15th Annual Federal Court Boot Camp: The Nuts and Bolts (IL) [In Person and Live Streaming]

Agenda

Attend in-person or via Live Streaming
(be sure to pick the correct option when you register)

Thursday, May 16th, 2024  |  8:45 a.m. – 4:45 p.m.

Morning Session
8:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

Program Attorneys: Elizabeth E. Babbitt, Maria Nieves Bolaños, Ian Fisher, Rima Kapitan, Samera S. Ludwig, Daniel Meyers, Kristen E. Prinz and Gretchen Harris Sperry 

Program Judges: Hon. Beth W. Janz, Hon. Sharon Johnson Coleman and Hon. Thomas M. Durkin

8:45 a.m. – 9:10 a.m.
Intro to Federal Court

• Practical differences between State Court and Federal Court Practice
• Material differences among Illinois’’ Federal Districts
• Highlights from the Local Rules and local practice
• Rule 1

9:10 a.m. – 10:05 a.m.
Complaints, Answers, Removal and Remand 

• Plausibility Standard: Rule 8’s Short and Plain Statement
• Forms of Complaints
• Defenses vs. Affirmative Defenses
• Practice pointers and pitfalls
• Removal
• Remand
• Case Management Reports
• Rule 16.1: Pretrial Discovery Conference

10:05 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
Break

10:15 a.m.  – 11:10 a.m.
Rule 12  

• Top ten tips for drafting Rule 12(b)(6) motions, responses, and replies
• How to enhance the effectiveness of memoranda addressing motions to dismiss
• How to address procedural issues that frequently arise when briefing motions to dismiss
• Additional Rule 12 motions

11:10 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
Break

11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
MSJs, Ex Partes and Injunctive Relief

• Drafting
• Timing
• Tips
• What judges want, need and don’t want to see
• Oral Argument
• Ex Parte Motions
• TROs and Preliminary Injunctions

LUNCH
12:15 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. (on your own)

 Afternoon Session: 1:00 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.

1:00 p.m. – 2:20 p.m.
Mastering Discovery & E-discovery

• CM/ECF
• 2015 Amendments to the FRCP
• Meet and Confer
• RFP, RFA and Interrogatories (and the differences between state and federal)
• How to expedite discovery
• How to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the case after reviewing discovery
• Discovery Motions
• Subpoenas and Affidavits
• AI use in discovery
• Failure to preserve
• Sanctions
• Dealing with difficult counsel
• Strategy considerations for settlement and trial
• Specific E-discovery Considerations
  • Overview and advice
  • Sources and preservation
  • Authentication
  • Critical ESI Protocol considerations
  • Cost saving measures
  • Using technology to assist in review and production of documents
  • Federal Rule of Evidence 502
  • Other e-discovery specific rules and timelines

2:20 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
BREAK

2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Depositions

• Federal Rules related to Depos
• Federal v. State differences
• Subpoenas & affidavits
• Deadlines
• Strategy and deciding whom to depose
• Taking good depositions
• Making effective use of depositions at trial or for settlement
• Online Depo advice

4:00 p.m. 4:05 p.m.
BREAK 

4:05 p.m. – 4:35 p.m.
Pre-Trial Matters and Bench Trials

• Pretrial Conference and Order – FRCP 16
• Trial Briefs
• Pretrial Statement
• Motions in Limine
• Bench Trial tips

4:35 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.
Final questions and comments

—- end —-

Dates/Times/Locations

Attend in-person or watch via Live Streaming online

Thursday, May 16th, 2024

At the Chicago Bar Association’s Seminar Room, 5th Floor*
321 South Plymouth Court
Chicago, IL

Start/Stop time:
8:45 a.m. – 4:45 p.m. (includes two short breaks each in the a.m. and in the p.m.)
Lunch from 12:15 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. (on your own)
Check in between 8:15 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.

*We are not affiliated with the Chicago Bar Association. They graciously let us use their seminar room.

Testimonials

“Best CLE program I’ve been to because it was comprehensive.” – Ronald Boggs, Esq.

