VADA Defense Line September 2019

2019 Annual Meeting

Today is the cut off date for our 2019 Annual Meeting
room block at Hilton Norfolk The Main!

If you're planning on joining us in Norfolk October 2-4, and haven't yet made your hotel reservation, there's still time. Use The Main's online booking tool to take advantage of the $159 VADA rate even if you are unsure that you will attend the meeting, but be sure to note the hotel’s 72-hour cancellation policy. 

We hope you will join us at an exciting new Annual Meeting venue, located just steps from Norfolk’s vibrant and renowned Waterside District. 

We'll offer an agenda full of cutting edge CLE programming designed to benefit you in your civil defense practice, including "Ethics in the Use of Social Media and Other Technology during Trial." Even the most seasoned attorneys well-versed in the ethical rules governing the legal profession may struggle in applying these principles to the ever-changing world of technology and social media. At our Annual Meeting this October, a moderated panel of state and federal judges will discuss best practices for optimizing the use of social media and technology in the courtroom, while simultaneously avoiding the ethical pitfalls.

Our 2019 meeting also offers many new social events:

• Wednesday night’s “Dutch treat" Dinners with other VADA members at one of the many amazing restaurants within walking distance from the hotel

• New VADA Late Night on Wednesday
  

• Thursday evening reception at the Harbor Club at Waterside

• VADA Karaoke Night at Thursday's Late Night
  

• Many other opportunities to network, relax, and enjoy the company of your VADA friends and colleagues

For complete meeting details, and to register for the meeting, please visit our Annual Meeting webpage. We hope to see you there! 

President's Welcome

Welcome to the September Defense Line. Tidewater region members, we hope that you are able to attend our postponed Regional Happy Hour on September 10 at 6:00 at Brick  Anchor Brew House -- RSVP here. Don't miss this opportunity to network with VADA members and visit with old friends. 

Have you registered yet for our Annual Meeting? We have added many new activities this year including dine arounds, a 2nd late night, a fitness challenge and even karaoke. You don't want to miss this one! Register today here.

Do you have new associates?  If so, be sure to tell them about our December 13 Young Lawyers Boot Camp in Richmond. 

I hope you enjoy the last few weeks of warm weather and I look forward to seeing you in Norfolk.

John B. Mumford, Jr.
VADA President, 2018-19

VADA Calendar

September 26
VADA/VTLA Frank N. Cowan Civility Golf Tournament
Midlothian

October 2
VADA Board Meeting
Norfolk

October 2-4
Annual Meeting
Norfolk

December 13
Young Laywers Boot Camp
Richmond

January 24
VADA Board Meeting
Williamsburg

March 13-14
Advanced Trial Skills Workshop
Richmond

VADA Wins
DRI Diversity Award 

VADA has been selected to receive this year's DRI SLDO Diversity Award for our Diversity Scholarship Program.

Begun in 2018, the program supports the development and training of a diverse population of law students. This program offers a $3000 stipend for a diverse law student who pursues summer employment or an internship with a Virginia firm or legal organization involved in civil litigation defense.

The award will be presented at the DRI Annual Meeting in New Orleans on October 18.

DRI Programming

Annual Meeting
October 16–19
New Orleans

DRI Seminars

Strictly Automotive
September 12–13
Columbus

Nursing Home/ALF
September 19–20
Chicago

Talc Litigation
September 19 – 20
Washington, DC

Visit www.dri.org for
further details. 

New Sponsors

We are pleased to welcome these new sponsors to VADA.

Please take a moment to learn more about their services and plan to stop by their tables at the Annual Meeting. 

Member Spotlight

The current chair of VADA’s Young Lawyer Division, this month’s VADA spotlighted member hails from Lousiville, Kentucky.  When she is not practicing law, she enjoys spending time with family and friends and being a loving aunt to her young niece and nephew.  She also has designs on a bucket list trip to Oktoberfest in Germany.  To learn more about our September VADA Member Spotlight, click here.

VADA Members-Only Facebook Page

Do you want to be kept current with case law updates and statutory and rule changes the easy way?  All you have to do is join VADA’s closed Facebook group! Even if you aren’t a social media fan, you can’t beat these updates!  

Did You Know?

Having a hard time keeping up with your inbox? Did you know that you can add a secondary email address to your VADA membership profile? They will automatically be cc'd on all your VADA announcements, meeting registration emails and membership information. 

To add an assistant, log on to your VADA account, click your name in the upper right corner and choose "view profile," then "edit profile" and scroll down under your own email address for the secondary email field.

VADA Members Named to VLW Leaders in the Law

Congratulations to VADA President John Mumford and member Phil Anderson for being named to the 2019 Class of Leaders in the Law by Virginia Lawyers Weekly! Congratulations, too, to VADA members Audra Dickens and Nate Schnetzler for being named to VLW's Class of Up & Coming Lawyers for 2019! Way to go, John, Phil, Audra, and Nate!

Young Lawyers Boot Camp
December 13, 2019

ATTENTION YOUNG LAWYERS! The Young Lawyers Boot Camp is set for Friday, December 13, 2019 at the Bank of America Building in downtown Richmond. Newer attorneys will learn the practical information needed to practice defense law.  Sessions are taught by experienced members of the defense bar.  This year's agenda is different than 2018 so plan to attend again.

The agenda will include sessions on:

• Ethics in Defense Practice
• Working with Expert Witnesses
  
• Working with the Trial Courts of the Virginia General District and Circuit Courts
  
• The Use of Mediation
• Written Discovery
  
• Insurance Coverage in Automobile Cases
• Judicial Panel on Advice for New Laywers  

Advanced Trial Skills Workshop
for the More Experienced Attorney
March 13-14, 2020

In addition to continuing to offer boot camps, and deposition and trial tactic workshops for the young lawyer, VADA is excited to announce that it is expanding its workshops for the more experienced attorney.

An “Advanced Trial Skills Workshop” will be offered on Friday, March 13, 2020 and Saturday, March 14, 2020 at the University of Richmond School of Law.   Come on one or both days!  This workshop will focus on expert witnesses, from retention through trial.   Learn from master litigators!  Some of the topics to be addressed include:

• Protecting your expert from harassing financial disclosure subpoena requests from the plaintiff;
• What information produced to your expert is protected from disclosure to the other side under Virginia federal or state law;
• Defeating onerous and overly broad Rule 4:10 orders promulgated by the plaintiff;
• Best use of medical and non-medical experts in catastrophic cases;
• Preparing winning motions to exclude for designation deficiencies;
• Best practices for use of plaintiff’s own treating providers at trial;
• Best practices for making and responding to objections during de bene esse depositions;
• Best practices to prepare your expert for discovery deposition and trial;
• Understanding hearsay pitfalls on direct examination of expert;
• Spotlighting your expert during voir dire, opening and closing;
• Examples of artful, skillful, effective direct and cross examination;
• War stories of how a plaintiff’s expert withdrew his opinions in deposition;
• And more! 

Stay tuned for detailed agenda and registration information.