Contact: David Carew
(615) 661-0249
ext. 8077
dcarew@mleesmith.com

17th Annual "Jury Trial Litigation of Employment Claims" Conference to Reveal How Today’s Most Successful Employment Law Attorneys Win Jury Verdicts for Their Clients

Upcoming CLE-Approved Events to Be Presented in Four Major Locations

BRENTWOOD, TN, July 7, 2003 - The 17th annual national conference for employment law attorneys, "Jury Trial Litigation of Employment Claims: How to Do It Right!," featuring some of the nation’s most highly respected employment law litigators and trainers, will be presented at the following locations in August, September, October, and December:

The conference will present legal updates on these key topics:

• Legal Overview -- Sexual Harassment -- Wrongful Termination Of Employment Lawsuits -- Other Common Law Torts -- Creative Claims In Employment Suits -- Other Employment Discrimination Laws
• High Risk Lawsuits for Employers: The "Attractive Plaintiff" -- The Sexual Harassment Plaintiff -- The Worker's Employment History -- The Employee Who Has Suffered "Other" Injuries As A Result Of Job Termination -- Emotional/Psychological/Physical Injuries -- "Public Policy" Torts -- Implicating The "Public Good"
• Defense Strategies in the First 30 Days After a Complaint is Served -- Potential Conflicts Of Interest -- Removing The Case From State To Federal Court -- Pleadings & Motions -- Filing The Answer -- Perfecting Insurance Coverage -- Obtaining & Effective Use Of "After-Acquired" Evidence -- Evaluating The Worker's Employment History
• Strategies for the Discovery Process -- Ex Parte Discovery & Freedom Of Information Act Requests -- Investigating The Employer's Case -- The Document Production Request -- Conducting The Plaintiff's Deposition -- Other Proceedings -- Using Interrogatories & Requests For Admission
• Preparing the Case for Summary Judgment -- Using The Plaintiff's Deposition & His Or Her Own Documents -- Avoiding "Triable Issues Of Fact"
• Settlement Strategies -- Overcoming The Internal "Political" Problems In Settling A Lawsuit --Settlement Pressure Points -- Structuring Settlements -- Preparing The Documents -- Strategies To Minimize Exposure When You Can't Settle The Tough Case

Second-Day Schedule

• Selecting, Preparing, and Effectively Using Expert Witnesses -- When You DO & When You DON'T Need An Expert -- Types Of Experts You May Want To Use -- How To Cross-Examine An Expert --Strategies To Block Your Opponents From Using "Pseudo Experts" To Deliver Their Closing Argument From The Witness Stand -- Evaluating Experts -- Using Psychiatrists & Psychologists -- Executive Recruiters As Expert Witnesses -- Professional Arbitrators As Expert Witnesses
• Preparing and Using Trial Exhibits -- Types Of Exhibits That Appeal To Jurors -- Charts, Comparisons & Other Demonstrative Evidence That Move A Jury -- Trial Exhibits You Should Avoid -- The Move To "High Tech" In The Courtroom: When To & When Not To Use This Technology
• Pre-Trial [In Limine] Motions -- Available Options -- How To Convince The Court To Read & Give Serious Consideration To Your Motions -- Getting Your Motions Granted -- Strategies To Follow When Your Critical In Limine Motions Are Denied
• Selecting & Preparing Trial Witnesses -- Considerations In The Number Of Witnesses You Should Use -- Who Are Your GOOD Witnesses & Your BAD Witnesses -- How To Handle The Critical Witness Who Is Also A BAD Witness
• The Trial -- Jury Selection In An Employment Lawsuit -- Voir Dire Questions That Work (& Those That Don't) -- Avoiding An Ambush At Trial -- The Opening Statement & The Closing Argument -- Successfully Cross-Examining The Plaintiff -- Effective Use Of The Courtroom: What To Do & What To Avoid -- Handling The Plaintiff's Damages Claim -- Jury Instructions -- The Jury Verdict Form -- Trial & Post-Trial Motions

NOTE: For the programs in Hilton Head and Carsbad, the same topics will be discussed over three half-days.

About the Faculty

All five speakers at this year’s program are nationally-recognized employment law litigators and trainers. They include:

William S. Waldo, listed as one of The Best Lawyers in America, is a frequent speaker before business and professional groups and the author of many articles on employment and labor law topics for national and state legal publications. He is a partner in the Los Angeles office of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker, LLP.

Paul E. Prather is a founding member of the law firm of Kiesewetter Wise Kaplan Schwimmer & Prather, PLC of Memphis, Tennessee, where his practice focuses on the litigation of labor and employment law disputes. He formerly served as Editor-in-Chief of the University of Memphis Law Review.

Lawrence J. Murphy has written extensively on employment law topics for national and state publications. A popular lecturer across the U.S., he is a partner with the law firm of Varnum, Riddering, Schmidt & Howlett, LLP, in the firm’s Kalamazoo, Michigan office.

Robert E. Sheeder is an in-demand speaker at national and state conferences for attorneys, human resources professionals, and business executives. A frequent contributor to national and local legal journals, he is listed as one of The Best Lawyers in America. He is a partner in the Dallas office of Jenkens & Gilchrist, where he handles all types of labor and employment law matters.

John F. Wymer, III, listed in The Best Lawyers in America since 1995, is a frequent lecturer across the country on a wide variety of employment law topics. As a partner in the Atlanta office of King & Spalding, his practice focuses on all phases of labor and employment law, including complex employment discrimination class actions.

About M. Lee Smith Publishers LLC

Founded in 1975, M. Lee Smith Publishers today is one of America's most influential publishers of newsletters and other information products and services for human resources professionals, business executives, and attorneys. The company offers more than 130 publications, including 50 state-specific employment law newsletters (plus an employment law newsletter for the District of Columbia), as well as videos, software, Internet-based research services, and the popular web site for HR professionals, www.HRHero.com