Paralegal Seminar Next Month, Golf Tournament, New VADA Committee, Lunch & Learns, and more...

VADA Defense Line June 2021

President's Welcome

As we begin to return to “normal,” I was excited to be with VADA board members, sponsors, and friends at our recent summer party and board meeting in Virginia Beach.  It was wonderful to be together again at our first in-person board meeting in over a year.

Now that event capacity limits for in-person events have been lifted, we will be able to meet at the Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront for our Annual Meeting on October 20-22 so mark your calendar. I was able to visit this new hotel while I was in town for the board meeting and I can assure you the property is gorgeous and this is a meeting you don’t want to miss.  In addition to oceanfront views, you will also have an excellent CLE agenda developed by our Annual Meeting Planning Committee Chair Jim Cales and the committee. Sessions include Post-COVID Jury Trials, Technology in the Courtroom, Using Social Media in Discovery and at Trial, and more -- see the full agenda here. This is also where we will kick off our newly-formed Wellness Committee, chaired by our Immediate Past President Melissa Katz. This Committee is dedicated to the promotion of physical and mental well-being among our membership. See the article below for further details about VADA’s newest committee. Registration for the Annual Meeting will open soon, but you can book your hotel room now from the meeting webpage.

After missing a year due to COVID, our popular Paralegal Seminar is back on July 28. A must-attend event for paralegals of all levels working in civil defense firms, this one-day webinar is designed to hone their skills as a valuable member of your legal team. Please encourage your paralegals to register today.

Do not miss out on our monthly Lunch & Learns, featuring timely topics presented via Zoom, that you join from your home or office. July features experts from VADA-sponsor JS Held, who will discuss the biomechanics involved in injury claims including The Impacts of Forces on the Body & How they Relate to Injury, Top Challenges with Reconstructing Low-Speed Rear End Collisions, How Seatbelt Use Can Influence Accident Outcomes, and more. In August, nationally recognized memory training consultant Paul Mellor will join us for a session that will improve the way your mind retains facts. Learn techniques to improve memory and how to apply these techniques to your everyday practice and at trial. Register for these events and see the full Lunch & Learn schedule here.

Finally, mark your calendar for the annual VADA/VTLA Frank N. Cowan Civility Golf Tournament which will be on Wednesday, September 15, 2021, at Independence Golf Club in Midlothian. See the article below for full details.

I hope you all have a wonderful and safe summer and I look forward to seeing you soon.

Tate C. Love
VADA President, 2020-21

VADA Board of Directors

The VADA Board of Directors met on June 18 in Virginia Beach for our quarterly meeting. Many thanks to all who attended! We’ll be back in Virginia Beach for our next Board meeting in October, when we gather for our 2021 Annual Meeting.

JULY 21

Biomechanics
Ying Lu, PhD
JS Held
Vivek Shekhawat, PhD
JS Held

Learn more about the biomechanics involved in injury claims, covering topics and case studies for:

* The Impacts of Forces on the Body & How they Relate to Injury

* Top Challenges with Reconstructing Low-Speed Rear End Collisions

* How Seatbelt Use Can Influence Accident Outcomes

* Key Considerations for Vehicle, Pedestrian & Cyclist Collisions, Workplace injuries, Slip-Trip-Fall injuries

* The Importance of Physical Evidence in Overcoming Conflicting Statements.

The event is fully virtual, via Zoom, and free to current and potential VADA members. Register here.

AUGUST 25

Memory Skills for Lawyers
Paul Mellor
Success Links

Nationally-recognized memory training consultant Paul Mellor will offer a session that will improve the way your mind retains facts.  Learn techniques to improve memory and learn how to apply these techniques to your everyday practice and in the courtroom. A trained memory can increase your efficiency and productivity in all aspects of law.  Mr. Mellor will shred the myth that memory cannot be enhanced and help you lay a foundation for total recall. 

Invest in a better memory.  You have invested years in becoming an attorney and you invest months preparing a case.  Invest one lunch hour to strengthen your mind and achieve these goals: 

·Think quickly and clearly without fumbling for notes

· Remember important information about a jury and use it to win cases

· Effectively recall facts and figures from research and interview to argue cases in court

The event is fully virtual, via Zoom. Register here.

PAST LUNCH & LEARN
The Learning Continues

Balancing the Billable and the Non-Billable
Tate C. Love
TimberlakeSmith

There are a number of activities – bar associations, non-profit boards, firm governance – that are both worthwhile, and can add to your marketability and profitability.  On June 23, VADA President Tate Love discussed how you balance your participation in these laudable pursuits, while still meeting your billable goals.

If you missed the Lunch & Learn, Tate's outline is here, and you can watch a recording of the presentation here.

July 28
via Zoom

This must-attend event is back this year!

Designed specifically for paralegals of all levels working in civil defense firms, this webinar will help hone their skills as a valuable member of your legal team. Instructors include attorneys and senior paralegals from several Virginia defense firms. Your paralegals are invited to register here.

VADA Email Server Issues

We recently moved our email to a new server. This change has caused many of our outgoing emails to be routed into members' junk or spam folders. Please check there for any missed emails from VADA staff. You should also add all VADA staff email address to your "safe senders" list.  The issue does not impact incoming emails to VADA. Contact Sherma Mather at smather@vada.org with questions.

Wellness Committee

BREAKING NEWS!!

VADA now has a Wellness Committee! Chaired by our Immediate Past President Melissa Katz, this Committee is dedicated to the promotion of physical and mental well-being among our membership. Stay tuned for announcements of upcoming events! For any of our members who would like to join the Wellness Committee, please contact Melissa at mkatz@bmhjlaw.com.

VADA/VTLA Frank N. Cowan Civility Golf Tournament

Attention, VADA golfers! The annual VADA/VTLA Frank N. Cowan Civility Golf Tournament is coming up on Wednesday, September 15, 2021, at Independence Golf Club in Midlothian. This is a terrific event and is something we look forward to every year! Many thanks to The McCammon Group for sponsoring! If you would like to participate, please save the date and contact either John Owen, jowen@hccw.com, or Sherma Mather, smather@vada.org.

VADA leaders and guests enjoyed an evening of fun and fellowship at our annual Summer Party Thursday evening, June 17, in Virginia Beach!  It was great to be together!

We are at the halfway point of 2021! We will be reaching out to our members who have not yet renewed their membership for 2021 with one last reminder. As of July 1, if you have not renewed your membership your access will be disabled and you will not have access to any of our member benefits. If you are unsure of your membership status, please reach out to Executive Director Sherma Mather at smather@vada.org or Membership Chair Sam Bernier at sbernier@faplawfirm.com for more information. We don’t want to lose you!

Eden Darrell
Bowman Brook

Stuart Dong
Parrish Snead Franklin

This Roanoke native is a fan of live music and all things Jason Gideon and Inigo Montoya.  To learn more about this month’s VADA Spotlighted Member, click here.

Be sure to bookmark VADA Upcoming Events so you don't miss out.

July 21
Biomechanics
Zoom

July 28
Paralegal Seminar
Webcast

August 25
Memory Skills for Lawyers
Zoom

September 9
Bias in Experts
Zoom

October 20-22
Annual Meeting
Marriott Va. Beach Oceanfront

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VADA’S Mission

The mission of the Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys is to assist Virginia attorneys in the professional and ethical representation of their clients in civil litigation through education, communication and fellowship.

Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys
1915 Huguenot Road, Ste. 301
Richmond, VA  23235
804-649-1002 | www.vada.org

Executive Director: Sherma Mather
Director of Meetings: Amy Gilbody
Journal of Civil Litigation Managing Editor: Molly Terry

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