Program Information

Session Details

Session 1: The Dawning of a New Era: Combining Extractive and Generative AI for New Possibilities, by Steve Dubusky, Lexis/Nexis -- Chances are, you're already using extractive Artificial Intelligence (AI) in some areas of your legal practice — whether that be for case search, client management, document preparation, or some combination of these. Now, generative AI – the type of AI that powers tools like ChatGPT — is on the verge of changing the way you research again. This CLE will detail how AI can be harnessed in the legal industry, offering examples, resources, and tips. Additionally, the CLE will cover a lawyer's ethical duty to use generative AI responsibly to ensure the generative AI information is accurate and reliable to ensure the best outcome for your clients. 


Session 2: Inflection Points Common Threads and Luck: Lawyers and Leadership, by Tom Hurney, Jr., Jackson Kelly PLLC -- How did you get here? Every lawyer should occasionally stop and ask that and other questions. Who influenced you? Who did you learn from? Why do you do what you do? (And why do you still do it?) Reflection (and being grateful) are important to lawyers as leaders. This presentation will discuss self-reflection – an honest look at successes, failures, and what you are grateful for - provides a sound basis and now it will make you better at engaging with and leading others.


Session 3: "Up from Slavery": The Remarkable History of Black West Virginians, by Dr. Cicero Fain III, Marshall University -- Currently, no unified vision exists and, consequently little effort has been made, to capitalize on the State’s African American history as a key economic sector in the State’s cultural tourism industry. Thus, no venue exists within the state that recognizes, chronicles, and celebrates the remarkable history, stories, experiences, and contributions of Black West Virginians and Appalachians to the nation and globe. Targeted for groundbreaking in 2026, corresponding to the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Black History Month and the 250th anniversary of America's founding, the Black Appalachian Cultural Center would be located in the Fairfield West district, the historic heart of Black Huntington, WV.  It would be the only center of its type in Central Appalachia and serve as the hub of a developing multi-cultural heritage tourism sector that would contribute mightily to the economic and cultural renaissance of Huntington, southern WV, and the Tri-state region.


Three key themes will animate the presentation: First, I will discuss the ideological, legal, and political contributions of Black Virginians/West Virginians to the Modern Civil Rights Movement.  Second, the presentation will serve to inform the members of the inherent bias and, hopefully, educate members on the ways to recognize that bias moving forward, with the goal of mitigating or eliminating it through education of the past. Lastly, the presentation will show how the Black Appalachian Cultural Center will directly address and assist in ameliorating bias by educating the public on the stories, experiences, and contributions of Black West Virginians to the nation and globe.


Session 4: The Future of Frozen Embryos, by Clare Ryan, Assistant Professor of Law, The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, AL. -- In February 2024, the Alabama Supreme Court issued a ruling in the case of LePage v. Center for Reproductive Medicine. The Court concluded that the state’s Wrongful Death of a Minor Act applied to “extrauterine embryos” that were cryopreserved during the in vitro fertilization (IVF) process. The opinion was the first in the country to treat pre-implantation embryos as children. The case caused immediate backlash, especially because every fertility clinic in the state of Alabama ceased IVF treatments out of fear of liability. In response, the Alabama state legislature passed a law that grants immunity to fertility treatment providers under certain circumstances. But many questions remain: what are the criminal law implications of treating pre-implantation embryos as children? What about the implications for family law? This talk will unpack the LePage decision and discuss the future of assisted reproduction.


Session 5: Top 10 Ways to Ruin Your Practice (and Lose Your License!), by Robert H. Davis, Jr, Esq., Attorney & Counselor at Law, Harrisburg, PA. -- The focus of the program will be many of the errors insurers see over and over again, how they overlap with duties stated in the WV Rules of Professional Conduct and some ideas about steps firms large and small should take to avoid or minimize risks.


Session 6: The New Rules of Civil Procedure, by Marc Williams and Amanda Taylor (with Moderator Casey Forbes) -- Significant revisions to the Rules of Civil Procedure become effective on January 1, 2025. This presentation highlights important changes to those rules that every lawyer should know.


Session 7: Democracy at Risk by, Vice Admiral James Crawford, III, JAGC, U.S. Navy (Retired) -- Admiral Crawford will discuss the current state of our democracy, including the strains placed on it on January 6, 2021, when an insurrectionist mob stormed the U.S. Capitol in a violent attempt to stop the constitutionally prescribed process for the election of the next President. His presentation will include the ABA’s Task Force for American Democracy and its efforts to protect the Rule of Law, and to educate citizens on why democracy is foundational to American society and the welfare of the American people.


Session 8: “Best Practices in Federal Courts” - The Honorable John Preston Bailey and Magistrate Judge James Mazzone. Judge Bailey will relate his best practices for federal courts by calling upon his 29 years of private practice and 17 years on the bench as a United States District Court Judge for the Northern District of West Virginia. Magistrate Judge Mazzone will discuss the Magistrate Judge’s role in working with the District Judge in Federal proceedings.

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