Spring Sections Seminar, Through the Eyes of the Insured Lunch & Learn, VADA awards, and more... |
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VADA Defense Line March 2021
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President's Welcome
As
we mark the one-year anniversary of the COVID pandemic, I hope that you and
your family are doing well. We have done a lot of flexing this past year and
learned all about Zoom. Do you know that
in the past year, VADA has offered over 20 virtual events to continue to educate
members and help us connect to one another? Most recently, we held our popular Deposition
Workshop via Zoom. Twenty-five young
lawyers spent a day and half learning best practices for depositions and closed
the program with a morning of mock depositions, where they practiced their new
skills. Many thanks to our participants,
speakers, and coaches for an excellent program!
Our
Spring Sections Seminar, which will also be virtual, will be May 5-7, so
mark your calendar now. Our section
leaders have developed an excellent program, including sessions on cannabis
legislation, data privacy laws, malpractice claims in the wake of COVID-19,
defending cases involving farm equipment and watercraft, and much more. See the full agenda and register online
here.
Our
new monthly Lunch & Learns continue with a look Through the Eyes
of the Insured, with Jason Moyers on April 14. In May, Dr. Todd Peppers
from Roanoke College will discuss his recent book, Of Courtiers and Princes.
Come June, I will lead the webinar, Balancing the Billable and the
Non-Billable, where we’ll discuss which external activities will add the
most to your marketability and profitability. We welcome ideas for additional
sessions – just send an email to me or Amy Gilbody.
Don’t
forget, we are still soliciting nominations for our two annual awards: the
Award for Excellence in Civil Litigation and the VADA/VTLA Civility and
Professionalism Award. You have until April 2 to nominate a worthy attorney for
these annual awards, which will be presented at our Annual Meeting. See further
details in the article below. Tate C. Love
VADA President, 2020-21 |
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Don't miss our annual specialized litigation training with sessions directly related to your practice areas. This year, our Spring Sections Seminar will be virtual on May 5-7. Our section leaders have developed an excellent program, including sessions on cannabis legislation, data privacy laws, legal malpractice claims in the wake of COVID-19, defending cases involving farm equipment and watercraft, and much more.
The program will run over 3 days on Zoom. Register for as many sections as you'd like and join from the comfort of your home or office. Registration includes a virtual happy hour Thursday night. See the full agenda and register online here. |
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LUNCH AND LEARN SERIES:
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
The “Lunch and Learn” series is VADA’s newest popular programming for 2021. In January, Past President, Stan Wellman, with record attendance, effectively taught us how to capture all of our billable hours; in February, Past President, Randy Wimbish, taught us the magic of voir dire with the added bonus of CLE credit; and in March, Immediate Past-President, Melissa Katz, provided insight on the tools necessary to be a valuable asset to your firm. On April 14 at noon President-Elect, Jason Moyers, reminds us to have empathy for our clients, who are most likely new to being sued and anxious. He will present “Through the Eyes of the Insured.” On May 19, special guest, Todd Peppers, Ph.D., Professor of Public Affairs at Roanoke College, will discuss his new book, Of Courtiers and Princes, with an inside look at the professional and personal bonds that form between judges and their clerks, and the law clerk’s role in lower federal and state courts. Learn more about these sessions below. If you want a topic covered at our “Lunch and Learn” series and/or if you are interested in presenting, please contact Amy Gilbody at agilbody@vada.org. |
APRIL 14
Through the Eyes of the Insured
Jason G. Moyers
Frankl Miller Webb & Moyers
A mainstay of an insurance defense practice is the tripartite relationship between attorney, insurer, and insured. While defense counsel goes to great lengths to zealously represent his or her client—the insured—and to comply with billing and other insurance company guidelines, all too often, the insureds themselves can get lost in the shuffle. More often than not, a particular lawsuit is an insured’s first and only experience with the judicial system. Things such as pleadings, written discovery, depositions, and trial, while common to us, are, to them, foreign. In addition, the stress and uncertainty associated with being sued can often be overlooked. Join VADA President-Elect, Jason Moyers, who will present the course of a civil lawsuit through the eyes of the insureds themselves. We hope to provide those in attendance with a better understanding and appreciation of what a lawsuit is like for an insured. At the end of the day, we hope, too, those in attendance will be better equipped to address the concerns, fears, anxieties, and questions their clients have through the course of the representation.
The event is fully virtual, via Zoom, and free to current and potential VADA members. Register here.
MAY 19
Of Courtiers and Princes
A conversation with author Todd Peppers, Ph.D.Roanoke College
Dr. Todd Peppers is the Henry H. and Trudye H. Fowler Professor of Public Affairs at Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia. Dr. Peppers' new book, Of Courtiers and Princes, is the fourth he has edited or co-edited on the relationship between judges and their clerks. Drawing on contributions from former law clerks and judicial scholars, including an essay by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Of Courtiers and Princes examines the law clerk’s role in lower federal and state courts. It provides an inside look at the professional and personal bonds that form between lower court judges and their law clerks.
