- This event has passed.
The American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Fall Conference holds its workshops, receptions and dinner October 5-7 at the Denver Marriott City Center, 1701 Denver Street, unless otherwise indicated. All events are Mountain Time (MT)
Thursday, October 5
Combatting Voter Suppression with Automatic Voter Registration: A Reflection on the Current Fight for Voting Rights (Non-CLE)
Voting rights advocates and experts will discuss strategies on how to secure the fundamental right to vote in a tough political landscape.
Sponsored by: ABA YLD Civil Rights and Social Justice Committee
Program Chairs:
Andrew Hairston, Advancement Project, Washington, DC
Chioma Chukwu, EEOC, Baltimore, MD
Moderator: Andrew Hairston, Advancement Project, Washington, DC
Panelists:
Leslie Herod, Colorado House of Representatives, Denver, CO
Denise S. Maes, ACLU of Colorado, ACLU of Colorado
Scott A. Moss, University of Colorado Law School, Boulder, CO
Elizabeth Steele, Colorado Common Cause, Denver, CO
3:15 PM – 4:15 PM
Put a Plug in the Jug: Ethical and Criminal Consequences of Alcohol Abuse in the Legal Profession (Ethics CLE)
Join us as our panelists discuss how alcohol abuse can implicate our ethical and professional responsibilities, lead to criminal and civil consequences, and arise from common practice-setting and social pressures. Program attendees will have the opportunity to see their blood alcohol content with testing equipment available on site.
Sponsored by: ABA YLD Criminal Justice Committee
Co-Sponsored by: Sherman & Howard L.L.C.
Program Chairs:
Jin-Ho King, Milligan Rona Duran & King LLC, Boston, MA
Fabio Leonardi, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, Washington, DC
Panelists:
Jin-Ho King, Milligan Rona Duran & King LLC, Boston, MA
Erin Kristofco, Colorado Supreme Court Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel, Denver, CO
Sarah Myers, Colorado Lawyer Assistance Program, Denver, CO
Douglas Richards, Richards Carrington, LLC, Denver, CO
Friday, October 6
9:30 AM – 10:30 AM
Yoga for a Productive Day (Non-CLE)
Get your body and mind ready for a productive, successful day with stretching, breathing, and meditation. Any attire, including business attire, is appropriate, as this class will teach techniques that can be done throughout a normal business day. Postures will focus on unwinding muscles and joints which normally stiffen from prolonged sitting and desk work. Participants will also learn techniques to prepare the body and mind to perform optimally in high-stress situations, as well as short practices that can be done in the middle of a busy day to help refresh and refocus. The class will end with a brief mindfulness meditation.
Program Chair/
Speaker: Christina Sava, The Law Offices of James Anthony, Oakland, CA
9:30 AM – 10:30 AM
Dealing with the “Millennial” Label: Success Strategies for Young Professionals in a Generation X World (Non-CLE)
Feel stuck in the “Millennial” box? Do you feel like the generational stereotypes don’t fit you? Here are some strategies for dealing with generational stereotypes in law firms and legal departments that you can use to be more effective at work and in your career.
Program Chair/
Moderator: Klaralee R Charlton, Katz, Look & Onorato, P.C, Denver, CO
Panelists: Mark Beese, Leadership for Lawyers llc, Evergreen, CO
10:45 AM – 11:45 AM
Making an Impact: Creating and Delivering High Quality Service Projects (Non-CLE)
Looking for project ideas? Texas Young Lawyers Association will showcase and share how to present signature projects including: I Was the First, You Can Be a Lawyer Too!, Divorce Guide for Children and Teens, Media Toolkit, Revitalizing Your Local Affiliate, Sexual Assault: Not a Victim, and Pregnancy in the Workplace.
