CHICAGO, April 23, 2024 — The American Bar Association Litigation Section Annual Conference, the premier event for litigators, brings together top litigation professionals from across the U.S. to discuss timely legal issues and the latest in trial advocacy, litigation strategy and case management. The conference provides a unique opportunity to learn from and to interact with in-house counsel, outside counsel, academics, government attorneys and judges. Featured speakers include some of the country’s top trial and appellate lawyers, judges, in-house counsel, and government attorneys.
What:
2024 Litigation Section Annual Conference
Sponsored by the ABA Litigation Section
When:
Wednesday-Friday, May 1-3 (in-person only, all times EDT)
Where:
Capital Hilton
1001 16th St. NW
Washington, D.C.
Program highlights include the following plenary sessions:
- “How the Supreme Court is Reshaping Voting and Democracy” — National thought leaders on voting rights and democracy examine the implications of Supreme Court decisions over the last decade on issues affecting elections and ballot access, including campaign finance, political and racial gerrymandering and the application of the Voting Rights Act. A panel of experts will explain how those rulings have affected how our political leaders are chosen and how they govern, while addressing issues of political accountability and the quality of governance. Speakers include Benjamin L. Ginsberg of the Hoover Institution, Kevin J. Hamilton of Perkins Coie, Katherine Culliton-Gonzalez of the Hispanic National Bar Association and Nathaniel Persily of Stanford Law School. Judge J. Michelle Childs, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, will serve as moderator.
Wednesday, 4-5:30 p.m., Presidential Ballroom, FL 2 - “May It Please the Court: A Discussion with Current and Former Solicitors General of the United States” — Current and former solicitors will offer their perspectives on how the role of the U.S. Solicitor General has evolved over time and how the office handles changes in litigation priorities and positions with changing administrations. Speakers include Solicitor General Elizabeth B. Prelogar; Paul D. Clement, the 43rd Solicitor General; Noel J. Francisco, the 47th Solicitor General; and former acting Solicitors General Neal K. Katyal and Ian H. Gershengorn. The panel will be moderated by Judge Patricia A. Millett, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Thursday, 9:15-10:45 a.m., Presidential Ballroom, FL 2 - “Our Enduring Democracy: A Discussion with Judge J. Michael Luttig and Secretary Jeh Charles Johnson of the ABA Task Force for American Democracy” — The chairs of the non-partisan ABA task force charged with analyzing current threats to our democracy and the rule of law who have been soliciting a wide array of views from stakeholders across the political spectrum will share what they’ve learned and how lawyers can help restore, protect, and preserve our democracy and the rule of law. Melody C. Barnes, executive director of the Karsh Institute of Democracy at the University of Virginia, will serve as moderator.
Friday, 9-10:30 a.m., Presidential Ballroom, FL 2
Other notable sessions
- “John Minor Wisdom & Diversity Leadership Awards Luncheon” — Named for a renowned 5th Circuit judge and civil rights pioneer, the John Minor Wisdom Award recognizes lawyers who have made a significant contribution to the quality of justice in the legal profession and in their communities by making legal assistance accessible to people with low incomes, the disenfranchised and other underrepresented groups. The Diversity Leadership Award recognizes individuals or entities who have demonstrated commitment to full and equal participation in the legal community. Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx, Emma Bloomberg Professor of the Practice of Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School, will be the keynote speaker.
Thursday, 12:15-1:30 p.m., Congressional, FL 2 - “Networking Luncheon: 70 Years After Brown v. Board of Education” — Charles Hamilton Houston III, grandson of civil rights pioneer Charles Hamilton Houston, will share stories about his grandfather, dean of Howard University Law School, and the NAACP’s first general counsel whose groundbreaking work earned him the title, “The Man Who Killed Jim Crow.”
Friday, Noon-1:15 p.m., Congressional, FL 2
The 2024 Litigation Section Annual Conference agenda is here.
All sessions are open to the media, but reporters are required to register in advance by 2 p.m. EDT, Monday, April 29, by contacting Julie Brown at [email protected]. Reporters must meet the ABA media credentials policy.
The ABA Litigation Section is the premier association for lawyers and judges involved in litigation and trial practice. Legal professionals from all areas of practice turn to the Section for member-only access to the latest news, information, and thinking on legal strategy, bringing all sides of a trial to one place to form a comprehensive view of the profession.
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