Wednesday, April 16

3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Women of Color in the Legal Profession: Why it Means Success for Everyone - Capitol Room
presented by the Commission on Women in the Profession
Co-sponsored by: ABA Section of Litigation, Young Lawyers Division, Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities and the Section of Litigation’s Woman Advocate and Minority Trial Lawyer Committees

Hiring and retaining women of color is not simply an issue for women of color. With increasing globalization, it makes good business sense to craft strategies to ensure that women of color thrive. The panelists will discuss concrete steps that can be taken to ensure that women of color succeed.
There is no charge to attend.  It is not necessary to RSVP in advance, but please allow time for registration before the program begins. Elimination of Bias CLE credit has been requested.

Moderator: Pamela J. Roberts, Partner, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP and Chair of the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession
Panelists: Sherry F. Bellamy, Vice President & Deputy General Counsel, Litigation & Regulatory, Verizon Business; Michele A. Roberts, Partner, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP; Christina Guerola Sarchio, Partner, Howrey LLP  and Christina M. Tchen,  Partner, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Diversity Reception
Join Section Leaders, and various local bar leaders for a complimentary cocktail reception as they celebrate the Section's involvement in its many diversity programs throughout the year.

Friday, April 18, 2008

9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Plenary: Real to Reel: Images of Ethics and Professionalism in the Courtroom - Regency A
presented by the Section of Litigation

Whether art imitates life or the other way around, the movies provide insight into who we are and how we are perceived.  In this program, the ethical considerations of trial practice will be reviewed and discussed through a historical review of the big screen's most notable portrayals of the trial lawyer.

Handout | 29 pages

Speakers: David Kendall, Williams & Connolly LLP, Washington, DC; Alejandro Mayorkas, O’Melveny & Myers LLP, Los Angeles, CA; Andrew G. Schultz, Rodey, Dickason, Sloan, Akin & Robb, P.A., Albuquerque, NM; and Coke Morgan Stewart, Kaye Scholer LLP, Washington, DC

9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Building your “Financial House”: Financial Planning for the Young Lawyer - Bunker Hill
Co-sponsored by the American Bar Endowment

This session is designed to help young lawyers gain an understanding of building their “financial house.” Learn at least 3 strategies that you can use to solidify your financial plan and have a chance to win the popular book “Financial Planning for Lawyers.”  Topics to be covered include:

All conference attendees also have an opportunity to sign-up for a personal one-on-one session to learn more about building your own “financial house”. For more information on the personal one-on-one sessions contact Kelly Abeles at kabeles@abendowment.org.

Handout | 36 pages

Speakers: Kelly A. Abeles, American Bar Endowment, Chicago, IL and Kelli Liepke, North Star Resource Group, Madison, WI

10:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

“Danger Will Robinson!”- An Introduction to Securitized Lending - Concord
Co-sponsored by the ABA Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section

Two seasoned partners experienced in real estate law will provide an introduction to securitized/conduit real estate loans and explain:

Handout | 29 pages

Speakers: William G. Rothschild, Partner, Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP, Atlanta, GA; Marci Schmerler, Partner, Thompson Hine LLP, Atlanta, GA; and Michelle Valteau, Associate, Thompson Hine LLP, Atlanta, GA

Twombly and Leegin in the Trenches: What Has Changed in Antitrust Law - Bunker Hill
Co-sponsored by the ABA Section of Antitrust Law

The Supreme Court heard and decided four major antitrust cases during the October 2007 term.  Join leading plaintiff and defense antitrust specialists as they discuss two of these decisions, Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly and Leegin Creative Leather Products, Inc. v. PSKS, Inc., and debate whether these decisions actually worked dramatic changes in U.S. antitrust law. This session will give practitioners and academics a timely opportunity to hear how each holding is anticipated to impact antitrust law, and how those issues are playing out right now in courts around the country.

Handout | 32 pages

Moderator: Andrew I. Gavil, Professor of Law, Howard University School of Law, Washington, DC
Speakers: William Blechman, Attorney, Kenny Nachwalter LLP, Washington, DC; Robert A. Lipstein, Partner, Crowell & Moring, Washington, DC; Joshua Lipton, Partner, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Washington, DC; and Margaret A. Ward, Associate, Jones Day LLP, Washington, DC

The Litigator’s Toolbox: Presenting Winning Legal Arguments to Trial Judges and Administrative Agencies - Ticonderoga
presented by the Section of Litigation

Using multimedia presentations, a mock oral argument, and audience participation, we will explore how to present outstanding legal arguments to trial judges and administrative agencies, and how such arguments differ from arguments to juries and appellate courts.  We will address argument themes, substance, style, and effectively using demonstrative aids.

Handout | 23 pages

Speakers: Victor Bolden, General Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, New York, NY; Linda Listrom, Jenner & Block LLP, Chicago, IL; and Lawrence D. Rosenberg, Jones Day, Washington, DC

China, the New Frontier:  Resolving Disputes with Chinese Businesses - Columbia A
presented by the Section of Litigation

A Chinese IP litigator, a Beijing expert and an in-house counsel will discuss dispute resolution with PRC companies.  What is litigation and arbitration in China like?  What can a litigator expect to encounter, and what leads to the best result when resolving disputes with Chinese businesses?  Come and learn.

Handout | 14 pages

Moderator: Joseph J. Dehner, Frost Brown Todd LLC, Cincinnati, OH
Speakers: Cynthia Photos Abbott, Motorola, Inc., Schaumburg, IL; Samuel D. Porteous, Navigant Consulting, Hong Kong/Shanghai; and Weining Zou, JUN HE Law Offices, Beijing, China

Positioning Yourself for Promotion - Columbia B
presented by the Section of Litigation

This dynamic program will offer litigation associates advice on how to position themselves for promotion in their firms and advice on career planning generally. Associates will learn from law firm insiders what skills are essential to success in a firm, whether they need business, how they can build a strong reputation inside and outside the firm, and what counsel, non-equity and equity partnership, and other positions within law firms mean. The issue of whether "today’s associates" even want to make partner will also be addressed.