“The seminar was excellent – very helpful in my development for practicing in federal court. It provided a lot of practical advice in one day. The judges were very helpful in providing the perspective from the bench.” – Rob Harrer, Esq.

“The program is well-structured and encompasses all of the most important topics.” – Yelyzaveta Altukhova, Esq.  

“I’m very happy with the topics that were covered. Excellent seminar! I will recommend this to other attorneys!” – Sarah Hertz, Esq.

“The program is fantastic! I was so impressed by the depth and content of each speaker’s oral presentations and course materials. The program was great. I am so glad I came.” – Laura Lee Robinson, Esq.

“Very interesting and informative.” – Melissa M. Cuddington, Esq.  

“It was valuable to receive not only general guidance but first-hand advice from seasoned federal litigators and from a member of the bench.”

“Excellent – very thorough!” – Steve McMullen, Esq.

“I learned a lot considering most of my cases have been in state court. The program will be useful in the future.”

“Very helpful. I recently was removed to federal court and this brought me up to date.” – Thomas Duda, Esq.

“Excellent speakers and content – gave me a better background for Federal Court practice.” – Leonard J. Solfa, Jr., Esq.

“This was an excellent seminar!” – Charles P. Romaker, Esq.

“This program allows attorneys to ask ‘dumb questions’ they can’t ask the firm, and gives the background for a lot of topics they haven’t been exposed to yet. This eliminates the need to do preliminary research on only background guidance.” – Kerri Feczko, Esq.

“I am new to civil litigation, so I found this entire program incredibly helpful. Thank you!”

“Our firm is beginning to take on more federal cases. This covered everything I wanted. The program was fantastic.” – Peter Beake, Esq.

“Great summary on topics and a “refresher” for those that have practiced for years.  It is always nice to have a panel that includes a practicing Judge as well.”

“Excellent.” – Julia Funke, Esq.

“Good program, good content, and good tips.”– Daniel Lindsey, Esq.

“The presenters were informative and engaging. There was a great range of perspectives.”

“A lot of information to process but good guidance for how to navigate this new journey. It was nice to hear from a judge about how the judiciary views actions that litigants and practitioners take.” – Rob Alexander, Esq.

“Very satisfied. The seminar had well-prepared presenters, good written materials and the staff/facilitators were well-organized.” – Michael P. Coghlan, Esq.

“Excellent overview of complaint and answer strategies.” – Jenna Milaeger, Esq.

“I thought the deposition, MSJ, and trial tips were very helpful and informative. Ms. McNally was a great instructor. She had a lot of very useful tips, strategies, and practice pointers. I learned a lot from her presentations.” – Mikayla Hamilton, Esq.

“Insightful discussion as to what clerks and judges are looking for.” – Richard Lehman, Esq.

“This gave me a good overview of federal court practice, and pointed me towards other helpful resources. Thanks for giving a few spots to legal aid. We really appreciate it!” – Kathryn Socha, Esq.

“Great program. Had several people in my office attend (including younger attorneys).”

“Excellent presentations. The discovery pilot program discussion was very good.” – Colin O’Brien, Esq.

“Very informative and responsive.”– Kevin R. Anderson, Esq.

“Insightful and educational on a wide variety of federal court subjects.” – Jonathan Wassell, Esq.

“Very good program. All speakers were dynamic.”

“Loved the specific pointed feedback from experienced people.”

“All the speakers were very informative.” – Juliet Carol Gilbert, Esq.

“Excellent presentations.”– Leonard J. Solfa, Jr., Esq.

“The Federal Rules Course in Chicago was outstanding.  Rick Levin, Brad Nahrstadt and their group of outstanding attorneys worked hard and delivered a most thoughtful scholarly presentation.” – B.F. Natarus, Esq.

“Great pointers and good checklist materials.” – Amy Wilson

“I learned a lot about depositions.” – Lucas Sun, Esq.

“Very satisfied.” – Kenderick Jordan, Esq.

