Past DRI Seminars

With just 25 years having passed since the start of the millennium, the world has seen a century’s worth of unparalleled developments in technology; innovations in internet technologies, artificial intelligence, worldwide connectivity, and digital art are just a few of the many changes we’ve seen move at breakneck speeds. Businesses and their legal advisors must keep up, get left behind, or worse, fall victim to a host of new liabilities and pitfalls that were mere concepts a few short years ago. Join us in Atlanta to learn how you can not only guard against risks to your business and intellectual property but leverage these developments in your practice.

The practice areas of toxic torts and environmental law are continuously evolving with new defense strategies, changing case law, and soaring jury verdicts. This year’s conference will be held in sunny Atlanta. Join us at the nation’s premier conference for toxic tort and environmental law practitioners to reconnect with colleagues and discover the latest strategies in the field. Register today for three days of education, business development opportunities, and more!

Navigating the ever-evolving litigation landscape is a thrilling challenge for both new attorneys and seasoned veterans. As technology advances and construction practices improve nationwide, fresh obstacles arise for insurance companies, lawyers, and clients alike. But don't worry, the DRI Construction Law Committee has your back! Join us as we dive into innovative strategies and share invaluable insights to propel the defense construction practice into 2025. Together, we'll tackle these challenges head-on and chart a course for a successful future. Let's embrace the future of construction law and make strides together!

Jury verdicts are rising nationwide due to economic factors and tactics employed by the plaintiff bar, which include narrative-style storytelling and specific damage claims that encourage speculative damages, leaving the defense bar playing catchup. If you encounter these issues and want tools to fight back, join us in Philadelphia for a hands-on seminar. The first day features a live mock trial with impartial jurors, where defense lawyers will present a case involving nebulous injuries from a clear liability collision to secure a nuclear verdict. You’ll learn trial tactics, strategies, and pitfalls from both sides, watch the jury deliberate, and analyze their thought process. On Wednesday, there will be an open forum with jury consultant Nick Polavin to discuss the mock trial’s outcome and lessons learned. We will conclude the seminar by hearing from subject matter experts in the area of artificial intelligence and the role it has, and will continue to have, in litigation. Get ahead of your competition by learning how to use AI (and importantly, how to use it ethically), and how to identify and combat your opponents’ unethical or problematic use of this changing technology.

Join us in Philadelphia to hear from vibrant speakers about medical topics such as neurology and pathology, as well as legal topics including witness preparation and the Medicare Secondary Payer Act. The program is designed to foster professional development and growth for the seasoned medical liability attorney and our budding associates. Each day of the seminar includes the opportunity to earn CLE and connect with attorneys from across the country.

Join us this March in Chicago at DRI’s flagship seminar for insurance executives, claim professionals, and outside counsel. The 2025 Insurance Coverage and Claims Institute will encompass a variety of sessions to make sure you are well informed on the new latest industry developments, strategies, and sweeping trends in insurance coverage. The seminar will also provide multiple opportunities to network and build lasting relationships. We look forward to welcoming you to The Windy City!

Get ready to start your year with this exclusive, premier opportunity to network with leaders of the insurance industry and defense bar. This program is designed to be one-to-one industry representatives to outside counsel and will allow for maximum networking opportunities for both industry and private practice lawyers. Discuss and debate important and significant challenges facing the industry and forge lasting and meaningful business relationships with your peers.

This seminar marks the 38^th of its kind, providing you with invaluable information and tools to represent your governmental clients. This year’s faculty includes preeminent insurance professionals, a renowned Supreme Court advocate, a well-respected Plaintiff’s attorney, a qualified immunity scholar, and prison experts from across the United States. Attendees will experience an assortment of topics, including handling prison medical claims, cannabis use and employment issues for public entities, Title IX updates, dealing with pro se litigants, how to handle 30(b)(6) depositions in the context of wrongful conviction cases, and considerably more to support a client’s success! Throughout the program you will have an abundance of opportunities to network, exchange ideas, and gain winning strategies from experienced litigators and insurance professionals. We look forward to you joining DRI in San Antonio, Texas for our annual, premier Civil Rights and Governmental Tort Liability Seminar.

As women in the legal field, we have spent an inordinate amount of time and energy trying to fit into a profession that was not historically built for us. What if, instead, we focused our time and energy on the things we value and that make us valuable to our profession? DRI’s Women in the Law Seminar hopes to achieve just that with programming and networking events focused on issues and topics meant to explore women’s unique strengths and challenges, celebrating all of our victories and defeats, and leaning into our true selves to ultimately find the joy and strength in our authenticity instead of trying to fit the outdated mold originally created by and for men.