Handout | 21 pages
25 Tips to Position Yourself for a Promotion | 1 page

Moderator: Coke Morgan Stewart, Kaye Scholer LLP, Washington, DC
Speakers: Alan M. Fisch, Kaye Scholer LLP, Washington, DC; Ervin A. Gonzalez, Colson Hicks Eidson, Coral Gables, FL; and Lorelie S. Masters, Jenner & Block LLP, Washington, DC

Shifting the Securities Law Paradigm: The Brave New World of Litigating an Action Arising Under the Federal Securities Laws - Capitol Room
presented by the Section of Litigation

Is it time to throw away the old 10b-5 briefs, toss out those well-worn memos, and rethink all that you thought you knew about pleading standards, loss causation, and scheme liability? A panel of seasoned securities litigators will address the likely impact of recent and soon-to-be-decided Supreme Court decisions addressing these issues.

Handout | 31 pages

Speakers: Stanley M. Grossman, Pomerantz Haudek Block Grossman & Gross, New York, NY; Glenn Harris, Greenberg Traurig, Miami, FL; and Robert E. Zimet, Skadden Arps LLP, New York, NY 

12:15 p.m. – 1:45 p.m

Writers' Workshop - Yorktown/Valley Forge
Co-sponsored by the ABA Journal
Come learn the basics of news and feature writing with two ABA Journal experts during this special writing workshop.  Whether you’re contemplating your first story pitch or writing regularly for a lawyer (or non-lawyer) publication, most employers are enthusiastic to see your name (and theirs) in a byline.  Take in the elements and tips from Allen Pusey, previously a writer with The Dallas Morning News, who serves as the ABA Journal Managing Editor and Terry Carter, who has written for many publications including the American Law Journal, and serves as an ABA Journal Senior Writer.

Handout | 29 pages

Speakers: Terry Carter, Senior Writer, ABA Journal, Washington, DC and Allen Pusey, Managing Editor, ABA Journal, Chicago, IL

John Minor Wisdom Awards Luncheon - Regency A - Ticketed Luncheon
presented by the Section of Litigation

Join us at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill for the presentation of the 2008 John Minor Wisdom Public Service and Professionalism Awards

Featured luncheon speaker: Dana Milbank, Washington Post columnist and author of the recently published book Homo Politicus The Strange and Scary Tribes That Run Our Government
Ticked event

2:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m

International Trade Law: The Basics and How it Affects You - Concord
Co-sponsored by the ABA Section of International Law

Join experienced international trade attorneys as they discuss this quickly growing field.  Regardless of your practice area, you will leave this session with:

Speakers: Padideh Ala'i,  Attorney and Professor of International Trade & Arbitration, Comparative Law, International Relations, and International Business Transactions , American University's Washington College of Law, Washington, DC; Tim Reif, Attorney and Democratic Chief International Trade Counsel, Committee on Ways and Means, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC;  and John Ryan, Senior Associate, Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, Washington, DC

Putting ADR on Your Radar: Pursuing Careers in Mediation and Arbitration - Bunker Hill
Co-sponsored by the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution

If you are a young lawyer interested in becoming a mediator or arbitrator this is a must-attend session. Experienced mediators and arbitrators will share valuable tips and provide answers to the following questions:

In the Trenches:  Preparing for Your First Trial - Ticonderoga
presented by the Section of Litigation

A panel of battle-tested associates, moderated by a senior trial lawyer, will offer “how to” advice and the “do’s and don’ts” of pretrial orders, exhibit lists, deposition designations, motions in limine, witness kits, and jury instructions. The panel will also describe how young lawyers and their firms can expand opportunities to get trial experience.

Handout | 21 pages

Moderator: John E. Hall, Covington & Burling LLP, Washington, DC
Speakers: Maureen R. Knight, Constangy, Brooks & Smith, LLC, Fairfax, VA; Jennifer Saulino, Covington & Burling LLP, Washington, DC; and LaQuita S. Wornor, Frost Brown Todd LLC, Louisville, KY

Johnny Won't You Blow Your Horn - Whistleblowers:  Making the Most of False Claims Act / Qui Tam Litigation - Capitol Room
presented by the Section of Litigation

Companies currently face large False Claims Act claims brought under the statute’s qui tam or “whistleblower” provisions. Our panel will discuss the unique case management issues presented when the relator is a government employee.  It also will address the whistleblower protections against retaliation provided by the FCA, Sarbanes-Oxley, and other federal statutes.

Handout | 34 pages

Moderator: Victoria T. McGhee, Shell Oil Company, Houston, TX
Speakers: Robert S. Salcido, Akin Gump, Washington, D.C.; Charles D. Tetrault, Vinson & Elkins LLP, Washington, DC; and Nilgun Tolek, OSHA, Office of Investigative Assistance, Washington, DC

3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

A Practical Guide to Working as a Lawyer Outside the USA - Concord
Co-sponsored by the ABA Section of International Law

If you want to practice law outside of the United States this is your opportunity to learn about the process and to ask questions!  Colleagues, who are familiar with the legal systems in Australia, England and Italy, will outline:

Saturday, April 19

8:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Diversity: The Next Generation - Yorktown/Valley Forge
This diversity summit will provide a forum for attendees to exchange ideas on how young lawyers can ensure that the profession reflects the society that it serves and fosters an environment of inclusion.
The feedback from the discussions will provide the base for initiatives such as:

For more information visit the Diversity: The Next Generation web page.