DRI 2022 Annual Meeting Schedule of Events

Schedule-at-a-Glance Schedule of Events Committee Meetings  View Networking Schedule

Schedule-At-A-Glance

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*Schedule and Speakers subject to change

Tuesday, October 25

Time (Eastern) Session
9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Meeting: Law Institute
5:00–5:30 p.m. Meeting: 2022 Annual Meeting Steering Committee
6:30–9:30 p.m. Leadership Celebration Dinner (by invitation)

Wednesday, October 26

Time (Eastern) Session
9:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Meeting: DRI Board of Directors
12:30–7:30 p.m. Registration
12:45–2:45 p.m. Meeting: NFJE Board of Directors
1:00–1:30 p.m. Meeting: Membership Committee and Substantive Law Committee Membership Chairs
1:00–2:00 p.m. Meeting: Law Institute with Substantive Law Committee Program Chairs and Vice Chairs
1:00–2:00 p.m.
 Meeting: Substantive Law Committee Publication Chairs and Vice Chairs
1:00–2:00 p.m.
 Meeting: Substantive Law Committee Social Media Chairs and Vice Chairs
1:00–5:00 p.m.
 Meeting: Nominating Committee (by appointment - sign up at registration desk in Exhibit Showcase)
1:30–2:30 p.m. Meeting: Membership Committee
2:00–3:00 p.m. Meeting: Substantive Law Committee Chairs and Vice Chairs
3:00–4:30 p.m. Meeting: Substantive Law Committee Meetings
4:30–5:30 p.m. Meeting: First & Second Time Attendee Program
5:00–6:00 p.m.
 Networking: ADTA Reception (by invitation)
5:00–6:00 p.m.
 Networking: FDCC Reception (by invitation)
5:00–6:00 p.m.
 Networking: IADC Reception (by invitation)
5:00–7:30 p.m. Networking: Exhibit Showcase
5:30–6:00 p.m. Networking: First & Second Time Attendee Reception
6:00–7:30 p.m. Networking: Welcome Reception (open to all)

Thursday, October 27

Time (Eastern) Session
7:00–8:00 a.m. DRI for Life—ROCKY STEPS
8:00–8:45 a.m. Friends of Bill W.
8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Registration
8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Meeting: Nominating Committee (by appointment - sign up at registration desk in Exhibit Showcase)
9:00–10:30 a.m. Keynote: Welcome and Opening General Session Featuring a Conversation with Gretchen Rubin and Debbie Epstein Henry, sponsored by Baker Tilly
10:45–11:00 a.m. Refreshment Break
11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Education: The Art of Jury Selection: A Murder Trial Revisited
11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. Networking: Exhibit Showcase and Showcase Theater
12:00–1:15 p.m. Networking: Attendee Lunch in Exhibit Showcase
12:00–1:30 p.m. SLDO/NDO: Leadership Luncheon Featuring Kristi P. Nelson (by invitation)
1:30–3:00 p.m. Meeting: Substantive Law Committee Meetings
2:00–3:00 p.m. Education: Cryptocurrency: It’s Here. What You Need to Know Now
3:00–3:15 p.m. Refreshment Break
3:15–4:15 p.m. Education: Your Clients Are Focused on ESG and So Should You: What Every Civil Defense Lawyer Should Know About This Emerging Corporate Strategy
3:15–4:45 p.m. Meeting: Substantive Law Committee Meetings
4:40–6:00 p.m. Education: CLE on the GO
7:00–10:00 p.m. Networking: An Evening at the National Constitution Center, sponsored by LawyerGuard (open to all)

