ABA Full Approval Celebration at Concordia Law -May 3

Friday, May 3, 2019
4:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. (MT)
Concordia University School of Law, Broad Street Atrium (entrance on Broad Street between 5th and 6th Streets)
501 W. Front Street – Boise, ID

Concordia University School of Law invites all members of the Idaho State Bar to its ABA Full-Accreditation Celebration on Friday, May 3rd, 2019 beginning at 4:30 PM.  A brief program will begin at 5 PM and celebrate the attorney/community engagement, support, and involvement that led to Concordia Law’s full-accreditation.  The program will include special recognition of bar members who served as adjunct faculty members, mentors, and externship supervisors during this past year.  The remaining time will be dedicated to socializing, networking, and celebrating.

Hors d’oeuvres and hosted beer, wine, and champagne will be served.

Please RSVP at: https://law.cu-portland.edu/celebration

Concordia Law thanks you for your continued support and looks forward to celebrating with you!

Idaho Law Foundation, Inc. Newsletter Now Available – April 2019

The April 2019 Idaho Law Foundation Newsletter is new available. Read about our new Program and Legal Education Director, Teresa Baker, the great work IVLP is doing through local legal clinics, the upcoming Access to Justice Fund Run, and meet a very talented young courtroom artist who will represent Idaho at the National Courtroom Artist Contest in May.

Read the full newsletter by clicking the button below:

Support the Law Foundation on Idaho Gives Day – May 2

On Thursday, May 2 the Idaho Law Foundation will participate in Idaho Gives to help raise funds to support the Idaho Volunteer Lawyers and Law Related Education Programs. Please consider supporting the Idaho Law Foundation and our mission to increase access to civil legal services and enhance public understanding of the law and our legal system. Visit the Idaho Law Foundation Idaho Gives page on May 2 and pledge your support for Law Foundation work statewide.

Reception in Honor of Retired Justice Schroeder’s 50 Years on the Bench – May 2

Join the the 4th District Bar Association and the Idaho State Bar Appellate Practice Section for a Reception to Honor Retired Justice Gerald Schroeder’s 50 Years of Service on the Bench

Thursday, May 2, 2019

3:00 – 5:00 p.m. (MT)

Health Benefits Laws Compliance Assistance Seminar -May 1-2

U.S. Department of Labor Health Benefits Education Campaign in coordination with the Idaho Department of Insurance

Health Benefits Laws Compliance Assistance Seminar May 1 & 2, 2019

Why should you attend this seminar?

If you are an employer who is trying to comply with federal and Idaho state laws regarding your health plan, this is your chance to talk to both federal and state regulators at the same time, in the same place.  If you are a third party administrator or a carrier who has questions about new laws and issues, this is your opportunity to ask the experts.

The U.S. Department of Labor is teaming up with the Idaho Department of Insurance to bring you practical information, helpful tips, and clarification regarding Idaho and federal health benefits laws.

This seminar is FREE and open to the public.

For more information and to register please click here.

Board of Commissioners Election Deadline May 7

Ballots will be distributed electronically to all members eligible to vote in the First, Second and Fourth districts on Monday, April 22. All ballots properly cast and returned to the ISB office will be counted by a Board of Canvassers at the close of business on Tuesday, May 7.

Idaho Civil Justice Reform Task Force Report and Recommendations

Idaho Rule of Civil Procedure (IRCP) 1 states: “These rules should be construed and administered to secure the just, speedy and inexpensive determination of every action and proceeding.” In 2016, the Idaho Supreme Court identified two issues facing Idaho’s courts–the increasing cost of civil litigation and the decline in civil filings between 2006 and 2015. Idaho’s experience is not unique. States across the country have similarly experienced declining civil caseloads brought about by lengthy and costly litigation. The national phenomenon has been studied in many quarters and solutions have been suggested. For example, the Conference of Chief Justices (CCJ) issued a publication entitled Call to Action: Achieving Civil Justice for All. This publication documented a comprehensive study of problems confronting civil courts across the country. In 2016, the CCJ adopted and endorsed the publication’s thirteen recommendations for improving and restoring public confidence in civil courts.

Because of the troubling signs that the Idaho court system might not be delivering on the promise of IRCP 1, the Idaho Supreme Court issued an order on November 21, 2016, establishing the Civil Justice Reform Task Force. The task force was comprised of judges and lawyers with various practice areas from across the state. The Court charged the task force with examining the state’s civil justice system, determining problem areas, and recommending appropriate solutions.

The task force examined Idaho’s current practices and civil justice landscape, identified concerns, considered reform plans from a number of other states, and made recommendations for change. In early 2019, the taskforce delivered its report, as well as a technical correction, to the Idaho Supreme Court. The report recommends revision of relevant court rules of civil procedure with the intention of providing more timely and cost-effective justice in approximately seventy percent of the general civil cases filed in Idaho courts. These cases include collections, contracts, real estate disputes, employment, personal injury, and medical malpractice, but exclude family law and small claims cases.

The Idaho Supreme Court is now posting the report publically and seeking comments regarding the task forces’ recommendations. The report and technical correction can be found at https://isc.idaho.gov/files/final-report.pdf The comment period will remain open until June 30, 2019. All comments should be sent to CourtComments@idcourts.net

2019 Law Day Reception & Access to Justice Kickoff – May 1

May 1st is Law Day!

Join us at Beside Bardenay on Wednesday, May 1, 2019 from 4:30-8:00 p.m. (MT) for the 2019 Law Day Reception. Idaho Supreme Court Justice Robyn Brody will be our emcee. The theme this year, “Free Speech, Free Press, Free Society,” focuses on these cornerstones of representative government and calls on us to understand and protect these rights to ensure, as the U.S. Constitution proposes, “the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity.”

Join us for a FREE CLE as experienced 1st Amendment attorney Deborah Kristensen Grasham and journalist Besty Russell of the Idaho Press Tribune discuss free speech and free press, and the historical and current debates surrounding them.

Schedule of Events

4:30 to 5:30 pm – “Free Speech, Free Press, Free Society,” Free CLE – Deborah Kristensen Grasham, Givens Pursley, LLP & Betsy Russell, Idaho Press Tribune

5:30 pm – Hosted Social

6:30 pm – Welcome: Justice Robyn Brody, Idaho Supreme Court

Presentation of 2019 Liberty Bell Award to Journalist Betsy Russell, Idaho Press Tribune

Access to Justice Campaign Kick-Off – Bill Mauk, Access to Justice Campaign Chair

6.1 Challenge Awards Presentation – Justice Brody & Sue Pierson, Idaho Volunteer Lawyers Program

2021 Annual Meeting Scholarships Available – Deadline Extended Until June 25

2021 Annual Meeting Scholarships Available – Deadline Extended Until June 25


The Idaho State Bar is offering a limited number of scholarships to the 2021 Annual Meeting, July 21-23, in Boise. The scholarships are available for virtual attendance through our webcast system as well as for in-person attendance. The in-person scholarships will include full registration, tickets to the social events and per diem up to $75 per day for travel and lodging. The scholarships are designed to provide assistance to those attorneys who, due to financial or professional circumstances, would otherwise be unable to attend. To apply for scholarship, contact the ISB Commissioner who represents your judicial district or email the ISB Program and Legal Education Director Teresa Baker.

Deadline for scholarship requests is Friday, June 25, 2021. Please make sure to indicate whether you would like to attend in-person or virtually.