Sponsored by the U.S. Courts, District of Idaho and the Federal Bar Association

Friday, October 23, 2020

8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

*Live Webcast Only

CLE Credits (pending)

Registration:  FREE

You are invited to join the Federal Judiciary in Idaho for their 2020 Bench Bar Conference on October 23 via live webcast. 

Conference Agenda

8:00 a.m.     The State of the Federal Judiciary: 

                    Welcome from the Honorable Ronald E. Bush, Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge

                    Honorable David C. Nye, Chief U.S. District Judge

                    Honorable Joseph M. Meier, Chief U.S. Bankruptcy Judge

                    Honorable Stephen S. Trott, Senior Circuit Judge, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

8:30 a.m.      A Brave New World:  The Work of the Courts and the Practice of Law in a Pandemic – Finding Ways to                           Make Things Work and Adopting Changes that Will Continue into the Future

2020 is the year that unforeseen change came to the courts and to the practice of law in the form of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Concern for safety and health has drawn upon the tools of modern technology to do our work, most often in a virtual format. Necessity is the mother of innovation in our courthouses and our law firms in almost everything we do – hearings, trials, depositions, client meetings, mediations, law firm management and more.  Hear from judges, lawyers, and law firm managers on how things are different, what “changes” are working well or not so well, what technology and software is most useful, how to protect the physical and mental health of our colleagues and law firm staff, and what will likely stay changed about the way we work even after the pandemic has passed.  This is your view through the window into our brave new world.

9:20 a.m.     Break -  Video tribute to the Honorable Terry L. Myers, judge of the United States Bankruptcy Court for                           the District of Idaho (retired)

9:40 a.m.     “I Hadn’t Thought of That, But I Will Now!”  The Psychology of Legal Negotiations and of Legal Ethics -                          Important Insights into How Lawyers Think and Make Decisions

An expert in the psychology of how lawyers negotiate with others and themselves brings compelling insights into how lawyers negotiate in resolving disputes and into how lawyers make decisions in the face of ethical conundrums. This program draws from the study of intersections of  law, dispute resolution, and psychology and will describe the psychological nuances of legal negotiation (you may be surprised) and the blind alleys that can lead us into ethical missteps (you may rethink).  You will increase your understanding of the role of psychology in legal negotiation and perhaps decide more wisely, drawing on your best instincts, in withstanding pressures that otherwise might lead to unethical decisions.

Faculty: Professor Jennifer K. Robbennolt, University of Illinois College of Law. Associate Dean for Research, Alice Curtis Campbell Professor of Law and Professor of Psychology, Co-Director, Illinois Program on Law, Behavior and Social Science.

11:20 a.m.    Shake, Rattle and Roll – The New Look of the United States Bankruptcy Court and this Year’s Edition of                       “More Things Every Lawyer Needs to Know About Bankruptcy Court”

Chief Bankruptcy Judge Joseph M. Meier and Lawyer-Representative Alex Caval introduce our new U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Noah Hillen and the new bankruptcy trustees.  Then learn about how  things get complicated when the plaintiff in a pending personal injury case files a Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition or forgets to mention the claim in the petition.  How does the case proceed, who is the client, how does a plaintiff’s lawyer get paid, who is entitled to receive any settlement proceeds?  No one likes surprises dropping out of the sky in the middle of a lawsuit. This program will help you be less surprised and more aware about what to do.