Conference Will Assess Pandemic’s Lasting Impacts on Legal Practice
February 24, 2021
On April 22 and 23 the D.C. Bar and the D.C. Courts will continue their tradition of bringing together judges, Bar leaders, attorneys, and other experts for the biennial Judicial and Bar Conference. Held virtually this year, the event will offer 20 breakout sessions that explore the theme “How COVID-19 Has Reshaped the Legal Profession.”
The opening plenary panel will discuss access to justice issues during the pandemic, featuring D.C. Attorney General Karl A. Racine, Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia Legal Director Chinh Q. Le, Georgetown University Law Center associate professor Vida B. Johnson, and George Washington University Law School associate professor of clinical law Jessica K. Steinberg. Another highlight of the conference is a conversation between Judge Joshua Deahl of the D.C. Court of Appeals and NFL Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice Smith, who will talk about the challenges his organization has overcome in the last year.
In addition to court updates from the chief judges of the D.C. Court of Appeals and D.C. Superior Court, the conference will cover COVID-19’s effects on access to justice for domestic violence survivors, the elderly, prisoners, and low-income litigants. Other programs will examine the pandemic’s impact on the practice of law — from remote legal education, mediation, and court hearings to fraud and violations of consumer and tenant rights.
For example, panelists in “Year of the Virtual Courtroom: What Worked, What Didn’t, What’s Next” will discuss the potential problems, benefits, and best practices surrounding remote hearings from the perspective of judges, prosecutors, and defense counsel. The panel will pay special attention to the role of technology in effective communication during proceedings.
“Virtual legal practice is new for everyone, and I think we’ve all had moments when we wondered, ‘What are the potential pitfalls I haven’t anticipated?’ This presentation will help fill in the blanks so attendees can enter the virtual courtroom with confidence,” says program planner Hilary LoCicero, a founding partner at Bennett Doyle LLP.
Another session, “Investigations in Quarantimes: Getting the Gotcha Moment When Surprise Can’t Be the Essence of Attack,” will demonstrate how attorneys have found new tactics for questioning witnesses when Zoom is the only option.
“Even after the pandemic, we’re likely to see remote interviews becoming a normal part of internal investigations, now that in-house counsel have seen that they can cost-effectively produce good results,” says moderator Monique Abrishami, a partner at Levy Firestone Muse LLP. “We’re going to talk brass tacks about how to approach these remote interviews, offering practical advice for successful outcomes.”
A video will pay tribute to D.C. judges who have retired or taken senior status in the past year, including Judge Robert E. Morin of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
View the full agenda here. Registration opens on March 1.
