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 ½ hour for a fee of no more than $10.

8. Agree to remit $25 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 given names of two lawyers in their area verbally over the phone. 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 names of two attorneys to which they have been referred to. Said attorneys will also receive a copy of this form with the client's name and address.

c. In person - Potential client may be referred verbally or by written referral form depending upon each individual situation.

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.