Wineapple is an award-winning historian. Her work is widely acclaimed and instantly accessible. She begins with a question she feels hasn’t been answered in a way that satisfies her – or hasn’t been asked at all. Much of her work focuses on events and figures from our past, contextualizing them in our present. This is true of her recent book, “KEEPING THE FAITH: God, Democracy, and the Trial that Riveted America,” about the infamous Scopes monkey trial. That trial, often called “the trial of the century,” was not just a courtroom battle but a flashpoint in a broader cultural war – about science, religion, and education - that continues to reverberate in America today.

This presentation was developed to bring awareness to the many reasons why engaging your audience visually is imperative. We discuss the efficiency of visual communication, how to go about developing the demonstratives, the aspects of a case that benefit most from visual aids, and much more.

Longtime CDLA member and Amicus Committee Board member Jeffrey Ruebel returns to the stage to deliver his annual roundup of recent case law and legislative developments impacting Colorado civil defense attorneys. Always insightful and never dull, Jeff’s presentation blends substantive legal updates with his trademark (and often self-declared) sense of humor. Whether you’re there for the case citations or the comedic timing, this is a session you won’t want to miss.

Jury selection is an art and a science. Recent world events have stirred up strong feelings and potential jurors are not immune. A practitioner and a jury consultant will walk through ways to get the jury on your side by making everyone on the panel feel welcome and heard and arm you to combat common Plaintiff tactics like the Reptile Theory.

By attending a deposition skills training, a new lawyer would learn how to effectively take depositions, including a brief overview of depositions including when, why, who, how, and where; key aspects of taking a deposition; preparing for a deposition, deposition goals, and deposition outlines; and deposition style.

This session provides a comprehensive primer on cost estimating and best practices for preparing cost-of-repair estimates in litigated construction defect cases. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how cost estimates are developed, the strengths and limitations of cost databases and estimating software, and techniques for analyzing subcontractor estimates. Key distinctions between soft costs and hard costs will also be covered, along with other fundamental principles of cost estimating. In addition to technical considerations, this session will explore legal strategies for deposing cost experts, voir dire, crafting a compelling narrative for trial, and positioning for settlement. Practical scenarios and situations will be discussed to illustrate the importance of having a working knowledge of cost estimating.

By attending a deposition skills training, a new lawyer would learn how to effectively use questioning technique and understand taking and defending trial preservation depositions, Rule 30(b)(6) depositions, and expert depositions.

This session will be providing an intro to issues of legal and medical causation, and expanding into advanced issues such as “loss of chance” theories, aggravation of pre-existing conditions, and apportionment of damages when the patient has multiple injuries and comorbidities.

This program is designed to promote education and understanding of pronoun usage and gender identity both personally and in the context of the legal profession. The program will cover a variety of issues including, but not limited to, understanding different gender identities, pronoun usage, gender-neutral language, ethics, requirements of the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act, responsibilities of lawyers, and practicing allyship. This session is applicable to all legal professionals to foster inclusivity, understanding, and acceptance in the workplace and the greater legal community.

:Lawyers litigating vehicular crashes often face questions related to how a driver’s actions contributed to a crash. The proliferation of event data recorders (EDRs) and dash or windshield mounted cameras has provided a clearer picture of driver actions preceding crashes. These systems provide a window into the specific actions a driver took prior to the crash, enabling those actions to be evaluated. But the meaning of the data from these EDRs and video systems is not always obvious on the surface. The data needs to be interpreted using methods that will be admitted at the time of trial. This presentation presents a series of real-world case studies in which event data and video were analyzed to reveal driver actions that caused a crash. Attorneys attending this presentation will leave with an understanding of the crash data available on newer vehicles and after-market dash cams and how this data can be used to evaluate a driver’s role in causing a crash.

An interactive session featuring a mock deposition on claims handling under the hypothetical setting of alleged 3rd party bad faith for failure to settle within limits. Overview • Bad Faith Deposition Preparation • Fact Pattern • Mock Bad Faith Deposition o Case Study I: Non-Fact Specific “Reptile/Edge” Questions o Case Study II: Claims Manuals, Guidelines, Procedures, Compliance, Training and Experience o Case Study III: Incomplete Investigation o Case Study IV: Evaluation of Liability and Damages

Melissa and Adam will discuss the 2025 legislative session, including bills that were introduced but failed as well as new laws affecting CDLA practice areas.

Presenters will discuss the importance of understanding what the Fear case did, and did not say; how to use representations or potentially, misrepresentations, about that case made by insured's advocates to carriers; discovery implications; motions implications and jury instruction implications.

Join two experienced workplace investigators for a lively discussion of all the various ways that you (or your investigator) can compromise your case. This session presents a cautionary tale that you will come away from with practical tools enabling you to identify red flags, head mistakes off at the pass, and bypass workplace investigation mistakes that will plague you in your efforts to defend your client from claims of misconduct.

More than 50 vendors will be collecting business cards throughout the conference—but it all comes down to the grand finale. Join us at the closing session as vendors draw names and hand out prizes ranging from the fun and creative to the seriously over-the-top. Whether you’re in it for the swag, the suspense, or just the spectacle, this is one event you won’t want to miss!