8:55 Welcome and Introductions
9:00 Keynote Address*
Judge Robert J. Conrad Jr., U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, Charlotte
Hear from a prominent United States District Court judge, who models professionalism, as he speaks on the importance of professionalism in the practice of law in North Carolina.
10:04 Attorney Conduct and Discipline Panel*
Gill P. Beck, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of North Carolina, Asheville (Moderator)
Crystal Carlisle, Brocker Law Firm, Raleigh
Leanor B. Hodge, North Carolina State Bar, Raleigh
F. Lane Williamson, Tin Fulton Walker & Owen, Charlotte
Explore the current trends and developing issues in attorney conduct and discipline from three perspectives: (1) prosecuting disciplinary complaints, (2) defending disciplinary complaints, and (3) presiding over disciplinary cases.
11:07 Break
11:17 Perspectives on Professional Identity Formation: From Law Schools to Legal Practice
Melissa Essary, Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law, Raleigh
B. Keith Faulkner, Appalachian School of Law, Grundy, VA
David A. Grenardo, University of St. Thomas School of Law – Holloran Center for Ethical Leadership in the Professions, Minneapolis, MN
Tyson C. Leonhardt, Align Technology, Durham (Moderator)
Clayton Morgan, Duke Energy, Raleigh (2022–2023 North Carolina Bar Association President)
Kirk G. Warner, Smith Anderson, Raleigh
Recently, the American Bar Association has implemented revised accreditation standards that require law schools to place a greater emphasis on law students' development of a professional identity and to provide training and education on bias, cross-cultural competency and racism. These expanded requirements set the stage for law schools to be creative in developing "professional identity formation" programming that will benefit law students, clients, legal employers and the practice of law. Additionally, the revised standards provide a wonderful opportunity for law schools, legal employers, bar associations and other stakeholders in the profession to work collaboratively to create a continuum of “professional identity development' beginning in law school and continuing into and throughout practice. This panel — comprised of law professors, deans, legal employers and members of the organized bar — discusses how legal education is addressing the ABA's revised standards and how schools can work alongside the bench and bar to improve legal education and the profession.
12:30 Lunch Break
1:00 Technology in the 21st Century Practice of Law‡
Gill P. Beck, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of North Carolina, Asheville
Clara Cottrell, BASF Corporation, Research Triangle Park
Will Quick, Brooks Pierce McLendon Humphrey & Leonard LLP, Raleigh
New technology developments impact the practice of law in ways that practitioners may not fully understand, making it easier to inadvertently disclose confidential or even sealed information and creating vulnerabilities in the movement of large amounts of money and client information. This session explores the inherent dangers of technology — with a focus on cybersecurity, data privacy and security issues generally — to include consideration of shadow applications and the impact of bring your own devices (BYOD) on security. Learn how to identify and mitigate risks associated with new technologies while leveraging technology to enhance the practice of law.
2:03 A View From the Bench*
Magistrate Judge L. Patrick Auld, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, Greensboro
Justice Robert H. Edmunds Jr. (Ret.), NC Supreme Court, Greensboro
Judge Joseph Crosswhite, NC Superior Court – District 22A, Statesville
Judge Paul L. Jones (Ret.), NC Superior Court – District 8A, Kinston
Judge Debra Sasser, NC District Court – 10th Judicial District, Raleigh
Judge A. Graham Shirley II, NC Superior Court – District 10F, Raleigh
Jesse "Jay" Tillman, North Carolina Industrial Commission, Charlotte (Moderator)
Hear about the importance of professionalism from the eyes of the bench. Featuring a panel of North Carolina judges, this session discusses the importance of professionalism in the practice of law and provides insights to enhance professionalism.
3:18 Break
3:28 Professionalism and Wellness†
Robynn E. Moraites, NC Lawyer Assistance Program, Charlotte
Lawyers suffer increasingly from depression and anxiety — impairments of their own accord, but also major contributing factors to substance abuse. This session examines some of the root causes of lawyer distress and factors that the legal profession itself and lawyers' personalities contribute to these conditions. Based on the premise that "work-life balance" is a modern-day fiction, the presentation focuses on areas of life that lawyers can control in order to increase their happiness and emotional resilience, thereby promoting professionalism.
4:28 Adjourn
* Indicates portion providing Ethics/Professional Responsibility credit
† Indicates portion providing Substance Abuse/Mental Health credit
‡ Indicates portion providing Technology Training credit
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