Best Practice Document

In addition, contact information has been provided so chapter members may get in touch with the winners to ask questions. Agendas, speaker notes, program and flyers are hyperlinked at the end of a paragraph to provide the reader with additional information about the program or event.

Chapter Programs

Cincinnati Chapter
Sixth Circuit Practice Institute
Contact: W. Kelly Johnson, Chapter President; 513-929-4834; Kelly_johnson@fd.org
The chapter holds a Sixth Circuit Practice Institute every four years. This is a continuing legal education seminar at which many federal judges speak regarding various topics of interest to federal practitioners. Attendance for this program is high, over 130 attendees, and the feedback is always extremely positive. The program is overseen by James Higgins, Circuit Executive and a member of the chapter’s board of directors. Mr. Higgins has a team of chapter volunteers who organize and run the event. The chapter also received assistance from LexisNexis with publicizing this event.

Eastern District of Michigan Chapter
Removal and Remand to Federal Court Seminar Programs
Contact: Grant P. Gilezan, Chapter President; 313-568-6789; ggliezan@dykema.com
This program is conducted several times during the year. This year, the chapter co-sponsored the event with several local bar associations. The chapter provides the speakers, including a federal judge at each seminar and the county bars encourage their members to attend the program. Topics included basic procedure, and hot-button issues regarding removal and remand, especially as they appear in the Sixth Circuit and Eastern District of Michigan. The long-term effect upon new membership is yet to be seen. Program Flyer.

Eastern District of Michigan Chapter
The Sixth Circuit Judicial Conference
Contact: Grant P. Gilezan, Chapter President; 313-568-6789; ggliezan@dykema.com
On the recommendation of Chief Judge Bernard A. Friedman, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, the Sixth Circuit invited the Eastern District of Michigan Chapter to play a substantial role in supporting the first circuit conference to be held in Detroit in 26 years, through underwriting, scholarships and social activity planning. The chapter obtained commitments from area law firms in the total amount of $87,500 which helped the circuit encourage attendance by defraying the cost to practitioners and paid for some “extras” including a Detroit-products “goodie” bag, a Motown review for the opening reception, wine at the banquet, a performance by A (Habeas) Chorus Line for the Judges’ Luncheon. These costs otherwise would have been reflected in the individual costs of attendance or, if forgone, would have made the conference less enjoyable and/or less well-attended. The chapter also successfully sought a grant from the Michigan State Bar Foundation, in order to underwrite and encourage public sector participation. The chapter also arranged for, hosted, and coordinated a variety of activities for attendees and guests, including the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Ford Rouge Manufacturing Plant, The Henry Ford, Junior League of Detroit Decorator Show House, Edsel Ford Home, and a Tigers game. Chapter volunteers were constantly on-hand at the conference itself, to staff the hospitality suite and otherwise be available as guides throughout the conference site. Program Flyer

Inland Empire Chapter
Seventh Annual Constitutional Law Lecture
Contact: Hon. Oswald Parada, Chapter President; 951-328-4430; oswald_parada@cacd.uscourts.gov
The Inland Empire Chapter first organized the annual Constitutional Law Lecture in 1999 and in 2004 created the “Defender of the Constitution” Award to be presented during the lecture. This year the lecture was presented by Duke University law professor, and noted Supreme Court advocate and observer, Erwin Chemerinsky. The “Defender of the Constitution” Award was given at the event for an outstanding member of the local legal community who demonstrates unyielding commitment to protecting the freedoms enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.

New Orleans Chapter
The 14th Annual Judge Alvin B. Rubin Symposium. The topic: “A Pandora’s Box: The Attorney-Client Privilege.”
Contact: Matt Moreland, Chapter President; 985-536-1186; mattmoreland@cox.net
The Annual Judge Alvin B. Rubin Symposium is held each year as a living memorial to the late Judge Alvin B. Rubin’s contributions to the federal jurisprudence and legal scholarship. Each year, the Rubin Symposium presents the chapter’s membership with an opportunity to earn two hours of CLE credit from a distinguished panel of practitioners and federal judges who discuss aspects of federal law or federal practice, with particular focus on ethics and professionalism. This year’s focus was the attorney-client privilege. The discussion addressed an attorney’s obligation to report criminal misconduct; the crime-fraud exception; inadvertent production and waiver; document preservation obligations; disclosure to law enforcement; the common interest rule; and the placing at issue waiver. The chapter holds the Rubin Symposium at the U.S. District Courthouse for the Eastern District of Louisiana’s ceremonial courtroom, and provides video-feed to satellite locations to accommodate growing attendance. Program Information

