FBA E-Newsletter
May 9, 2013
FBA News
Message From the Chair of the Military Task Force, Jim Richardson
As FBA President Bob DeSousa has observed, “The FBA is the natural home for judge advocates and Department of Defense attorneys.” We share the same goals, issues and occasionally overlapping cases. Additionally the FBA can provide military attorneys a national network of contacts as they transfer from installation to installation or prepare to leave active military service. At present, the majority of military membership is concentrated in the Pentagon Chapter and in the Veterans and Military Law Section; however, there are many chapters that are in close proximity to military installations around the country, which can be a source of new members and can offer programing to local chapters. As part of our outreach to military attorneys, my co-chair, Col. Mitch Neurock, has compiled a list of our existing chapters that are in close proximity to military installations. We strongly urge you to reach out to the judge advocates of those installations as well as other staff officers (e.g. the facilities office, the contract office) etc. and invite them your programs as either guests or speakers as appropriate. Read more from Jim Richardson and see the full list of chapters here.
FBA Leaders Urge Congress to Act on Court Funding, Judicial Vacancies
Twenty FBA leaders recently met with senators, members of the House of Representatives, and senior congressional staff to press for congressional action on some of the foremost challenges facing the federal courts as part of FBA Capitol Hill Day.
Budget Cuts Cause Delays, Concern In Federal Court
NPR: FBA members met with members of the House and Senate and their staffers on Thursday, April 25 in an effort to secure adequate funding for the federal courts.
Navigating Physician Licensing and Insurance Credentialing
In the May issue of The Federal Lawyer, John Okray asserts that attorneys should develop a thorough plan for addressing the anticipated concerns of numerous entities to maintain a physician's ability to practice medicine and provider status with public and commercial insurance networks after criminal charges. Read this article and other Health Law articles online.
FBA Membership Activities
5th Annual Insurance Tax Seminar • May 30-31, 2013 • JW Marriott, Washington, D.C.
This year’s exciting panel of speakers and topics are now listed on our website. This year’s conference includes the following panels:
- Session 1: Opening Plenary Session: Tax Policy from the View of Economists
- Luncheon and Address by William J. Wilkins, Chief Counsel of the IRS
- Session 8B: Update On IRS Procedure & Administration with Heather C. Maloy, Commissioner, LB&I, IRS.
Other highlights include information on:
- Affordable Care Act
- Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act
- Current Tax Legislation
- International Insurance Tax
For more excellent speakers and panels, please view the brochure. Additional information about the Insurance Tax Seminar can be found on the conference web page including registration.
2013 Annual Meeting & Convention • Sept. 26–28 • San Juan, Puerto Rico
A full schedule of events for the 2013 Annual Meeting and Convention is now available. Please visit our convention agenda website to see the exciting new topics at this year’s meeting presented by your fellow FBA members. Also take advantage of early bird registration rates for your CLE sessions and social events. Reserve your spot today to see the following sessions presented by U.S. District Judges:
- The Status and Future of Reentry Courts
Judge Ruben Castillo, Northern District of Illinois
Judge Ann Aiken, District of Oregon
- Taming a Mass Torts MDL Case: A Review of the Expert Handling of the 1986 San Juan DuPont Plaza Hotel Fire Case—Lessons to Draw in 2013
Senior Judge Raymond L. Acosta, District of Puerto Rico
Judge Ruben Castillo, Northern District of Illinois
To register for the Annual Meeting & Convention please visit our registration page.
FBA Awards Program
Each year the Federal Bar Association presents nine awards to various chapters, sections, divisions, and leaders that have exemplified the values of the FBA—including the Earl W. Kintner Award for Distinguished Service and the Sarah T. Hughes Civil Rights Award. Nominations are due July 16, 2013, and questions should be directed to Jane Zaretskie, manager of chapters and circuits.
FBA CLE Webinars
Upcoming FBA CLE webinar! Register today to earn CLE credit and stay up-to-date on industry issues from speakers who know. FBA Members receive a discount on registration!
Wednesday, May 22nd (1-2pm EST)
Title: Do it Right, Say it Right: Strategies and Golden Rules for Superior Preparation and Effective Testimony During Depositions in Employment Litigation
Speaker: Katherine González-Valentín, senior member at Ferraiuoli LLC and chair of the Labor & Employment Department
Wednesday, June 5th (1-2pm EST)
Title: Religious Exercise Free of Substantial Burden, in Land Use and Beyond
Speaker: Daniel P. Dalton, Dalton & Tomich PLC
Chapter Happenings
Eastern District of NY and Southern District of NY Host Gen. William K. Suter for Admissions Ceremony
On March 14, 2013, the Eastern District of New York and Southern District of New York Chapters had a luncheon with retiring Supreme Court Clerk Gen. William K. Suter. The general also conducted an admissions ceremony to the U.S. Supreme Court. View the slideshow.
Pentagon Chapter: Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces Reception will be Held on May 16, 2013
Please join the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces and the Pentagon Chapter on Thursday, May 16, 2013, beginning at 2:00pm for a reception to mark the end of oral argument for this term. There will be food and drink served at no cost to attendees. Please visit the FBA website for more information on how to RSVP.
Phoenix Chapter Encourages Organ Donation in Memory of Chapter President
As many of you know, Phoenix Chapter President Mark Hummels was tragically and senselessly gunned down following a mediation in January. Mark was a dynamic leader of the Phoenix Chapter, and he is sorely missed by FBA members around the country. Mark’s last act was to donate his organs—he believed passionately in giving life to others. In Mark’s memory, the Phoenix Chapter urges FBA members across the nation to honor Mark by taking five minutes and registering to be an organ/tissue donor by visiting www.organdonor.gov.
If your chapter has events to publicize, please email Jane Zaretskie, manager of chapters and circuits.
Sections and Divisions
Immigration Law Section • 2013 Immigration Law Seminar
Join us at this year’s Immigration Law Seminar on May 17-18, presented by the Immigration Law Section in conjunction with the Memphis Mid-South Chapter of the FBA, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), and the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee through its Court Improvement Fund. Please visit the program page for more details about the event and how to register.
Immigration Law Section • Immigration Leadership Luncheon—May 15
The Immigration Law Section and the D.C. Chapter of the Federal Bar Association invite you to another Immigration Leadership Luncheon on May 15. The speaker will be Maria Odom, CIS Ombudsman, U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Find out more details on our program page and how to register. Not yet a member of the Immigration Law Section? Join us to participate in future section events.
Transportation and Transportation Security Law Section • May 28 Luncheon
You are invited to the program Transportation Safety and the National Transportation Safety Board: A Legal Perspective. Please RSVP to Erin Rodgers if you are interested in attending. Join the TTSL section to participate in future section events.
Younger Lawyers Division • Summer Law Clerk Program • Kick-Off Event on June 11
The Younger Lawyers Division of the Federal Bar Association (FBA) is once again excited to sponsor the Summer Law Clerk Program which allows law students an opportunity to explore the practice of law through roundtable discussions and agency visits. Invite your summer interns, law clerks, and student employees in the greater DC metropolitan area to participate in the kick-off program on June 11! Visit the program page for more details.
Labor and Employment Section • “It’s Not About Health Coverage” Program • June 27
Participants will be encouraged to anticipate the employment-law issues that follow from an employer’s choices about managing health coverage and expenses. Save the date for the webcast event.
Reach Out to Your Alma Mater and Help Grow the FBA Law Student Division!
Alums, help make sure your law schools are represented in the FBA by reaching out and encouraging law students to join the FBA. For more information, contact Sherwin Valerio.
If your section or division has an event to share in this newsletter or on our website, submit it to Sherwin Valerio.