Sponsored by: Texas Young Lawyers Association
Program Chair: Sam Houston, Houston Dunn, PLLC, San Antonio, TX
Panelists:
Sam Houston, Houston Dunn, PLLC, San Antonio, TX
Sally Pretorius, KoonsFuller, P.C., Dallas, TX
Baili B. Rhodes, West, Webb, Allbritton & Gentry, P.C., College Station, TX
10:45 AM – 11:45 AM
Marijuana and Your License to Practice Law: An Examination of Ethical Rules (Ethics CLE)
This program addresses marijuana recreational use statutes and the conflict with Federal law and ethical rules, including Model Rule 1.2 (advising clients); ethical issues related to personal use; the duty to report misbehavior; supervision of subordinates; implications of attorneys owning marijuana dispensaries; and other concerns potentially impacting an attorney’s license.
Sponsored by: The Denver Host Committee
Program Chair: Casey Kannenberg, Hall Prangle & Schoonveld, LLC, Denver, CO
Moderator: Danielle L. Borel, Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, LLP, Baton Rouge, LA
Speaker: Philip Cherner, Attorney, Denver CO
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
An Integrative Approach to Aiding Domestic Violence Survivors (CLE)
Domestic violence survivors confront numerous problems when they emerge from a violent home situation, including finding housing, child care issues, managing their own trauma and that of their children, and worrying about their pets. Panel speakers will discuss what their individual agencies do, how they work with other agencies and entities, and why an integrative approach is the ideal model for addressing the unique problems presented by domestic violence.
Sponsored by: ABA YLD Public Service Team
Program Chairs:
Sonia Raichur Russo, U.S. District Court, District of New Mexico, Las Cruces, NM
Adam Landy, ABA YLD Public Service Team Director, San Francisco, CA
Moderator: Sonia Raichur Russo, U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico, Las Cruces, NM
Panelists:
Alexis Freet, Project Safeguard, Denver, CO
Stevi Gray, Colorado Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Denver, CO
Timothy L. Johnson, 20th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, Boulder, CO
Emily Tofte Nestaval, Rocky Mountain Victim Law Center, Denver, CO
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Fee Agreement Traps: Five Considerations to Help You Avoid Ethics & Malpractice Issues (Ethics CLE)
Many young lawyers have “hand-me-down” fee agreements full of provisions copied from colleagues and the internet. The trouble is, many of those “boilerplate” provisions are ethics nightmares! This program will help identify five vital malpractice and ethics issues young lawyers must master to avoid problems with this standard practice tool.
Sponsored by: ABA YLD Ethics & Professionalism
Program Chairs:
Whittney A. Dunn, The Bar Plan, St. Louis, MO
Emil J. Ali, Providence Health Plan, Portland, OR
Moderator: Emil J. Ali, Providence Health Plan, Portland, OR
Panelists:
Heather K. Kelly, Gordon & Rees, Denver, CO
April M. McMurrey, Colorado Supreme Court Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel, Denver, CO
1:00 PM – 2:15 PM
Luncheon – Diversity and the Bench: Perspectives the Colorado District Court, Court of Appeals and Supreme Court
Join this lunch time discussion on the importance of diversity on the bench and in the courtroom, promoting diversity in the profession, and encouraging diversity in the judicial system, as well as personal perspectives and experiences of the panelist. Justice Will Hood moderates a panel of diverse judges from each level of the Colorado judicial branch – District Court Judge Lance Timbreza, Court of Appeals Judge Terry Fox and Supreme Court Justice Monica Marquez.
