D.C. Bar Schedule of Events
901 4th Street NW
Washington, DC 20001
phone: 202.737.4700
Hours of Operation: 7 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Weekday Events (5 p.m. – 11 p.m.)
Nearby Metro Stations
Judiciary Square (Red) - five blocks directly south at 450 F Street
Gallery Place-Chinatown (Green/Yellow/Red) - five blocks southwest at H and 7th Streets
Mt. Vernon Square/7th Street Convention Center (Green/Yellow) - six blocks at 7th and M Streets
Union Station (Red) - six blocks southeast down Massachusetts Avenue
EVENTS
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Preparing for Trial as a Solo Attorney: Your Message, Elements of Proof, and Organizing Your Presentation 2024
Credit(s): 1 General (60-minute hour)
1 General (50-minute hour)
Course Number: E18240710W
Duration: 1 hour
Date: July 30, 2024
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Credits: 1.0 general credit hour
Description: Preparing for trial is a daunting task, especially for solo practitioners who do not have the resources available to them that other attorneys enjoy. Join us for this informative class as our expert presenter Claude E. Ducloux discusses common issues solo attorneys encounter when preparing for trial. The following are among the topics he will address:
Preparing the non-trial lawyer for a trial before the court
Understanding the business/ethics side of litigation, and ethics of fee-setting.
Understanding WHY you’re going to court
Developing a trial theme
Defining elements of case or defense, and evidence needed for each
Preparing witnesses ahead of time
Simple yet effective presentation techniques
Scoping out your courtroom/court staff ahead of time
Scheduling how to present your evidence
Understanding standard objections
Ethical rules about evidence, offers of testimony and the duty to correct false testimony
Drafting your judgment early, and other necessities
Courtroom choreography – where you’ll sit or set up, and the room.
Keeping track of exhibits and rulings during trial
Handling your client throughout the process – reasonable expectations
Faculty: Claude E. Ducloux, LawPay
Cosponsor: LawPay
Fees: $39 D.C. Bar Communities Members, $49 D.C. Bar Members, $59 Government and Nonprofit Attorneys, and $79 Others
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Serving the Organizational Client Ethically While Delivering (and Demonstrating) Greater Value to That Client 2024
Credit(s): 1.5 Ethics and Professional Responsibility (60-minute hour)
1.5 Ethics and Professional Responsibility (50-minute hour)
Course Number: E11240705W
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Date: July 31, 2024
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Credits: 1.5 ethics & professionalism credit hours
Description: For several decades, corporate law departments have become increasingly assertive in their demands for legal service provided to their companies by outside attorneys. Corporate counsel have been requiring electronic billing, use of task codes for billing, law firms to work collaboratively with other firms or to work with “alternative legal service providers,” diversity among their outside attorneys, and the elusive and not clearly defined “alternative fee arrangement.”
These demands continue and are driven by the in-house attorneys' internal pressure to meet budgets and to demonstrate to their internal clients the “value” that they and the external attorneys together provide to the business, especially in these challenging times. What might the “end game” look like for the relationship between in-house and outside attorneys? How does the corporate attorney, whether in-house or external, define the value they provide an organization, and how can the fee reflect that value within applicable ethical constraints?
Join us for this popular class that discusses these issues and defines how both the in-house and external attorney can conceptualize the value each brings to the organizational client within the confines of the rules of professional conduct; how they can work together, particularly given the tension between the external counsel’s professional obligations to the client and the in-house attorney’s mandate to limit or control legal costs; and the ethical considerations when developing alternative fee structures.
