WHERE:  Huntington Convention Center, 1 St. Clair Ave., Cleveland, OH 44114, Fourth Floor in “The Loft”

WHAT: Voir Dire Institute. We will have Alex Alvarez and Mel Orchard join us for two hours by Zoom to talk about their approaches to voir dire (“cause is king” vs. “building a tribe”).

Then in the afternoon we will go into breakout rooms with mock jurors and attendees will be able to get on their feet and practice voir dire in front of real mock jurors! So please bring your case and be ready to get on your feet!! You will have a voir dire “coach” to give you feedback on your presentation and style. For lawyers who want to PRACTICE VOIR DIRE, this is an opportunity you won’t want to miss!

COST: $100 Register Today! This event is limited to 40 attendees.

AGENDA:

9:00am-10:00am           BREAKFAST

10:00am-12:00pm         LECTURES & PANEL DISCUSSION ON VOIR DIRE WITH ALEX ALVAREZ & MEL ORCHARD (via Zoom)

Alex and Mel will present their approaches to voir dire (“cause is king” vs. “building a tribe”) and give you tips on how you can make the most out of voir dire.

12:00 pm-1:00 pm            LUNCH

1:00 pm-5:00 pm             BREAKOUT SESSIONS TO PRACTICE VOIR DIRE

We are bringing in mock jurors, and attendees will be able to get on their feet and practice voir dire in front of real mock jurors. Attendees will get feedback from one of our voir dire “coaches”.

6:10pm – CATA SOCIAL EVENT—GUARDIANS GAME AT 6:10 PM VS THE TWINS. (Please RSVP to that event separately).

WHO:

Alex Alvarez is a trial lawyer and founder of Momus Analytics—a company specializing in jury selection.

https://www.integrityforjustice.com/our-attorneys/alex-alvarez/

https://momusanalytics.com/

There are less than 1% of the trial lawyers in the US who are fellows of the prestigious American College of Trial Lawyers.  It’s composed of only the top attorneys in the country, as determined by their peers. One of them is Alex Alvarez. As a trial lawyer, Alex is most known for his courtroom battles against Big Tobacco—Philip Morris and R.J. Reynolds, who together control over 86% of the total U.S. cigarette market. To date, Alex has won over 30 verdicts against the world’s largest tobacco companies, in the process recovering approximately half-a-billion dollars in damages for his clients and their families. His win rate against the tobacco syndicate is unrivaled, reputedly among the highest. Beyond tobacco litigation, over his storied 30-year legal career, Alex’s accomplishments and accolades have spanned a variety of practice areas—from pharmaceutical and product liability to medical malpractice and injury cases. Then there is his first career in law enforcement, which may be the most colorful and consequential of all. 

Mel Orchard has been Gerry Spence’s law partner for the past 27 years and is one of the faculty members at the Trial Lawyer’s College in Wyoming.

https://www.spencelawyers.com/attorneys/mel-c-orchard-iii

Mel has litigated and/or tried hundreds of cases in his career and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in settlement and verdicts for his clients. During his trial career, Mel has been a part of record-breaking civil jury verdicts in various jurisdictions (Wyoming, Arizona, and Iowa). He has also devoted significant time to pro bono work through Lawyers and Advocates for Wyoming, and many local and national charities. In addition to preparing for trial or being in trial, Mel was a senior faculty member and board member at the Trial Lawyer’s College in Wyoming and was recently selected to join the Board.”

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

On November 20 at our normal time of 3pm we will have Steven M. Gursten from Farmington Hills, Michigan, coming down to the Buckeye State to present on the litigation side of traumatic brain injuries and what attorneys should be on the lookout for in this environment. Steve is a leading traumatic brain injury litigator, frequent presenter with a variety of organizations and is the current president of AAJ’s distracted driving litigation group and a past president of the AAJ TBI litigation group and truck accident litigation group. Happy Hour will follow.
 
Click HERE to register for our November CLE
https://buy.stripe.com/4gwbLd0IEgvtdLG4gQ

(Free for staff attorneys)

 
Dr. Randall Benson was RESCHEDULED
Due to recent hurricane activity, our October CLE with has been rescheduled to December 18, 2024 at 12 noon.

We will still be joined by Dr. Randall Benson from the Center for Neurologic Studies in Boca Raton for one hour of education on traumatic brain injuries focusing on developments on the medical side. Dr. Benson is one of the foremost experts in traumatic brain injury. Please note the earlier start time. Food will be served.

Click HERE to register for our December CLE
https://buy.stripe.com/4gwdTl2QM5QPcHCcNn

(Free for staff attorneys)

Looking forward to seeing all of you there!

The Ritz-Carlton
Ballroom A
1515 W 3rd St,
Cleveland, OH 44113

The Cleveland Academy of Trial Attorneys is pleased to host a panel discussion on Jury Trials during COVID-19. What we learned from the experience and what we can implement moving forward.

