About the Committee

Mission

The Real Estate, Condemnation, and Trust Litigation Committee is dedicated to practitioners who are involved with disputes involving real estate, including issues of ownership, purchase and sale, title, casualty, land use, and eminent domain. The Committee’s jurisdiction also extends to litigation relating to trusts and estates. Our goal is to provide a wide variety of networking opportunities to attorneys across the country and to support the development of young and diverse lawyers. We provide an essential wealth of information, resources, and practice support for our committee members through substantive updates and articles as well as opportunities to network with other professionals around the country. The Committee presents topical and relevant discussions at both the Section and ABA Annual Meetings for litigators involved in real estate disputes. The Committee also produces a periodic newsletter.

Message from the Chairs

Welcome to the 2024–2025 Bar Year

We are excited about launching our committee annual plan and continuing to serve as your Co-Chairs for the 2024–2025 bar year. This is our second and third years, respectively, as your Co-Chairs. We love the networking and engagement that comes from our Committee’s work. We are impressed at the level of commitment to our Committee publications We look forward to working with each of you this bar year in providing cutting-edge content and relevant initiatives to serve you and all ABA members this year.

Current Committee Leadership Roster

We want to thank everyone who is serving as a Vice Chair or Sub-Committee Chair for this bar year. Please refer to the Committee Leadership Roster for more information about our leadership and who to contact to become further involved.

Committee Leadership Opportunities & Openings

Please let us know if you are interested in continuing to serve or, if you are new to the Committee or leadership, please let us know if you are interested in chairing a subcommittee. We are always on the lookout for any Committee member who is interested in leadership; so, please reach out to us if you would like to assume a leadership position.

We hope you will consider serving in leadership. Please refer to the Committee Leadership Roster for a list of all of our sub-committees. We are also open to ideas about new and exciting sub-committees. Please also send us any referrals you may have for other lawyers interested in leadership or becoming involved with our Committee generally.

Racial and Social Justice

Our Committee, along with the Litigation Section, stands with all who seek new paths to fair access to justice and equality. We, as a committee, are looking to increase our diversity with respect to leadership, membership, content and programming. To that end, please consider contributing content in the area of racial and social justice, inequality, and diversity and inclusion. Please check out the Section’s resources on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Additionally, if you are or if you know a diverse lawyer looking for leadership, publishing, or profile-raising opportunities (see below), please reach out to us with leadership initiatives and/or content ideas.

Publishing & Other National Profile-Raising Opportunities

The Journal of Real Estate, Condemnation and Trust Litigation

Please also consider writing an article or a practice point or referring us to lawyers who may be interested in publishing in our national newsletter and online journal. Publishing is a great way for lawyers of all experience levels to build or expand their resumés or to showcase their expertise. One of our Committee’s key missions is to deliver high-quality content, such as articles and practice points, to the general Litigation Section’s membership. Please check out our recently released edition of The Journal of Real Estate, Condemnation, and Trust Litigation.

Roundtables and Sound Advice Programming

Our Committee is also responsible for delivering Roundtables and Sound Advice programs for Section members. Roundtables are free national seminars that are typically one hour in length and can touch on a wide variety of substantive and practice topics, often featuring a panel of subject matter experts. Sound Advice programs are short, pre-recorded podcasts that focus on several different areas—from substantive legal issues to practice pointers to diversity discussions, for example. The podcasts are then featured nationally on our website and in our newsletter.

Webinars

The Section is always looking for substantive and practice-focused national CLE webinar content as well. Check out past webinars our Committee has hosted.

Books

Our Condemnation team has been working on a book project, a 50-state survey of condemnation laws. Richard Rodriguez has been spearheading this project. The book has been submitted for approval and we expect to publish it this bar year. The Committee also has been authorized by the ABA to publish a book on real estate damages and remedies. Please feel free to reach out to us, if you are interested in contributing to this book project, which is still in its infancy, and also send in any other book ideas that you may have.

SAC Programming

Join us at the ABA Litigation Section Annual Conference (SAC), April 31 to May 3, 2025, in Chicago, Illinois.

Regional Meetings and OtherNetworking Opportunities

Our Committee has traditionally rallied at ABA conferences, such as the Litigation Section Annual Conference or the broader ABA Annual Conference, with committee outings to sporting events and committee dinners. We look forward to in-person events this bar year. We are planning a title insurance regional meeting for January 2025 in Phoenix and hope to provide one more regional meeting in 2025.

Monthly Zoom Meetings

The Committee meets monthly via Zoom on the second Monday of each month at 3:00 p.m. EST. Please contact us for the Zoom link if you would like to join us to learn more about our initiatives and activities for this year.

ABA Communities

Join us on Communities for further announcements and networking opportunities.

Nicholas "Nic" Shapiro
Mark M. Murakami

Co-Chairs, Real Estate Litigation, Condemnation & Trust Litigation Committee