Faculty: Margaret M. Cassidy, Cassidy Law PLLC; Saul J. Singer, D.C. Bar Legal Ethics Counsel; and Brian Zuercher, Blue Line Aviation
Fees: $39 D.C. Bar Communities Members, $49 D.C. Bar Members, $59 Government and Nonprofit Attorneys, and $79 Others
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The Stategic Use of Mediation 2024
Credit(s): 2 General (60-minute hour)
2 General (50-minute hour)
Course Number: E01240801W
Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes
Date: August 6, 2024
10:00 AM - 12:15 PM
Credits: 2.0 general credit hours
Description: If you litigate, you mediate. And when you mediate, you want to make the best use of the process. The following are among the topics this practical and informative class will address:
How to choose the right mediator
How to prepare your client, yourself, and the mediator
How to design the best mediation process
How to use pre-mediation contacts to improve the process
When and how to use the joint session to aid the process
How to use the mediator strategically to improve your results
How and when to use impasse techniques
In short, our faculty expert identifies and teaches those advocacy skills that are critical to representing clients in mediation.
Faculty: Stephen D. Altman, Altman Dispute Resolution Services
Cosponsors: None
Fees: $89 D.C. Bar Communities Members, $99 D.C. Bar Members, $109 Government and Nonprofit Attorneys, and $129 Others
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Indemnity and Insurance Provisions in Commercial Contracts 2024
Credit(s): 1 General (60-minute hour)
1 General (50-minute hour)
Course Number: E04240802W
Duration: 1 hour
Date: August 8, 2024
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Credits: 1.0 general credit hour
Description: Join our expert faculty as they explain the law and give practical advice on analyzing indemnity and insurance provisions and how those provisions interact with primary and excess insurance policies. Among the topics the panel will discuss are the following:
Indemnity agreements and the scope of indemnity clauses in commercial contracts (e.g., vendor, construction, and other agreements)
How indemnity agreements and insurance provisions in commercial contracts interplay with insurance coverage, including the distinct types of coverage commonly associated with indemnity agreements
The key differences between insured contract coverage and additional insured coverage, and the benefits of requiring that your company has additional insured coverage
Pitfalls to avoid when reviewing insurance contracts
Best practices to implement in commercial contracts for reviewing indemnity and insurance provisions to better position your company when pursuing indemnity and insurance claims from primary and excess insurers
This fast-paced class designed for in-house counsel, transactional attorneys, and litigators covers key aspects of indemnity and insurance provisions in commercial contracts, including vendor, service provider, construction, leases, and other types of agreements.
Faculty: Timothy Monahan, Lockton Companies; Sergio F. Oehninger, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP; and Jaswant Singh, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
Cosponsors: None
Fees: $39 D.C. Bar Communities Members, $49 D.C. Bar Members, $59 Government and Nonprofit Attorneys, and $79 Others
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Refresher Course on Using the Bluebook: Practice Tips 2024
Credit(s): 1 General (60-minute hour)
1 General (50-minute hour)
Course Number: E18240609W
Duration: 1 hour
Date: August 13, 2024
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Credits: 1.0 general credit hour
Description: Those who attend this popular annual class will review the basic Bluebook rules, including proper full and short citation form, use of parentheticals to describe cases, pinpoint citations, and use and meanings of signals preceding case citations. Our experienced and engaging presenter will focus on District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia citations and proper abbreviations of courts in those jurisdictions. She will review the Table of Abbreviations as well as the rules on which aspects of case names you should, and should not, abbreviate.
Faculty: Crystal S. Deese, Jackson & Campbell PC
Fees: $39 D.C. Bar Communities Members, $49 D.C. Bar Members, $59 Government and Nonprofit Attorneys, and $79 Others
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Understanding the Americans with Disabilities Act: ADA Employment Law and Litigation for Beginners 2024
Credit(s): 3 General (60-minute hour)
3.5 General (50-minute hour)
Course Number: E09240804W
Duration: 3 hours 15 minutes
Date: August 14, 2024
5:00 PM - 8:15 PM
Credits: 3.0 general credit hours
Description: Our engaging and insightful faculty will help those who attend learn how to navigate the statutory framework of the American with Disabilities Act and will provide guidance on advising employers and employees in this complex area. In addition, those who attend will learn about litigating and defending ADA cases, including legal theories of recovery, exhaustion of administrative remedies, proving and defending a case, and remedies. The following are among the topics the faculty will discuss:
Statutory framework
Important coverage definitions under the ADA
Medical examinations/confidentiality
What a reasonable accommodation/undue hardship is
Proving or defending an ADA case
Remedies
Hot topics in the law
While this class is a must for those who represent employees and employers in ADA matters, others may find the topics of interest as well.