Friday, October 28

Time (Eastern) Session
7:00–8:00 a.m. DRI for Life—SCHUYKILL RIVER TRAIL
8:00–8:45 a.m. Friends of Bill W.
8:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
 Registration
8:30–11:00 a.m. Meeting: Nominating Committee (by appointment - sign up at registration desk in Exhibit Showcase)
9:00–10:00 a.m. Keynote: Alex Dimitrief - The New Normal
10:00–11:00 a.m. Education: The Invisible Woman: The Trials, Tribulations, and Triumphs of the Black Woman Judge in America
10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. SLDO/NDO: Executive Directors Program (by invitation)
11:00–11:15 a.m. Refreshment Break
11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
 Networking: Exhibit Showcase and Showcase Theater
11:15–11:45 a.m. Meeting: Town Hall - DRI Update
12:00–1:15 p.m. Networking: Attendee Lunch in Exhibit Showcase
12:00–1:30 p.m. Networking: Diversity and Inclusion and Women in the Law Networking Luncheon Featuring José F. Anderson (ticketed event)
1:00–3:00 p.m. SLDO/NDO: Conclave for State, Local, and National Defense Organizations (by invitation)
2:00–3:00 p.m. Education: The Supreme Court: Big Cases, Developing Trends, a New Justice, and What It All Might Mean for 2023
3:00–3:15 p.m. Refreshment Break
3:15–4:15 p.m. Education: No License? No Problem: Why We Should Care that Non-Lawyers are Providing Legal Services and Owning Law Firms
3:15–4:45 p.m.
 Meeting: Substantive Law Committee Meetings
3:30–4:30 p.m. Meeting: DRI Board of Directors
6:30–10:30 p.m. Networking: Closing Celebration and All-Star Band Bash, sponsored by Lightfoot Franklin & White (ticketed event)

Saturday, October 29

Time (Eastern) Session
7:30–9:00 a.m. Meeting: 2023 Annual Meeting Steering Committee
8:00–9:00 a.m. Meeting: 2022-2023 DRI Leadership Conference Breakfast (by invitation)
9:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. Meeting: 2022-2023 DRI Leadership Conference (by invitation)

Schedule of Events

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*Schedule and Speakers subject to change

Wednesday, October 26

Time (Eastern) Session
3:00–4:30 p.m. Substantive Law Committee Meetings

Appellate Advocacy, Aviation Law, Corporate Counsel, Diversity and Inclusion, Fidelity and Surety, Litigation Skills, Women in the Law, Young Lawyers
4:30–5:30 p.m. First & Second Time Attendee Program

For first time or returning attendees, we have set up a networking and information-packed program to make sure you get the most out of your time and investment.

Through a collection of offerings, this Program will highlight the best approaches to enjoying the incredible variety and breadth of events and activities that are unique to the Annual Meeting. And, because we want you to be supported in making important one-on-one connections, we will offer the opportunity for you to partner with seasoned DRI leaders both before and during the event.

Our goal with this Program is to make sure that everyone has easy access to the resources and contacts to get the absolute most out of the Annual Meeting’s enhanced networking and business develop events and opportunities.

Please make sure when you register to mark the box to be sent more information for the First & Second-Time Attendee Program. And, for those of you interested in becoming a DRI ambassador for the DRI Annual Meeting, email membership@dri.org to get involved.
5:00–7:30 p.m.
 Exhibit Showcase and Showcase Theatre

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5:30–6:00 p.m. First & Second Time Attendee Reception

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6:00–7:30 p.m. Welcome Reception

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Thursday, October 27

Time (Eastern) Session
7:00–8:00 a.m. DRI For Life Run – ROCKY STEPS

Join DRI for Life for a morning run or walk from the hotel to the Rocky steps. There will be leaders for various pace groups, including a walking group and the option to uber back to the hotel for those not interested in the full round trip. "Rocky Wear" costumes are welcome!
9:00–10:30 a.m. Welcome and Opening General Session
Sponsored by Baker Tilly

KEYNOTES: Gretchen Rubin and Debbie Epstein Henry - Finding Happiness in Life & Law

There’s no magic, one-size-fits-all answer for building a happier, healthier, more productive life. That said, Gretchen Rubin, one of today’s most influential and thought-provoking observers of happiness and human nature and a fellow lawyer, has written many best-selling books that provide frameworks and concrete steps for us to do just that. Ms. Rubin’s blockbusters from The Happiness Project to The Four Tendencies as well as her award-winning happiness podcast help us to better understand ourselves and our work habits and provide new insights for professional and personal satisfaction and success. At this event, Debbie Epstein Henry, a lawyer turned entrepreneur author, and workplace and women’s expert, will interview Ms. Rubin with her signature style of eliciting from guests how to do better and be better at life, work, and everything in between. Ms. Epstein Henry has always questioned and improved the status quo in the law and beyond, and her interview of Ms. Rubin will explore how it’s possible to practice law and practice happiness in a post-pandemic world. You won’t want to miss this conversation that will enlighten and inspire each of us to work and live with more purpose, satisfaction, and success.
11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. The Art of Jury Selection: A Murder Trial Revisited

