February 2013
By Kathryn Alfisi
14th Annual Youth Law Fair Tackles Bullying
The 14th Annual Youth Law Fair, a joint effort of the D.C. Bar Litigation Section and the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, will take place on March 9 with “BullyProof!” as its theme.
The law fair seeks to educate area youths about their rights and responsibilities and about the justice system. The fair also aims to encourage attendees to voice their opinions on important legal and social issues as well as to empower them to believe they can pursue a career in the legal field.
Attendees will receive courtroom and cell block tours, participate in criminal mock trials, attend speak–out sessions, have access to law–related career information, and win door prizes.
The fair takes place from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the H. Carl Moultrie Courthouse, 500 Indiana Avenue NW. For more information, contact the D.C. Bar Sections Office at 202-626-3455, or outreach@dcbar.org, or visit www.dcbar.org/youthlawfair.
Series Helps Lawyers Build Effective Litigation Skills
In February the D.C. Bar Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Program will hold the four–part “Essential Trial Skills Series,” a great introduction to and overview of the trial skills a lawyer must possess in the courtroom.
From jury selection and opening statements to witness preparation, direct examination, cross-examination, and closing arguments, this class will help attendees become more effective in court. It includes lectures, discussions, and demonstrations that emphasize the rules, practices, and procedures in local and federal courts in the Washington metropolitan area. Both civil and criminal trial considerations will be discussed.
The series opens on February 6 with “Opening Statements and Closing Arguments” to help attorneys start out right and finish strong at their next trial. This session will look at opening and closing arguments from several key perspectives, including preparation, presentation, and objections. Debra S. Katz, a partner at Katz, Marshall & Banks, LLP, and Michael F. Williams, a partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, will serve as faculty.
Part two, “Jury Selection,” on February 13 will examine the process and procedures of jury selection, including learning the composition of the jury pool, peremptory strikes, and using jury selection services. Paulette Chapman of Koonz, McKenney, Johnson, DePaolis & Lightfoot, L.L.P.; Janet Mitchell, chief of the trial division at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia; and Dwight Murray of Jordan Coyne & Savits L.L.P. will lead this session.
Part three, “Witness Preparation and Direct Examination,” takes place on February 20 and covers the vital task of preparing witnesses to testify credibly at trial. It also will examine techniques and strategies for effective direct examination, maximizing a witness’s potential and minimizing his or her weaknesses. Faculty includes Catherine D. Bertram of Regan Zambri Long & Bertram PLLC; Patrick J. Coyne, a partner at Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP; and Sara Kropf, a partner at Baker Botts.
The series ends on February 27 with “Cross-Examination,” which will teach participants how to use cross-examination to tell a story, to control the witness, and to impeach the witness. Faculty members Patrick J. Attridge of King & Attridge and Barry Boss, a member of Cozen O’Connor, will discuss the objectives, strategies, tactics, mechanics, and legal principles governing an effective cross-examination.
All sessions take place from 6 to 9:15 p.m. at the D.C. Bar Conference Center, 1101 K Street NW, first floor. The series is cosponsored by the D.C. Bar Corporation, Finance and Securities Law Section; Courts, Lawyers and the Administration of Justice Section; Criminal Law and Individual Rights Section; Family Law Section; Government Contracts and Litigation Section; Intellectual Property Law Section; Labor and Employment Law Section; Law Practice Management Section; Litigation Section; Real Estate, Housing and Land Use Section; and Tort Law Section.
For more information, contact the CLE Program at 202-626-3488 or visit www.dcbar.org/cle.
Georgetown Law’s International Trade Update Tackles Key Issues
Private practitioners, government attorneys, and in-house counsel seeking practical and timely information on international trade should attend Georgetown Law CLE’s 2013 International Trade Update from February 28 to March 1.
Participants will learn about important new developments affecting the trade and customs bars, as well as critical interpretations of those developments by senior partners, top government officials, judges from the U.S. Court of International Trade, and corporate counsel.
Topics include trade negotiations and policy under President Obama’s second term, exchange rates and trade in 2013, due diligence for lawyers in trade and customs, and enforcement of AD/CVD remedies. U.S. Rep. Dave Camp (R–Mich.), chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, will deliver the keynote address.
The program takes place at Georgetown University Law Center’s Hart Auditorium, 600 New Jersey Avenue NW.
To RSVP or for more information, visit www.law.
georgetown.edu/continuing-legal-education/programs/cle/
international-trade-update.
MWELA Meets for Annual Conference, Presents Lawyer Award
The Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association (MWELA) will hold its annual conference on February 8, featuring colleagues in the field, judges, and outside experts who will explore all aspects of plaintiff’s employment practice. MWELA’s Lawyer of the Year Award also will be presented at the event.
The conference will cover wage theft and building support for wage claims, how to use employer’s information ethically, framing issues and persuasive writing for appellate arguments, deposition techniques, and effective trial presentations. Kim Keenan, general counsel for the NAACP, will be the keynote speaker.