Faculty: Daniel B. Kohrman, Gilbert Employment Law PC; Jonathan R. Mook, Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart PC; and Carolyn Wheeler, Katz Banks Kumin LLP
Fees: $89 D.C. Bar Communities Members, $99 D.C. Bar Members, $109 Government and Nonprofit Attorneys, and $129 Others
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More Effective Writing Makes More Effective Lawyers (August 2024)
Credit(s): 7 General (50-minute hour)
6 General (60-minute hour)
Course Number: E18240805L
Date: August 15, 2024
9:30 AM - 4:45 PM
Credits: 6.0 general credit hours
Description: Knowing the law is essential, but so is being able to communicate about it. And at a time when face-to-face encounters have largely disappeared from your schedule, writing clearly and productively – letting your written words really work for you – may be more essential than ever.
So, join writing coach and former attorney Rick Horowitz for a lively and practical workshop that will reintroduce you to your legal-writing toolbox, including a few tools you didn't know were in there. This full day class explores the fundamentals (and the critical details) of creating clear, well-organized, persuasive legal documents. Briefs, memos, client letters, even daily correspondence benefit from your deeper understanding of what goes into successful writing, so we’ll examine good and not-so-good writing to see what worked, what didn't, and why:
What should you include, and what can you leave out?
What’s the most effective structure for this document, and this audience?
Should you use an outline? Are there better options?
Are there ways to overcome “blank-screen panic?”
Shouldn’t your brief be a little more...brief?
And do you really need all that legalese?
Join Rick as he returns to the D.C. Bar building for the give-and-take, back-and-forth energy that’s made his in-person sessions so popular. You’re sure to come away with new skills, new strategies, and new confidence.
We are limiting the class to 30 participants.
Faculty: Rick Horowitz, PrimeProse LLC
Fees: $279 D.C. Bar Communities Members, $289 D.C. Bar Members, $299 Government and Nonprofit Attorneys, $319 Others
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Finance for Lawyers 2024
Credit(s): 6 General (60-minute hour)
7 General (50-minute hour)
Course Number: E03240807L
Date: August 21, 2024
9:00 AM - 4:35 PM
Credits: 6.0 general credit hours
Description: Many common legal situations have a financial component – from bankruptcy and business transactions to divorce and personal injury. Attorneys do not have to be accountants, but understanding financial concepts is crucial for every well-rounded attorney. Join our engaging and expert presenter as he explains key financial and accounting concepts and breaks down the complexities of financial data. Among the topics he will discuss are as follows:
Understanding financial statements
Accounting methodologies and principles
Who’s Who in financial reporting - Government and non-government regulators
Governmental and non-governmental reporting
Private company accounting (GAAP)
Key numbers and ratios
Present value concepts and business valuations
The attorney’s role in financial audits
Basic concepts of financial investment
Financial fraud schemes
The goal for those who attend is to develop an intuitive understanding of finance basics without having to decipher complex financial or mathematical formulas.
