08/01/2024 |
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm Mountain Bike Trail Ride
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4:00 pm - 5:30 pm New Lawyer Greeting Party
Sarah Andrzejcak Buchalter

Matt W. Cecil Sutton | Booker
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6:30 pm - 9:00 pm Thursday Night Opening Reception
New Mexico History Museum and Palace of the Govenors |
08/02/2024 |
7:00 am - 8:00 am Breakfast
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8:00 am - 8:30 am Welcome & Announcements
Robert Hinckley, Jr. Buchalter
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8:30 am - 9:30 am Our AI Future and the Law - Jonathan Brill
Jonathan Brill is an expert on strategic foresight and technology innovation. He writes, speaks and advises startups, the Fortune 50 and the Secret Service on how to create and take advantage of uncertainty. His warm style, compelling stories, and intellectual rigor inspire visionaries and open even the most hard-boiled executives to new ways of thinking and doing. Jonathan Brill, Business Futurist CV
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9:30 am - 10:20 am Please Don't Silence Your Cell Phones: Effective Trial Techniques in the Tech Age
Judge Susan Blanco and Judge Jon Olafson will discuss effective storytelling in the courtroom and some common problems with storytelling they have encountered. They will address the incorporation of technology with effective storytelling to best reach modern jurors, and speak to some common fears associated with using technology in the courtroom. Susan Blanco 8th Judicial District Chief Judge

Jon J. Olafson 2nd Judicial District Court Judge

Kirk Whitehead Martinez, Dieterich & Zarcone Legal Group CV
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9:30 am - 10:20 am Insurance Bad Faith Update
Workshop Materials Workshop Materials Workshop Materials Workshop Materials Workshop Materials Workshop Materials Workshop Materials Workshop Materials Workshop Materials Workshop Materials Katherine K Kust Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani CV

Rebecca K. Wagner Campbell, Wagner and Frazier, LLC CV

Sandy Eloranto Sutton | Booker CV
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10:20 am - 10:30 am Break
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10:30 am - 11:25 am Presenting Your Case In A Bench Trial: Lessons from the Perspective of the Trier of Fact
Workshop Materials Many attorneys mistakenly approach a bench trial like a jury trial. But successful attorneys know that a bench trial must be prepared for and presented very differently than a jury trial. In November 2023, Denver District Court Judge Sarah B. Wallace presided over the most watched and consequential bench trial in Colorado history – Anderson, et al. v. Griswold, et al. (a/k/a the case to keep former President Donald J. Trump off the Colorado primary ballot). Judge Wallace will provide tips and tactics, as well as some cautionary tales, to help you persuade the court at your next bench trial. Topics will include pre-trial briefing, tailoring your opening statement and closing argument, evidence and objections, and what not to do in a bench trial that you might normally do in a jury trial. Sarah B Wallace Sarah B. Wallace - 2nd Judicial District Court Judge

Billy-George Hertzke SGR, LLC
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11:30 am - 12:20 am Whiplash! Keeping Up with the Ever-Changing Landscape of Employment Law
Melisa Panagakos Jackson Lewis

Meredith L McDonald O'Hagan Meyer
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11:30 am - 12:20 am Is Your Court Reporter a Robot?
Workshop Materials Is Your Court Reporter a Robot?: it’s a one-hour discussion of the introduction of artificial intelligence to the court reporting industry. The presentation starts with an analysis of the history of court, reporting, including pin writers, stenographers, voice, writers, digital reporters, and ultimately artificial intelligence assisted reporting, I’ll also include a discussion of overall trend in artificial intelligence, and what limitations and standards lawyers need to set for their introduction into litigation. This will also include a 10-minute demo of CaseTestify, the AI platform. Mike McDonner, President, Pike Reporting Company Pike Reporting CV
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11:30 am - 12:20 am Best Practices for Preserving Trial Issues for Appeal
Workshop Materials A review of case law and helpful tools in terms of preserving appellate issues related to making objections, motions practice, pretrial motions, jury selection, jury instructions, and motions for directed verdict. Gillian Fahlsing, Senior Assistant City Attorney Aurora City Attorney’s Office Civil Division – Litigation Unit

Eric Ziporin SGR, LLC
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12:30 am - 1:30 pm Lunch and Learn - Case Law Update
Workshop Materials Jeffrey C Ruebel Ruebel & Quillen
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1:35 pm - 2:25 pm Current Trends in Workers’ Compensation Penalties
Workshop Materials Workshop Materials JP Moon, Senior Assistant City Attorney City and County of Denver CV
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1:35 pm - 2:25 pm Evaluating Personal Injuries: Considerations from Construction Codes/Standards and Human Factors Perspectives - Young Bui, Nathan Mayercsik, Exponent and Ashley Larson, Sutton Booker
Workshop Materials When encountering a premises case (i.e., trip/slip and fall), the primary focus is often on the relevant codes/standards. Though important, that approach can be limited in explaining why the fall event occurred. And while there are various disciplines that can help assess how and/or why a fall event occurred, human factors can uniquely provide an understanding of whether a given fall incident can be explained by typical human behavior, which in turn is informed by a wealth of scientific studies. This presentation will discuss the visual perceptual cues, looking behavior, and avoidance responses that not only help pedestrians safely navigate their physical environment, but also aid in predicting the likelihood of a fall event. We will also address issues related to codes and warnings that are often seen in these types of cases, as well as common claims made by experts in relation to human factors. Young Bui, Ph.D., Psychology, Washington University in St. Louis, 2015 Exponent CV

Nathan Mayercsik, Ph.D., Civil Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2015 Exponent CV

