Agenda / Content Covered

AM Session 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Panel Members: Hon. Roy O. Chernus, Hon. Stephen P. Freccero, Hon. Nancy Case Shaffer and Hon. Arthur A. Wick
Moderator: Dawn M. Ross

1. CASE MANAGEMENT AND PRETRIAL CONFERENCES
   1. Case Management
   2. Tips for a Productive Settlement Conference
   3. Mistakes to Avoid at the Pretrial Conference
2. SCHEDULING ORDERS
3. DISCOVERY ISSUES ENCOUNTERED BY THE COURT
   1. Authorizations for Records
   2. Interrogatories
   3. Notice to Admit
   4. Depositions
   5. E-Discovery
   6. Objections
   7. Discovery Delays and Extensions
   8. Discovery Issues Judges Should Never Hear
4. MOTION HEARING - WHEN, WHY, AND HOW?
   1. Motions in Limine
   2. Discovery Disputes
   3. Filing Dispositive Motions
5. JUDGES' VIEWS ON TECHNOLOGY IN THE COURTROOM
   1. What is Allowed in My Courtroom
   2. Advantages/Disadvantages of High-Tech Presentations
   3. Evidentiary Issues Relative to the Use of Technology in the Courtroom

PM Session 1:00 - 4:30 PM
Panel Members: Hon. Roy O. Chernus, Hon. Stephen P. Freccero, Hon. Nancy Case Shaffer and Hon. Arthur A. Wick
Moderator: Dawn M. Ross

6. LEGAL ETHICS - THE JUDICIAL VIEW (1:00 - 2:00)
   1. Best Practices in Communication Between Bench and Bar
   2. Ethical Conduct in the Courtroom
      1. Decorum
      2. Competence
      3. Candor and Fairness
      4. Unrepresented Parties
      5. Confidentiality
      6. The Attorney as Advisor
7. VOIR DIRE: DO'S AND DON'TS
8. TRIAL PRACTICE TIPS IN CIVIL COURT
   1. How to be "Trial Ready"
   2. Jury Instructions Beyond the Standard List
   3. The Value of a Good Appearance
   4. Top Things That Will Help Your Case Before the Judge
9. WITNESSES AND EVIDENCE: MISTAKES TO AVOID
   1. How a Witness Ruins a "Good" Case
   2. Expert Witnesses
   3. Introducing Evidence at Trial
   4. The Proper Way to Object in Court
   5. Learning When Not to Object
   6. When is a Side Bar Appropriate?
10. OPENING STATEMENTS AND CLOSING ARGUMENTS
    1. The Significance of an Opening Statement
    2. Effective Closing Argument Strategies
    3. Objecting During Argument

Accreditation Details:

HON. ROY O. CHERNUS is a Marin County Superior Court Judge in the State of California.

HON. STEPHEN P. FRECCERO is a Marin County Superior Court Judge in the State of California.

HON. NANCY CASE SHAFFER is a Sonoma County Superior Court Judge in the State of California.

HON. ARTHUR A. WICK is a Sonoma County Superior Court Judge in the State of California.

MODERATOR - DAWN M. ROSS is the managing partner in the law firm of Carle, Mackie, Power & Ross LLP, in Santa Rosa, California. Ms. Ross leads the firm’s employment group and commercial litigation team. She has represented employers successfully in state and federal litigation and administrative proceedings. Ms. Ross serves as counsel to some of the leading wineries, along with many other clients in the public and private sector. She assists clients in preparing employee handbooks, employment agreements, counseling on layoffs and terminations, and conducts workplace HR investigations. Ms. Ross also acts as trial counsel in intellectual property and commercial litigation matters, such as breach of contract, real estate transfers, fraud, trade secret, trademark violations, and construction defects. She received her B.A. degree from California State University, Fullerton; and her J.D. degree from the University of California, Davis, School of Law.