“The speakers were engaging, the content helpful, and the practice pointers useful.”

“Very relevant.” – Jeffrey A. Goodloe, Esq.

“Good information on depositions, especially pertaining to entities and Mr. Bolton gave excellent advice and presentation.” – Nathan A. Frisch, Esq.

“Good overview from start to finish.” – Kevin Halverson, Esq.

“Great job!” – Delaney Hunt, Esq.

“It is useful to have speakers who bring various perspectives (plaintiffs’ counsel, defendants’ counsel, magistrate judge) to the presentations.”

“They addressed great topics.” – Zartosht Khodavandi, Esq.

“I am agency counsel, so I don’t practice in Federal Court, but rather assist the AUSAs with the case against staff. This training was very helpful to me to get a better understanding of why the AUSAs request or need certain information. It was also helpful for me to know how I can assist them better.” – Amy Standefer Mallott, Esq.

“Very informative and insightful commentary.” – Tim Lessman, Esq.

“Amazing! Loved Bhavani Raveendran’s presentation. She was very knowledgeable and she knew when to draw on the knowledge of the group.”

“Laura McNally was great! Loved the PowerPoints and MSJ advice she gave.” – Maria Magginas, Esq.

”Good straight forward presentation. Clear and concise.” – Randy Wolf, Esq.

“I thought it was very helpful! Good balance between a general overview of topics and specific information.” 

“It was very well put together. It was easy to follow and listen to. I tuned in via Zoom and on my phone, both worked effortlessly which is uncommon in Zoom presentations.” 

“An extraordinary amount of information, especially useful for novice federal litigators, and provided by well-prepared and seasoned practitioners.”

“I learned a lot about depositions.” – Lucas Sun, Esq.

“I liked comparisons between state and federal court.” – Lisa Clay, Esq.

“Federal law is so strict, that boot camps/seminars like this are very helpful for someone only in Federal court on an infrequent basis. I liked how the speakers showed the Illinois v. federal rules. I liked hearing a Judge’s perspective.”

“Very satisfied.” – Delaney Hunt, Esq.

“Excellent seminar with lots of practical advice.”

“Excellent program. Judge’s perspective is always great insight. Nieves Bolanos gave great strategy pointers.”

“Good program with useful info.” – Jeff Hamera, Esq.

“It was great.” – Dolores Ayala, Esq.

“I though the program was excellent and so were the speakers.”

“Very satisfied.” Thomas Duda, Esq.

“It’s great to have the Judge’s perspective along with the litigator’s perspective.”

“I thought the presentations were really informative and helpful.”

“Speakers were all very good and I enjoyed the back and forth and way they all contributed.”

“Very informative, and I appreciated the many perspectives shared.”

“Five stars.” – Scheagbe Mayumi Grigsby, Esq.

“Great program to introduce new lawyers to federal court.”

“Useful content was presented with incisive practice tips.”

“Great program!”

“Nice to have a refresher on federal procedures. Great advice for newer associates. Got a lot of great advice in regards to procedures and motion practice at the federal level.”

“Speakers were well-prepared and provided relevant practice tips that I will be able to use. Lots of good insights. It was very valuable hearing from a judge’s point of view.”

“Really enjoyed it! I learned so much!”

“Great practical information today, especially post-covid pointers. Really helpful.”

“It was informative!”

“It was a good basic level course. I have a lot of trial experience, so the “boot camp” on trial best practices covered familiar matters for me, but excellent advice for lawyers with little trial experience.”

“It’s been a while since I have been in Federal Court, I needed a refresher.”

“The program was excellent.”

“Great advice for newer associates. Got a lot of great advice in regards to procedures and motion practice at the federal level.”

“As a new attorney, it has been really helpful. I am learning the ins and outs of litigating in federal court.”

“Very helpful. I recently was removed to federal court and this brought me up to date.”

“Very effective program. It was helpful to see the comparison between Federal Court and State Court. Hon. Jeffrey T. Gilbert gave real-life examples for each rule discussed which proved helpful for me as a new attorney. Nieves Bolanos provided excellent practice tips and was well prepared in answering questions.”

