Litigating Civil Cases in Virginia From Start to Finish

Agenda / Content Covered

1. Top Civil Litigation Do's and Don'ts
   9:00 - 9:45, Camille E. Shora
   1. Court Procedure
   2. Motions
   3. Discovery
   4. Voir Dire and Jury Selection
   5. Trial Practice and Presentation
2. Motion Practice and Pleadings: Getting What You Want
   9:45 - 10:30, Camille E. Shora
   1. Applying the Rules of Civil Procedure
   2. Pleadings Standards and Sufficiency
   3. Motion to Dismiss
   4. Summary Judgment Motions
   5. Motions in Limine
   6. Tips for Effective Brief Writing
3. Discovery, Depositions, and Evidence Rules: Real-World Applications
   10:45 - 12:00, Camille E. Shora
   1. Effective Use of Discovery Tools (Interrogatories; Requests for Production; Requests for Admissions; Subpoenas)
   2. Obtaining Evidence From Electronic Devices
   3. Taking Depositions
   4. Defending Depositions (and Properly Using Objections)
   5. Evaluating Admissibility
   6. Laying a Foundation to Get Your Evidence Introduced
   7. Witness Testimony and Reports
   8. Applying the Hearsay Rule and Exceptions
   9. Keeping Evidence Out
4. How to Authenticate Social Media, Email, and Text Evidence
   1:00 - 1:45, William D. Ashwell
   1. Proactively Ensuring Authenticity
   2. Proving Electronic Documents Have Not Been Modified
   3. Identifying Who Made the Post and Linking to the Purported Author
   4. Authenticating Through Witness Testimony
   5. Authenticating via Distinctive Characteristics and Circumstantial Evidence
   6. Self-Authentication Methods
5. Conducting Voir Dire and Jury Selection
   1:45 - 2:30, Stephen R. Jackson
   1. Preparing for Voir Dire
   2. Investigating Jurors
   3. Reading Personality Types and Non-Verbals
   4. Building Rapport
   5. Introducing Case Information
   6. Asking the Right Questions
   7. Eliciting Bias and Obtaining Cause Challenges
   8. Getting Quiet Jurors Talking
   9. Effective Use of Peremptory Challenges
6. Building Your Civil Trial Skills
   2:45 - 3:30, Kimberley A. Murphy
   1. Opening Statements: Telling a Persuasive Story
   2. Conducting Direct Examination
   3. Cross-Examining and Impeaching Witnesses
   4. Using Objections
   5. Arguing Damages at Trial
   6. Delivering Summations and Jury Instructions
7. Legal Ethics: Avoiding Key Dangers
   3:30 - 4:30, Kimberley A. Murphy
   1. Handling Prejudicial Evidence
   2. Social Media and Legal Ethics
   3. Communicating with Jurors
   4. Preparing vs. Coaching Witnesses
   5. Avoiding Conflicts of Interest

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William D. Ashwell is an attorney with Ashwell & Ashwell, PLLC. He practices in the areas of civil litigation, land use and zoning, appellate advocacy, business and commercial law, and trust and estate planning. Mr. Ashwell is admitted to practice in Virginia and before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia, U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, and the Supreme Court of the United States of America. He is a member of the Virginia State Bar and Fauquier Bar Association, and serves on the Virginia State Bar Seventh District Disciplinary Committee. Mr. Ashwell earned his B.A. degree from Hampden-Sydney College and his J.D. degree from the University of Dayton School of Law.

 

Stephen R. Jackson is with the Law Offices of Stephen R. Jackson, PLLC in Suffolk, Virginia. He is admitted to practice in Virginia and North Carolina. Mr. Jackson's litigation practice focuses primarily on products liability defense and general litigation. He is admitted to practice before the U.S. District courts for the Eastern and Western districts of Virginia; the Eastern and Western districts of North Carolina; the U.S. Courts of Appeal for the Second, Fourth, Fifth and Seventh circuits; and the Supreme Court of the United States. Mr. Jackson is a fellow of the Foundation of the Federal Bar Association and has served on its Board of Directors since 2020. He earned his J.D. degree from the University of Richmond and his B.A. degree in government, with distinction, from the University of Virginia. Before entering private practice, he served as a law clerk to the Honorable David G. Lowe of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Richmond.

 

Kimberley A. Murphy is a partner and principal attorney with the law firm Hale Ball Carlson Baumgartner Murphy, PLC, in Fairfax, where she concentrates her practice in the areas of administrative law (professional license compliance), estates and trusts (administration and litigation), and business/civil (litigation). She is admitted to practice in the Commonwealth of Virginia and before the U.S. District Court Eastern District of Virginia, U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Ms. Murphy earned her B.A. degree from Michigan State University and J.D. degree, magna cum laude, from Michigan State University College of Law.

 

Camille E. Shora is of counsel at Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP, where she represents health care providers in medical malpractice cases and board matters, among others. She often addresses HIPAA issues, assisting health care providers with subpoena for records or testimony. She also assists health care practitioners with ensuring that their practice complies with HIPAA requirements, offering guidance in the drafting of forms and implementation of HIPAA compliance in the private office setting. Ms. Shora obtained her J.D. degree from West Virginia in 2002. She also earned a law degree from France. Ms. Shora practices in the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia.