The premier yearly event for appellate practitioners, the 7th Annual Appellate Practice Conference 2021 features a concentrated focus on the appellate process. This year, the theme of the Conference is 'Opportunities to Serve.' The Conference is structured around ways attorneys can better serve their communities and clients. It features opportunities to bring appellate expertise to pro bono matters; a panel composed of state and federal judges and persons who have led both state and federal judicial selection processes brought together to encourage a diverse group of candidates to consider applying to openings in the state and federal courts; and a panel on how appellate practitioners in particular can address the grave issues identified in the Supreme Judicial Court Steering Committee on Lawyer Well-Being's February 4, 2021 Report Summarizing Affinity Bar Town Hall Meetings. The Conference also includes panels featuring judges' perspectives on how appellate practitioners can serve as a true 'friend of the court' in their amicus practice and how practitioners can best serve clients in seeking interlocutory review, as well as a panel delivering insights from members of the state and federal appellate courts' clerk's offices on recent developments in the courts' operations, particularly those that have come out of the COVID-19 crisis.
This outstanding Conference is essential for both new and experienced appellate litigators to strengthen their skills, hear from the judiciary, and learn from experts. Take advantage of this valuable opportunity to become a more effective appellate lawyer.
This outstanding Conference is essential for both new and experienced appellate litigators to strengthen their skills, hear from the judiciary, and learn from experts. Take advantage of this valuable opportunity to become a more effective appellate lawyer.
Course Content
9:30 am - 9:34 amWelcome and Introduction
Elizabeth N. Dewar, Esq.,
Office of the Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston
Joseph F. Stanton, Esq.,
Appeals Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston
9:34 am - 9:55 am
Chief Justice Kimberly Budd Shares Her Perspective on Service
Hon. Kimberly S. Budd,
Supreme Judicial Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston
Hon. Geraldine S. Hines,
Supreme Judicial Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts (Ret.), Boston
9:55 am - 10:30 am
Opportunities to Serve as Pro Bono Counsel: An Array of Organizations Explain How Your Appellate Expertise Can Serve Others
Amy Anthony, Esq.,
Harvard Legal Aid Bureau, Cambridge
Irene Freidel, Esq.,
PAIR Project, Boston
Melissa Gonzalez,
Greater Boston Legal Services, Boston
10:30 am - 11:07 am
Ensuring Our Courts Serve Everyone: Concrete Steps Toward Eliminating Identity-Based Discrimination in Our Appellate Courts
Gavin F. Alexander, Esq.,
Massachusetts Supreme Judical Court Standing Committee on Lawyer Well-Being, Boston
John G.C. Laing,
Executive Office of the Trial Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston
11:07 am - 11:17 am
Morning Break
11:17 am - 11:45 am
Serving During COVID-19 and Beyond: The Clerks' Perspective
Anastasia A. Dubrovsky, Esq.,
U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, Boston
Francis V. Kenneally, Esq.,
Supreme Judicial Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston
Joseph F. Stanton, Esq.,
Appeals Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston
11:45 am - 12:37 pm
Serving Clients Interlocutorily: Strategic Considerations in Single Justice Practice
Maura S. Doyle, Esq.,
Supreme Judicial Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston
Hon. Elspeth B. Cypher,
Supreme Judicial Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston
Hon. Joseph M. Ditkoff,
Appeals Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston
12:37 pm - 1:15 pm
Lunch Break
1:15 pm - 2:00 pm
Serving as a True 'Friend of the Court': Best Practices for Amicus Briefs
Hon. Elspeth B. Cypher,
Supreme Judicial Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston
Hon. Gregory I. Massing,
Appeals Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston
Andrew Manuel Crespo, Esq.,
Harvard Law School, Cambridge
2:00 pm - 2:45 pm
Serving on the Judiciary: Perspectives from the Bench
Joseph F. Stanton, Esq.,
Appeals Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston
Hon. Kenneth V. Desmond, Jr.,
Massachusetts Appeals Court, Boston
Hon. Vickie L. Henry,
Appeals Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston
Hon. O. Rogeriee Thompson,
US/Court of Appeals/1st Circuit/Boston, Boston
2:45 pm - 3:33 pm
Serving on the Judiciary: How to Apply, Why You Should, and Q & A
Hon. Roderick L. Ireland,
Supreme Judicial Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston
Hon. Nancy Gertner,
US/District Court/Massachusetts, Boston
E. Macey Russell, Esq.,
Choate Hall & Stewart LLP, Boston
Please Note
This webcast is delivered completely online, underscoring their convenience and appeal.
There are no published print materials. All written materials are available electronically only.
They are posted 24 hours prior to the program and can be accessed, downloaded, or printed from your computer.
Speakers
CochairsElizabeth N. Dewar, Esq.,
Office of the Attorney General, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston
Joseph F. Stanton, Esq.,
Appeals Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston
Faculty
Gavin F. Alexander, Esq.,
Massachusetts Supreme Judical Court Standing Committee on Lawyer Well-Being, Boston
Amy Anthony, Esq.,
Harvard Legal Aid Bureau, Cambridge
Hon. Kimberly S. Budd,
Supreme Judicial Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston
Andrew Manuel Crespo, Esq.,
Harvard Law School, Cambridge
Hon. Elspeth B. Cypher,
Supreme Judicial Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston
Hon. Kenneth V. Desmond, Jr.,
Massachusetts Appeals Court, Boston
Hon. Joseph M. Ditkoff,
Appeals Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston
Maura S. Doyle, Esq.,
Supreme Judicial Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston
Anastasia A. Dubrovsky, Esq.,
U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, Boston
Irene Freidel, Esq.,
PAIR Project, Boston
Hon. Frank M. Gaziano,
Supreme Judicial Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston
Hon. Nancy Gertner,
US/District Court/Massachusetts, Boston
Melissa Gonzalez,
Greater Boston Legal Services, Boston
Hon. Vickie L. Henry,
Appeals Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston
Hon. Geraldine S. Hines,
Supreme Judicial Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts (Ret.), Boston
Hon. Roderick L. Ireland,
Supreme Judicial Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston
Francis V. Kenneally, Esq.,
Supreme Judicial Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston
John G.C. Laing,
Executive Office of the Trial Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston
Hon. Gregory I. Massing,
Appeals Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston
E. Macey Russell, Esq.,
Choate Hall & Stewart LLP, Boston
Hon. O. Rogeriee Thompson,
US/Court of Appeals/1st Circuit/Boston, Boston
