panel is subject to approval by the Committee on Legal Ethics
of The West Virginia State Bar, if the lawyer has been or becomes the subject
of a legal ethics complaint, investigation or disciplinary action and that the
confidentiality of the ethics procedure is waived solely for this purpose.
10. Agree to abide by the foregoing rules with
failure to do so being grounds for removal of the lawyer's name from the
Panel. Rules subject
to change by the Board of Governors.
C. Administrative Procedures
1. Records
a. Panel member applications and supporting
documents are maintained in the administrative files of The West Virginia State
Bar.
2. Procedures for handling referral request
by:
a. Telephone - Potential client will be givea name of a lawyer in their area through our
automated referral system. No written
record will be kept regarding the client's name or the attorneys to which the
client was referred. The client will be
instructed to inform attorney at time of contact that they were referred to
them by The West Virginia Lawyer Referral Service.
b. Mail - Potential client will receive form
through the mail with the name of an attorney to which they have been referred
to.
c. In person - Potential client may be
referred verbally or by written referral form depending upon each individual
situation.
d. Internet - Potential client may refer to
our website www.wvbar.org and select the Lawyer Referral Program.
3. Procedures for screening referral
requests to eliminate those clients which should be directed to other agencies,
- e.g., West Virginia Legal Services Plan, Legal Aid and Consumer Protection.
4. Procedures for making of referrals on a
rotating basis to assure equitable participation by lawyers on the Panel.