2008 MB Award Recipients Announced
Recipients of the Bar’s 2008 Awards are: Lifetime Achievement Award - Fred Bush,
Tupelo; Judicial Excellence Award - Judge Henry Lackey, Calhoun City; Distinguished
Service Award - Karl Steinberger, Pascagoula and Jennifer Wilkinson, Hattiesburg;
Susie Blue Buchanan Award - Carolyn Ellis Staton, Oxford; Outstanding Young Lawyer -
Carlos Moore, Grenada and Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project Curtis E. Coker
Access to Justice Award, Melody McAnally, Memphis. Awards will be presented at the
Bar’s 2008 Annual Meeting in Destin.
Forums on Bench Bar Interaction Draw Over 300 Lawyers & Judges
The Mississippi Bar hosted a series of Forums around the state May 20-22 and
discussed interaction between lawyers and judges. The 3 day 6 site tour included Biloxi,
Hattiesburg, Jackson, Greenwood, Tupelo and DeSoto County. The Forums included an
interactive program lead by a panel including : MB President Bobby Bailess; President
elect Rodger wilder; General Counsel Adam Kilgore and Brant Brantley the Director of
MS Commission on Judicial Performance. MC Adjunct Professor Hal Miller served as
Facilitator. All sessions were well attended and the discussions were lively.
2008 Annual Meeting & Summer School - Room & Registration Cutoff June 12
The 2008 Annual Meeting and Summer School for Lawyers Registration and Housing
Information has been mailed to all members of the Bar. The 2008 Annual Meeting will
once again be at the Sandestin Beach Hilton beginning Wednesday July 16 and ending
with the Farewell Brunch on Saturday July 19. The annual meeting will be preceded by
the 2008 Summer School for Lawyers July 14-15 at the Sandestin Beach Resort
Linkside Conference Center. The cutoff for reserving rooms at the Hilton and Resort is
Thursday June 12. In addition to the information mailed to all members you may register
online here. Rooms are at a premium in Destin during July so make your room
reservations and register now! I
Supreme Court Calls for Domestic Abuse Study
The Mississippi Supreme Court has ordered a comprehensive study of laws and rules
related to domestic abuse. The Court, acting on a request from the Mississippi Attorney
General, created the Commission for Study of Domestic Abuse Proceedings. Supreme
Court Chief Justice James W. Smith Jr. signed the order on May 21. The Commission is
expected to submit a report to the Court by Dec. 1. Supreme Court Justice Ann H.
Lamar of Senatobia and Special Assistant Attorney Heather Wagner of Jackson will
serve as co-chairs of the 23-member Commission. The Supreme Court in its order
directs the Commission to study “existing statutes and procedural rules that impact
proceedings, civil and criminal, involving charges of domestic abuse.” The Court said
that the Commission’s report “shall include the Commission’s findings and
recommendations for changes in the statutes and rules, if such be needed, to improve
the just, fair, and effective disposition of such proceedings.” The Court said that the
Commission report’s findings and recommendations should consider victim safety, equal
access to the courts by victims and accused parties, due process, and offender
accountability. Other Commission members include: University of Mississippi School of
Law Professor Deborah Bell; Mississippi College School of Law Professor Shirley
Kennedy; Court of Appeals Judge Virginia Carlton of Columbia; Chancery Judges
Margaret Alfonso of Gulfport, Jaye Bradley of Lucedale, and Cynthia Brewer of Madison
County; Circuit Judges Margaret Carey-McCray of Greenville, Vernon Cotten of
Carthage, and Kenneth Thomas of Cleveland; Justice Court Judge Deborah Gambrell of
Hattiesburg; Municipal Judge John Shirley of Pearl; Gulfport Assistant City Prosecutor
Martha Carson; Assistant District Attorney Kassie Ann Coleman of Hattiesburg; Hinds
County Public Defender William LaBarre; Hinds County Assistant Public Defender Lynn
Watkins; Mississippi Association of Chiefs of Police Executive Director Ken Winter of
Oxford; Jackson attorney Brandi Brown of Catholic Charities; Mississippi Coalition
Against Domestic Violence Executive Director Anna Walker Crump of Jackson; Sen.
Gray Tollison of Oxford; Rep. Kimberly Campbell of Jackson; and Mississippi Judicial
College Director Cynthia Davis of Oxford.
Attorneys Contact Information Online
The Bar receives many calls daily requesting contact information for lawyers and the Bar
staff is happy to be of assistance. The same information available to Bar staff is
available on the Bar's website at http://www.msbar.org/ by clicking on "Attorney
Directory" at the top of the page. The directory contains name, address, phone, fax,
email, membership status and date of admission. Please pass along this valuable
resource to your support staff and lawyers in your office.