North Alabama Chapter
33rd Annual Symposium on Government Acquisition and Annual Eastern Briefing Conference
Contact: Mary B. Richards, Chapter President; 256-842-0543; mary.b.richards@us.army.mil
This is a two day 12 hour CLE event that brings together federal legal practitioners from the Department of Defense (DoD), NASA, the local and federal bars, and non attorneys from the federal and private sector (contracting officers, technical monitors, program managers, etc.). The speakers are experts in the field of government acquisition and come from DoD, NASA, and the local and federal bars and the local acquisition community. This year the symposium focused on a broad range of government contracting issues, with an emphasis on ethical conduct in Government contracting. Program Flyer
The symposium combines educational opportunities with social functions. Each year a free dinner is held at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center with all attorneys for the local federal government invited. The dinner is scheduled the night before the symposium begins and serves as the kick off event with the goal to introduce all the speakers and the President of the FBA to the Chief Counsels and FBA officers in attendance. A free dinner for officers, speakers, and guests is held the next night at an upscale restaurant as a way to recognize and thank the chapter officers for the time and effort they have put into the chapter.
In an effort to increase membership, the chapter held its first golf tournament in conjunction with the symposium. The tournament was held at a local Robert Trent Jones Golf course with greatly reduced green fees, and free breakfast and lunch for all participants.

North Alabama Chapter
Law Day
Contact: Mary B. Richards, Chapter President; 256-842-0543; mary.b.richards@us.army.mil
In 2005, District Judge, Myron Thompson was honored and recognized with a Law Day Award for Excellence. In 2006, Mr. Solomon Seay, Jr., a renowned Alabamian and civil rights attorney, was honored and recognized. The program began with a short video clip, prepared by Alabama A&M University, of an interview with Mr. Seay discussing some of his early cases, threats on his life and discriminatory treatment of him and his wife by the State Bar of Alabama early in his career. Judge Lynwood Smith gave the introductory remarks, relating personal experiences with Mr. Seay and what he believed Mr. Seay’s practice meant and continues to mean in the civil rights arena. Judge Seay then spoke of his life and experiences, his current practice and efforts to continue to work toward the equal treatment of all people. The Huntsville City Council recognized Mr. Seay with a proclamation and honorary citizenship of Huntsville. Program Flyer

Oklahoma City Chapter
The William J. Holloway, Jr. Lecture
Contact: Sandy Coats, Chapter President; 405-553-8700; sandy.coats@usdoj.gov
This program was created to honor the Hon. William J. Holloway Jr. who has served on the Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit since 1968. The inaugural lecture was given by Professor Erwin Chemerinsky and was accompanied by a catered dinner.

Oklahoma City Chapter
Mock Oral Argument and Reception on Whether Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey Should Be Overruled
Contact: Sandy Coats, Chapter President; 405-553-8700; sandy.coats@usdoj.gov
In the federal courthouse, two leading Oklahoma attorneys participated in a mock oral argument on whether Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey should be overruled. The oral argument took place before three Tenth Circuit Judges: Judge Michael Murphy, Judge Stephanie Seymour, and Judge Monroe McKay. Following the mock oral argument, the chapter hosted a reception for the three judges and the two panelists in the U.S. Courthouse.

Orlando Chapter
Contact: Robert W. Thielhelm
Chapter President
407-649-4072; rthielhelm@bakerlaw.com
Title: Annual Middle District of Florida Congressional Breakfast
At the breakfast reception, members of the Florida Congressional delegation have the opportunity to meet with the federal judiciary and chapter members in a reception format. The event is linked to all five of the Middle District courthouses venues by live video conference. In 2004, U.S. Senator Mel Martinez was the guest of honor in Orlando and in 2005 the chapter had the privilege of U.S. Senator Bill Nelson and Congressman Ric Keller leading the legislative contingent. The participating lawmakers address the assembled group and judges. A total of 250 people participated in the program via video conferencing. Program Flyer