The conference takes place from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at L’Enfant Plaza Hotel, 480 L’Enfant Plaza SW.
To register or for more information, contact MWELA at 703-778-4648 or visit www.mwela.org/AnnualConference/2013.
Courses Explore D.C. Business Entity Laws, Fee Agreements
The D.C. Bar Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Program is offering a variety of courses in February, including a new business law class and an important ethics program.
On February 12 the course “The New Law on LLCs in the District of Columbia and Amendments to the New Title 29–Business Organizations” will provide an overview of the changes, with an emphasis on LLCs under the Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company Act, structuring LLCs, and drafting operating agreements. Title 29, which went into effect January 1, 2012, gathers all of the District’s business entity laws under one title and adopts uniform or model acts for business organizations.
Led by Nicholas G. Karambelas of Sfikas & Karrambelas LLP, the course will summarize regulations that have been promulgated under the new Title 29.
The course is cosponsored by the D.C. Bar Arts, Entertainment, Media and Sports Law Section; Corporation, Finance and Securities Law Section; District of Columbia Affairs Section; Family Law Section; Law Practice Management Section; and Real Estate, Housing and Land Use Section.
On February 25 the CLE Program will offer the course “Fee Agreements in the District of Columbia: Ethical and Practical Guidance,” which will provide attendees practical advice about developing fee agreements in the District and the ethical issues involved. Faculty will use sample agreements to guide participants through the requirements of a written agreement, including the scope of the agreement, fee structure, and handling of expenses.
This course will show participants how to deal with client files and property in fee agreements, how to address fees to be charged for the services of associates and legal staff, and issues such as termination, withdrawal, and fee dispute arbitration. The class also will discuss the implications of In re Mance on flat fees and nonrefundable fees.
Christopher G. Hoge of Crowley, Hoge & Fein P.C. and Daniel M. Mills, assistant director of the D.C. Bar Practice Management Advisory Service, will serve as faculty. The course is cosponsored by all D.C. Bar sections.
Both courses will take place from 6 to 9:15 p.m. at the D.C. Bar Conference Center, 1101 K Street NW, first floor.
For more information, contact the CLE Program at 202-626-3488 or visit www.dcbar.org/cle.
D.C. Courts Celebrate Black History Month
The District of Columbia Courts will mark Black History Month in February with an event each Friday. The annual observance will feature entertaining and enlightening events that celebrate black heritage. Previous celebrations have featured a traditional step show, a Buffalo Soldiers reenactment and a presentation by the African American Civil War Memorial and Museum, a speech on black inventors, and a performance depicting the life of abolitionist Frederick Douglass. For more information, contact Anita Jarman at 202-879-1700 or anita.jarman@dcsc.gov.
Courses Cover Hot Topics in Employment and Labor Law
Employment and labor law attorneys can choose from several courses being offered by the D.C. Bar Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Program in February, starting with “ABCs of the National Labor Relations Board Series.”
The series opens on February 4 with “Practice and Procedure Before the National Labor Relations Board,” which covers board structure, jurisdiction, certification proceedings, unfair labor practice proceedings, remedies, and appeals. John E. Higgins Jr., a professor at The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law and former NLRB deputy general counsel, will lead this session.
Part two, “Unfair Labor Practices,” on February 11 will deal with management and union unfair labor practices (ULPs). Management ULPs include unlawful coercion and restraint, domination and interference, discrimination, and bad-faith bargaining. Union ULPs include unlawful coercion and restraint, discrimination, and breach of the duty of fair representation. Secondary activity and picketing also will be discussed. Ellen O. Boardman, a partner at O’Donoghue & O’Donoghue LLP; Julienne W. Bramesco, senior counsel at Clearspire Law Co., PLLC; and attorney Christian B. Hansen will serve as faculty.
The series ends on February 25 with “Union Organizing,” in which faculty will explore the rights guaranteed under the National Labor Relations Act, bargaining units, improper action by management, the certification process, and the duty of fair representation. Peter J. Ford, assistant general counsel for the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, will join Bramesco and Hansen as faculty members.
All sessions take place from 6 to 9:15 p.m. and are cosponsored by the D.C. Bar Administrative Law and Agency Practice Section, Health Law Section, and Labor and Employment Law Section.
On February 7 the CLE Program will offer the course “Drafting Employee Handbooks (Including Social Media Policies),” which discusses one of the most valuable business documents a lawyer helps to create for his or her business client.
When drafting the employee handbook, it’s crucial to consider the company’s size, locations, the nature of its business, the composition of its workforce, whether its employees are unionized, applicable employment laws, workplace problems that it routinely faces, and the overall corporate culture.
Participants will learn about what issues to cover, what matters not to address, and what language should never appear in the handbook. Faculty also will discuss how to decide whether to include a social media use policy in the company handbook—and what to include or never to include in the policy, how to draft an effective disclaimer, and how to guard against inadvertently creating contractual obligations.
Michelle B. Radcliffe, a partner at Isler Dare Ray Radcliffe & Connolly, P.C., and Diane A. Seltzer of the Seltzer Law Firm will serve as faculty.