“Very satisfied. The format of the presentation, soliciting practice tips from multiples speakers on the panel, was engaging and effective.”

“Provided a great overview of Federal Court Rules and Procedures.”

“Great content, great commentary, great perspectives.”

“Motions for Summary Judgment section was thoughtful and entertaining!”

“Very helpful overview especially for those of us who took civ pro/ bar exam what seems like an eternity ago. Good nuts and bolts overview along with real-world examples.”

“Good.”– Daniel Lindsey, Esq.

“The practice tips were the best part.”

“The program was well organized and informative.”

“Great.” – Erica Hollar, Esq.  

“Good program. Andrew Porter was excellent. Bhavani Raveendran is a bright new star with a great firm.”

“They were all very informative and held my attention well. It was great having a judge on the panel. That was a very rewarding experience.”

“I enjoyed the tips on preparing for a deposition and trial strategy.”

“Really enjoyed it. Great overview of all aspects of a fed court case.”

“Hon. M. David Weisman provided great insight on what judges expect and how to be well prepared when appearing in Federal Court. His comments were very valuable!”

“I thought the program provided a nice general overview.”

“Pre-trial matters are typically rushed and glazed over. Mr. Porter made it a point to emphasize their importance and gave a good overview for new attorneys. Great conversation about what to do when preparing for depositions and how to act during them. Great perspective on Motions for Summary Judgment from the Plaintiff’s point of view. Good advice on strategies for responding as well. Ms. Church presented a lot of information in a really short time! Great discussion about what to expect and how to prepare for trial.”

“Laura McNally was personable and conveyed her experience well. Her spotlight analogy regarding direct- and cross-examination was terrific.”

“Well run and informative.”

“Panelists interacted well together.”

“All speakers were knowledgeable and well-spoken.”

“Got practical tips on answers and MSJ.”

“All relevant topics for my practice areas. Great refreshers and update on recent federal rule changes.”

“This was a great refresher course.”

“Good overview before delving into specifics of each topic, easy to keep up with all the information.”

“Overall good overview of the subject.”

“Valuable content and information.”

“A great teacher! Appreciated his giving context for the topic he covered. Intro on e-discovery was very helpful.”

“I think that the program was informative and touched on the key areas that attorneys should be aware of in federal practice. I think overall that the program was very good and detailed.”

“Great presentation with thorough content!”

“The speakers were very informative.”

“The information, especially about the 2015 FRCP amendments, was very helpful. My practice has increased in Federal Court so this information is increasingly relevant to me. Great presentation by Matt Bills. I learned a lot of new things that are extremely pertinent to my practice.”

“Brad Nahrstadt’s presentation was extremely informative – lots of good ideas and tips. I also liked having the judge’s input on attorney practice, rule changes, and goals met by said changes, etc.”

“I thought the afternoon presentations were extremely helpful.”

“Enjoyed the panel. Good, practical information.”

“Fantastic content on trial presentation. Enjoyed content and presentation on pre-trial matters.”

“Very interesting and useful information.”

“General tips about oral argument were most helpful.”

“It was great. I got a lot of information.”

“The speakers were very informative and kept me engaged. I particularly enjoyed hearing from the judges and getting their perspectives.” 

“The program was very thorough, which is why I attended.” 

“This was a great learning experience. Particularly valued the judges’ perspectives.” 

“This was a really informative webinar.”  

“This whole program was excellent!  Best CLE I have ever attended.” 

“Extremely helpful and worth the time.” 

“Well done and very informative.”  

“Excellent program, everything was very informative.” 

“Great! Comprehensive!” 

“Laura McNally was very helpful. Excellent speaker. Very knowledgeable. Mike Leonard was really great. Stellar afternoon speakers!”

“Well done and thorough.”

“I really enjoyed Thursday’s webinar. It was very informative.”

“Loved the variant and specific practice feedback.”

