COVID-19 Resources Guide for Lawyers

• County of Butler v. Thomas W. Wolf, Ruling finds governor’s COVID-19 order unconstitutional (U.S. District Court of the Western District of Pennsylvania)

  • Declaratory Judgment Order
• Connections to the courts
• Reopening guidance for businesses
• Federal information and programs to assist small businesses
• State information and programs to assist small businesses
• Mental health support services for lawyers
• CLE resources for lawyers
• Articles, blog posts and guidance for lawyers
• Legislation and governmental orders of interest to lawyers
• Information for law students and recent law school graduates
• COVID-19 resources by subject area
• Pro bono service during the crisis
• ‘Timely Tips’ for lawyers during the crisis
• Pennsylvania Bar Association Project Board

This guide, a project of the PBA COVID-19 Task Force, provides links to information of assistance to Pennsylvania lawyers.

DISCLAIMER: This information is being issued to inform, not to advise, and should not be considered legal advice. Some information is based on Pennsylvania law. The statements are general, and individual facts in a given case may alter their application or involve other laws not referred to here.

Connections to the courts

• The Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System (Orders of the Supreme, Superior, Commonwealth and Common Pleas Courts)
• Third Circuit Court and District Courts

Reopening guidance for businesses

• Reopening Your Practice: Considerations from the Pennsylvania Bar Association
• Bringing PA Back (PA Chamber)
• CDC Activities and Initiatives Supporting the COVID-19 Response and the President’s Plan for Opening America Up Again
• Reopening Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting Public Spaces, Workplaces, Businesses, Schools, and Homes (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Order of the Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health Directing Public Health Safety Measures for Businesses Permitted to Maintain In-person Operations
• Reopening America Cleaning Disinfection Decision Tool (Centers for Disease  Control and Prevention)
• Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Resources
• COVID-19: A ‘How To’ Guide for Recovery of Operations (USI)

Federal information and programs to assist small businesses

• Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act – Revisions to First Interim Final Rule (Small Business Administration)
• New applications for borrowers and lenders (Small Business Administration)
• Joint Statement by SBA Administrator and U.S. Treasury Secretary Regarding Enactment of the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act (June 8, 2020)
• President Trump Signs Law Easing PPP Loan Rules: 6 Things To Know (Fortune, June 5, 2020)
• Trump Signs New Law Relaxing PPP Rules: What You Need to Know (Fortune, June 5, 2020)
• Key Changes in Just-passed PPP Loan Bill Give Small Businesses 24 weeks to Use Funds (Fortune, June 4, 2020)
• Loan Forgiveness Process for the Paycheck Protection Program – Interim Rules (Small Business Administration)
• Responsibilities of Lenders and Borrowers for the Paycheck Protection Program – Interim Rules (Small Business Administration)
• Paycheck Protection Program Loan Forgiveness Application (Small Business Administration)
• Paycheck Protection Program Updated Information Sheet from the U.S. Treasury
• Here’s how to avoid a common mistake small businesses make when applying for loans, according to an SBA official (CNBC)
• Paycheck Protection Program Updated FAQs from the Small Business Administration
• Save Small Business: Helping Small Employers Who Are Struggling During the COVID-19 Outbreak (U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation)
• Paycheck Protection Program/EIDL Grants Comparison Flow Chart (Committee on Small Business)
• Guide to the Employee Retention Tax Credit for COVID-19 Impacted Employers (U.S. Chamber of Commerce)
• Economic Injury Disaster Loan Assistance Application (U.S. Small Business Administration)
• Federal Small Business Paycheck Protection Program FAQ (U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship)
• Federal Small Business Paycheck Protection Program Guide (U.S. Chamber)
• Affiliation Rules Applicable to U.S. Small Business Administration Paycheck Protection Program (U.S. Treasury)
  
• Paycheck Protection Program Interim Final Rule (U.S. Small Business Administration)
• Webinar Recording: Understanding the Paycheck Protection Program (ElderCounsel LLC)
• Guide to Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster Loans (U.S. Chamber)
• How to Get Your SBA Loan Faster (U.S. Small Business Administration)
• The Small Business Owner’s Guide to the CARES Act (U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship)
• Federal CARES Act: What you need to know and do about the federal CARES Act (Pa. Department of Labor and Industry)
• Webinar Recording: CARES Act and Important Information for Employers -- Access Webinar Recording, Password: MyBenefit@2020  (Recorded April 2, My Benefit Advisor of USI Affinity and The Harrison Group)
• CARES Act: What Do Employers Need to Know? (Orrick - Global Employment Law Group, JD Supra LLC)
• U.S. Department of Homeland Security COVID-19 Resources
• State and Federal Funding Options (Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED)

