For any local-government attorney interested in attending a worthwhile conference focused on appellate practice, I highly recommend the Appellate Judges Education Institute 2013 Summit to be held November 14-17 in San Diego. Here’s a summary of highlights of this year’s meeting:
Highlights will include conversations with Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the United States Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli, Jr. and the Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court, Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye. The programs put together by the Council are designed to meet the needs of lawyers of varying experience, including people who are highly experienced. Those programs include a program on ethics by Douglas Richmond who is highly entertaining and focuses on specific appellate ethics problems. The program on handling difficult oral arguments is designed to move beyond the basics of oral argument and focus on tough problems which can occur during oral argument. Our writing program will also be different because it will be dealing with how to be an effective editor and rewriter of briefs prepared by others. We are also doing a program on standards of review which will not merely cover the importance of review, but how to deal with the standards strategically. When they are either for or against you. Finally, a practical program on business development will be on hiring outside appellate counsel with the speakers from well-known corporations who actually do hire appellate counsel.