Day 2 | NCBA 2022 Annual Review

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2022

8:55 Welcome and Introductions

9:00 Labor and Employment Law Update

Laura J. Wetsch, Winslow Wetsch PLLC, Raleigh

This session covers recent decisions on employment law issues, including at-will employment, wrongful discharge, noncompetes, the Retaliatory Employment Discrimination Act (REDA), torts and discovery.

10:00 Break

10:10 How Mindfulness Can Benefit Your Legal Practice and Life^†

Jordan Abshire, Abshire Legal Search LLC, Charlotte

During this one-hour session, participants learn about mindfulness, the science behind it, and how it can benefit their legal practice and lives, both by reducing stress and by increasing joy and contentment. Participants have the opportunity to practice mindfulness during the CLE and leave with several practical ideas to incorporate mindfulness into their workday, as well as several mindfulness scripts and other resources that they can access at their leisure.

11:10 Break

11:20 Communicating With Judges and Represented Parties, and Sharing Information With Third Parties — What Can We Do and How Can We Do It?^*

Jason A. McGrath, McGrath and Spielberger PLLC, Charlotte

Jason McGrath's ethics presentation this year focuses on real-world communication situations we find ourselves in which may seem to be"gray areas" and/or have ethical nuances that surprise us. We also discuss recent updates and developments on these topics.

12:20 Lunch Break

1:05 Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Law Update

Charles S. Carter, Earth & Water Law, Raleigh

This session focuses on regulatory and policy developments on a range of environmental, energy and natural resources issues including regulatory issues such as permitting and compliance, climate and emerging public policy initiatives that affect clients and businesses.

2:05 Break

2:15 Ethics in Discovery in 2022^*

Denaa J. Griffin, Jackson Lewis PC, Raleigh

Many civil cases are won during the discovery phase of the matter. The demands and costs of discovery, including e-discovery, in litigation continue to grow. Nearly every case now involves some sort of e-discovery, and it is essential to know how to effectively and fairly handle the many privacy and ethical issues that can arise.

3:15 Break

3:25 Family Law Update

Emily C. Jeske, Bosquez Porter Family Law, Raleigh
Meredith J. Parker, Charles R. Ullman & Associates PLLC, Raleigh

Engage in a fast-paced overview of last year's family law cases and legislative changes. Topics include equitable distribution, child custody and child support, spousal support, separation agreements, and more.

This session qualifies for NC State Family Law Specialization credit.

4:25 Adjourn for the day

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2022

8:55 Welcome and Introductions

9:00 Business Court Update

Philip J. Mohr, Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP, Greensboro

Hear a review of Business Court decisions over the last year, including those that might affect your clients and those that might benefit you in your practice.

10:00 Break

10:10 Estate Planning and Administration, Electronic Wills, and E-filing^‡

Mark J. Hale Jr., Baddour Parker Hine & Hale PC, Goldsboro
Linda Funke Johnson, Senter Stephenson Johnson PA, Fuquay-Varina

This session examines recent developments in the area of estate planning and administration, specifically focusing on topics that utilize electronic components, including electronic wills (e-wills). We examine the history of e-wills, uniformity in nationwide e-wills legislation, and the current state of NC efforts to draft an e-wills law. Additionally, this session covers e-filing and its impact on NC procedures this year. Finally, the speakers highlight parts of both the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA) and the Uniform Law Commission (ULC) and their applications to e-documents for estate planning.

This session qualifies for NC State Estate Planning and Probate Law Specialization credit.

11:10 Break

11:20 Real Property Case Law Update

Christopher L. Burti, Statewide Title Inc., Farmville

Receive the latest real property updates to benefit your practice by learning about this year's most recent and impacting case law decisions.

This session qualifies for NC State Real Property Law Specialization credit.

12:20 Lunch Break

1:05 Criminal Law Update

Kearns Davis, Brooks Pierce McLendon Humphrey & Leonard LLP, Greensboro
Jan E. Pritchett, Schlosser & Pritchett, Greensboro

Kearns Davis and Jan Pritchett return to provide this year's criminal law update. In this session, Pritchett discusses key recent decisions by the North Carolina Supreme Court and North Carolina Court of Appeals, and Davis addresses significant federal cases from the U.S. Supreme Court and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

This session qualifies for NC State Criminal Law Specialization credit.

2:05 Break

2:15 Recent Decisions in Education Law

Brian C. Shaw, Poyner & Spruill LLP, Raleigh

This session provides a survey of significant education law decisions in the last 12 to 15 months, in North Carolina and throughout the country.

