NCAJ Skills Academy | Discovery & Evidence for Civil Practitioners

Discovery & Evidence

The Discovery and Evidence Skills Academy will engage CLE participants with presentations by skilled trial lawyers on topics ranging from written discovery, to depositions, "discovery fights," use of experts, and related topics.  The program will include breakout sessions where participants will brainstorm discovery and evidence strategy, and then discuss these topics with the group and the presenting attorneys.  Participants also will hear from a panel of Superior Court judges on effective and ineffective discovery and evidentiary approaches in the courtroom. 

Registration includes electronic materials and 7.0 CLE Hours (incl. 1.0 ethics hour).

Agenda

8:55 am | Welcome Remarks – Program Chair

• Jeremy Wilson, Ward & Smith, PA, Wilmington

9:00 am | Written Discovery: Interrogatories, Request for Production, Requests for Admission, and Related Topics

• ​Meredith S. Hinton, Ricci Law Firm, PA, Greenville

9:45 am | Depositions, Including Deposition Strategy Breakout Session and Discussion

• Anna Pishko Kalarites, Law Office of David Pishko, PA, Winston-Salem
• D. Stuart Smith, David & Associates, PLLC, Wilmington

11:15 am | Break

11:30 am | Expert Witnesses: Effective Use of Experts in Plaintiff’s Case, and Approaches to Defense Experts

• Thomas W. Henson Jr., HensonFuerst, PA, Raleigh

12:15 pm | Break before Lunch Panel

12:30 pm | Judicial Panel: Roundtable on Best Practices Concerning Discovery and Evidence

• Hon. J. Carlton Cole, Superior Court Judge, District 1, Dare County
• Hon. Bryan Collins, Superior Court Judge, District 10E, Wake County
• Hon. Kent Harrell, Superior Court Judge, District 5B, New Hanover and Pender County

1:15 pm | Discovery Fights: Motions to Compel, Motions for Protective Order, and Related Topics

• Jeremy Wilson, Ward & Smith, PA, Wilmington

2:00 pm | Break

2:15 pm | Presenting Your Evidence at Trial, Including Trial Strategy Breakout Session and Discussion

• Margaret S. Abrams, Abrams & Abrams, PA, Raleigh

3:45 pm | Ethics: Ethical Considerations in Conducting Discovery

• Xavier D. Lightfoot, Ward & Smith, PA, Raleigh
• Lauren McAndrew, Blanchard Miller Lewis & Isley, PA, Raleigh

4:45 pm | Adjourn

This program will be held virtually via Zoom. A link for the meeting will be distributed along with program materials 72 hours in advance of the program.

Cancellations received one week prior to the seminar date are refunded less a $35 service charge. Refunds cannot be given after this date. Substitutions are welcomed and may be made until the date of the seminar. For registrants who wish to transfer their registration to another NCAJ seminar, transfer requests received by 12:00 noon the third working day prior to the seminar are subject to a $50 transfer fee. Transfer requests received after this time are subject to a $110 transfer fee. Registrations may be transferred once and only to seminars scheduled through June 30, 2021.