ABA 2019 Midyear Meeting Recap
TIPS participated in the 2019 ABA Midyear Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada, with over 30 business meetings, Council meetings, and a combined reception held at Caesar’s Palace on January 26 for TIPS members and Young Lawyers Division members, where the prestigious Robert B. McKay Award was presented to Marc Galanter, retired University of Wisconsin (UW) Law School professor. The award recognizes law professors who show a commitment to advancing justice, scholarship, and the legal profession by contributing to the fields of tort, trial practice, or insurance law.
The TIPS 2018–2019 Leadership Academy met during the Midyear Meeting, welcoming notable speakers who included ABA President Bob Carlson; former ABA President Dennis Archer; the Honorable Mark Bennett, who spoke on implicit bias; and Larry J. Cohen, who covered “Musings on Ethics: What the Rules Mean for Everyday Practice.” The class also heard from Richard “Dickie” Scruggs, architect of the litigation that resulted in the multibillion-dollar tobacco settlement, who later was convicted in a judicial bribery scandal. In federal prison, Scruggs helped fellow inmates earn their General Education Development (GED) certificate. Upon release, he established Second Chance Mississippi, a nonprofit collaboration with Mississippi’s community colleges created to raise awareness and funds for GED and adult education.