The Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Conference was held March 3–4 at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Workers’ Compensation and Employers’ Liability Midwinter Conference was held March 4–5 at the Westin in New Orleans, Louisiana.
“Getting Down to Business! Examining Emerging Trends in Business Litigation,” sponsored by the TIPS Business Litigation Committee, was held on March 25 at NCR in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Motor Vehicle Product Liability Litigation Conference was held April 6–8 at the beautiful Omni Scottsdale Montelucia Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona. This conference brought together the nation’s leading motor vehicle product liability experts and industry professionals to address the cutting-edge regulatory, technical, and legal developments impacting the litigation of these claims across the nation. The faculty included renowned trial and appellate judges, leading trial lawyers from across the country, and in-house counsel from major car companies such as BMW, General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Hyundai, Kia, Navistar, Nissan, Polaris, Toyota, U-Haul International, and Volkswagen. A preconference workshop, “Technology Involved with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems,” set the stage for a very exciting and informative conference.
The Toxic Torts and Environmental Law Conference was held April 7–9 at the amazing Omni Scottsdale Montelucia Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona.
TIPS Section Conference
The Section Conference took place April 27–30 at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore Inner Harbor in Baltimore, Maryland. The conference hosted many excellent CLE programs, including “Autonomous Transport Claims 2024—Company Perspective on Adaptability,” “Legal Writing: A Judge’s Perspective on the Science and Rhetoric of the Written Word,” and “Tulsa Race Massacre Fire Insurance Claims—A Mini Trial Experience,” to name a few. The Thursday evening Reception and Dinner was held at the Maryland Science Center with excellent food, networking, and fun as participants explored the many exhibits and the great view of the Inner Harbor. Friday’s Networking Luncheon, sponsored by the Women Trial Lawyers Committee, featured keynote speaker the Honorable Vicki Ballou-Watts, who held our attention as she reflected on her experiences in the courtroom since the pandemic.
Liberty Achievement Award
The Liberty Achievement Award was presented to the Honorable Pamila Brown, district administrative judge for the District Court of Maryland, on April 27 at the TIPS Section Conference Welcome Reception, sponsored by Thomson Reuters. This award celebrates the lawyers and judges who have spent their career actively promoting diversity and inclusion within the legal profession.
Judge Brown served as an associate judge in Howard County, Maryland, from 2002 to 2017. She was named administrative judge in 2017 and presides over civil, criminal, domestic, and traffic matters cases, as well as administrative matters. Prior to her appointment, Judge Brown served as a principal counsel and Maryland assistant attorney general and as an assistant city solicitor in the Baltimore City Law Department.
She has been deeply involved in the community and is a past president of the Metropolitan Baltimore YWCA and the first woman of color to serve as president of the Bar Association of Baltimore City and the Howard County Bar Association. She is the recipient of the Torch Bearer Award from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women and a frequent lecturer on ethics, tort liability, litigation techniques and trial advocacy, gender equity, domestic violence, traffic matters, implicit bias and diversity and inclusion, civics education, and professionalism.
Excellence in the Advancement of Animal Law Award
The Excellence in the Advancement of Animal Law Award was presented to Chris Green, executive director of the Brooks McCormick Jr. Animal Law & Policy Program at Harvard Law School, on April 28 during the TIPS Section Conference. The award recognizes exceptional work by an Animal Law Committee member who, through commitment and leadership, has advanced the humane treatment of animals through the law.
Green is the first executive director of Harvard’s Animal Law & Policy Program. Under his leadership, the program has experienced tremendous growth, including expanding its animal law course offerings, fellowship programs, scholarship, and research opportunities, and establishing the Harvard Animal Law & Policy Clinic. Last year, the program received a $10 million endowment from the Brooks Institute for Animal Rights Law and Policy, which is to date the largest philanthropic gift in the field of animal law.
Green has been involved in animal law for 22 years and working full-time in the field since 2013. He is a founding member and former chair of the TIPS Animal Law Committee and previously was the director of legislative affairs for the Animal Legal Defense Fund. In those capacities, Green persuaded the top three U.S. airlines to stop transporting endangered animal hunting trophies, helped defeat ag-gag legislation in several states, and successfully passed an ABA resolution recommending that all U.S. legislative bodies outlaw the possession of dangerous wild animals.
Joint Public Service Project
The Animal Law Committee and the Law in Public Service Standing Committee participated in a joint public service project with the Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS) on April 28 during the TIPS Section Conference. Seventeen volunteers worked to socialize dogs and cats at the shelter. Lenore Montanaro, chair of the Animal Law Committee, delivered a check for $1,600 to BARCS, which they greatly appreciated.