3:15 Break

3:25 The Intersection of Ethics and Artificial Intelligence: What Lawyers Need to Know^*‡

Sharon D. Nelson, Sensei Enterprises Inc., Fairfax, VA
John W. Simek, Sensei Enterprises Inc., Fairfax, VA

Artificial intelligence, or AI, has been a huge boon to the legal profession. But there's a reason that the experts are talking about "dark AI" crimes (spoiler alert: the most dangerous crimes involve deepfakes) and fretting about the decisions made by "black box" AI.

To be competent, an attorney needs to understand how AI works — and may indeed be required to use AI if it would reduce costs, produce faster and more reliable results, etc. How does an attorney measure the transparency and trustworthiness of AI? How would a lawyer know whether AI technology reflects the biases and prejudices of its developers and trainers, leading to skewed results?

In August 2019, the American Bar Association adopted a long-awaited resolution urging courts and lawyers "to address the emerging ethical and legal issues related to the usage of artificial intelligence ("AI") in the practice of law." Developments since then have been fast and furious as AI became an integral part of the practice of law. Join our experts as they explain a lawyer's ethical considerations when evaluating and using AI in your law practice.

4:25 Adjourn

* Indicates portion providing Ethics/Professional Responsibility credit
† Indicates portion providing Substance Abuse/Mental Health credit
‡ Indicates portion providing Technology Training credit

Thank you

Thank you for joining us for the NCBA 2022 Annual Review.

Description

Receive the latest updates on key court decisions and significant amendments to legislation and policies covering a variety of topic and practice areas.

Contributors

Jordan Abshire

Jordan Abshire is the founder and managing member of Abshire Legal Search LLC in Charlotte. Prior to recruiting, Jordan practiced for three years with the energy group at Troutman Sanders LLP. Jordan served for one year as a law clerk to the Honorable Henry Coke Morgan, Jr., in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Jordan has presented to numerous law schools and attorney groups on networking, navigating legal careers, and the legal & lateral markets. Jordan was first introduced to mindfulness during law school and is a certified mindfulness and meditation teacher.

Jordan is a graduate of Harvard Law School and received a B.S. in Psychology, summa cum laude, and a B.A. in Political Science, summa cum laude, from Louisiana State University.

A Louisiana native, Jordan now resides in Charlotte, with his wife and two active boys. Outside of family and work, Jordan regularly contributes to the community. Prior to the pandemic, Jordan engaged in "recruiter pro bono" weekly at the Men's Shelter of Charlotte now Roof Above, assisting men experiencing homelessness with resume preparation and job applications.

Additionally, Jordan served on the Roof Above Board and helped launch Fortitude, a weekly workout for Shelter Guests through F3. Jordan also served on F3's West Charlotte expansion team, whose mission was to plant and grow a workout in an historically disadvantaged community, to serve as a conduit for the flow of social capital from more affluent parts of Charlotte.

Click here for more information about Jordan.
Christopher L. "Chris" Burti

Christopher L. "Chris" Burti is Vice President & Senior Legal Counsel at Statewide Title, Inc in Farmville. After fifteen years in private practice he left the law firm of Lewis & Burti in 1994 to join Statewide Title Inc. Chris concentrated his practice in the areas of Commercial Real Estate, Residential Real Estate and Governmental Law. As counsel for Statewide Title Inc., Chris works with attorneys across the State in resolving complex legal issues in residential, governmental and commercial transactions involving real property. He is active in providing input and advice on drafting legislation to increase certainty in land records, mortgage lending and to correct problems affecting real property.

Chris is the principal course planner and speaker for continuing legal education seminars for Statewide Title Inc., and has been a CLE presenter for the North Carolina Bar Association, The North Carolina Land Title Association, The University of North Carolina School of Law, Wake Forest University School of Law, Professional Educational Systems, Inc., the North Carolina Municipal Attorneys Association and other professional associations. He is the principal author on the topic of Real Property Law for the Statewide Title Inc. Newsletter and Legal Memorandum. These articles have been frequently reprinted in other legal journals.

Chris is a Past President of the North Carolina Land Title Association and has served for two terms as its General Counsel. He has previously served on the North Carolina Bar Association Real Property Section Council, the North Carolina Bar Association Board of Governors, on its Executive Committee, as Chair of the Senior Lawyers Division and on the Transitioning Lawyers Commission.

Chris earned a B.S. in Management from East Carolina University and his J.D. from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Law.

