CHICAGO, March 26, 2019 — A major legal conference in Miami Beach next week, hosted by the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Lawyers’ Professional Liability, will explore a variety of professionalism issues, including representing mentally impaired lawyers as well as the potential perils of social media use.
What: Spring 2019 National Legal Malpractice Conference
When: Wednesday–Friday, April 3–5
Where: Nobu Eden Roc Hotel
4525 Collins Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33140
The opening Plenary Session from 8:45 – 9:45 a.m. on April 4 will feature a conversation with Rabia Chaudry, who is best known as the public advocate of Adnan Syed, the alleged wrongfully convicted man at the center of one the most popular podcasts in history, “Serial: Season One.” She is also author of the New York Times bestseller, “Adnan’s Story: The Search for Truth and Justice after Serial,” and is the executive producer of the HBO documentary series, “The Case Against Adnan Syed”.
Following the success of Serial, Chaudry continued investigating wrongful convictions, which gave birth to “Undisclosed”, the podcast which she is the co-host and co-producer. At the conference, she will discuss the biggest hurdles for attorneys to provide zealous representation in the criminal justice system and the wide sweeping effect of ineffective assistance of counsel.
Other conference highlights include:
“Defending Mentally Impaired Lawyers” — This panel brings together experienced defense counsel, claims professionals, jury consultants and mental health professionals to explore defending lawyers who are suffering from some sort of mental impairment. The impairment may simply be a reaction to the stress of a malpractice claim, but it could also be the reason the claim exists.
Thursday, 10-11:15 a.m.
“Social Media, Blog and Publication Liability…Oh My!” — While maintaining a social media profile is commonplace and perhaps vital in the digital age, attorneys must remain mindful that notwithstanding the informality some may associate with social media, what you post can (and will) be held against you. Consequently, attorneys involved in digital discourse must take steps to protect themselves from potential professional liability, professional responsibility and cyber liability pitfalls. The program will explore ethical and liability concerns that may arise from the casual and ill-considered use of social media and other digital publishing methods.
Thursday, 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
“Disrupters: New Legal Insurance at Your Doorstep” — With innovative legal insurance disrupting the market, insurers are finding the legal market ripe for business. From insuring contingency-based class actions and personal injury lawsuits to funding litigation files, the ramifications for malpractice insurers are beginning to be realized. The panel looks at a range of developments in the malpractice insurance field.
Friday, 9-10 a.m.
The complete conference program can be found online.
All sessions are open to the media but pre-registration is necessary. To register, please contact Bill Choyke at 202-662-1864 or [email protected].
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