The course takes place from 6 to 8:15 p.m. and is cosponsored by the D.C. Bar Corporation, Finance and Securities Law Section and Labor and Employment Law Section.
“Employment and Immigration Compliance in 2013: Are You Audit-Proof?” on February 26 is a new course that will update participants on the latest on Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9.
Featuring a faculty panel consisting of human resources executives and immigration and employment lawyers, this course will guide attendees through the creation and implementation of effective I-9 policies and audit procedures. Faculty will talk about how to conduct a “friendly” audit, what to do if the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) serves your client with an audit notice, E–Verify, and the ICE Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers or IMAGE. ICE has increased audit programs dramatically in the past years, and companies of all sizes and across industries and geographic areas are being reviewed.
Jim Alexander, a managing shareholder at Maggio & Kattar, P.C.; Theresa Lerch Nahajzer, human resources consultant at M6 HR LLC; Gregory J. Ossi, a partner at Venable LLP; Mary E. Ryan of Taylor & Ryan, LLC; and Monique van Stiphout, a senior attorney at Maggio & Kattar, will serve as faculty.
The course takes place from 5:30 to 8:45 p.m. and is cosponsored by the D.C. Bar Administrative Law and Agency Practice Section; Corporation, Finance and Securities Law Section; Courts, Lawyers and the Administration of Justice Section; Criminal Law and Individual Rights Section; Family Law Section; Government Contracts and Litigation Section; International Law Section; and Labor and Employment Law Section.
All courses will be held at the D.C. Bar Conference center, 1101 K Street NW, first floor. For more information, contact the CLE Program at 202-626-3488 or visit www.dcbar.org/cle.
Save the Date
On March 14 the Communications Law Forum of the Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia will present “A Conversation With The Honorable Patricia Wald.” Wald served as the chief judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The event will take place from 12 to 2 p.m. at Jenner & Block LLP, 1099 New York Avenue NW, suite 900. For additional details, call the Women’s Bar Association at 202-639-8880.
Sections Event Examines Fisher v. Texas Case
On February 20 the D.C. Bar Labor and Employment Law Section will hold a discussion on the affirmative action case Fisher v. University of Texas that is currentlypending before the U.S. Supreme Court.
The program, titled “The Fisher v. University of Texas Case: What It Means for Attorneys, Educators, and Employers,” features attorney and affirmative action consultant Dean Sparlin of Sparlin Law Office, PLLC; Marilynn Schuyler, counsel at Schuyler Affirmative Action Practice; and Shirley Wilcher, executive director of the American Association for Affirmative Action.
The event takes place from 12 to 2 p.m. at the D.C. Bar Conference Center, 1101 K Street NW, first floor.
For more information, contact the Sections Office at 202-626-3463 or sections@dcbar.org.
Training Session Teaches Attorneys How to Represent Asylum Seekers
The D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program will hold a training session on February 15 for attorneys interested in representing asylum seekers.
This training session will prepare pro bono attorneys to represent indigent clients in asylum cases at the affirmative stage, as well as detained individuals. Among the topics to be covered are U.S. asylum law, credible and reasonable fear interviews, preparing Form I-589 Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal, documenting asylum cases, and practice before the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Asylum Office.
The training is cosponsored by the Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights Coalition, Tahirih Justice Center, and Whitman–Walker Health, along with the Catholic Charities Immigration Legal Services, and the D.C. Bar Litigation Section and International Law Section.
Faculty will include experienced practitioners and staff from the Arlington USCIS Asylum Office. This training is appropriate for attorneys, paralegals, and law students. Attorneys who agree to take on a pro bono case in the future must be admitted to practice in some U.S. jurisdiction and have their own malpractice insurance.
The training takes place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the D.C. Bar Conference Center, 1101 K Street NW, first floor.
To register, visit www.dcbar.org/probono. For more information, contact the Pro Bono Program at 202-737-4700, ext. 3293.
WBA Foundation Holds Wine Tasting Fundraiser
Taste wines from around the world while helping to raise money for the Women’s Bar Association (WBA) Foundation during its 10th annual wine tasting and silent auction on February 28.
This year’s theme is “Signature Wines of the World,” and attendees can enjoy wines from the world’s top wine regions, including California, South America, New Zealand, and Europe. There will also be a silent auction and door prizes. Items to be given away include jewelry, vacation getaways, and sports and theater tickets.
Proceeds from the event benefit the WBA Foundation Founders Fellowship, which was established in 2006 and is awarded annually as a stipend to an area law student to work with a local legal service provider on projects to benefit women and girls. This year’s fellowship will be awarded to a student from American University Washington College of Law.
The event takes place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Hogan Lovells, 555 13th Street NW. To register or for more information, contact the WBA at 202-639-8880 or admin@wbadc.org, or visit www.wbadc.org.
Reach D.C. Bar staff writer Kathryn Alfisi at kalfisi@dcbar.org.
