Friday, March 27

8:00 AM–4:00 PM

Registration Open

8:00–9:00 AM

Continental Breakfast

8:45–9:00 AM

Welcome

9:00–9:50 AM
FBA 101—What Leaders Need to Know

This foundational session is designed to provide a clear overview of FBA governance and structure and how leadership roles connect across the organization. The session will also highlight the Foundation of the FBA’s mission and how it supports FBA entities

• Moderator: Hon. Karoline Mehalchick, National President
• Maura Black, Chair, Sections & Divisions Council
• Mark Barbre, Chair, Circuit Vice Presidents
• Stephen Jackson, President, Foundation of the FBA

10:00–10:50 AM

Growing and Keeping Members—Strategies for Success

The FBA’s new database and Online Portal has provided new ways to approach membership. In this session, attendees will learn how to take advantage of the technology to better engage with their community.   

• Dominick Alcid, Director of Membership Operations
• Kelly Scalise, Chair, Membership Committee
• Ryan Szala, Director of Chapter Relations

11:00–11:50 AM

FBA Priorities and Advocacy Outreach

The FBA’s policy priorities focus on the health and welfare of the federal judicial system and effective federal legal practice and are derived from input from FBA members, chapters, sections and divisions. The association maintains an active, non-partisan presence in the nation’s capital, monitoring and participating in policy-making processes in Congress, the Executive Branch and the federal judiciary.

• Moderator: Maura Black, Vice Chair, Government Relations Committee
• Cissy Jackson, Government Relations Counsel
• Dan Renberg, Government Relations Counsel

11:50 AM–12:50 PM

Networking Lunch

1:00–1:50 PM

Judicial Involvement/Bench-Bar Relations

The panel will discuss how chapter, section and division leaders may best interact with judges; partnering with the Judiciary Division to have judges speak at chapter/section/division programs; why judges remain engaged with the FBA; and chapter/section/division programs that encourage judicial involvement.

• Moderator: Hon. Suzanne Mitchell, Chair, Judiciary Division
• Hon. Donna Currault, Past President, New Orleans Chapter
• Hon. Anna Howard, Past President, Atlanta Chapter
• Hon. Karoline Mehalchick, National President

2:00–2:50 PM

Characteristics of a Successful Program/Programming Best Practices, Including Funding

This panel will discuss successful practices for chapter/section/division programming, including identifying creative program ideas, establishing timelines, and evaluating ongoing programs to assess whether they continue to effectively engage members or should be modified.  The panel will also discuss addressing accessibility and inclusion and sources of potential funding.

• Moderator: Yaniv Adar, 11th Circuit, Circuit Vice President
• Amy Boyle, Member, Committee on Advancing the Legal Profession
• Stephen Jackson, Foundation of the FBA President
• Jacquelyn Moran, President, Eastern District of New York Chapter
• Oliver Ruiz, Vice Chair, Sections & Divisions Council
• Jean Phillip (J.P.) Shami, Chair, Professional Development Committee

3:00–3:50 PM

Membership Part II—Serving Members Through Various Career Stages

In this membership session, leaders will hear how other Sections, Divisions, & Chapters have engaged with their members in a career-focused context. Attendees can take away proven strategies to support members at every stage of their career.

• Moderator: Dina Miller, 2nd Circuit, Circuit Vice President
• Jan Brown, Chair, Senior Lawyers Division
• Ira Cohen, Chair, Alternative Dispute Resolution Section
• Daniel Ritter, Chair, Younger Lawyers Division
• Charles Vaught, President, Northern/Eastern Oklahoma Chapter

4:00–5:00 PM

The Making of a Judge: Perspectives from Federal Judges and the Senate Judiciary Committee

This program will educate attorneys, aspiring judges, and others about the federal judicial selection process, including how candidates are identified and evaluated, the role of negotiations and background investigations, and how confirmations unfold in practice. Panelists will share candid reflections, lessons learned, practical advice for prospective candidates, and insights into common myths and pathways to the bench. *CLE CREDIT EXPECTED.

• Moderator: Gurpreet Sandhu, Board Member, Younger Lawyers Division
• Paige Herwig
• Caleb Jackson, Counsel, Senate Judiciary Committee
• Hon. Karoline Mehalchick, National President
• Tim Rodriguez, Litigation Associate, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings

5:00–6:00 PM

Reception