Click here for more information about Chris.
Charles S. "Charlie" Carter

Charles S. "Charlie" Carter is a partner at Earth & Water Law in Raleigh. He has represented clients in environmental regulatory and litigation matters before state, federal and local agencies. He has over 40 years of experience in the practice of environmental law with major national law firms and serving in senior leadership government roles on environmental regulatory matters spanning four decades. Significant matters include the landmark United States Supreme Court administrative law case, Chevron v. NRDC, the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce on EPA's NOx SIP Call, and the West Virginia Manufacturers Association on Clean Air Act Section 126 cases.

Prior to returning to North Carolina private practice, Charlie served for nearly 10 years at the U.S. EPA in Washington, D.C., where he was Associate Director of the Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations, Assistant General Counsel in the Office of General Counsel, and Chief of OGC's National Standards Branch. Prior to his service at the U.S. EPA, Charlie served as staff environmental attorney for Duke Power Company and Environmental Law Advisor for the Edison Electric Institute.

In July 2021, Charlie was appointed to a third 4-year term on the North Carolina Environmental Management Commission, the agency that establishes rules and policy for the State's air, water, and waste resources. The Commission is a 15-member group of citizens appointed by the Governor and General Assembly.

Charlie is a member of the bars of North Carolina, the District of Columbia, United States Supreme Court, the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the District of Columbia and Fourth Circuits, and U.S. District Courts for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of North Carolina and the District of Columbia.

Charlie has been selected by his peers for inclusion by The Best Lawyers in America in Environmental Law for twenty years.

Charlie earned his B.S in Engineering, majoring in Electrical Engineering, from Duke University and his J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law. Prior to law school, Charlie served as a Design Engineer for the SperryRand Corporation.

Click here for more information about Charlie.
Kearns Davis

Kearns Davis is a partner at Brooks Pierce McLendon Humphrey & Leonard LLP in Greensboro. Kearns is an acclaimed courtroom advocate, a veteran of both high-profile cases and sensitive matters resolved confidentially. A former federal prosecutor and a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, he has tried jury cases at all levels of federal and North Carolina trial courts, and he represents clients in U.S. trial and appellate courts across the country. His clients have included public companies, private businesses, elected officials of both major parties, Hall of Fame athletes, Division I coaches, corporate executives, and professionals including doctors, accountants, professors, and numerous lawyers and law firms.

Kearns founded the firm's white-collar defense and investigations practice in 2007. Among his most notable cases, Kearns represented a Division I coach in Operation Varsity Blues, the nationwide college-admissions investigation, obtaining for his client the government's only agreement in those cases to dismiss all charges against a defendant. He successfully defended a former member of Congress against bribery and false statement charges.

Kearns served as president of the North Carolina Bar Association in 2016-17. He also served as Chair of the Criminal Justice Section, as Chair of the Young Lawyers Division, and as a frequent speaker on federal criminal and litigation practice.

Kearns earned his B.A., with honors in History, from Davidson College, his M.A. from Duke University and his J.D., with honors, from University of North Carolina School of Law, where he was the Managing Editor of the North Carolina Law Review.

Click here for more information about Kearns.
Denaa J. Griffin

Denaa J. Griffin is an associate at Jackson Lewis PC in Raleigh. Her practice focuses on representing employers in workplace law matters, including pre-litigation claims and litigation, as well as providing preventive advice and counseling.

An experienced litigator, Denaa represents clients in state court, federal court, arbitration, and administrative tribunals. Denaa defends employers and managers in a broad range of employment litigation, including harassment, discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination, leaves of absence, failure to provide reasonable accommodations, and wage and hour lawsuits. She is proficient in leading complex e-discovery projects, including working with vendors, designing document review protocols and quality control measures, and overseeing document production processes.

Denaa also advises managers and supervisors on preventive litigation practices, focusing on how to comply with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, and implementing best practices to avoid workplace disputes and resolve employee relations problems.

Denaa served as law clerk to the Honorable Cheri L. Beasley of the Supreme Court of North Carolina after graduating from law school, supervising her chambers, overseeing her summer clerk program, and training incoming law clerks. Denaa brings a distinct understanding of holistic case analysis and investigation which allows for multidimensional problem solving and advocacy.

Denaa earned her B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her J.D. from North Carolina Central University School of Law.

Click here for more information about Denaa.
Mark J. Hale Jr.

Mark J. Hale Jr. is a member of Baddour Parker Hine & Hale PC in Goldsboro. He concentrates his practice in estate planning and probate, wills and trusts, guardianships, corporate and business matters and taxation. He is the Wayne County Public Administrator and Public Guardian. He is a Board-Certified Specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Law.