Federal Local Rules Review
The Uniform Local Rules of the U. S. District Courts for Northern and Southern Districts
of Mississippi will be reviewed by a Rules Advisory Committee which has been
established by both courts. Accepting appointment for terms on this permanent
committee are: NORTHERN DISTRICT: Taylor B. Smith, Charles Merkel, Brooke
Newman, and Victor McTeer and SOUTHERN DISTRICT: Jimmy Heidelberg, Colette
Oldmixon, E. Barney Robinson III and R. Eugene Parker, Jr. The Committee is inviting
rule comments and suggestions from attorneys practicing in federal court. Comments
may be submitted to committee members or to either court, through the clerks' offices,
David_Crews@msnd.uscourts.gov (Northern District) and
J.T._Noblin@mssd.uscourts.gov (Southern District). The committee will meet on June
30, 2008, to begin their review of the local rules and attorney comments.
Guardian Ad Litem Roster Online
From time to time the Bar receives inquiries as to a listing of Guardian Ad Litems. A GAL
roster is maintained on the Supreme Court's website http://www.mssc.state.ms.us/ Click
on Trial Courts, then on Youth Court and then on GAL link on the right side. This will
take you to the current list of GALs.
Upcoming CLE Offerings
Getting the Most from the Internet as a Research Tool - June 6
Mississippi College School of Law will host a CLE on Internet Research, Friday, June 6,
2008. This event will cover topics such as, "Choosing the Proper Search Tool",
"Constructing Search Queries", "Government Websites", Academic Websites", and
several others. Dean Mary Miller, Assistant Dean of Information, Technology, and Legal
Research at Mississippi College School of Law, will be our featured speaker. This class
will be taught "hands on" in the Computer Lab of MCSOL, so space is limited. Breakfast
and lunch will be provided on site. Registration begins at 9:00 a.m. For more
information, please contact Tammy Upton at 601-925-7107, or tupton@mc.edu. Please
use the following link to register online: www.law.mc.edu/internetresearch.html.
Mediation: A Valuable Tool for Litigators - June 10
NBI will host a seminar entitled "Mediation: A Valuable Tool For Litigators" June 10,
2008 at the Old Capital Inn in Jackson from 9:00am to 4:30pm. The cost is $325 and
includes 6 CLE hours (including 1 ethics hour). Seminar speakers are: Mark Herbert,
Harold D. Miller, Jr. and Peter Teeuwissen. Please call 800-930-6182 or visit
http://www.nbi-sems.com/ for more information and/or to register.
Computer Evidence: What's Available and How Do You Use It? - June 10, July 2
Have you ever wondered if those deleted e-mails could be recovered, or if there is
information on someone's computer that they have conveniently hid or deleted?
Information written on a computer is not necessarily deleted just because the file that
contained it was deleted. Law enforcement agencies have been analyzing computers
and retrieving digital evidence for over 20 years. Dr. Dave Dampier is the Director of the
Southeast Region Forensics Training Center at Mississippi State University, and has
been teaching digital forensics for more than five years. On June 10 and July 2, 2008,
he will be offering a course for attorneys on digital evidence to familiarize attorneys with
what is available on a computer and how they can use it. The course has been
approved for six hours of CLE credit, and the class is free of charge. Lunch will be
provided as well. To register please go to:
http://www.security.cse.msstate.edu/ftc/seminarReg.php. For more information, please
contact Dr. Dave Dampier at dad6@msstate.edu
Family Law Hot Tips from the Experts CLE Seminar - June 13
The annual "Hot Tips from the Experts" Family Law Seminar will be held on Friday, June
13, 2008. Presented by the Family Law Section, this seminar is a fun and informative
way to get 6 hours of CLE credit, including one ethics hour. In the relaxed setting of the
Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame, most speakers are limited to 15-20 minute
presentations of some aspect of family law. Subjects will include tips on Youth Court,
Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, equitable distribution, conservatorships, the
Vulnerable Adults Act, interpretation of marital dissolution agreements, a proposal for
amending the 8.05 Financial Declaration and other family law topics. Registration
includes refreshments and lunch. If you practice family law or just want to get 6 CLE
hours cheap, you will not want to miss this year's "Hot Tips from the Experts" Family Law
Seminar. Registration will be limited, so please send your registration and payment in
immediately. To download a registration form, please click here. For more information on
this teleconference CLE seminar, please contact Rene' Garner at rgarner@msbar.org
Juvenile Defender Training - June 13, 2008
The Mississippi Youth Justice Project will partner with Mississippi College School of Law
to provide Juvenile Defender Training and annual re-certification for those already
certified. This CLE event will be held on the campus of Mississippi College School of
Law on June 13, 2008. The format for this training is a trial skills program where
participants will experience a "hands on" style of learning. Participants will work closely
with faculty to sharpen their courtroom skills, strengthen their skills of persuasion,
exercise oral motions practice, and develop strategic case planning. This session will
offer six hours of CLE credit including one hour of Ethics. Registration and breakfast
begin at 8:30 a.m. Lunch will be provided on site. Please register online at
www.law.mc.edu/juvdef08.html. You may also register by contacting the CLE office at
601-925-7107 or tupton@mc.edu.