Pentagon Chapter
Contact: Kathleen A. Duignan
Chapter President
202-274-4322; duignan@wcl.american.edu
Title: Job for JAGs
Job for JAGs is a full-day seminar designed for junior and senior military attorneys transitioning from active duty to civilian or government practice. The Pentagon Chapter has hosted this event annually since the 1990s. This year’s seminar was held in the ballroom of the Army and Navy Club in downtown Washington, D.C. and attracted a record turnout of 76 participants. The seminar featured three panels representing various practice areas, along with special presentations on “Marketing Yourself for a Second Career” by Col. Jeffery Crews, USA (Ret.), of the Military Officers Association of America, and “Resumes & Cover Letters” by Attorney Search Consultant Sadie Madole. Many of the speakers were former or retired JAGs, such as Maj. Thomas Monheim, USAFR, associate deputy U.S. attorney general; CAPT Peter Frost, JAGC, USNR, director of the Aviation & Admiralty Litigation Section of DOJ; Colonel Frank Pedrotty, ANG (Ret.), senior assistant attorney general for the Commonwealth of Virginia; Whit Cobb, deputy general counsel & vice president, BAE Systems Inc.; and Col. Keith Sefton, USMC (Ret.), deputy general counsel of NASA. MG William Suter, USA (Ret.), Clerk of the U.S. Supreme Court was featured as the luncheon speaker. To publicize the event, the Pentagon Chapter secured free world-wide advertising from Army Times Publishing, which publishes weekly newspapers for each of the military services and a full page article in The Federal Lawyer Magazine. The chapter also received generous financial support form the FBA Federal Career Service Division, FBA Younger Lawyers Division, and the FBA DC Chapter. Program Flyer

Southern District of New York Chapter
Contact: Raymond J. Dowd
Chapter President
212-682-8811; rdowd@dunnington.com
Title: Second Circuit Swearing in Ceremony
On November 15, 2005, the Southern District of New York Chapter held the first group swearing in ceremony of the Second Circuit. A three judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit convened a special session which was attended by Robyn J. Spalter, FBA Immediate Past President; William N. LaForge; FBA President; James S. Richardson, FBA President Elect; other FBA national officers; the leadership of other several New York City Bar Associations; and 108 lawyers seeking admissions to the court. This program involved active outreach efforts to minority and specialty bar associations which increased access to the admissions process. Program Information

Utah Chapter
Contact: Diana Hagen
Chapter President
801-352-3322; Diana.hagen@usdoj.gov
Title: “Evening at the Federal Court,” which gives young law students and young lawyers an opportunity to meet informally with federal judges.
The “Evening at the Federal Court,” is a biannual program that the Utah Chapter sponsors. Law students and new lawyers (50-100) are invited to spend an evening at the courthouse. They are taken on a tour of the court rooms, chambers (where they are introduced to the judges and can ask questions), the clerk’s office (where they can see how the court handles filings ect.) They are also given a demonstration of the courts electronic filing systems. Members of the chapter’s board of directors conduct the tours and spend time advising the participants of the roll of the FBA. Refreshments are served at the conclusion.

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Chapter Luncheon and Reception Programs

Capitol Hill Chapter
Contact: Susan Sawtelle
Chapter President
202-512-6417; sawtelles@gao.gov
Title: Annual Luncheon at the Supreme Court of the United States
On May 24, 2006 Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg addressed the chapter and standing-room-only audience of 94 people. The Hon. Ruth Bader Ginsburg spoke about her years of service as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court and answered a number of questions from the audience. Program Flyer

Pentagon Chapter
Contact: Kathleen A. Duignan
Chapter President
202-274-4322; duignan@wcl.american.edu
Title: Department of Defense Legal Leadership Reception
This event is a reception, with complementary food and drink, to honor the military and civilian legal leadership of the Department of Defense. For the past several years, the event had been held in the Executive Dining Room at the Pentagon. Personalized invitations are mailed to approximately 100 individuals, with a blanket invitation widely circulated through military channels and local bar associations. The event is intended as an opportunity for Pentagon Chapter members and prospective members to meet and socialize with FBA national leaders and the uniformed and civilian leadership of the Department of Defense. We have a short program honoring the DoD legal leaders and their contributions throughout the year. We also have a short program to introduce incoming chapter officers and recognize chapter achievements. This is an important program intended to raise the profile of the FBA and the Pentagon Chapter. Program Flyer.