Dr. Peppers is a 1990 graduate of Washington and Lee University and a 1994 graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law. After law school, he clerked for United States District Judge Thomas M. Shanahan of the District of Nebraska and United States District Judge Glen E. Conrad of the Western District of Virginia. In 2003, Dr. Peppers obtained his Ph.D. in political science from Emory University. He joined the Department of Public Affairs at Roanoke College in 2002. He also teaches as a Visiting Professor at the Washington and Lee University School of Law. Since 2010, Dr. Peppers has served as the Coordinator of Roanoke College’s James C. and S. Maynard Turk Pre-Law Program.
Other books by Dr. Peppers on the subject of judges and their law clerks include Courtiers of the Marble Palace: The Rise And Influence of the Supreme Court Law Clerk (2006), In Chambers: Stories of Supreme Court Law Clerks and Their Justices (2012), and Of Courtiers and Kings: More Stories of Supreme Court Law Clerks and Their Justices (2015).
This event is fully virtual, via Zoom, and free to current and potential VADA members. Register here.
JUNE 23
Balancing the Billable and the Non-Billable
Tate C. Love
TimberlakeSmith
There are a number of activities – bar associations, non-profit boards, firm governance – that are both worthwhile, and can add to your marketability and profitability. Join VADA President Tate Love, who will discuss how you balance your participation in these laudable pursuits, while still meeting your billable goals.
The event is fully virtual, via Zoom, and free to current and potential VADA members. Register here.
PAST LUNCH & LEARN
The Learning Continues
How to be a Valuable Asset to Your Firm
Melissa H. Katz
Bancroft, McGavin, Horvath & Judkins, P.C.
The nature of our job often entails a volume of cases, looming deadlines, and an array of administrative challenges. Contrary to popular belief, hard work alone, i.e. slogging long hours, doesn’t make us more productive. In fact, it is extremely difficult to concentrate, focus and work at apex levels when we feel chronically fatigued, sluggish, and cranky. According to Steven Gundry, M.D., surveys show that at least 50% of the population experience these feelings at any particular time. These feelings usually arise because of insufficient sleep, poor nutrition, and/or nominal exercise. In order to reach peak levels of performance, self-care is critical. Higher levels of performance are achieved when we optimize sleep, nutrition, exercise and mindset. (Of course go see your doctor if you still feel lousy after improving your self-care habits).
There is a mountain of resources related to improving your sense of well-being, ranging from the internet to articles, books and/or podcasts. Here are a few book suggestions: - “The Energy Paradox” by Steven Gundry, MD
- “Why We Sleep” by Matthew Walker, PhD
- “The Food Fix” by Mark Hyman, MD
- “The Joy of Movement” by Kelly McGonigal, PhD
- “The Five Second Rule” by Mel Robbins;
- “Ego is the Enemy” by Ryan Holiday
- “The Obstacle is the Way” by Ryan Holiday
Podcast recommendations:
- “The Doctor’s Farmacy” with Mark Hyman M.D.
- The Mindvalley Podcast
- The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday
- Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu
If you missed Melissa's Lunch & Learn, you can watch a recording of her presentation here. |
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If you missed Melissa's Lunch & Learn, you can watch a recording of her presentation here. |
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Award for Excellence
in Civil Litigation VADA/VTLA Civility and
Professionalism Award
The VADA is currently soliciting nominations for our two annual awards: the Award for Excellence in Civil Litigation and the VADA/VTLA Civility and Professionalism Award.
The Award for Excellence in Civil Litigation honors a distinguished jurist, civil litigator, or other appropriate person who exhibits the following:
1. The highest standards of ethics, demeanor and temperament;
2. Exemplary conduct inside and outside the courtroom;
3. Courtesy and fairness in dealing with others;
4. Work of the highest quality; and
5. Such other criteria as the Board may determine are appropriate, such as community involvement; judicial, bar-related and educational activities; and participation in activities that improve the civil justice system.
The VADA/VTLA Civility and Professionalism Award is presented each year to a plaintiff’s attorney. Both the VADA and VTLA organizations recognize that our members have an obligation to be professional with clients, other parties and counsel, the courts and the public. This obligation includes civility, professional integrity, personal dignity, candor, diligence, respect, courtesy, and cooperation. Some go above and beyond obligation, and their conduct sets the standard.
For information about how to nominate for either award, please get in touch with VADA Executive Director Sherma Mather at smather@vada.org. The nominations deadline is April 2, 2021. |
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Membership season is in full bloom! We are still working to get our members renewed and reset – if you have questions about your membership status, please contact Executive Director Sherma Mather at smather@vada.org. You can also reach out to Membership Chair Sam Bernier at sbernier@faplawfirm.com or Vice Chair Todd Anderson at tanderson@herbersatterwhite.com. We look forward to hearing from you! |
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Office of the Virginia Attorney General’s
Litigation Section
20 members
Jessica Arena
McCandlish Lillard
Amber Bockin
Hancock Daniel
Angela MacFarlane
Harman Claytor Corrigan and Wellman
Carrie Macon
PennStuart
Jeremy Theisen
Byrne Legal Group
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This Norfolk native and medical malpractice attorney loves most of all
the counselor part of her job, which gives her the opportunity to help clients
through oftentimes very difficult and upsetting situations. When she is not in
the office, she loves going for a run and spending time with family and
friends. To
learn more about this month’s VADA Spotlighted Member, click here.
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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 assist Virginia attorneys in the professional and ethical representation of their clients in civil litigation 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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