“Very satisfied. Lots of techniques that can be incorporated into my career.”

“Learned some good litigation tips.”

“Brad Nahrstadt was very engaging and I learned so much.”

“Deposition strategies was a good presentation. Good practical advice. Reid Bolton also did a great job presenting – very practical advice.”

“Great program.”

“Very useful information.”

“Beneficial.”

“Liked everything.”

“There was a lot of good information provided in the program.”

“It was excellent!”

“Fantastically done.”

“Great program.”

“There were a lot of good tips and the materials were good.”

“Good overview of federal practice.“

“Great format and presentation.”

“Very good content.”

“Great to have federal judges present!”

“Well done.”

“It was enlightening.”

“Good nuts and bolts of federal practice.”

“I liked that it packed a lot into a one-day session.”

“Great content.”

“I definitely learned a lot.”

“I thought all of the speakers were great.”

“Very informative.”

Faculty

(tentative, pending trial schedule):

Hon. Thomas M. Durkin
Judge
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois

Thomas M. Durkin became a United States District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois on January 14, 2013, having been nominated by President Barack Obama on May 21, 2012. Judge Durkin received a JD degree with honors from DePaul University College of Law in 1978 and a BS degree in accounting with honors from the University of Illinois in 1975. Following graduation from DePaul University, Judge Durkin served as a law clerk to the Honorable Stanley J. Roszkowski of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois from 1978 to 1980.

After his clerkship, Judge Durkin served as an Assistant United States Attorney in Chicago from 1980 to 1993, where he held positions as First Assistant US Attorney, Chief of the Special Prosecutions Division, Chief of the Criminal Receiving and Appellate Division, and Deputy Chief of the Special Prosecutions Division. While an Assistant United States Attorney he tried over 50 jury trials.

Before taking the bench, Judge Durkin was a partner in the law firm of Mayer Brown LLP from 1993 to 2013, specializing in complex commercial litigation, white collar criminal defense, and internal investigations.

He served on the Board of the Legal Assistance Foundation from 1999 to 2008. He has been a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers since 2000. He was appointed by Chief Justice Roberts in 2015 to the Committee on Federal-State Jurisdiction of the Judicial Conference of the United States.

Confirmed Faculty:

Hon. Sharon Johnson Coleman
Judge
US District Court, Northern District of Illinois

Sharon Lynn Johnson Coleman is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. She was formerly a justice of the Illinois Appellate Court, First District, 3rd Division.

Bio pending.

Hon. Beth W. Jantz
Magistrate Judge
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois

Judge Beth W. Jantz is a Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of Illinois. Judge Jantz handles both civil and criminal matters, and since being appointed, has conducted close to 100 formal settlement conferences.

Judge Jantz was previously an attorney with the Federal Defender Program for the Northern District of Illinois. Before that, she practiced at Sidley Austin LLP in Chicago, focusing on class actions and products liability. Judge Jantz was the President of the Chicago Inn of Court for 2019-20.

Judge Jantz serves on many court committees including: the Sentencing Options that Achieve Results Program (“SOAR”), which is a pretrial diversion program for criminal defendants; the 7th Circuit Criminal Jury Instructions Committee; and the Administrative Office’s “Roadways to the Bench” program.

Judge Jantz is a graduate of Dartmouth College and Northwestern University School of Law. After graduation, she clerked for the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals’ Staff Attorneys’ Office. 

Elizabeth E. Babbitt, Esq.
Partner
Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP

Elizabeth is an accomplished business litigator. She has significant experience leading large and small businesses, public utilities, and municipalities through complex litigation in both federal and state courts. She recently served a two-year term on the firm’s Executive Committee. Elizabeth has a unique depth of experience representing clients in civil rights, class action, and employment litigation. She regularly advises businesses and individuals on matters relating to breaches of contract, employment discrimination, employee whistleblowing, unfair business practices, trade secrets, restrictive employment covenants, defamation, and breaches of fiduciary duties. Elizabeth is often called upon by clients to handle emergent litigation, and regularly handles litigation in the context of temporary restraining orders or preliminary injunctions. Beyond the litigation context, Elizabeth has a passion for advising businesses regarding compliance on equal access and equal employment issues in the workplace. She also previously represented the City of Chicago in the litigation and negotiation of the Chicago Police consent decree.