Steve Schleicher and Christina Marinakis joined forces to carefully select the jury in the trial of former Minneapolis Police Officer, Derek Chauvin. Mr. Schleicher and Ms. Marinakis will discuss voir dire strategy and the selection process orchestrated for this historic case. They also will share lessons learned for selecting juries, choosing and using expert witnesses, and trial preparation that you can use in your civil practice. (CLE eligible)

Christina Marinakis, Psy.D., Litigation Insights, Los Angeles, CA
Steve L. Schleicher, Maslon, Minneapolis, MN
11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
 Exhibit Showcase and Showcase Theatre

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12:00–1:15 p.m.
 Attendee Networking Lunch

Network on-site during lunch in the Exhibit Showcase where you will enjoy a complimentary meal and the chance to engage with other attendees.
1:30–3:00 p.m. Substantive Law Committee Meetings

Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, Cybersecurity and Data Privacy, Drug and Medical Device, Intellectual Property Litigation, Lawyers' Professionalism and Ethics, Life Health Disability and ERISA
2:00–3:00 p.m. Cryptocurrency: It’s Here. What You Now Need to Know

Cryptocurrency is here. From adoption of bitcoin as legal tender in El Salvador to crypto exchanges purchasing the naming rights to professional sports arenas, cryptocurrency has become an everyday part of the global financial system and popular culture. In this session, Mr. Leber will lead a panel discussion involving several industry professionals in the cryptocurrency space. The discussion will focus on a variety of specific topics that the industry insiders think you now need to know to effectively adapt your practice or business to the fact that cryptocurrency is here. (CLE eligible)

Moderator
Nathan Leber, Squire Patton Boggs, Avon Lake, OH

Anna-Christina Nevison, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, 9VRSE Inc and Kitty Inu, New York, NY
Clay Porter, Chief Legal Officer, Burrata Inc., Washington, D.C.
Jordan K. Schwartz, Honigman, Grand Rapids, MI
3:15–4:15 p.m. Your Clients Are Focused on ESG and So Should You: What Every Civil Defense Lawyer Should Know About This Emerging Corporate Strategy

Lawyers, as risk mitigation experts, can play a critical role in assisting a business in reaching its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) targets while also meeting the mandates of all relevant stakeholders, from investors to customers to communities. But did you know that there are fundamental practices and regulatory requirements necessary to support ESG metrics aimed at supporting sustainability strategies? This in-house panel will discuss the pressures and challenges companies face related to ESG reporting, the practical approaches that companies are employing in designing their ESG governance structures and controls, and procedures to ensure relevant ESG data can be collected, accurately measured, and reported, and the potentially dire consequences of falling short --- and how defense lawyers can best assist their clients in this regard. This discussion of best practices will also include an overview of the new SEC proposed regulations and the interplay between those rules and overall stakeholder directives. (CLE eligible)

Moderator
Heidi B. Friedman, Thompson Hine, Cleveland, OH

Jillian E. Charles, VP and General Counsel, Honeywell International Inc., Charlotte, NC
Niki Schaeffer, VP and General Counsel, Reliability First Corporation, Cleveland, OH
Kim Yapchai, Tenneco Inc., Lake Forest, IL
3:15–4:45 p.m. Substantive Law Committee Meetings

Alternative Dispute Resolution, Internal Investigations, Regulatory, and Enforcement Litigation, Governmental Liability, Law Practice Management, Product Liability, Professional Liability, Trucking Law
4:40–6:00 p.m. CLE on the GO

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7:00–10:00 p.m. An Evening at the National Constitution Center
Sponsored by LawyerGuard

Don't miss this exclusive DRI event for Annual Meeting Attendees!
Learn more about this networking event

Friday, October 28

Time (Eastern) Session
7:00–8:00 a.m. DRI For Life Run – SCHUYLKILL RIVER TRAIL

Join DRI for Life for a morning run or walk from the hotel along the Schuylkill River Trail. The riverside path is 15-feet wide and includes scenic overlooks to take in spectacular waterfront views of the Philadelphia Skyline. There will be leaders for various pace groups, including a walking group.
9:00–10:00 a.m. KEYNOTES: Alex Dimitrief: The New Normal