Faculty: Joseph Novello, Financial Training Organization
Fees: $189 D.C. Bar Communities Members, $209 D.C. Bar Members, $229 Government and Nonprofit Attorneys, and $269 Others
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Ethics & Pro Bono: Remaining Ethical While Doing Good 2024
Credit(s): 2 Ethics and Professional Responsibility (60-minute hour)
2 Ethics and Professional Responsibility (50-minute hour)
Course Number: E11240808W
Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes
Date: August 22, 2024
10:00 AM - 12:15 PM
Passport: This product is Passport Eligible
Credits: 2.0 ethics & professionalism credit hours
Description: Pro bono service has been an important part of the United States legal system since its inception. It is still important when considering who we are as a profession, and what we should value in terms of the services we provide. The D.C. Rules of Professional Conduct have numerous provisions that are particularly relevant to attorneys handling pro bono matters. From the applicability of rules requiring written fee agreements to dealing with pro se litigants or impaired clients to conflict-of-interest issues, our faculty experts will help those who attend better understand their ethical obligations. Using hypothetical scenarios based on actual issues and questions pro bono attorneys have raised, D.C. Bar ethics counsel and a representative of the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center will give those who attend the tools needed to avoid ethical problems when representing pro bono clients.
Faculty: Adrian Gottshall, Director, Pro Bono Representation & Training, D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center; Nakia L. Matthews, Senior Legal Ethics Counsel; and Saul Jay Singer, D.C. Bar Senior Legal Ethics Counsel
Fees: $89 D.C. Bar Communities Members, $99 D.C. Bar Members, $109 Government and Nonprofit Attorneys, and $129 Others
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Family Law Practice around the Beltway 2024
Credit(s): 3 General (60-minute hour)
3.5 General (50-minute hour)
Course Number: E1240809W
Duration: 3 hours 15 minutes
Date: August 27, 2024
5:00 PM - 8:15 PM
Passport: This product is Passport Eligible
Credits: 3.0 general credit hours
Description: Join us for this popular class that focuses on the basics of family law practice in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. Our expert faculty will discuss key substantive and procedural differences among the three jurisdictions and offer pointers for effective practice in each of the major courts in the D.C. metropolitan area.
The class is geared toward attorneys having some familiarity with the basics of family law (e.g., equitable distribution, support, and custody) and who are interested in the state of the law on these issues in the three jurisdictions – whether or not they are admitted in each. Attendees will also receive a synopsis of current laws on major family law topics in each jurisdiction.
Faculty: Daniel L. Gray, Cooper Ginsberg Gray PLLC; Anne Marie Jackson, Feldman Jackson PC; and Deborah L. Webb, Webb, Soypher McGrath LLC
Fees: $89 D.C. Bar Communities Members, $99 D.C. Bar Members, $109 Government and Nonprofit Attorneys, and $129 Others
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Law Firms and the War Against Ransomware: How to Prevent, Respond and Recover (NEW)
Credit(s): 1 General (60-minute hour)
1 General (50-minute hour)
Course Number: E16240810W
Duration: 1 hour
Date: August 28, 2024
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Passport: This product is Passport Eligible
Credit: 1.0 general credit hour
Description: Ransomware attacks are still the #1 cyber threat that law firms face, but with an updated twist. Today’s ransomware often steals your confidential data before its encryption. Frequently, we now see two ransoms demanded. One for the decryption key and one for a promise (because cyber criminals are so honorable) not to destroy your data. Many law firms are paying, sometimes because they have cyber insurance, and paying is cheaper than being inoperative for an extended period.
How do law firms get ransomware? How can they defend against it? If stricken, how should they handle the attack? Should you pay the ransom? Is it illegal to pay the ransom? Spoiler alert: Sometimes it is. How do you recover from a ransomware attack?
Our experts will offer chilling stories of law firms crippled by ransomware along with tips for defending against and responding to ransomware. This class is a must for attorneys regardless of which sector they practice in, or the size of their firm or office.
Faculty: Michael C. Maschke, Sensei Enterprises Inc. and Sharon D. Nelson, Sensei Enterprises Inc.