Elizabeth is a proven leader of the legal and civic community. In addition to her service to Taft’s Executive Committee, she participates on the firm’s Associate Advancement and Recruitment Committee and leads the Chicago office’s women’s affinity group. Beyond her firm commitments, Elizabeth is an active member of the Chicago legal community.  She previously served as President of the University of Illinois College of Law Alumni Board and remains an active alumna and mentor to law students. She is a member of the Judicial Evaluation Committee of the Chicago Bar Association, which provides an assessment to the public of candidates for state court judges. Elizabeth is a member of the Mother McAuley High School Alumnae Law Society and assists in coaching the school’s mock trial team; she also previously taught trial advocacy to law students at John Marshall Law School. Prior to joining Taft, Elizabeth was a federal law clerk for the Honorable John W. Darrah of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Elizabeth received her J.D., cum laude, from the University of Illinois College of Law in Urbana-Champaign. While in law school, she served as an editor of the University of Illinois Law Review, competed on the University of Illinois College Trial Team, and participated in the Federal Civil Rights Clinic. Elizabeth holds dual Bachelor of Science degrees in finance and business administration, cum laude, from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Nieves Bolaños, Esq.
Founding Partner
Fish Potter Bolaños, P.C.

Nieves Bolaños is a founding partner at Fish Potter Bolaños, P.C. She represents workers in wage and hour, False Claims Act, and employment discrimination and retaliation litigation. She has significant litigation experience at the state and federal level, as well as with local administrative agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Illinois Department of Human Rights and the Illinois Education Labor Relations Board. Nieves’ experience includes representation of single plaintiffs, class and collective actions at all stages of litigation, and she has litigated False Claims Act cases and large class action cases with exceptional results.

Nieves is a 2009 graduate of DePaul University College of Law. She serves on the Executive Board of the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA) and is VP of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion on its Executive Committee. She also chairs NELA’s Low Wage Worker Practice Group and serves on its Legislative Action Committee and is a member of NELA’s Illinois affiliate, the Illinois State Bar Association, and the National Lawyers Guild’s Chicago Labor and Employment Committee. Nieves serves on the ARISE Chicago Legal Advisory Board and on the Board for In These Times Magazine. 

Ian H. Fisher, Esq.
Partner
Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP

Ian represents clients ranging from small entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies in commercial litigation matters involving real estate, antitrust, trade secret misappropriation, restrictive covenant, consumer, contract, and business tort disputes.

Ian has substantial experience defending against class actions and navigating multidistrict litigation proceedings. He has successfully defended on appeal many of his trial court victories and is skilled at identifying strategies that align with his clients’ business goals. Having served as a general counsel for both a law firm and a small company, Ian has a unique understanding of in-house counsel’s perspective.

Ian counsels clients on a wide range of issues central to their business needs, including Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) compliance, the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), insurance policies and claims, risk mitigation, and restrictive covenants.

Among his many accolades, Illinois Super Lawyers ranks Ian as one of its “Top 100 Attorneys” in Illinois and has included him on its Super Lawyers list for a dozen years. For more than 17 years, the Leading Lawyers Network has named Ian as a “Leading Lawyer” in both Commercial Litigation and Class Action/Mass Tort Defense, and he has been ranked more recently in the area of Trade Secrets/Unfair Competition Law. Best Lawyers recognizes Ian for Commercial Litigation. He is also rated AV Preeminent 5/5 by Martindale-Hubbell, its top rating for ethical standards and legal ability.