Mark is currently a member of the North Carolina Bar Association's Estate Planning and Fiduciary Law section. Other NCBA activities include previously serving as the Editor of the Will and the Way and Chair of the Newsletter Committee, current Chair of the Task Force with NC Clerks of Court, and a member of legislative committee where he is currently Co-Chair of the electronic wills subcommittee.

Mark graduated from North Carolina State University with a B.A. in Chemistry. He earned his J.D. from Campbell University School of Law. Following law school, Mark spent a year in Miami, FL, where he earned his LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Miami School of Law.

Click here for more information about Mark.
Emily C. Jeske

Emily C. Jeske is an attorney with Bosquez Porter Family Law in Raleigh. She focuses her practice exclusively in the areas of family and domestic issues, with particular interest in high-conflict child custody, 50B and 50C cases, and child support.

Emily has been recognized for her work in family law in Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch; as a Rising Star by North Carolina Super Lawyers; and as a Legal Elite "Young Gun" by Business North Carolina. She is also the co-chair of the social committee for the family law section of the North Carolina Bar Association and a member of the Wake County Bar Association.

Emily earned her B.S., magna cum laude, in Psychology and Sociology from Furman University and her J.D., cum laude, from Wake Forest University School of Law, receiving membership in the Order of the Coif..

Click here for more information about Emily.
Linda Funke Johnson

Linda Funke Johnson is the managing attorney of Senter Stephenson Johnson PA in Fuquay-Varina. Her principal areas of practice are Estate Planning, Probate, Real Property and Guardianship.

Linda is a Board Member of the North Carolina Bar Association Board of Governors (2019-2022), member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Governors (2021-2022) and a member of the Elder Law Section, Estate Planning and Fiduciary Law Section, and Real Property Section of the North Carolina Bar Association. She is formerly the Chair of the Estate Planning and Fiduciary Law Section (2017-2018), Co-Chair of the Legislative Committee of the same section (2015-2017), and Chair of the North Carolina State Bar Legal Specialization Committee, Estate Planning and Probate Law.

Linda earned her Specialization designation in 2007 and became a Fellow, American College of Trust and Estate Counsel in 2018. She is previously a Co-Editor of two of her sections' publications, The Will and the Way and North Carolina Estate Administration Manual, Supplemented Sixth Edition (2006/2008).

Linda is licensed to practice law in North Carolina, Hawaii and Connecticut. She earned her B.S. from Fairfield University and her J.D. from Quinnipiac College School of Law.

Click here for more information about Linda.
Jason A. McGrath

Jason A. McGrath is a partner and attorney at McGrath and Spielberger PLLC in Charlotte. He provides services in numerous areas of the law including, but is not limited to, business law, business formation, business litigation, trademarks, and contracts; mortgage matters such as mortgage loan modification and relief, mortgage foreclosures, and mortgage disputes; debt, credit, collections and FDCPA; employment law; wills; and general practice.

Jason has been practicing law continuously since 1996. He spent five (5) years as an "assistant DA", and was consistently near the top with regard to the number of trials completed and the percentage of trials won. After being recruited into a highly rated private firm, Jason was promoted and named managing partner of one of the firm's offices. In 2009, he started his own firm.

Jason has tried over 100 cases to completion, has prepared over 10,000 legal documents for clients, has participated in thousands of depositions (including hundreds of expert depositions), and has represented the public, private individuals, and businesses.

Jason earned his B.S. in Political Science and International Affairs, and a minor in Spanish, from Florida State University and his J.D. from Florida State University College of Law.

In law school, Jason was part of a two person Moot Court team which won a National Moot Court Competition in Beverly Hills, CA. During his undergraduate years, he was a member and officer in the Sigma Chi fraternity. He was admitted into Florida State University's Honors Program and attended Florida State on various scholarships, including a National Merit Scholarship.

Click here for more information about Jason.
Philip J. Mohr

Philip J. Mohr is a partner at Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP in Greensboro as a trial lawyer. Although he searches for creative legal and business solutions for his clients, his more than two decades of trial experience for publicly-traded corporations, privately-held companies, and middle-market international businesses in federal courts and arbitration proceedings throughout the country has taught him that some cases simply have to be tried to verdict.

