TODAY at 2:00-3:30 pm EDT, DRI's Climate Change Litigation Task Force will present a webcast regarding Supreme Court arguments in the landmark public nuisance case American Electric Power, et al v Connecticut, et al (10-174) ("AEP").  Interested parties can register on the DRI website.

Summary of presentation:

On Tuesday, April 19, 2011, the United States Supreme Court heard arguments in American Electric Power, et al v Connecticut, et al (10-174) ("AEP"), a case filed by eight states, one city and three land trusts seeking an order requiring five of the nation's largest coal-fired power producers to reduce their emissions for at least a decade.  The suit claims that the defendants' carbon dioxide emissions constitute a public nuisance under federal common law because they contribute to global warming, which in turn causes the climate to change, which ultimately results in damage to the plaintiffs' land and endangers the public welfare. The case was originally dismissed as presenting a non-justiciable political question, but this decision was subsequently reversed on appeal.

On Tuesday, the power company petitioners - who were supported by dozens of amicus filers, including DRI - urged the Supreme Court to overturn the appellate decision, not only on political question grounds, but also matters of standing, displacement and common law. In sum, the Court was told that a decision affirming the circuit court holding would violate the separation of powers and result in a devastating new mass tort that would forever change the way energy is produced, priced and supplied in this country.  Oral arguments provided few hints about how the Court will rule.

This webcast will cover the history of the litigation, the context in which the case is being decided, arguments before the court, and potential outcomes. Anyone who is or represents a member of the energy and/or manufacturing industries is encouraged to attend.

Today the U.S. Supreme Court will hear argument in Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Dukes, the largest employment class action in American history.  The Court’s decision will address the standards for certifying a nationwide class action and when a class action for monetary relief can be certified as a mandatory, non opt-out class.

The debate has already begun on the arguments to be made today and what the likely outcomes will be.  DRI has joined the debate, and will provide post-oral argument reaction and commentary in an April 5, 2011, web cast entitled "Reaction to Oral Argument in Wal-Mart v. Dukes.”  The two presenters are dynamite:  Carter G. Phillips, Managing Partner of the Washington D.C. office of Sidley Austin LLP and a frequent Supreme Court advocate, wrote the DRI amicus brief in the Dukes case; and Professor Martin H. Redish, an esteemed law professor at Northwestern University School of Law, has written extensively on class actions.
 
For DRI members like us, it’s only $150 - and that is per site, not per person. For complete details, you can download the brochure.  Also, to make it easy, if you want to register, click here. 

The impact on law practice of the evolving internet is an increasing challenge for law firm managers who are responsible for training and supervising lawyers and staff.  The web permits researching facts and law, marketing our practices, and keeping in touch with colleagues and clients.  Yet whether marketing information about a law firm is circulated traditionally through printed brochures and directory listings, or electronically on a web page or in emails, the information must be accurate and not contain misrepresentations.  When communications about clients’ cases occur electronically, they must be secure and preserve confidences.  Statements made in personal conversations about adversaries, their clients, or judicial officers can result in embarrassment or even discipline if disseminated through web postings or email traffic that is republished to others.  Obtaining information about an adverse party represented by counsel may be inappropriate where an attorney or staff member of a law firm obtains information through use of a pretext, or by assuming an identify that is not accurate in order to induce the adverse party to disclose information.  These are new considerations which managers must consider and make known to law firm colleagues. 

Have you begun engagement strategies through the use of social media in your firm? What platforms (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter) have you found to be most successful?  DRI addresses social media issues in the current issue of For the Defense and in the upcoming Webcast on September 16, Twitter and Facebook and MySpace, Oh My: New Rules for New Technology, presented by DRI’s Public Policy, Technology and Law Practice Management Committees.

Achieve Your Poker Face: Tips for Successful Mediation
Thursday, May 6, 2010
1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Central

In today's litigation environment, the overwhelming majority of cases are resolved in mediation. Additionally, many courts, including appellate courts, order mediation regardless of whether the parties feel it will be beneficial. Thus, learning how to handle a mediation and knowing when to mediate a case are just as important as learning how to try a case. DRI's webcast Achieve Your Poker Face: Tips for Successful Mediation will provide tips and practice pointers for achieving a successful mediation. The speakers will address key issues relating to mediation, such as creative strategies for getting a case resolved, how to handle the client's expectations, and how to pick the right mediator. Register today!

What You Will Learn:

*When a case should be mediated
*How to evaluate and select a mediator
*How to handle mediation

Webcast Registration Fees - One Price Per Site! As a DRI member, your entire office can watch this live webcast and receive CLE for only $150. The more office locations that register, the greater the discount to your firm!

Take advantage of these attractive registration discounts:

1-5 offices
Regular price per site/office

6-10 offices
$20 off registration fee per site/office

11+ offices
$25 off registration fee per site/office

Register now or visit www.DRI.org for more information.

I'm pleased to announce that DRI's Public Policy and Technology Committees will present an intriguing and fascinating webcast on October 1, 2009 discussing how to grow your practice using the Internet. Web 2.0 has grown exponentially and all attorneys must know how and why it works. The program will review such tools as the DRI website and its blog, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and other vehicles to market and enhance your practice. The details on the program should be published fairly soon. Look for the information and make sure you sign up.

The Technology Committee is presenting a webcast entitled “Expanding Your Reach – How to Use Technology to Increase Productivity Outside of the Traditional Office.”  The webcast is scheduled for Tuesday, September 22, beginning at 1:30 p.m. CST.  Registration and Continuing Legal Education information will be available soon. 

New technology presents the opportunity to have access to more information from more locations more quickly.  The benefits of this technology are wide-ranging, from allowing attorneys who frequently travel to stay connected with their clients, to having a virtual office outside a courtroom during trial, to allowing firms to offer non-traditional work arrangements to both keep good employees and reduce their office overhead.  This webcast will give you the opportunity to learn how to maximize your IT dollar and to leverage the technology you have for purposes beyond merely the traditional.  Whether you are thinking about maternity leave, a lawyer with a heavy travel schedule, or just about to take that much needed vacation, this webcast will teach you what you need to know to stay "in the know" while you are away from your desk.  

This webcast is designed for lawyers who want to maximize productivity within their firm and use technology to help retain talented employees, for lawyers who frequently travel as a part of their practice, for lawyers who are contemplating non-traditional work arrangements, such as telecommuting, and anyone else who is interested in learning different ways to use new technology to work more efficiently.

The webcast will be presented by Cynthia P. Arends and Courtney E. Ward-Richard of Halleland Lewis Nilan & Johnson, P.A., in Minneapolis, and will address:

·        How the use of PDAs and other devices can assist in managing work away from the office.

·        The role home offices and telecommuting can play in increasing the efficiency of time and improving work/life balance.

·        How to use technology to set up a virtual office during out-of-town trials.

·        The emergence of new technologies, such as videoconferencing, to increase productivity when outside of the office. 

·        How to attract and keep valuable women attorneys without sacrificing client service.

Registration and CLE information will be available soon at DRI’s Webcasts page.