TIPS/JD Virtual Section Conference 2021 [CC]

For your continuing education, we have lined up timely and timeless presentations totaling 6 hours of CLE, including 1.5 hours of ethics. Working alongside the ABA Judicial Division, our co-sponsor for this year’s Section Conference, trial lawyers and trial and appellate judges from across the country will discuss lessons learned in trial practice and legal writing, as well as the impact of the pandemic on the practice of law, both in the office and in the courtroom. Our programs will be of interest to attorneys and professionals in all aspects of practice and at all levels of experience.

Wednesday
3:00 PM – 4:30 PM -  TRIAL MASTERS: LESSONS LEARNED
Hear from these highly acclaimed trial lawyers who have recovered or prevented record-setting verdicts in high-stakes and high-profile cases. They will share trial tips, best practices, and strategies that work. Randy Kinnard will also provide special insights into the $55 million verdict he won for sportscaster Erin Andrews in her lawsuit against a hotel and a stalker.

Moderator: John C. McMeekin, II, Rawle & Henderson, Philadelphia, PA
Randall L. Kinnard, Kinnard, Clayton & Beveridge, Nashville, TN
Michael Drumke, Swanson, Martin & Bell, LLP, Chicago, IL
Holly Polglase, Hermes, Netburn, O’Connor & Spearing, P.C., Boston, MA

Thursday
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM -  THE ETHICS OF PRACTICING LAW REMOTELY (1.50 ethics)
2020 forced us to learn new ways of practicing law to cope with the pandemic. We still have a ways to go before everyone is “back,” and even post-pandemic, our litigation practices will be forever altered. Practicing remotely raises a number of ethical and practical issues—from virtual courtroom “decorum” to  licensing and marketing concerns to time-capture. Civil litigation is likely never be going back to principal reliance on in-person proceedings—from witness interviews and preparation to depositions, hearings, and even trial. The panel will ensure that you are up to date on the ABA Model Rules, as well as some nationwide trends in the tort, trial, and insurance practice world.

Moderator: Chad Baruch, Johnston Tobey Baruch, Dallas, TX
Randy Johnston, Johnston Tobey Baruch, Dallas, TX
Kelli M. Hinson, Carrington Coleman, Dallas, TX
Carrie Johnson Phaneuf, Cobb Martinez Woodward, Dallas, TX

3:30 PM – 5:00 PM - MODERN WRITTEN ADVOCACY IN THE DIGITAL AGE
Our courts are getting busier by the day and operating in the age of information bombardment. Judges almost universally report that they are increasingly frustrated with the volumes of written materials they are asked to review. But creative use of technology can be a brief writer’s best friend. This panel will explore effective writing techniques, including clarity, organization, persuasion, as well as formatting and use of graphics, in creating substantive motions and appellate briefs. They will share strategies for writing in a concise manner that quickly gets your point across with impact and advocating in a world where many judges are reading briefs on digital devices, including tablets. Learn how to make your points most effectively in this brave, new, digital world.

Moderator: Mark Wojcik, Professor of Law UIC John Marshall Law School
Robert E. Bacharach, Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, Denver, CO [author of Legal Writing: A Judge’s Perspective on the Science and Rhetoric of the Written Word]
Hon. Louise Dovre Bjorkman, Judge, Minnesota Court of Appeals, St. Paul, MN
Hon. Jane B. Stranch, Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, Cincinnati, OH
Rocky Dhir, Atlas Legal Research, Dallas, TX
Robert Dubose, Alexander Dubose & Jefferson LLP, Houston, TX [author of “Legal Writing for the Rewired Brain”]

Friday
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM - HAS THE COVID PANDEMIC CHANGED THE COURTROOM FOREVER?
The COVID pandemic has forced courts to rethink their practices, policies and procedures. Some judges love remote hearings, others hate them, and most believe that jury trials present particular challenges when conducted remotely. Regardless of your viewpoints, we expect the issues and solutions spawned by the pandemic will outlast the current emergency and substantially transform civil litigation even after the courtrooms are safe. Judges throughout the country and experts share their experiences.

Moderator: Kirsten Castañeda, Alexander Dubose & Jefferson LLP, Dallas, TX
Hon. Sherri A. Lyndon, District Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina, Florence, SC
Hon. Alan Albright, District Judge, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, Waco, TX
Hon. Ramona See, Ret. Judge, Superior Court of Los Angeles County, Torrance, CA
Hon. Linda Bell, Chief Judge, Eighth Judicial District of Clark County, Nevada, Las Vegas, NV
Hon. Heather Welch, Judge, Marion Superior Court & the Indiana Commercial Court, Indianapolis, IN