Rima Kapitan, Esq.
Partner
Kapitan Gomma Law

 Rima Kapitan specializes in employment litigation, consulting and advocacy on behalf of employees and small businesses. In recent years she has increasingly focused on academic issues, representing professors in appeals of tenure denials, litigating civil rights cases in the university setting, and providing consulting for faculty governance bodies. She has spoken on the topic of academic freedom at conferences and panels of the American Association of University Professors, the New York University School of Law, the Fordham University School of Law, and California State University. She also previously served as Managing Partner of a 7-attorney law firm. Ms. Kapitan was admitted to practice in the State of Illinois Supreme Court in 2005, and is a member of the Trial Bar of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. She is a graduate of DePaul University College of Law and Indiana University’s Individualized Major Program.

Samera Syeda Ludwig, Esq.
Partner
Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP

Samera Syeda Ludwig focuses her practice on labor and employment and business immigration. For more than 20 years, she has represented employers in both state and federal courts and in administrative proceedings throughout the country. As an experienced litigator, Samera counsels and represents businesses on matters involving employee discipline, employee claims of discrimination, and harassment and retaliation and conducts internal investigations. Samera also advises employers on immigration policies and employment related issues including obtaining non-immigrant and immigrant visas, providing immigration related guidance during corporate mergers and acquisitions, and assisting employers with I-9 employment eligibility and verification compliance.

Daniel Meyers, Esq.
Partner
Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP

Daniel Meyers represents clients in complex litigations with a focus on products liability, consumer fraud, and class actions. He has extensive experience representing clients as national counsel in mass tort litigations including all phases of litigation. Daniel has worked on teams that have tried cases to defense jury verdicts in multiple jurisdictions in both state and federal court. He also has experience litigating appeals. 

Daniel is committed to pro bono legal services, having represented clients in matters ranging from employment contract disputes to child custody disputes. Recently, he was part of an innocence project team that secured the exoneration of an innocent man who spent 14 years in prison — 10 of them on Florida’s death row — after being wrongfully incarcerated and convicted of two stabbing murders in 2004.

Prior to joining the firm, Daniel volunteered as a Special Assistant Corporation Counsel in the City of Chicago’s Labor Division where he represented the City in hearings before the Chicago Police and Human Resources Boards, as well as in arbitrations.

Kristen E. Prinz, Esq.
Founder and Managing Partner
The Prinz Law Firm, P.C.

Kristen Prinz is an employment lawyer, business counselor, and founder of The Prinz Law Firm.

Ms. Prinz represents physicians, lawyers, senior executives, and small business owners in matters ranging from employment agreements and non-competes to complex employment disputes. She is passionate about advocating for her clients’ interests and helping them achieve outcomes consistent with their professional goals.

Ms. Prinz has litigated employment disputes before state and federal courts at the trial and appellate level, and before administrative agencies, including the EEOC, the Illinois Department of Human Rights, and the Cook County Human Rights Commission. She also has experience representing clients in arbitration proceedings.

As a business counselor, Ms. Prinz provides business owners, entrepreneurs, and professionals with innovative and cost-effective solutions to their legal and operational problems, enabling them to fully realize their potential. She has leveraged her litigation and culture management experience to guide clients in implementing employment best practices, effectively training staff, and creating a productive workplace culture.

Ms. Prinz is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago, the Chicago Bar Association, the Illinois Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the National Employment Lawyers Association, and is Chair of the Nominating Committee for The International Women’s Forum.

Ms. Prinz was selected for inclusion in Crain’s Chicago Business’ List of 50 Most Influential Female Attorneys, and has been named an Emerging Lawyer by Leading Lawyers, as well as a Super Lawyer for 2019. Kristen received her J.D. with honors from IIT Chicago Kent College of Law and a B.A. in English from the University of Iowa.

Gretchen Harris Sperry, Esq.
Partner, Co-Chair Appellate Practice Group
Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP.

Gretchen Harris Sperry is a Co-Chair of the Appellate Practice Group and a Partner in the firm’s Chicago office. She has represented clients in numerous state and federal courts of review, including the United States Supreme Court. As a former appellate court clerk, Ms. Sperry applies her experience and understanding of the judicial process at all stages of litigation, from drafting critical motions and appeals to developing long-term legal strategies in complex commercial litigation, constitutional litigation, labor and employment matters, and high-exposure catastrophic injury cases.

