Minutes March 2007
Trial & Appellate Advocacy Section Council Meeting Minutes
March 14, 2007
Conference Call
The Trial & Appellate Advocacy Section Council met at the time and place noted above.
Members Participating (7)
Hervery Young, Chair
Jacquelyn Austin
Derwin Brannon
Gregory Forman
Richard Hricik
Justin Lucey
Ray Moore
Others Participating (1)
Joan Brown, Bar Staff
Members Not Participating (4)
David Cobb
Salley W. Elliott
Vernon Glenn
Chris Wilson
1. Call to Order and Roll Call: Mr. Young called the meeting to order and called roll.
2. Minutes: A motion to adopt the Minutes of the January 10, 2007, meeting was seconded and the Minutes adopted by unanimous vote.
3. Old Business
a. Status of Survey to analyze the types and numbers of cases handled by the members and to determine what problems the respondents would like to see the Section address: Mr. Young asked the Council members what they wanted to do with the survey results. Concern was expressed as to the accuracy of the survey since so few responses were received and since most of the respondents were from the defense bar. It was suggested that, to increase the number of responses, the surveys could be handed out at selected CLE’s. Mr. Young called for a committee of three to meet and discuss the issue and make its recommendation at the next meeting. Mr. Lucey, Mr. Forman and Ms. Austin volunteered, with Mr. Lucey to take the lead.
b. Legislative Updates: Mr. Lucey reported that there were no active bills of interest to the Council. Mr. Young briefly discussed the federal bill that had been introduced in the Senate to provide student loan forgiveness for lawyers in certain fields, such as state prosecutors and federal public defenders. He encouraged the members to support the bill, named for the late John Justice of South Carolina. He commented that no South Carolina representatives had come out in favor of the bill.
c. Elder Law Committee CLE Request: Mr. Young reported that he had attempted to contact Leigh Flynn, the Chair of the Committee, but had received no word from her as to what the Committee wanted from the Section. Accordingly, the matter was tabled until further word was received from the Committee.
d. Spring Socials: Mr. Young reported that before the next Council meeting, he would set up a budget for the socials. He informed the Council that there was about $20,000 in the Section’s treasury. He suggested possibly conducting the socials in conjunction with spring baseball games. Ms. Brown was to include the issue on the next meeting agenda.
4. New Business:
a. Co-sponsoring CLE: Mr. Young reported that he had been contacted about the Section’s collaborating with the South Carolina Bar and the South Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants to sponsor a litigation conference to be held September 21 – 22, 2007, at Kiawah Island. He said that the focuses of the conference would be computer forensics and the federal rules of civil procedure in ESI cases. He mentioned a number of local judges and other personages who would speak, including Roger Dodd, the keynote speaker. Mr. Dodd would do a three-hour presentation on cross examination. The organizations wanted the Section to help defray the expenses, especially the keynote speaker’s $5,000 honorarium, plus travel, meals and lodging expenses. They had requested a contribution of between $2,000 and $2,500. They had also offered the Section the opportunity to conduct a reception during the conference. Mr. Young opined that if the Section were to conduct the reception that the spring socials would be postponed. Ms. Young added that all Section members would be given a discount, but that he did not know how much. He speculated it to be between 15% and 20%. Before making a commitment, the members wanted to know how much the discount would be and whether the Section could use the training sessions to convert to an online CLE.
b. South Carolina Bar Radio Segment Participation: Mr. Young reported that the Bar had a regular show on WOIC radio station. He encouraged all who were interested in participating in a segment to contact Mary Nash with the Bar. He added that this program provided good exposure and advertisement.
c. 2008 Bar Convention CLE: Mr. Young inquired whether the Council was interested in collaborating again with the Civil Law Update segment of the Convention, or whether it would rather do something different. After discussion, it was decided to approach Mike Kelly to find out if he would be interested in working with the Section for the Convention.
Next Meeting: Mr. Young scheduled the next conference call Council meeting for April 11, 2007, at 9:00 a.m.