Representing companies that have both been wronged and accused of wrongdoing, Phil has honed his trial skills in cases involving complex business litigation (including fraudulent transfer and equitable subordination cases in the Delaware bankruptcy court), commercial torts (e.g., unfair trade practices, fraud, trade secrets theft, etc.), cybersecurity/data breach matters, and shareholder derivative suits. Phil also authors the North Carolina Business Court Report, a blog discussing how recent decisions from the North Carolina Business Court impact companies doing business in North Carolina.

Phil earned his B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Notre Dame and his J.D., cum laude, from Notre Dame Law School.

Click here for more information about Phil.
Sharon D. Nelson

Sharon D. Nelson is the President of Sensei Enterprises Inc. in Fairfax, VA, a national digital forensics, cybersecurity and information technology firm.

Sharon is the author of the noted electronic evidence, cybersecurity and future of law blog, Ride the Lightning and is a co-host of the Legal Talk Network podcast series called "The Digital Edge: Lawyers and Technology" as well as "Digital Detectives." She is a frequent author (eighteen books published by the ABA and hundreds of articles) and speaker on legal technology, cybersecurity and electronic evidence topics. She was the President of the Virginia State Bar June 2013 – June 2014 and a past President of the Fairfax Law Foundation and the Fairfax Bar Association.

Sharon became Chair of the American Bar Association Law Practice Divisions Professional Development Board in August 2015 and served as the former Chair of its Publishing Board. She served three years on the ABA's Cybersecurity Legal Task Force and has served on the ABA's Standing Committee on Technology and Information Systems since 2012. From 2012-2014, she served in the ABA's House of Delegates. She was inducted into the College of Law Practice Management in 2014. She is also a graduate of Leadership Fairfax, a past chair of the American Bar Association's TECHSHOW, the Chair of VSB TECHSHOW 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, and Co-Chair 2019, and served for many years on the Virginia State Bar Governing Council and on its Executive Committee, on its Standing Committee on Budget and Finance, and was the former Chair of the Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee. She was Chair of the Virginia State Bar's Future of Law Practice Committee and its Better Annual Meeting Committee (2016-2019). She served on the Virginia State Bar's President's Committee on Lawyer Wellness (2018-2019). She is a member of the Virginia Women's Attorneys Association, the Virginia Bar Association, the Virginia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Virginia Trial Lawyers' Association.

She is a co-author of The 2008-2020 Solo and Small Firm Legal Technology Guides (American Bar Association, 2008-2020), Locked Down: Practical Information Security for Lawyers (American Bar Association, 2016), Encryption Made Simple for Lawyers (American Bar Association, 2015), Locked Down: Information Security for Lawyers (American Bar Association, 2012), The Electronic Evidence and Discovery Handbook: Forms, Checklists and Guidelines (American Bar Association, 2006) and Information Security for Lawyers and Law Firms (American Bar Association, 2006), as well as How Good Lawyers Survive Bad Times (ABA, 2009).

Sharon graduated from Georgetown University Law Center and has been in private practice ever since, now focusing on cybersecurity, data privacy and related ethical issues.

Click here for more information about Sharon.
Meredith J. Parker

Meredith J. Parker is a family law attorney with Charles R. Ullman & Associates PLLC in Raleigh. She focuses her practice exclusively on family law matters in Wake County, including separation, divorce, child custody, child support, alimony, property distribution, domestic violence, premarital agreements, separation and property settlement agreements, and grandparents' custody rights.

Although she quickly discovered her passion for family law while clerking for a local family law firm during law school, Meredith also interned with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and clerked for Wake County District Court Judge Jefferson Griffin. In addition to her understanding of family law, Meredith's experience in diverse areas of the law has equipped her with the necessary skills and instincts to handle a wide range of legal challenges.

Meredith is a member of the Wake County Bar Association and the Family Law Section of the North Carolina Bar Association.

Meredith received her B.A. in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and earned her J.D. from Campbell University School of Law. During law school, Meredith honed her advocacy skills by representing domestic violence survivors through the Domestic Violence Advocacy Project. She went on to serve as the Project Coordinator.

Click here for more information about Meredith.
Jan E. Pritchett

Jan E. Pritchett is a managing partner/trial attorney at Schlosser & Pritchett in Greensboro. He is a former Assistant District Attorney who has been practicing law in North Carolina since 1995. He always fights hard to get justice for his clients — whether they are up against our complex, confusing, and opportunistic criminal justice system or battling giant corporations who have wronged them.

Over the course of his career, Jan has built a track record of successful outcomes for his clients and been recognized by countless professional legal organizations, including receiving multiple awards from Charlotte Magazine, Super Lawyers, The National Advocacy of DUI Defense, and others.

