Book Your Spring Meeting Hotel Now, Regional Receptions, Legislative Update, and more... |
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VADA Defense Line
February 2023
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PRESIDENT’S WELCOME
The groundhog saw his shadow, and spring will soon be here! I hope
to see you at a VADA event soon.
In what was the highlight of my tenure as President thus far, a contingent
from VADA participated in the second annual VADA Lobby Day at the Virginia General
Assembly on January 24. With the help of VADA’s government relations
consultants, McGuire Woods Consulting, members of VADA’s legislative committee
had the opportunity to meet with legislators to provide information about VADA,
offer our expertise as a resource, and discuss pending bills and issues of
importance to the Association. It was a memorable day, and I offer my sincere
thanks to Margaret Rockwell and Kassie Schroth for planning the event.
Since my last Welcome, we have also continued preparations for our
2023 Deposition Workshop, which will be held March 3-4 at the University of
Richmond. All of our attorney slots for the mock depositions on Day 2 of the
workshop have been filled, but we are still accepting registrants for the
general session on Day 1 and as deponents/observers on Day 2. Register here.
Those of you in the Southwest Region, mark your calendars for our
Southwest Region Networking Reception, which will be held on April 19 at 5:30
at Wasena City Taproom. Thank you to Planet Depos and InQuis for generously sponsoring
this event, and to Chris Dadak, our Southwest Regional Director, for planning
it. Register here.
Looking ahead, I hope you will join us for our Spring Sections
Seminar, May 3-5, 2023 at Hotel 24 South in Staunton, and our Annual Meeting,
October 25-27 at the Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront. Stay tuned to our
website, Defense Line newsletter, and social media platforms
for more information on all VADA happenings!
It continues to be a great honor to lead this wonderful
organization. If you have questions or suggestions on how the VADA can be of
value to you and your practice, please do not hesitate to contact me. Julie Palmer
VADA President, 2022-23 |
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Observer Roles Still Available |
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March 3-4, 2023
Jepson Alumni Center at University of Richmond
This two-day workshop will teach you the skills needed to (1) face down a bullying senior plaintiffs’ attorney; (2) handle a lying deponent; (3) pull the information you need out of a reticent deponent; (4) ensure that what you discover in depositions is admissible in court; (5) use the latest in technology to build an air-tight case; (6) depose experts effectively; (7) handle sympathetic or minor deponents; and more!
The second day will be spent in four-person breakouts in which each new attorney will play the parts of deponent, defense attorney, plaintiffs’ attorney, and observer. At each stage of the depositions, senior coach-attorneys will critique performances and make suggestions. |
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Registration will open soon.
Mark your calendars now for our popular Spring Sections Seminar. We will return to the popular Hotel 24 South (formerly the Stonewall Jackson) in Staunton for two days of litigation section-specific sessions, as well as many social events. While the sessions are still being finalized, you can see the general agenda and book your discounted hotel room now from the meeting website. |
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Join us for networking and fun with fellow VADA members. Drinks, snacks, and exciting raffle prizes provided by our sponsors, Planet Depos and InQuis. For an extra raffle ticket, bring a colleague who is not yet a VADA member. Registration is free, but RSVPs are requested on the event page. Southwest Region
April 19
Wasena City Taproom Capitol Region
June 1
Home of Kathleen McCauley Watch your email for dates and locations for the other regions. |
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The 2023 General Assembly session convened January 11,
2023, ushering in a 45-day “short” session that is projected to end on February
25. Legislators ultimately introduced over 2300 bills. VADA’s Legislative
Committee selected the following three pieces of legislation as our priority
bills:
HB1440: Permits a finding of
guilty in absentia in a traffic or criminal case to be used as evidence
of liability in a subsequent civil action
HB1549: Amends the wrongful
death statute to allow child support payments to be claimed as damages
HB1647: Expands the statute of
limitations for claims of sexual abuse by a “person of authority” to 15 years
after accrual
All three bills advanced out of the house and were
assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee. On February 13, 2023 HB1549
was passed by indefinitely, so the bill will die in committee. Both
HB1440 and HB1627 were reported out of the Judiciary Committee, were passed by
the full Senate, and are on their way to the Governor. As both bills were
patroned by Republicans and passed by a Democratic Senate, a veto from the
Governor is unlikely. Once signed by the Governor, the bills will become
effective on July 1, 2023.
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We are planning a section event at the Spring Meeting in Staunton. Watch your email for details.