Fees: $39 D.C. Bar Communities Members, $49 D.C. Bar Members, $59 Government and Nonprofit Attorneys, and $79 Others
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Uprooting Sexual Harassment in the Legal Profession 2024
Credit(s): 1 Ethics and Professional Responsibility (60-minute hour)
1 Ethics and Professional Responsibility (50-minute hour)
1 General (60-minute hour)
1 General (50-minute hour)
Course Number: E09240901L
Date: September 9, 2024
6:00 PM - 8:15 PM
Credits: 2.0 credit hours, including 1.0 ethics & professionalism credit (Note: This class may qualify for diversity, equity and inclusion credit in those jurisdictions having such requirements.)
Description: Many attorneys believe that sexual harassment has been eradicated in the legal profession through statutes, case law, policies, and education. Join us for this new class and learn about the fallacy of this perspective as reported from a nationwide survey,* the relevant statutes, and pertinent case law. Those who attend will also learn about sexual harassment as experienced by those in the legal profession – in all employment settings – currently and historically. Moreover, the panel will discuss how to address these problems in terms of the existing law, rules of professional conduct, and in terms of a new initiative to motivate attorneys to effectively address sexual harassment in the profession.
Faculty: Cory M. Amron, Women Lawyers on Guard Inc.; Colleen E. Coveney, Katz Banks Kumin LLP; Corrine Propas Parver, Women Lawyers on Guard Inc.; Hope C. Todd, Associate Director for Legal Ethics, District of Columbia Bar; and Pilar Velasquez McLaughlin, US Commission on Civil Rights
Cosponsor: Women Lawyers on Guard Inc.
Fees: $89 D.C. Bar Communities Members, $99 D.C. Bar Members, $109 Government and Nonprofit Attorneys, and $129 Others
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Tri-State Ethics Confusion: Differences among the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia Rules 2024
Credit(s): 2 Ethics and Professional Responsibility (60-minute hour)
2 Ethics and Professional Responsibility (50-minute hour)
Course Number: E11240902W
Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes
Date: September 10, 2024
10:00 AM - 12:15 PM
Credits: 2.0 ethics & professionalism credit hours
Description: Join us for this informative and popular class, which provides the practicing attorney with an overview of the major differences among the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia Rules of Professional Conduct. Those who attend will learn from our faculty experts how these sets of rules differ in the areas of fees, confidentiality, conflicts, conduct of litigation, client funds, contacts with third parties, advertising, and solicitation of clients.
The panel will also address conflict of laws issues aimed at determining which jurisdiction’s rules might apply to a particular attorney or scenario. They will discuss steps that an attorney can take to attempt to comply with all applicable rules, even when they differ. The panel will use hypothetical and practical examples to illustrate the application of the ethics rules.
Faculty: Thomas B. Mason, HWG LLP and Daniel Schumack, Schumack + Guggenheim
Fees: $89 D.C. Bar Communities Members, $99 D.C. Bar Members, $109 Government and Nonprofit Attorneys, and $129 Others
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Mastering the Rules of Evidence 2024
Credit(s): 3 General (60-minute hour)
3.5 General (50-minute hour)
Course Number: E18240903L
Date: September 16, 2024
6:00 PM - 9:15 PM
Credits: 3.0 general credit hours
Description: Dealing with evidentiary issues is vital to success or failure at trial. This popular class helps those who attend master the federal and local rules of evidence, whether they handle criminal or civil matters. Join our distinguished presenter as he addresses proper objections and other considerations associated with evidentiary foundations at trial. Those who attend learn procedures and trial strategies, and how to deal with evidentiary and foundational issues comfortably. The following are among the topics the class will cover:
Relevance
Competence
Privileges
Opinion testimony
Hearsay
Hearsay exceptions
Authentication of exhibits
Evidentiary rules on the admission of various writings, recordings, and photographs
Faculty: Terrence M. McShane, DeCaro, Doran, Siciliano, Gallagher & DeBlasis LLP
Fees: $89 D.C. Bar Communities Members, $99 D.C. Bar Members, $109 Government and Nonprofit Attorneys, and $129 Others
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IN PERSON: Annual Abuse and Neglect Bench-Bar Dialogue
Course Number: C0925NC01I
Date: September 17, 2024
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Credit: 0 CLE Credit Hours
The annual Abuse and Neglect Bench-Bar Dialogue is an opportunity for family law practitioners to hear directly from the judges presiding over neglect cases. This panel discussion will be moderated by practitioners from the Children's Law Center (CLC), the Center on Child Abuse and Neglect (CCAN), and the Office of the Attorney General (OAG). Audience members will also have opportunities to ask the judges their own questions. As always, this event is “off the record,” to facilitate an open and robust discussion.
