STAPLES AND THAYER TABBED AGAIN TO MODERATE JUDGES’ PANEL

Schauermann Thayer partners Bill Thayer and Scott Staples have been selected again to be the moderators of the National Business Institute’s local Judicial Forum, which is being held on November 8, 2019.  This year’s participating judges include Hon. Gregory Gonzales (Clark County Superior Court), Hon. Suzan Clark (Clark County Superior Court), and Hon. Stephen Warning (Cowlitz County Superior Court).

The presentation is usually conducted in a roundtable format, offering attorney attendees an interactive session dealing with a variety of civil litigation topics, which will likely include:

• Local Civil Court Procedure: Concrete Rules and Unwritten Etiquette
• Initial Pleadings: Laying out the Legal and Factual Issues of the Case
• Case Scheduling: Fast-Tracking Options and Handling Conflicts and Delays
• Summary Judgment Motions and Hearings
• Cooperation Between Counsel
• Judges’ View of Discovery
• Pre-Trial Briefs that Promote Settlement
• Seeking the Judge’s Guidance Outside of Scheduled Conferences
• Jury Selection and Juror Requests: What is Appropriate?
• Types of Evidence Judges Value Most/Least
• Witness Selection and Testimony: What Works and What’s a Waste of Time for Everyone
• Legal Ethics
• Trial Presentation Do’s and Don’ts
• How to Confuse the Jury: Top Mistakes Judges Have Seen
• Effective Ways of Handling Facts in Controversy at Trial

The moderators introduce each topic on the agenda and then start the panel discussion by asking questions of the judges relating to the topics.  The moderators also take questions from the attendees.  This is always a lively and informative discussion with members of our local bench, and Scott and Bill are honored to have been chosen as moderators again (the duo has also moderated the event in 2015 and 2017).  To sign up, look for an e-mail in the near future from NBI, or go to www.nbi-sems.com.