DRI President-Elect Lana Olson will host a fireside chat with Alex Dimitrief, the former General Counsel of GE, about the new standards that were set for client service during the pandemic, whether these standards will become the “new normal” and how innovation can help law firms meet the challenges of the post-pandemic legal world. (CLE eligible)

Moderator
Lana A. Olson, Lightfoot Franklin & White, Birmingham, AL

Alex Dimitrief, Zeughauser Group, New York City, NY
10:00–11:00 a.m. The Invisible Woman: The Trials, Tribulations, and Triumphs of the Black Woman Judge in America

The nation applauded when Kentanji Brown Jackson ascended to the United States Supreme Court as the first Black woman to sit on that distinguished court. It was yet another recent example of the United States fulfilling its long overdue promise of equality and liberty for all. But why did it take 232 years for the United States to reach this historic milestone and what does that length of time say about the status of the country’s judiciary and the legal milieu from which that judiciary arose? Considering the current political and legal environments and their foreseeable future, will Justice Jackson’s trailblazing path to the nation’s highest court usher in a new age of opportunity for Black female jurists or is her inspiring story little more than a rare breakthrough in an otherwise bleak outlook for Black female lawyers with judicial aspirations? Three distinguished Black female judges from the nation’s federal courts will address these questions and more, including how the confluence of race and gender in our legal system has erected both universal and peculiar challenges for Black female lawyers seeking to fulfill their professional potential on the bench. Drawing upon their own paths to success and the experiences of their Black female peers, these panelists will not only candidly discuss the barriers to entry and progression for Black female judges but will also offer hope for a more inclusive future by recommending practical strategies and tactics whereby all legal stakeholders can come together and do their part to make the dreams of would-be Black female judges a reality. (CLE eligible)

Moderator
Kevin E. Clark, Lightfoot Franklin & White, Birmingham, AL

Honorable Nannette J. Brown, Chief Judge, US District Court Eastern District of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA
Honorable Bernice B. Donald, US Court of Appeals Sixth Circuit, Cleveland, OH
Honorable Benita Y. Pearson, US District Court Northern District of Ohio, Youngstown, OH
11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
 Exhibit Showcase and Showcase Theatre

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11:15–11:45 a.m. DRI Town Hall (Open to all)

Join DRI’s Executive Committee and CEO Dean Martinez for an open discussion about what’s going on in DRI and what the future holds for the organization. You will hear the latest news and get the chance to ask questions in real time!

Dean Martinez, CEO, Chicago, IL
Douglas K. Burrell, President 2021-2022, Atlanta, GA
Lana A. Olson, President-Elect, Birmingham, AL
Patrick J. Sweeney, First Vice President, Philadelphia, PA
Emily G Coughlin, Immediate Past President, Boston, MA
Anne M. Talcott, Second Vice President, Portland, OR
R. Jeffrey Lowe, Secretary-Treasurer, New Albany, IN
12:00–1:15 p.m.
 Attendee Networking Lunch

Network on-site during lunch in the Exhibit Showcase where you will enjoy a complimentary meal and the chance to engage with other attendees.
12:00–1:30 p.m. Diversity and Inclusion and Women in the Law Networking Luncheon Featuring Professor José F. Anderson, Adjunct Professor of Legal Studies and Business Ethics at The Wharton School (Ticketed event)

How Diversity in Your Law Office Serves the Needs of Your Clients?
Professor Anderson will offer his unique perspectives on how Diversity, Equity and Inclusion can have a powerful impact on fulfilling the needs of the entity you represent. Drawing on his rich experience in both the public and private sector, he will use history, data, and current social trends to support his views as he presents a passionate argument for why all concerned should consider aggressive pursuit of expanded opportunity for minorities and women. He will also offer helpful strategies that will assist in achieving the goal of identifying talented diversity candidates and retaining them on your team.