Pre-registration for this program is required. As always, please feel free to share this invitation with colleagues. D.C. Bar membership is not required to attend. Non-members will need to create a profile to register.
This is an “Off the Record” program. Remarks made during “Off the Record” programs may not be used for publication.
Sponsored by: D.C. Bar Family Law Community
Related Community of Interest: D.C. Bar Early Career Lawyers Community; D.C. Bar Law Student Community; D.C. Bar Public Interest and Courts Community
Speakers:
Hon. Janet Albert, Magistrate Judge, D.C. Superior Court
Hon. Sherri Beatty-Arthur, Magistrate Judge, D.C. Superior Court
Hon. Julie Breslow, Magistrate Judge, D.C. Superior Court
Joseph Jose, Attorney, Law Office of Joseph Jose (Moderator)
Jennifer Morris, Guardian ad Litem Director, Children's Law Center (Moderator)
Emily Petrino, Section Chief, Office of the Attorney General, Family Services Division (Moderator)
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Elder Abuse and Financial Exploitation: What It Is and How to Combat It 2024
Credit(s): 3 General (60-minute hour)
3.5 General (50-minute hour)
Course Number: E08240906W
Duration: 3 hours 15 minutes
Date: September 18, 2024
6:00 PM - 9:15 PM
Credits: 3.0 general credit hours
Description: The issues of elder abuse and financial exploitation are prevalent in these uncertain times. Join us for the return of this thought-provoking class that addresses these critical issues in our society. Our expert panel will provide an overview of elder abuse and exploitation, including typology, prevalence rates, the signs to look for, and victim resources. They also will discuss how to work with victims of elder abuse or exploitation, including how to avoid making assumptions, employing effective interview techniques, and best practices for trauma-informed services to meet the special needs of older survivors.
Those who attend will also learn of the interplay between abuse and financial exploitation cases and other areas of law, including probate law, landlord-tenant, and consumer law. Attendees will also take part in a hands-on case study to practice putting these new skills and knowledge to use. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about this important topic and how to represent the interests of those vulnerable to being abused or exploited.
Faculty: Deborah Cuevas Hill, Legal Counsel for the Elderly and Bridgette Stumpf, Network for Victim Recovery of D.C.
Fees: $89 D.C. Bar Communities Members, $99 D.C. Bar Members, $109 Government and Nonprofit Attorneys, and $129 Others
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Administration of Decedents' Estates in the District of Columbia 2024
Credit(s): 3 General (60-minute hour)
3.5 General (50-minute hour)
Course Number: E22240907W
Duration: 3 hours 15 minutes
Date: September 19, 2024
6:00 PM - 9:15 PM
Credits: 3.0 general credit hours
Description: Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about probate practice and procedure in the District of Columbia, including the procedural law relating to standard and abbreviated probate, as well as supervised and unsupervised estate administration. Those who attend this informative class will receive practical guidance on the procedures for administering a small estate, the appointment of a special administrator, and the appointment of a foreign personal representative. Those who attend will also learn about the D.C. Code sections applicable to the administration of decedents’ estates, relevant D.C. Superior Court rules, and recent court decisions on issues relating to estate administration.
Faculty: Jamie K. Blair, Furey, Doolan & Abell LLP
Fees: $89 D.C. Bar Communities Members, $99 D.C. Bar Members, $109 Government and Nonprofit Attorneys, and $129 Others
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