Alaska Chapter: 2023 District Conference

Join us for the Federal Bar Association – Alaska Chapter – District Conference at the Hotel Captain Cook on Tuesday, August 15 from 9:15am – 5:00pm. Featuring a lunch panel with visiting Ninth Circuit judges and 6.5 CLE credits, including 2 ethics credits. Panel topics include the law, technology, and ethics of AI; a SCOTUS Indian Law update; a discussion about originalism informed by the recent U.S. Supreme Court Dobbs and Bruen decisions; and an informative and entertaining presentation on what juries like and dislike, led by U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska Chief Judge Sharon Gleason. There will be a welcome reception the night before at the home of FBA Chapter President Sarah Schirack, and time for networking between the bench and the bar throughout the conference.

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Agenda

[FBA Alaska District Conference Flyer v8.2]

August 14

5:30 – 7:00 p.m. | Welcome & Networking Reception
All members of the bench and bar, and all visitors, are invited to a welcome reception at the home of FBA President, Sarah Schirack, 1820 Westchester Cir.
>Hosted by the 2023 Board of the Federal Bar Association – Alaska Chapter:

• Sarah Schirack, FBA President – Counsel, Perkins Coie
• Jamie McGrady, FBA Treasurer – Director, Federal Defenders of Alaska
• Mike O’Brien, FBA President Emeritus – Partner, Davis Wright Tremaine
• Mark Cucci – Chief Assistant Attorney General, State of Alaska
• Andrea Hattan – Attorney-Advisor, NOAA
• Brewster Jamieson – Shareholder, Lane Powell
• Lloyd Miller – Partner, Sonosky Chambers
• Michelle Nesbett – Senior Counsel, Birch Horton
• Danee Pontious – Owner, Pontious Law
• Anna Russell – Alaska Branch Librarian, US Courts Library

August 15

9:15 – 9:30 a.m. – Opening Remarks

9:30 – 10:45 a.m. – SCOTUS Indian Law Update + Expert Q&A
SCOTUS had a busy term for Indian Law. Learn about the recent Arizona v. Navajo Nation (trust responsibility) and Brackeen (ICWA) decisions and their implications, and get a chance to ask experts in the arena about their broader reach, how we got here, and anything else Indian Law. 1.25 General CLE credits

• Lloyd Miller – Partner, Sonosky Chambers LLP
• Erin Dougherty – Senior Attorney, Native American Rights Fund
  – Primary amicus brief author in recent Brackeen SCOTUS case, representing 497 federally recognized tribes and 62 tribal and Indian organizations.

10:45am – 11:00am – Morning Break

11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. – A Discussion on Originalism, Bruen, and the Direction of SCOTUS
Join us for a discussion on originalism, focusing on the 2022 SCOTUS Bruen gun rights decision. Learn about the legal doctrine, how it has influenced recent court decisions, and how it may affect future SCOTUS and lower court decisions. Two legal scholars will parse the strengths and deficiencies of it, including the difficulties lower courts have highlighted in implementing Bruen’s historical constitutional interpretation method. 1.25 General CLE credits

• Paul Haagen – Professor, Duke School of Law
• Maimon Schwarzchild – Professor, Univ. of San Diego School of Law
• Moderator: Susan Orlansky – Cooperating Counsel, ACLU

12:15 – 1:15 p.m. – Lunch Panel with Visiting Ninth Circuit Judges
Moderated by Sarah Schirack, Counsel, Perkins Coie LLP .75 General CLE credis.

1:15 – 3:15 p.m. – The Law, Technology, and Ethics of AI
Learn about cutting edge AI issues that have practical import for litigators. The discussion will touch on what law firms and in-house counsels should be thinking about when using AI, ethical considerations, and how AI can be used to shrink the access-to-justice gap. 2 Ethics CLE credits.

• Dr. Sonja Ebron – CEO, Courtroom5
  – Uses AI to provide people with the tools & resources needed to help settle civil cases, with or without a lawyer
• Gwyn McAlpine – Dir. of Knowledge Management Services, Perkins Coie
  – Investigates & educates on how to use AI effectively & ethically in practice
• Damien Riehl – VP, Solutions Champion, vLex
  – Helps integrate AI-backed technologies to improve legal workflows & power legal data analytics

3:15 – 3:30 p.m. – Afternoon Break

3:30 – 4:45 p.m. – Trial Improvement Bootcamp
Sharpen your trial skills with this engaging presentation that has relevance to civil and criminal practitioners alike. 1.25 General CLE credits

• Chief Judge Sharon Gleason – Chief Judge, USDC for D. Alaska
• Jamie McGrady – Director, Federal Defenders for D. Alaska

4:45 – 5:00 p.m. – Closing Remarks

Registration

Attendees must pre-register online. REGISTRATION NOW CLOSED
Registration is on the honor system. Please select the appropriate category.

• FBA Members at Private Firms with 7+ Lawyers – $170.00
• FBA Members at Private Firms with 1-6 Lawyers – $80.00
• FBA Member Government & Public Interest Lawyers – $25.00
• Non-FBA Members at Private Firms with 7+ Lawyers – $190.00
• Non-FBA Members at Private Firms with 1-6 Lawyers – $100.00
• Non-FBA Member Government & Public Interest Lawyers – $45.00
• Clerks, Judges, Court Personnel & 2 per Sponsor – Free

To get the member discount for this event and support continued programming by the FBA Alaska Chapter, please join or renew your membership. (Note: select the Alaska Chapter as your home chapter)

Questions regarding this event should be directed to the Alaska Chapter:
> Sarah Schirack (SSchirack@perkinscoie.com)