Don't forget to join the VADA Women’s Section Listserv. This Listserv is private and not connected to the VADA website. Only members of the Women’s Section may request to join the Listserv, and Amy Gilbody and Sherma Mather have exclusive rights to add any current member to the Women’s Section. To join the Listserv, please email Sherma at smather@vada.org or Amy at agilbody@vada.org.
We look forward to seeing you soon! |
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This Berwyn,
Pennsylvania, native and diehard Philly sports fan is the proud father of two
boys and a Burnese Mountain Dog named Rocky. His favorite part about
practicing law? Partnering with his clients and helping them through
difficult times. For this and more on this month’s VADA Spotlighted
Member, click here. |
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Save the date!
September 20, 2023 will be the Frank N. Cowan VADA-VTLA Annual Golf Tournament at Independence Golf Course. Our thanks to the McCammon Group for their continued support of this event!
For information on playing, please contact VADA Past President John Owen at jowen@hccw.com or Sherma Mather at smather@vada.org. Look forward to seeing you there! |
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Frank N. Cowan VADA-VTLA Annual Golf Tournament September 20, 2023 |
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Missed A Webinar
or Meeting? Did you know that many VADA Lunch & Learn webinars and online programs are available to watch on-demand? Click here to see the library of available content, which can be found in the members-only area of our website. |
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We are still
working through our dues renewal season at VADA! If you have questions about
your membership status, please reach out to Executive Director Sherma Mather at
smather@vada.org or Membership Chair
Robyn Ayres at rayres@goodmanallen.com. |
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Rachel Adams
Thompson McMullen
Peter Askin
Thompson McMullen
Tonia Drewery
Glenn Robinson Cathey
Laurel Huerkamp
Frith Anderson Peake
Meredith Jacobi
Hampton City Attorney’s Office
Troy Johnson
Williams Mullen
Kari Munro
Frith Anderson Peake
Curtis Orshoski
Lee Shoemaker
Benjamin Owings
Hanover Law Office
Aaisha Sanaullah
Sands Anderson
William Shanahan
GEICO
William Truban
Williams Mullen
Killian Wyatt
Williams Mullen |
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Boost Your Well-Being
(and Someone Else’s) with Random Acts of Kindness
GERALD
“JERRY” HARRIS
OFFICE
OF THE CITY ATTORNEY OF VIRGINIA BEACH
As we
turn the pages on our desk calendars, browse social media platforms, or review
of favorite periodicals, we are reminded that there seems to be a ‘day’ for
everything. It ranges from things like ‘National Pizza Pie Day’ and ‘National
Love Your Pet Day’ to more historically significant days of remembrance like ‘Juneteenth’
and, most recently, ‘President’s Day’ on February 20, 2023. But, just this month, you may have missed that
February 17, 2023 was ‘Random Acts of Kindness Day.’ Do not worry if you forgot
to participate. You were likely not alone.
Random Act of Kindness Day originated in Denver,
Colorado in 1995 by a non-profit organization called The Random Acts of
Kindness Foundation. And, with the benefit of the internet, the day has
become more frequently celebrated across the globe in recent decades. In the
practice of law, we could all undoubtedly use a random act of kindness at any
given moment. The adversarial system that we operate in does not exactly lend
itself to “random acts of kindness” very often. Instead, our chosen profession
can often leave us feeling frustrated, irritable, or even clinically depressed.
This is all the more reason to take time for random acts of kindness.
These random acts are scientifically proven to improve
the health and wellness of both the giver and the receiver. A 2016 psychological
study on this very topic identified
“the benefits of prosocial behavior and challenge the popular perception that
focusing on oneself is an optimal strategy to boost one’s mood. People striving
for happiness may be tempted to treat themselves. [The study], however, suggest
that they may be more successful if they opt to treat someone else instead.” Nelson, S. K., Layous, K., Cole, S. W., &
Lyubomirsky, S. (2016). Do unto others or treat yourself? The effects of
prosocial and self-focused behavior on psychological flourishing. Emotion,
16(6), 850–861. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000178
With this in mind, consider undertaking a
belated celebration of “Random Acts of Kindness Day” of your own today—just
maybe it will improve your well-being and that of someone else. It may feel cliché, but what is the worst
thing that could happen? |
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Join our social media sites where we post current court updates, relevant legal developments, and much, much more!
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VADA’S Mission
The
mission of the Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys is to develop and
support Virginia attorneys engaged in a civil defense practice in the
professional and ethical representation of their clients through education,
communication and fellowship. |
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Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys
1915 Huguenot Road, Ste. 301
Richmond, VA 23235
804-649-1002 | www.vada.org Executive Director: Sherma Mather
Director of Meetings: Amy Gilbody
Journal of Civil Litigation Managing Editor: Molly Terry |
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