Sponsored by: ABA YLD Denver Host Committee
Program Chairs:
Judge Lance Timbreza, Colorado Judicial Branch, Grand Junction, CO
Casey Kannenberg, Hall Prangle and Schoonveld, Denver, CO
Moderator: Justice William W. Hood III, Colorado Supreme Court, Denver, CO
Panelists:
Justice Monica M. Márquez, Colorado Supreme Court, Denver, CO
Judge Terry Fox, Colorado Court of Appeals, Denver, CO
Judge Lance Timbreza, District Court, Colorado 21st Judicial District, Grand Junction, CO
Saturday, October 7
9:45 AM – 10:45 AM
Bloom Where You Are Planted (Non-CLE)
You’ve worked really hard – sacrificed time with your family and friends to further your education; gain additional skills to achieve professional success. Now, you have landed your dream job – or the job 1 – 2 positions away from your dream job – or even that job you didn’t even dare to dream of – and it is not at all like you expected or hoped. Maybe it’s the workload, or the colleagues, or the manager, or the customers. It just does not feel like the right fit. What now? You know that you cannot pack up your town and go home. You have invested too much. Too many people rely on you (at home and at work) to “get the job done.” How do you break through? How do you grow and flourish in environments that are not supportive or conducive to either? Participants will explore interactive and engage leadership principles that will inspire and motivate the changes necessary to move from dying on the vine to a season of full bloom.
Sponsored by: ABA YLD Professional Development Committee
Program Chair: Jamie Davis, AMC Theatres, Leawood, KS
Speaker: Ronetta J. Francis, Rogers, AR
9:45 AM – 10:45 AM
Community Alliances: Advancing LGBTQ Rights (CLE)
The most effective civil rights work employs strategies advancing the interests found at our community intersections. Alliances are built around these intersections, and support for work outside these intersections is built through these alliances. The role of community allies in advancing LGBTQ rights is critical, but not often highlighted. How can we facilitate alliances in expanding our civil rights movements?
Sponsored by:
ABA YLD Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
ABA YLD Civil Rights and Social Justice
ABA YLD Diversity Committee
Program Chair: Matthew Jimenez Barragan, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), Los Angeles, CA
Moderator: Abre’ Conner, ACLU of Northern California, Fresno, CA
Panelists:
Ben Aguilar, The Law Offices of Ben Aguilar, San Diego, CA
Tony Hoang, Equality California, Los Angeles, CA
Daniel Ramos, One Colorado & One Colorado Education Fund, Denver, CO
9:45 AM – 10:45 AM
Lessons from Harvey and Irma: How to Effectively Implement DLS when a Disaster Strikes (Non-CLE)
Sponsored by: ABA YLD Disaster Legal Services Team
Program Chair: Andrew VanSingel, YLD Disaster Legal Services Coordinator, Chicago, IL
Moderator: Tamara Nash, District 21 YLD Rep (SD/ND), Sioux Falls, SD
Panelists:
Andrew VanSingel, YLD Disaster Legal Services Coordinator, Chicago, IL
Jonathan D. Asher, Executive director, Colorado Legal Services, Denver, CO
FEMA Representative
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Does Everyone Get a Slice? Negotiations Practical Training with Ethic (Ethics CLE)
We negotiate every day, but are we getting closer to where our interests lie? Be prepared to mingle, and get creative. This hands-on training will focus on basic types of negotiation styles and/or tactics, as well as the ethics involved.
Sponsored by: ABA YLD Dispute Resolution Committee
ABA YLD Ethics Committee
Program Chairs:
Amanda C. Kwong, Reeves Miller Zhang & Diza, San Francisco, CA
Whittney A. Dunn, The Bar Plan, St. Louis, MO
Moderator: Brooke Weitzman, Elder Law and Disability Rights Center, Santa Ana, CA
Panelists:
Jay Forester, Attorney, Dallas, TX
Selena Molina, Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A., Wilmington, DE
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Finding Financial Balance Workshop (Non-CLE)
The path to financial freedom often starts with discovery. In this workshop, we will discuss:
- How to build a strong financial foundation
- Strategies to structure wealth
- Tax-deductible investing and its importance to your overall portfolio
- Benefits of diversification and asset allocation
Sponsored by: American Bar Endowment
Program Chair: Elliot C Melis, New York Life, Sleepy Hollow, NY
Speaker: Brian G Madgett, New York Life, New York, NY