Ashley R Larson Sutton Booker
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1:35 pm - 2:25 pm Your Changing World - Transitioning from New Lawyer to Seasoned Litigator
Workshop Materials Join our panel of young associates and partners discuss tips and tricks for new attorneys to get ahead at work, navigate age and experience gaps, and become a better lawyer. Sarah Andrzejcak Buchalter

Matt W. Cecil Sutton | Booker

Emily Miller Nathan Dumm & Mayer
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2:25 pm - 2:35 pm Break
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2:35 pm - 3:25 pm A Brief History of AI
I. What Is Artificial Intelligence
II. A Brief History of Linguistics and Artificial Intelligence
? Turing and Chomsky’s Early Contributions
III. Narrow v. General AI
? Deep Blue v. Gary Kasparov (1997)
? Alpha Go (2017)
IV. Large Language Models (LLM) and Neural Networks
? Attention is All You Need (2017)
V. Creating Generative AI
? What is a Generative Pretrained Transformer (GPT)
VI. A Discussion of AI Tools and Capabilities
? Open AI’s ChatGPT 4
? Anthropic’s Claude
? Facebook’s Llama 3
VII. Risks Associated with Using Generative AI as a Lawyer
? J. Castle – Order re: Mata v. Avianca (NY)
? People v. Zachariah Crabill – 23PDJ067
VIII. Ethical Obligations
? ABA Rule 1.1 – Competent Representation
? ABA Rule 1.3 – Reasonable Diligence
? ABA Rule 1.6 – Confidentiality
? Rule 3.3 – Candor to the Court
? Rule 8.4 – Misconduct
IX. Predictions for Generative AI in Business and Law
X. Business Use Cases For Attorneys and Law Practices
XI. Questions
Daniel Pietragallo Senior Assistant Attorney General at the Colorado Attorney General
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3:25 pm - 4:15 pm EDI - Diversity in the Law: Persons with Disabilities
Workshop Materials This session will provide an overview of the Americans with Disabilities Act, discuss the four models of disability, highlight skills and traits that lawyers with disabilities bring to the workplace, give an update on the formation of the Colorado Disability Bar Association, and report on the Colorado judiciary’s efforts to diversity the bench Sueanna P Johnson Colorado Court of Appeals
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6:00 pm - 9:00 am Friday Night Soiree - Convention Center
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08/03/2024 |
7:00 am - 8:00 am Breakfast
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8:00 am - 8:10 am Welcome & Announcements
Robert Hinckley, Jr. Buchalter
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8:10 am - 9:00 am Growing Up With Heroes: A Daughter’s Journey with the Navajo Code Talkers
Zonnie Gorman CV
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9:00 am - 9:50 am Judges Panel - Susan Blanco, LaQunya Baker, Andrew Luxen, Jon Olafson, Sarah Wallace, Sueanna Johnson
Susan Blanco 8th Judicial District Chief Judge

Jon J. Olafson 2nd Judicial District Court Judge

Sarah B Wallace Sarah B. Wallace - 2nd Judicial District Court Judge

Sueanna P Johnson Colorado Court of Appeals

LaQunya Baker 18th Judicial District Judge

Andrew Luxen 2nd Judicial District Court Judge
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9:50 am - 10:00 am Break
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10:00 am - 10:50 am The Trump Trial – Defending Racketeering Cases in a Civil Environment
Michael Melito Melito Law LLC
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11:00 am - 11:50 am Beat the Drum for Justice: How the 19th Century Supreme Court Shaped Racial Issues in the 21st Century.
Workshop Materials A historical examination of racial injustice in America and the hope created by emancipation, the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments, and Reconstruction. Our speaker will explore the demise of Reconstruction, with an emphasis on the Supreme Court cases that failed to protect the rights embodied in the War Amendments, leading to Jim Crow, segregation, and the racial issues we have today. Hon. Christopher Cross, Retired JAMS
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11:00 am - 11:50 am Top 5 Appellate Tips for Civil Practitioners
Workshop Materials During this presentation, Judge Johnson and Fred Yarger will discuss top tips for a successful appeal, including the importance of appellate standards of review, effective writing, and tips for a winning oral argument. Sueanna P Johnson Colorado Court of Appeals

Fred Yarger Wheeler Trigg O'Donnell
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11:00 am - 11:50 am Impacting Your Case with ESI & Cellular Investigations
Attorneys will learn why ESI and cellular analysis is important. Vestige will go over a cellular tower case study, showing how location data can be used, along with the process of collecting email and cloud accounts. The presentation will also cover the volatility of electronic evidence and the need to collect it, as soon as possible. A demonstration on location mapping from social media applications is also included. Chris Mammarella, EnCE, Senior Forensic Analyst CV
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12:00 am - 1:20 pm Lunch & Learn: Legislative Update
Recent legislation has aimed to change the practice of construction litigation in our state. While some legislators have focused on expanding the rights of homeowners, other legislators are pushing to protect the construction industry. Come hear what is happening under the dome and how the practice of construction defect litigation is being directly affected. Melissa A Ogburn Montgomery | Amatuzio CV

Adam M Royval Messner Reeves
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1:25 pm - 2:15 pm How Legislation is Changing the Construction Defect Practice
Melissa A Ogburn Montgomery | Amatuzio CV

Adam M Royval Messner Reeves
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1:25 pm - 2:15 pm Finding, Retaining, and Working with Expert Witnesses
Rachel T. Jennings Sutton | Booker

Christopher Unger American Family Insurance CV
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1:25 pm - 2:15 pm AI Powered Legal Tools Transforming the Practice of Law
Workshop Materials Juliette Faraone, Prompt Engineer Filevine
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2:20 pm - 2:50 pm Vendor Raffle Drawing
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2:50 pm - 3:40 pm War Stories
Workshop Materials Jeffrey C Ruebel Ruebel & Quillen

Brendan O Powers Spies Powers & Robinson
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