Jan takes his chosen profession very seriously and works to stay abreast of the latest changes in the laws by maintaining memberships in a variety of professional associations and serving on the North Carolina Bar Association Board of Governors. He is a Board-Certified Specialist in both State and Federal Criminal Law. Jan is also a member of the Greensboro Criminal Defense Association.

Jan earned his B.A., cum laude, from Winston-Salem State University and his J.D. from Southern University Law Center.

Click here for more information about Jan.
Brian C. Shaw

Brian C. Shaw is a partner at Poyner Spruill LLP in Raleigh. He has extensive education law experience and provides counsel to public school systems throughout the State. Brian is also an Adjunct Professor at the Norman A. Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University.

Brian is a Past Chair of the Education Law Section of the North Carolina Bar Association and has served on the Board of Directors of the National Council of School Attorneys. He is a member of the North Carolina Council of School Attorneys and the National Council of School Attorneys. He is a frequent speaker at the district, state and national level on many different topics dealing with education law.

After serving as law clerk for the Honorable Edward J. Schwartz, Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court in San Diego, California, and graduate work at Oxford University in England, Brian joined the law firm of Jensen Baird Gardner & Henry in Portland Maine, where he served as Chairman of the Education Law Department. In 1993, he joined then Richard A. Schwartz & Associates, became Partner in 1997, and the law firm changed its name to Schwartz & Shaw PLLC.

Brian graduated cum laude in 1976 from Harvard College, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and received his J.D. degree, cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 1980.

Click here for more information about Brian.
John W. Simek

John W. Simek the Vice-President of Sensei Enterprises Inc. in Fairfax, VA. Sensei is a national managed IT service provider, digital forensics and managed cybersecurity firm. He currently provides information technology support to hundreds of Washington D.C. area law firms, legal entities and corporations. He has a national reputation as a digital forensics technologist and has testified as an expert witness throughout the United States.

John holds the prestigious Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and EnCase Certified Examiner (EnCE) certifications. He is also a Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), Certified Handheld Examiner, Certified Novell Engineer, Microsoft Certified Professional + Internet, Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, NT Certified Independent Professional, and a Certified Internetwork Professional.

John is a co-host of the Legal Talk Network podcast "Digital Detectives", with Sharon Nelson, and a co-author of Locked Down: Practical Information for Lawyers 2nd Edition (American Bar Association, 2016), Encryption Made Simple for Lawyers (American Bar Association, 2015), Locked Down: Information Security for Lawyers (American Bar Association, 2012), The Electronic Evidence and Discovery Handbook: Forms, Checklists and Guidelines (American Bar Association, 2006), Information Security for Lawyers and Law Firms (American Bar Association, 2006), The 2008-2020 Solo and Small Firm Legal Technology Guides (American Bar Association, 2008-2020) and a contributing author of eDiscovery, 3rd Edition (Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2014). He is a frequent author and speaker on cybersecurity, legal technology and electronic evidence throughout the country.

John earned a degree in engineering from the United States Merchant Marine Academy and an M.B.A. in Finance from Saint Joseph's University.

Click here for more information about John.
Laura J. Wetsch

Laura J. Wetsch is a partner in the Raleigh firm of Winslow Wetsch PLLC. She is the author of A Practitioner's Guide to North Carolina Employment Law, and co-author of the North Carolina chapter in the ABA's Employment at Will: A State-By-State Survey.

Laura has previously served as the Chair of the NCBA Labor & Employment Law Section, and the Chair of the NCAJ Employment Law Section, and has been named to Best Lawyers in America, N.C. Super Lawyers, N.C. Super Lawyers' Top 50 Women Lawyers, and N.C. Legal Elite.

Laura was born in Fargo, ND, raised in Minot and Bismarck, ND, married a guy from Killdeer, ND, and graduated from the University of North Dakota School of Law in 1985 – in that order. After law school she was a federal law clerk and then practiced law in North Dakota until 1991 when she and her family moved to North Carolina (the other Great North State).

Click here for more information about Laura.

Thank you

Description

Contributors

Jordan Abshire

Christopher L. "Chris" Burti

Charles S. "Charlie" Carter

Kearns Davis

Denaa J. Griffin

Mark J. Hale Jr.

Emily C. Jeske

Linda Funke Johnson

Jason A. McGrath

Philip J. Mohr

Sharon D. Nelson

Meredith J. Parker

Jan E. Pritchett

Brian C. Shaw

John W. Simek

Laura J. Wetsch