Ms. Sperry is highly skilled at handling the sensitive and unique legal issues that arise at the intersection of law, politics, and government. She is experienced in white collar criminal matters, having represented individuals and entities in federal criminal prosecutions and investigations, as well as conducting internal investigations in anticipation of government involvement. Ms. Sperry frequently represents government agencies and elected officials in constitutional litigation as a court-appointed Special Assistant State’s Attorney. She also represents private sector clients before various governmental, legislative, and regulatory agencies, counseling them on pending legislation and regulatory compliance matters.

Ms. Sperry is an active member of the legal community. She was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to serve as a member of the Character and Fitness Committee of the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar. She has served as an adjunct faculty member at two Chicago law schools teaching Appellate Advocacy. She also serves as the Secretary of the ABA Council of Appellate Lawyers and is a Past President of the Illinois Appellate Lawyers Association. 

Prior to joining Gordon & Rees, Ms. Sperry was partner at a national law firm where she served as chair of the firm’s Appellate Practice Group, which was nationally recognized.  Previously, Ms. Sperry was a Judicial Clerk to the Honorable Mary Jane Theis and the Honorable Maureen E. Connors in the Illinois Appellate Court. During her time in the Court, Ms. Sperry assisted in researching and drafting judicial opinions and dispositional orders in all areas of the law, including insurance coverage, contract disputes, corporate and partnership formation, fiduciary duty, personal injury, professional liability, declaratory judgment actions, appellate jurisdiction, evidentiary issues, and criminal matters. In law school, she also served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Michael T. Mason, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and was a Senior Research Fellow for Dean Michael J. Kaufman.

Additional faculty and judges TBA

Fees

You can add the Recorded Package of this program at check out for only $99 (download)
or $109 + tax in CA (DVD/CD)

Registration fees are per person and are the same whether attending in-person or via live streaming.
For online streaming attendees: your log in information will be keyed to each individual registrant.
Substitutions are allowed any time (contact us please).

Individual: $429
Group: $404 per person for 2 or more from the same company pre-registering at the same time.
Government employee/Legal Aid** Rate: $380
Law Student*/Paralegal Rate: $240

Full and partial scholarships are available for Legal Aid attorneys, based upon registration. Please call (877) 858-3848 to discuss or email your request to info@pincusproed.com.

Program materials:

Registration includes an electronic copy (.pdf) of your seminar handbook, whether attending in-person or via live streaming.  This will be emailed to you about a week before the program.  Be sure to check your spam folder if you don’t see it by then.  Please put info@pincusproed.com in your address book to make sure you receive your pdf of the program handbook.

IMPORTANT: We are doing our part to protect the environment and we are no longer offering printed handouts. All attendees will get a link to download the handout a week prior to the program.

* Law Student Rate is for current law students only.  Please submit your law school information in the comments box when you register.

** Legal Aid attorneys are those attorneys employed by Legal Aid/non-profit firms.  It does not include attorneys who have their own practice, or are employed by law firms, that volunteer their time for non-profit causes or take on pro-bono cases. It also does not include attorneys who serve on non-profit boards.

CLE Credits

IL General: This program was approved for 6.75 general CLE units.
IL Professional Responsibility: This program is approved for 6.5 hours IL Professional Responsibility credit.

CA General: This program is approved for 6.75 general CLE units.

NY General: This course is eligible for approval, under New York’s CLE Approved Jurisdiction policy, for 6.75 CLE units. Pincus Professional Education is a CA Accredited Provider, which is a NY approved jurisdiction. See Section 6 of the New York State CLE Board Regulations and Guidelines for further information.

This program is approved for CLE in the states listed above.  Upon request, Pincus Pro Ed will provide any information an attorney needs to support their application for CLE approval in other states other than what is listed above. Many attorneys ask for this and are approved in other states.