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Chapter Community Outreach Activities

Lafayette/Acadiana Chapter
Contact: Robert M. Kallam
Chapter President
337-237-6062; rkallam@pkrlaw.com
Title: Federal Communications Center for Louisiana’s Displaced Lawyers
The Federal Communications Center for Louisiana’s Displaced Lawyers was a project created to address the urgent need for communication between the attorneys practicing in the federal Bar and the Federal Courts of Louisiana as a result of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005 and Hurricane Rita on September 23, 2005 in southern Louisiana. The project was created to reach out and assist the New Orleans Federal Bar and to support the U.S. District Courts for the Western and Eastern District of Louisiana that had lost complete communication with the attorneys that practice in their courts. The center was created by setting up a physical office in Lafayette, Louisiana headed by an attorney appointed as a special master to the courts, with the assistance of a part-time attorney, and numerous volunteers. The center manned telephones to answer questions, began compiling an email communication list of attorneys that desperately needed to communicate with the court, and provided a communications disbursement center for the courts. Most importantly, email was monitored daily to keep attorneys informed. On September 13, 2005, Chief Judge Richard T. Haik, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, signed an Order appointing a Special Master to administer the project and to authorize compensation for the position. Court Orders and Notices were posted on the center’s web site daily.
San Antonio Chapter
Contact: Judge Pamela Mathy
Chapter President
210-472-6350; pamela_mathy@txwd.uscourts.gov
Title: San Antonio Chapter’s Community Outreach Activities
Since approximately 2003, the community outreach efforts of the chapter have been formalized, focused, and organized through the work of the chapter’s outreach committee.
In 2006 the San Antonio Chapter members were involved with several community outreach activities. Examples of these activities include:
∑ Chapter members have attended training to help support Katrina victims living in shelters in San Antonio.
∑ Hosted a pizza lunch for freshmen and senior girls who are enrolled in the Fox Tech High School Law Magnet Program.
∑ Donated money to support U.S. District Judge Royal Furgeson in his plan to extent the state Bar of Texas’ “What’s Up With My Rights” video and education materials which is sent to selected high school students who are assigned to the Discipline Alternative Education Program.
∑ Contributed $200.00 in support of the San Antonio Bar Association Federal Courts’ Committee’s Law Day 2006 project which involved judging essays submitted by students enrolled in the Law Magnet programming at Fox Tech High School. The theme this year was separation of powers.
∑ Donation $1,000 to support the Federal Judges’ Secretaries 2006 Annual Convention in San Antonio.
∑ Started a new quarterly brown bag luncheon lecture series with U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez, addressing attendees on “Paper, Presentation, and Persuasion – What goes on In Those Chambers?”
∑ Cosponsored a reception to celebrate the “Art in the Courthouse Project” as well as the construction of the Attorney Conference Room in the John H. Wood U.S. District Courthouse.
∑ Sponsored its first annual Constitution Day Program for 100 junior and senior high school statement enrolled in the “law magnet” program, hosted at Fox Tech High School in two afternoon sessions held in the law Classroom at the school. The presentation featured a video titled “Our Constitution” a conversation with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and Stephen Breyer.

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Create a Procedural Litigation Handbook for their Federal Court

Oregon Chapter
Contact: Helle Rode
Chapter President
503-947-4465; helle.rode@doj.state.or.us
Title: The Federal Practice Handbook
The Federal Practice Handbook was designed to provide federal practitioners with information about federal practice “beyond the rules.” This revision edition of the Handbook is the culmination of two years of work by the Oregon Chapter Younger Lawyers Committee. The questions were gathered from experienced practitioners. Each of the people listed on the title page was responsible for obtaining answers to each of the questions from one or more of the judges.
The Handbook consists of an Index to Questions, which lists each question by number; responses from each Article III and Magistrate Judges currently working in the district; a quick reference compilation of some of the answers to the questions that we have been asked most frequently in the course of compiling this handbook; and a technology supplement that lays out the current state of evidence presentation technology available in various courtrooms. The editor takes responsibility for all typos and other errors.

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fba@fedbar.org