Friday, January 22, 2010
8:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
Trial and Appellate Advocacy Section
3.0 MCLE Credit Hours

Eighth Annual Civil Law Update

The 2010 Civil Law Update features a keynote presentation on the importance and preservation of judicial independence by nationally recognized attorney and legal affairs television commentator, Anne Bremner.  Ms. Bremner, a litigation partner with the Seattle, Washington firm of Stafford Frey Cooper, is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, a national faculty member for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy, and a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. A noted trial attorney, Anne secured a defense verdict in the Mary Kay Letourneau case, and has provided legal commentary for a number of national television outlets such as Good Morning America, Fox News and MSNBC.

This important seminar also features a powerful and practical look at the secrets of effective communication by one of South Carolina’s premier communicators - Judge William W. Wilkins, former Chief Judge for the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.  In addition, USC School of Law Professor Pat Hubbard will bring an update on recent developments in punitive damages, and Charles Carpenter and Tom Vanderbloemen will provide an important discussion on the differences in error preservation between the South Carolina and federal systems. 

Agenda

8:30 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. Error Preservation in the State and Federal Systems
Charles E. Carpenter Jr., Columbia
Thomas E. Vanderbloemen, Greenville

9:15 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. Punitive Damages Verdicts: Keeping or Attacking Punitive Damages Awards
Prof. F. Patrick Hubbard, Columbia

9:45 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Break

10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. The Secrets of Effective Communication
Hon. William W. Wilkins, Greenville

10:45 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Judicial Independence
Anne Melani Bremner, Seattle, WA

Course Planner/Moderator: William J. Watkins, Greenville/D. Michael Kelly, Columbia