Our Nation In A Time Of Crisis: Section Of Litigation Programs For Saturday, Aug. 10 At ABA Annual Meeting

8/9/2002

From: American Bar Association Press Room, 202-797-3828

News Advisory:

The following programs will be held Saturday, Aug. 10 at the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel, Washington, D.C., and are sponsored by the ABA Section of Litigation.

-- Plenary Session - Leadership in a Time of Crisis: The Aftermath of September 11th

9 to 10:45 a.m.

A panel of national leaders will discuss wide-ranging effects of September 11. Moderator Pete Williams of NBC News will lead a discussion by Assistant Attorney General Michael Chertoff; Dean Edwin Dorn, Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs; Kenneth Feinberg, special master for the September 11th Fund; Gregory Serio, superintendent of insurance for the State of New York; and Neal Wolin, Hartford Financial Services Group. The plenary will be followed by concurrent breakout sessions from 10:45 a.m. to noon.

The breakouts include: Business in a Time of Crisis, The Criminal Justice System Confronts Civil Liberties in a Time of Crisis, and Jurors Attitudes and Perceptions in a Time of Crisis: Trying Cases After September 11th and the Enron Collapse. These sessions bring together prominent lawyers and officials from government and the private sector. Speakers include James Brosnahan, attorney for John Walker Lindh; Lucy Dalglish of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press; Viet Dinh of the Department of Justice; David Valdez of Verizon Communications; and representatives of Strategic Litigation Research Inc.

-- Ethical Advocacy in Mediation: The Right Way to Do the Right Thing, 1:30 to 3 p.m. This session will address ethical considerations for lawyers who are working in this rapidly expanding practice setting.

-- Governments on Trial, 1:30 to 3 p.m. A panel of lawyers, judges and experts will answer the question, Are class actions against public authorities the best means to redress societal wrongs?

-- Operating a Business in Vicinity of Insolvency, 3 to 4:30 p.m. Speakers will discuss responsibilities and fiduciary duties of directors and officers and their legal duties.

--- Note to Editors: Reporters are welcome to attend and cover any or all sessions of the Section of Litigation during the ABA Annual Meeting for free. ABA Annual Meeting Press Registration is required for admission to sessions. For more information about the program or to arrange for press credentials, contact the ABA Press Room at 202-797-3828. The Press Room is located at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in the exhibit area and will be open Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.