Multi-State Labor & Employment Law Seminar - June 19 - 21
Since 1983, nationally recognized labor and employment law practitioners have
designed the Multi-State Labor & Employment Law Seminar to address cutting edge
developments in the field. The 2008 seminar at Colorado's Keystone Resort &
Conference Center will provide attendees with effective strategies for today's workplace
issues, our critically acclaimed course materials, and up to 14.5 CLE hours. Online
registration is available via Tulane Law School's CLE website at www.law.tulane.edu/cle,
as is a printable PDF of the full-color seminar brochure and agenda here.
Lunch and Learn Series - June 20, 2008
Mississippi College School of Law will host a Lunch and Learn CLE event on June 20,
2008. Chip Glaze, of the Mississippi Bar will be presenting the topic "How to keep your
head when all about you are losing theirs". This CLE event will be held on the
campus of Mississippi College School of Law. Lunch and posting of CLE credit will be
provided. Registration and lunch will begin at 11:30 a.m. with the ethics hour beginning
at noon. Please contact Tammy Upton at 601-925-7107 or tupton@mc.edu to register.
You may also register online at www.law.mc.edu/lunchandlearn.html. Don't miss this
perfect opportunity to get your ethics hour posted early!
Valuations for Estate Planners - June 24
The Young Lawyers Division of The Mississippi Bar will sponsor the following
teleconference CLE seminar. This program will be held from 12-1 p.m. and is accessible
from any phone. Valuation issues lie at the heart of many estate plans and disputes. The
methodology used to value an operating business or other property can have a material
impact on the tax efficiency of an estate plan. Also, the methodology, its reasoning and
underlying justification may give rise to an audit by the IRS. This program will provide
you with a practical guide to recent case law and other valuation developments affecting
your estate planning practice. Among other topics, the program will focus on FLP and
LLC valuation decision in the courts and from the IRS, practical tips on defending
valuations and avoiding audits. The program will also review valuation of real estate in a
down market. To download a registration form, please click here. For more information
on this teleconference CLE seminar, please contact Rene' Garner at
rgarner@msbar.org.
Business Law Ethics CLE Seminar at the Capital Club - June 27
The Business Law Section of The Mississippi Bar and the Mississippi Corporate Counsel
Association will sponsor a Business Law Ethics CLE Seminar at the Capital Club in
Jackson on Friday, June 27, 2008. Jeffrey A. Styres, Associate Counsel for Southern
Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company, will present "Reel Ethics II - The Sequel: An
Analysis of the Model Rules of Professional Conduct in the Movies." Registration is $50
and includes lunch. One (1) hour of CLE credit (Ethics) has been approved by the MS
Commission on CLE. To download a registration form, click here. For more information
contact Rene' Garner at rgarner@msbar.org.
Day On Trial Featuring Prof. Thomas A. Mauert and Dominic Gianna - June 27
This highly acclaimed seminar, sometimes called "The Tom & Dom Show" is rich with
actual demonstrations, including the use of live witnesses. Tom and Dom show and tell
in a unique, informative, practice-oriented style that sets THE standard for excellence in
CLE. Friday, June 27, 2008, at the Beau Rivage, Biloxi. Go to
www.outreach.olemiss.edu/cle for a full copy of the agenda and secure online
registration, or contact Renee Moore at moore@olemiss.edu or Cindy Heuser at
cheuser@olemiss.edu or call 662-915-1354 for additional information.
Time Management For lawyers featuring Margaret Spencer-Dixon - July 18
Of all the elements you have to work with, none is more precious than time. You have
invested years learning the substance of the law. Now invest in a few hours to learn the
productivity-enhancing techniques of organization and time management, and how to
apply them every day to do more work in less time. Friday, July 18, 2008 at the Hilton
Jackson Penthouse. Go to www.outreach.olemiss.edu/cle for a full copy of the agenda
and secure online registration, or contact Renee Moore at moore@olemiss.edu or Cindy
Heuser at cheuser@olemiss.edu or call 662-915-1354 for additional information.