Join us for a unique discussion on how digital evidence can significantly impact case outcomes. Focusing on the application of digital forensics in commercial litigation, this session will provide a comprehensive understanding of utilizing electronic evidence effectively in investigations while addressing the critical issues of spoliation risks. Real case examples will be used to illustrate the consequences and risks of spoliation, and how digital forensics can be used to investigate fraud and other wrong doing.

Lars E. Daniel, Envista Forensics, Deerfield, IL

Welcome to DRI’s Annual Meeting. Whether you are new to Annual Meetings, to DRI itself, or it has just been a while since your last meeting to remember how it all works—we have set up a networking and information-packed program to make sure you get the most out of your time and investment.

Don’t miss this opportunity to visit with exhibitors, colleagues, and friends during the Exhibit Showcase. You will have the opportunity to discover new technologies, products, and services throughout the week.

On Thursday and Friday, join us for complimentary networking lunches for the chance to engage with other attendees while refueling. Also returning is the Showcase Theater, where you will be able to hear from experts during short educational programs designed to give you take aways you can use every day. These and other networking opportunities are being offered throughout the Annual Meeting to enhance your attendee experience.

Pony up and join DRI for Life for a morning run or walk from the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter lobby. There will be leaders for various pace groups, including a walking group and the option to Uber back to the hotel for those not interested in the full round trip. Western-themed costumes are welcome!

Imagine what you could accomplish if you could decode the mystery of human behavior and truly understand what makes people do what they do and say what they say (including yourself!). Research shows that the #1 key to SUCCESS in any industry or organization is the ability to get along with other people, personally and professionally. Now that's something to really think about, right? That means with a deeper understanding of human behavior you could lead better. Communicate better. Sell better. Parent better. Live better. Negotiate better. The list goes on and on. With laugh-out-loud humor, killer take-away strategies, powerful pops of psychology and her amazing insights into others (including a few who "drive you crazy"). Connie Podesta, an Expert in the Psychology of Human Behavior, will take you right inside the minds and personalities of the people you connect with every day both at work and home — bosses, colleagues, partners, customers, significant others, friends, and family -- so YOU can ACT, rather than REACT to whatever situations or people throw your way. In other words, you'll be able to read between the lines – making navigating conversations and negotiating your needs a thousand times easier. Want the secret communication insights and rare psychological know-how to build, maintain and grow your relationships and business to a whole new level? Then this is totally the session for you!

One question dominates every other in American history: What should be national and what should be local? Over the last 100 years or so, we have tended to favor national answers over local ones when it comes to American constitutional law. Often with good reasons: dealing with the imperatives of the Great Depression; bringing Jim Crow to heel; addressing policy challenges that have emerged from an increasingly national and global economy. Even as we recall the reasons not to forget these chapters in American history and even as we contend with chapters still unfolding, we may want to consider whether, halfway through our third century, we should pay more attention to the localism side of federalism and be more patient when it comes to the nationalism side of federalism. In debates about American constitutional law, there are many ways in which our fifty state constitutions and fifty state courts have critical roles to play, all with the potential to alleviate pressure on the U.S. Supreme Court as the perceived sole arbiter of American constitutional values.

Hon. Jeffrey S. Sutton, Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit 

Join Blessings in a Backpack Chief Development Officer Christin Kruse and DRI President-Elect Patrick J. Sweeney as they discuss DRI’s partnership with Blessings in a Backpack. Blessings in a Backpack is an organization that mobilizes communities, individuals, and resources to provide food on the weekends to school-aged children across America who might otherwise go hungry. At this session, you’ll learn more about this organization and the amazing work they do. Afterward, join us for our DRI Cares event with Blessings in a Backpack and feed a child before you feed yourself.

Christin Kruse, Chief Development Officer, Blessings in a Backpack, Chicago, IL
Patrick J. Sweeney, Sweeney & Sheehan, Philadelphia, PA

Please join us in supporting Blessings in a Backpack by feeding a child before you feed yourself. Blessings in a Backpack is an organization that mobilizes communities, individuals, and resources to provide food on the weekends for school-aged children across America who might otherwise go hungry. Your donation will help purchase food to feed children in the San Antonio area. Annual Meeting attendees will have the opportunity to fill bags of food on the way to the joint networking lunch on Thursday, October 26th.

Power up your lunch hour! Join us for lunch in the exhibit hall and connect with your fellow attendees and our fabulous group of exhibitors. The connections you meet here may be the ones to send you your next case or help you win your next trial.

(12:15-12:30) - Marisa Trasatti
(12:35-12:50) - Karol Silva
(12:55-1:15) - DRI Town Hall
(1:20-1:35) - Michael Goodin
(1:40-2:00) - John Swanson

Generative AI, like Open AI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude 2 or Casetext’s Cocounsel, are incredibly powerful and transformative tools that you can use in your practice today. But they also have inherent limitations. In this session, we will take a deep dive into what these GenAI platforms can do to help your practice today. We will demonstrate live several use cases, including legal research, memo drafting, drafting deposition questions, requests for documents and interrogatories. We will also discuss how to control for the inherent weaknesses of GenAI.

Bennett Borden, DLA Piper, Washington, D.C

Test your knowledge of insurance policies, exclusions, and coverage through the lens of construction projects in this Jeopardy-themed interactive session. Which policy applies as the primary policy? Is a subcontractor’s certificate of insurance good enough? When does the excess drop down? How does “wrap-up” insurance reduce risk transfer? Audience participation will be strongly encouraged, and prizes will be awarded!