Katie Harris

Sarah Gelsomino

Dennis Lansdowne

Cases to be discussed:

Estate of Ramzy Michaels v. Sam Ghoubrial, MD,
Cuyahoga County Case No. CV-18-908687

Zachary Horseman v. Mercy Health-Lorain Hospital, et al
Lorain County Case No. 19-CV-199157

Estate of John Guagenti v. Eric E. Fritz, et al
Allen County Case No. CV-2021-0018

1.0 HOUR CLE PENDING APPROVAL

The event will run from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at the Huntington Convention Center in downtown Cleveland, OH.

Earn 3.75 CLE Credit Hours
Pending Approval

REGISTER NOW for the CATA Litigation Institute Workshop

This 4-hour workshop will be conducted on April 29, 2022.  The workshop will include a panel discussion of Witness Preparation and AAJ Press’ book, Harvesting Witnesses’ Stories: How to Maximize Human Damages.

ABOUT THE PRESENTERS:

Katherine James is a trial consultant who specializes in live communication skills based in the discipline of theatre. She has been working to make attorneys and witnesses better courtroom communicators since 1977. Over 40,000 attorneys have taken ACT of Communication workshops that she developed with co-founder Alan Blumenfeld. She has helped take over 2,500 matters to trial and helped prepare literally thousands of witnesses, including experts of every stripe. She coaches witnesses and their lawyers to reach, persuade and activate jurors. She has taught for AAJ (formerly ATLA) ABTL, ABA, NITA, DRI, CICA as well as many private law firms and bar associations.

Andrew Caple-Shaw is a member of the American Society of Trial Consultants. He is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Occidental College and a former Rhodes Scholar Finalist. Andrew became a licensed attorney in the state of Tennessee after completing law school in less than two years, during which time he was a National Champion trial advocate, working actor, and elected leader of the television and film performers union, SAG-AFTRA.  He is currently the Vice President of SAG-AFTRA Nashville and has held numerous national and local offices with the organization over the last two decades.

EVENT PRICING: 

This event is FREE for Judges, Staff Attorneys and Court Staff.
CATA Members may attend this seminar for $175.00
Non-Members are encouraged to attend for $250.00

A big thank you to our luncheon sponsors, Tackla Court Reporting and Thomas Stockett of CW Settlements.

Part 1 – From Hostage to Hero

Friday, June 19^th 2020

1:00-2:45pm (ET)

In the first of this two-part From Hostage to Hero Seminar, Sari de la Motte, aka “The Attorney Whisperer,” will show you why jurors aren’t the only hostages at trial; you’re a hostage too. In order to win the jury over you first have to free yourself. Learn how to become the hero jurors need by moving yourself from hostage to hero.

Part 2 – Captivate the Jury By Setting Them Free

Friday, June 26^th 2020

1:00-2:45pm (ET)

In part two of the From Hostage to Hero Seminar, you’ll learn why jurors feel and act like hostages and what steps you can take to move them from hostage to hero. By increasing your nonverbal intelligence, you’ll understand the jury like never before.

Learn:

• How trial threatens a juror’s brain
• Why hostages make terrible jurors
• How to gain a juror’s permission
• How your role changes as trial progresses
• Why nonverbal intelligence is essential for trial attorneys
• Nonverbal skills to engage the jury
• Voir dire and opening skills
• …and more!

Sari has been interviewed on television and radio, on the Trial Lawyer Nation podcast, and in the Huffington Post, The Atlantic, and The Oregonian. Sari has worked with several law firms, including several members of the Inner Circle of Advocates.

For more information on how to move jurors from hostage to hero, visit www.fromhostagetohero.com to access videos, resources, blog posts, and more. For more information on Sari, visit www.saridlm.com 

You must register in order to receive the Zoom link and login credentials.

Members = $75.00

Non-members = $150.00

Judges & Staff Attorneys = complimentary (please RSVP)

A big THANK YOU! to our Platinum Sponsor, Tom Stockett and Rimon Bebawi of CW Settlements. Located in the heart of downtown Cleveland, CW Settlements is a leading provider of Structured Settlements and Settlement Planning Solutions with over 20 years of experience.  CW Settlements’ extensive knowledge of Structured Settlements, government benefits and litigation makes them one of the most trusted experts to take on any case, regardless of the complexity. CW Settlements has been and continues to be a valuable resource for CATA members and their clients. You can reach Tom and Rimon at 800-453-5414 or via email at tstockett@cwsettlements.com with any of your Structured Settlement and Settlement Planning needs.

We’re also excited to present our keynote speaker, Judge Jennifer Brunner of the Tenth District Court of Appeals, who is running in the 2020 election as the Democratic candidate for Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court. Judge Brunner will be swearing in the officers and directors of the board as well.

There is no charge for attendance this year. Simply RSVP by email (todd@eisenlawfirm.com) and you will receive a confirmation email with the Zoom link, Meeting ID, and Password.

We are pleased to announce our keynote speaker is Ohio Supreme Court Justice Melody Stewart, the first African-American woman elected to the Ohio Supreme Court and one of two Democrats on the court.  Justice Stewart will also be swearing in the officers and board of directors.

We will be welcoming our new Treasurer to the Executive Team, Meghan P. Connolly, thanking our outgoing President Chris Patno, giving out the annual awards, and enjoying catching up with our fellow members.