Tickets to the Diversity and Inclusion and Women in the Law Networking Luncheon are $65. Please purchase tickets by notation on the registration form or online at dri.org.
2:00–3:00 p.m. The Supreme Court: Big Cases, Developing Trends, a New Justice, and What It All Might Mean for 2023

The 2021 and 2022 terms of the Supreme Court of the United States are some of the most dynamic in modern American history. The rights of our clients – indeed, the rights of all Americans – are being affected by the Court’s rulings and laws are changing all over the country as a result. And that’s not all – we have a Court full of relatively new Justices poised to interpret our laws and rights in ways we have not seen before. In his very professional and humorous way, Tom Dupree will discuss recent high profile SCOTUS decisions and preview upcoming cases to be decided this term. He will address rulings and trends, as well as constitutional and other high-profile cases that may change the course of American law. He will also analyze the impact of the appointments of the newer Justices and all the politics and personalities on the Court in a way that only he can. This is a session you absolutely cannot miss. (CLE eligible)

Thomas H. (Tom) Dupree, Jr., Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, Washington, D.C.
3:15–4:15 p.m. No License? No Problem: Why We Should Care that Non-Lawyers are Providing Legal Services and Owning Law Firms (Hosted by The Center for Law and Public Policy)

Regardless of which side of the "v" you’re on, non-lawyer ownership of law firms and the provision of legal services by non-lawyers are two of the hottest and most controversial topics around. You will hear about what some states and countries that permit non-lawyers to provide legal services and own law firms are doing, which will help you better understand the impact to every bar-licensed lawyer if the trend continues. Not only do non-lawyer ownership and alternative business structures have the potential to upend the practice of law as we know it, but there are also critical ethical and business implications of these models as well. This esteemed panel of plaintiff and defense bar leaders will explain what’s currently happening, what’s on the horizon, and how it may affect DRI members and our clients. (CLE eligible/Ethics)

Moderator
Jill Cranston Rice, Dinsmore & Shohl, Morgantown, WV

Spencer H. Silverglate, Clarke Silverglate, Miami, FL
Emily G. Coughlin, Coughlin Betke, Boston, MA
Navan Ward, Beasley Allen, Atlanta, GA
3:15–4:45 p.m.
 Substantive Law Committee Meetings

DRI International™, Employment and Labor Law, Insurance Law, Medical Liability and Health Care Law, Retail and Hospitality, Toxic Torts and Environmental Law, Workers' Compensation
6:30–10:30 p.m. Closing Celebration and All-Star Band Bash (Ticketed event)
Sponsored by Lightfoot Franklin & White

Click here for details

Committee Meetings

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*Schedule and Speakers subject to change

Tuesday, October 25

Time (Eastern) Session
9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Law Institute Meeting
5:00–5:30 p.m. 2022 Annual Meeting Steering Committee Meeting

Wednesday, October 26

Time (Eastern) Session
8:00–9:00 a.m. Regional Directors Meeting
9:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. DRI Board of Directors Meeting
12:45–2:45 p.m. NFJE Board of Directors Meeting
1:00–1:30 p.m. Membership Committee and Substantive Law Committee Membership Chairs Meeting
1:00–2:00 p.m. Law Institute with Substantive Law Committee Program Chairs and Vice Chairs
1:00–2:00 p.m. Substantive Law Publications Chairs and Vice Chairs
1:00–2:00 p.m. Substantive Law Social Media Chairs and Vice Chairs
1:00–5:00 p.m. Nominating Committee (by appointment - sign up at registration desk in Exhibit Showcase)
1:30–2:30 p.m. Membership Committee Meeting
2:00–3:00 p.m. Substantive Law Committee Chairs and Vice Chairs
3:00–4:30 p.m. Substantive Law Committee Meetings

Thursday, October 27

Time (Eastern) Session
8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Nominating Committee (by appointment - sign up at registration desk in Exhibit Showcase)
1:30–3:00 p.m. Substantive Law Committee Meetings
1:30–5:00 p.m. Nominating Committee (by appointment - sign up at registration desk in Exhibit Showcase)
3:15–4:45 p.m. Substantive Law Committee Meetings

Friday, October 28

Time (Eastern) Session
8:00–11:00 a.m. Nominating Committee (by appointment - sign up at registration desk in Exhibit Showcase)
11:15–11:45 a.m. DRI Town Hall Meeting (open to all)
3:15–4:45 p.m. Substantive Law Committee Meetings
3:30–4:30 p.m. DRI Board of Directors Meeting

Saturday, October 29

Time (Eastern) Session
7:30–9:00 a.m. 2023 Annual Meeting Steering Committee Meeting
9:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. 2022-2023 Leadership Conference (by invitation)

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