Dan Strong, Teague Campbell Dennis & Gorham LLP, Raleigh, NC
Jacob Esparza, Spencer Fane LLP, Houston, TX

The Alamo | 300 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, TX 78205

JOIN COLLEAGUES AND PEERS for an unforgettable evening at DRI’s exclusive networking reception at the Alamo’s Ralston Family Collections Center. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with old and new friends while exploring the iconic Alamo, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Centrally located on Alamo Plaza in downtown San Antonio, it is a short seven-minute walk from the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter. Experience this gem of Texas history through interactive exhibits as you catch up with peers and enjoy hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, wine, and assorted beers.

Join DRI for Life for a morning run/walk from the hotel. You’ll enjoy the scenic views of San Antonio alongside historic sites. There will be leaders for various pace groups, including a walking group.

Finding You: Non-Traditional Paths to Freedom in Law and Life
Hear the personal stories and anecdotes of Justice Alvarez. From how her ethnicity and gender played into her career, to the many lessons learned along her journey within private practice and current views from the bench, you’ll glean wisdom and principles to incorporate into your unique place within the law. Enjoy a collaborative conversation over breakfast, open for all to consider perspectives beyond the letter of the law.

Meade Hartfield, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP, Birmingham, AL
Justice Patricia O. Alvarez, Texas Fourth Court of Appeals, San Antonio, TX

Finding You: Non-Traditional Paths to Freedom in Law and Life
Hear the personal stories and anecdotes of Justice Alvarez. From how her ethnicity and gender played into her career, to the many lessons learned along her journey within private practice and current views from the bench, you’ll glean wisdom and principles to incorporate into your unique place within the law. Enjoy a collaborative conversation over breakfast, open for all to consider perspectives beyond the letter of the law.

Meade Hartfield, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP, Birmingham, AL
Justice Patricia O. Alvarez, Texas Fourth Court of Appeals, San Antonio, TX

When it comes to politics and elections, Mara Liasson is one of the most trusted voices in journalism. In her positions as a contributor for Fox News, and National Political Correspondent for NPR, Liasson wields the experience needed to provide audiences with a solid understanding of the issues. Serving as White House correspondent during the Clinton Administration and covering every presidential election from 1992 through the current one for NPR, Liasson delivers a candid perspective on how the media will impact the politics and policy issues facing the country leading into the 2024 elections, how the coronavirus pandemic has reshaped politics, and how recent events have impacted the public’s confidence in our public institutions, including state and federal legislative bodies and the Supreme Court.

Legal System Abuses have dramatically increased both costs and verdicts in civil litigation that outpace general economic inflation without significant changes in legal or factual bases to support the increase. Join DRI’s Center for Law and Public Policy for an in-house panel discussion about the most rampant abuses, their impact on the legal industry, and how the defense bar can respond.

Patrick J. Sweeney, Sweeney & Sheehan, Philadelphia, PA
Lisa Bellino Apelian, Zurich North America, Philadelphia, PA
Andrew Pauley, National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, Washington, D.C.
Konrad Pilatowicz, U-Haul International, Inc., Phoenix, AZ
Stef Zielezienski, American Property Casualty Insurance Association, Washington, D.C.

(12:15-12:30) - Max Newman

(12:35-12:50) - Christina Marinakis
(12:55-1:15) - The Center Town Hall
(1:20-1:35) - Karyl Van Tassell
(1:40-2:00) - Erica Zolner

At some point as we journey through life, we will find ourselves buried by our own baggage, stripped bare at the muddy, craggy bottom of The Ditch. Most people know what it's like to struggle through life's long valleys, but The Ditch is different. The Ditch is a place we don't want to end up, but in some cruel twist of fate, we do. Maybe it's through our own fault. Maybe it's not. For some, The Ditch may be a scary diagnosis. A job loss. Maybe it's a run-in with the law, a poor decision that spawns others and traps you in a cycle of addiction. And sometimes it's vague. Sometimes, it's just one too many hard knocks from life. The Ditch will break us, but in that brokenness lies the potential for raw and radical transformation. The Man in The Ditch is a story about undeserved privilege, unlimited potential, hard work, and hustle. A story about self-inflicted wounds, hubris, insecurity, shame, and abandonment. A story, ultimately, about the Operation of Divine Grace that manifests itself as unapologetic joy. And while this is a story told by a lawyer, father, husband, and practicing Catholic, it is a story for all of us. A story that teaches us that our darkest moments don't define us but have the power to radically change us for the worse or for the better. Do we stay stuck in darkness, or do we overcome it? And once we overcome it, how do we emerge? Bitter and beaten down, or a stronger, better version of ourselves? The choice is ours.

Mike Bassett, The Bassett Firm, Dallas, TX

Closing Reception/Dinner (Sponsored by Sweeney & Sheehan) **

You are cordially invited to join us Friday night as we celebrate DRI and the end of a successful week while recognizing our new leaders and awarding DRI’s highest honors. The evening will include a cocktail reception honoring incoming President Patrick J. Sweeney, as well as dinner featuring the best of San Antonio cuisine. The Defense Never Rests, DRI’s “own” favorite band, is also back by popular demand, featuring all those familiar musicians and vocalists we met last year. The band will again be led by DRI member Michael D. Carter, Hall Booth Smith, P.C., Oklahoma City, OK. Bring your dancing shoes, the evening will not disappoint. Come and help us celebrate DRI, incoming and outgoing board members, and award winners for their well-deserved achievements. Cocktail attire is appropriate for this event.