Product liability is an ever-changing world. How can we continue to be good litigators, and at the same time keep our own heads and wits about us? Immerse yourself in the dynamic world of product liability in sunny Miami, where you’ll engage with judges, industry leaders, and top lawyers from across the nation. Uncover strategies to stay composed under pressure, master the use of digital evidence and litigation technology, and effectively incorporate visuals in trials. Plus, find opportunities to explore the psychology behind successful mediations, understand and address social inflation, and keep up with the latest regulatory changes. Don’t miss DRI’s great opportunity to expand your network and enhance your expertise.

Join us at DRI’s Insurance Coverage and Practice Symposium, the premier event for insurance executives, claims professionals, and outside counsel specializing in insurance coverage. This year’s symposium promises unparalleled engagement with top insurance industry leaders and coverage lawyers, focusing on emerging and cutting-edge issues. Don’t miss out on exceptional networking events and the chance to build valuable relationships with like-minded professionals.

Professional practice standards are changing daily. From Artificial Intelligence to Zoom meetings, trials and everything in between, keeping up competencies can seem overwhelming. Join us for practical tips, refreshers on skills, thought provoking views from experts, and opportunities to network with professional colleagues.

This year’s seminar will bring together a superb lineup of medical and scientific experts, top-tier litigators, and timely topics. Plus, enjoy unforgettable events designed to promote insightful discussions and meaningful networking opportunities. This is a must-attend event that will also feature the debut of the new Asbestos Medicine Committee. With the introduction of our new committee, DRI is proud to show its commitment to this important area of practice. Don’t miss your chance to dive deep with other committee members into defense strategies and methods that will best serve your clients.

Join us in fabulous Las Vegas for a program that will benefit all attorneys involved in appeals. Sessions will include discussions on building an appellate practice, practical advice for presenting a persuasive appellate brief, and insights into judicial decision-making. Experienced appellate advocates from across the country, along with federal and state court judges, serve as speakers. Additionally, the committee collaborates with the Asbestos Medicine Committee for joint sessions on product liability and failure to warn, as well as the diversity initiative. Receptions and networking opportunities with other appellate attorneys and conference attendees are also part of the event.

Meet us in the Emerald City: where relationships build business. Join hundreds of civil defense attorneys and in-house counsel from across the country to build your book of business, enjoy networking events, reach your professional goals with cutting-edge education, and more! Hear from keynote speakers including two-time NBA champion and former U.S. Senator, Bill Bradley and popular public television host, best-selling author, and activist, Rick Steves.

Join us virtually for the Cannabis Law Seminar, September 19 for an up-to-date overview of the proposed rescheduling of cannabis from schedule I to schedule III, including a discussion of the rescheduling process, how it will change the cannabis market, and how it will impact the FDA’s regulation of cannabis companies and their products that use delta-9-THC, delta-8-THC, THCA, CBD, and synthetic cannabinoids.

The premier senior living and long-term care litigation seminar in the country returns to Chicago on September 18-20! Join us at the Hyatt Regency, just steps from the Chicago River Walk, for an event tailored specifically for defense counsel, in-house counsel, claims professionals, and industry insiders. Gain access to unparalleled insights, CLE, and networking opportunities. The exceptional faculty includes a neurosurgeon, jury consultant, wound care nurse, an expert in electronic medical records (EMR), and "Pepper," a robot that assists with therapy and care in the skilled nursing facility/assisted living facility setting. Reconnect with clients and colleagues alike during counsel meetings, an afternoon of networking, or other exciting program events. We look forward to seeing you in the Windy City in September!

Join us for a timely seminar focused on current issues affecting those who practice in the automotive space. Gain perspective from in-house counsel regarding their business and legal concerns. Increase your understanding of automotive safety regulations. Attain deeper knowledge from experienced trial counsel and experts about key litigation trends, plus best practices for defending various types of automotive claims.

The DRI Life, Health, and Disability Committee is once again sponsoring a program aimed at providing a basic understanding of the concepts applicable to life, health, and disability litigation. The program, which receives rave reviews each year it is held, will be taught by highly experienced attorneys who collectively have decades of experience litigating life, health, disability, and ERISA disputes throughout the United States. Even though the content is geared to lawyers who are new to the practice, lawyers of any age who wish to brush up on their skills are also encouraged to attend! Young lawyers in particular who want to meet colleagues practicing throughout the country will find this to be an excellent marketing opportunity.

DRI’s Insurance Bad Faith and Extra-Contractual Liability Seminar is the preeminent program for insurance executives, claims professionals, and outside counsel who specialize in bad faith insurance litigation. When bad faith litigation ensues, these claims are some of the most complex and highest exposure claims faced by insurers. Our featured speakers consist of some of the nation’s leading in-house and outside bad faith lawyers, who will share their valuable insights and strategies on evaluating and winning bad faith cases as well as how to avoid them in the first place.