Adjournment: There being no further business, Mr. Young adjourned the meeting.
March 14, 2007
Conference Call
The Trial & Appellate Advocacy Section Council met at the time and place noted above.
Members Participating (7)
Hervery Young, Chair
Jacquelyn Austin
Derwin Brannon
Gregory Forman
Richard Hricik
Justin Lucey
Ray Moore
Others Participating (1)
Joan Brown, Bar Staff
Members Not Participating (4)
David Cobb
Salley W. Elliott
Vernon Glenn
Chris Wilson
1. Call to Order and Roll Call: Mr. Young called the meeting to order and called roll.
2. Minutes: A motion to adopt the Minutes of the January 10, 2007, meeting was seconded and the Minutes adopted by unanimous vote.
3. Old Business
a. Status of Survey to analyze the types and numbers of cases handled by the members and to determine what problems the respondents would like to see the Section address: Mr. Young asked the Council members what they wanted to do with the survey results. Concern was expressed as to the accuracy of the survey since so few responses were received and since most of the respondents were from the defense bar. It was suggested that, to increase the number of responses, the surveys could be handed out at selected CLE’s. Mr. Young called for a committee of three to meet and discuss the issue and make its recommendation at the next meeting. Mr. Lucey, Mr. Forman and Ms. Austin volunteered, with Mr. Lucey to take the lead.
b. Legislative Updates: Mr. Lucey reported that there were no active bills of interest to the Council. Mr. Young briefly discussed the federal bill that had been introduced in the Senate to provide student loan forgiveness for lawyers in certain fields, such as state prosecutors and federal public defenders. He encouraged the members to support the bill, named for the late John Justice of South Carolina. He commented that no South Carolina representatives had come out in favor of the bill.
c. Elder Law Committee CLE Request: Mr. Young reported that he had attempted to contact Leigh Flynn, the Chair of the Committee, but had received no word from her as to what the Committee wanted from the Section. Accordingly, the matter was tabled until further word was received from the Committee.
d. Spring Socials: Mr. Young reported that before the next Council meeting, he would set up a budget for the socials. He informed the Council that there was about $20,000 in the Section’s treasury. He suggested possibly conducting the socials in conjunction with spring baseball games. Ms. Brown was to include the issue on the next meeting agenda.
4. New Business:
a. Co-sponsoring CLE: Mr. Young reported that he had been contacted about the Section’s collaborating with the South Carolina Bar and the South Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants to sponsor a litigation conference to be held September 21 – 22, 2007, at Kiawah Island. He said that the focuses of the conference would be computer forensics and the federal rules of civil procedure in ESI cases. He mentioned a number of local judges and other personages who would speak, including Roger Dodd, the keynote speaker. Mr. Dodd would do a three-hour presentation on cross examination. The organizations wanted the Section to help defray the expenses, especially the keynote speaker’s $5,000 honorarium, plus travel, meals and lodging expenses. They had requested a contribution of between $2,000 and $2,500. They had also offered the Section the opportunity to conduct a reception during the conference. Mr. Young opined that if the Section were to conduct the reception that the spring socials would be postponed. Ms. Young added that all Section members would be given a discount, but that he did not know how much. He speculated it to be between 15% and 20%. Before making a commitment, the members wanted to know how much the discount would be and whether the Section could use the training sessions to convert to an online CLE.
b. South Carolina Bar Radio Segment Participation: Mr. Young reported that the Bar had a regular show on WOIC radio station. He encouraged all who were interested in participating in a segment to contact Mary Nash with the Bar. He added that this program provided good exposure and advertisement.
c. 2008 Bar Convention CLE: Mr. Young inquired whether the Council was interested in collaborating again with the Civil Law Update segment of the Convention, or whether it would rather do something different. After discussion, it was decided to approach Mike Kelly to find out if he would be interested in working with the Section for the Convention.
Next Meeting: Mr. Young scheduled the next conference call Council meeting for April 11, 2007, at 9:00 a.m.
Adjournment: There being no further business, Mr. Young adjourned the meeting.