State information and programs to assist small businesses

• Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts issues memo regarding universal face coverings in court houses
• Wolf Administration adds language specific to lawyers and their staff members to Industry Operation Guidance and Life-Sustaining Business FAQs from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED).
• Filing for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (Pennsylvania Office of Unemployment Compensation)
• Information for Pennsylvania Employees Impacted by COVID-19 (Pennsylvania Office of Unemployment Compensation)
• Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry COVID-19 Resources for Businesses
• Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry Business Resources for Coronavirus
• Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development COVID-19 Resources for Businesses
• Wolf Administration provides further guidance regarding exception for attorneys to access their offices which would permit clients to visit an attorney’s office and would allow in-person notarization of documents.
• State and Federal Funding Options (Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED)

Mental health support services for lawyers

• Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers-PA Resources for the Legal Profession During COVID-19
• Resources from the PBA Quality of Life/Work Balance Committee

CLE resources for lawyers

• PBI (Pennsylvania Bar Institute): 35% off 600-plus on-demand CLE programs and webinars, now through Aug. 31

Articles, blog posts and guidance for lawyers

• Courts Dramatically Rethink the Jury Trial in the Era of the Coronavirus (Washington Post)
  
• PBA Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Committee blog post — The Sky Is Falling: If You Aren’t Paperless, Remote Technology Is Useless & You May Not Be Ethically Competent
• PBA Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Committee guide – Guidance to Address Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Concerns When Providing Remote Legal Service
• PBA Solo and Small Firm Section resources – Information for practitioners in many practice settings and areas of practice
• FBI Warns of Teleconferencing and Online Classroom Hijacking During COVID-19 Pandemic (FBI news release, March 30, 2020)
• A National Survey on the New Normal of Working Remotely: Best Practices for Legal Employers During the COVID-19 Pandemic (The Red Bee Group)

Legislation and governmental orders of interest to lawyers

DISCLAIMER: The below enacted legislation and orders may be of interest to lawyers but do not necessarily reflect the positions of the PBA.

Pennsylvania (Enacted)

• Act 9 (House Bill 68) – makes applying for unemployment compensation easier for workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic
• Act 10 (House Bill 1232) – provides $50 million for the purchase of medical equipment and supplies for hospitals, nursing facilities and emergency medical services to meet the urgent needs by patients and staff
• Act 12 (Senate Bill 422) – reschedules the 2020 primary election from April 28 to June 2 and makes other election process changes, including some due to the COVID-19 emergency
• Act 13 (Senate Bill 751) – waives the requirement for schools to be in session at least 180 days, provides for continuity of education plans, ensures school employees are paid during the closure, and provides the Secretary of Education with authority to waive student teacher and standardized assessments.
• Act 15 (Senate Bill 841) permits remote notarization of all documents and municipalities to meet remotely by telecommunications device during the COVID-19 disaster emergency after meeting certain requirements; Act 15 further permits local governments to provide greater flexibility on property tax deadlines.

Pennsylvania (Pending)

• House Bill 2370 (Printer’s No. 3659) —provides for remote notarization of all documents on a permanent basis.
• Senate Bill 1097 ( Printer’s No. 1622) —provides for remote notarization of all documents on a permanent basis.

Federal (Enacted)

• Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act

Governmental orders

• Gov. Wolf Announces Protections from Foreclosures and Evictions Through Aug. 31
  
• Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts issues memo regarding universal face coverings in court houses
• Gov. Wolf: Sec. of Health Signs Expanded Mask-Wearing Order
• Order of Pennsylvania Governor for Staying the Notice Requirement for Certain Actions Related to the Dispossession of Property
• Charity Renewal Deadline Extension: Deadline and Late Fee Refund Notice (Department of State)
• Charitable Organizations Online System for Initial and Renewal Applications (Pa. Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations)
• Limited Suspension of In-person Regulatory Requirements for Notaries for Real Estate Transactions
• Pa. Allows Remote Notarization of Some Documents During Crisis (Pa. Department of State)

Information for law students and recent law school graduates

• Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners will administer a remote bar exam, October 5-7, 2020
  
• Pennsylvania Bar Association Project Board (matches lawyers with recent law students seeking professional assignments)
• Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network Job Board
• PBLE order
• PBLE news release
• Coronavirus and Forbearance Info for Students, Borrowers, and Parents (Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of Education)

COVID-19 resources by subject area

Agriculture

• Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences
• Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
• Pennsylvania Farm Bureau
• USDA

Children's Rights

• Advocacy and Child’s Attorney-Client Relationships during COVID-19: A Tip Sheet (National Association of Counsel for Children)
• COVID-19 Resources Hub (National Association of Counsel for Children)
• Making an Emergency Plan with Transition Age Youth in Foster Care in Pennsylvania A Checklist for Dependency Attorneys, Caseworkers, and Advocates (Juvenile Law Center)

Ethics

• Lawyers’ Ethical Obligations When Working Remotely (PBA Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Committee)

Probate

• PBA Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section – Probate Division resources

Solo and Small Firm Practice

• PBA Solo and Small Firm Section resources for a broad range of practice areas

Workers’ Compensation

• Governor Suspends Portions of Section 413 of Workers’ Compensation Act

Pro bono service during the crisis

• Pro bono volunteer opportunities for lawyers
• Pro bono services for the public