Mountain Magic
Weekend At A Glance
4 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Registration Open
Stop by the Registration Desk to pick up your name badge before the Welcome Reception & Dinner!
6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Welcome Reception & Dinner at Seely Pavilion
Begin your Mountain Magic experience at the beautiful Seely Pavilion at the Omni Grove Park Inn. It’s the perfect setting to reconnect with old friends, welcome new colleagues, recharge in the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and reignite your passion for the work you do. Surrounded by breathtaking mountain views, this welcome reception and dinner offers the perfect opportunity to catch up, make new connections, and ease into a weekend of learning, inspiration, and fun. Savor a delicious dinner featuring regional flavors, handcrafted cocktails and mocktails, and the warm hospitality that makes Mountain Magic a favorite tradition. Attire for the evening is dressy casual.
8 a.m. – Noon
Registration Open
Stop by the Registration Desk to pick up your name badge!
8 a.m. – 9 a.m.
Continental Breakfast Buffet
Join us for a continental breakfast to start the day with fresh coffee, pastries and light morning bites.
9 a.m. – 10 a.m.
AI on Trial: Using It Without Losing Your License
AI tools are already reshaping how experienced litigators prepare and try cases. The question is no longer whether to use them, but how to do so competently and ethically. Drawing on her decades as a trial attorney, and her seat on the Colorado Supreme Court’s Standing Committee on Ethics, NACDL’s work on the proposed new rule 707, the release of the NACDL report “Parity in Practice,” and numerous intersections with AI experts from around the country, NACDL Executive Director Lisa Wayne walks attendees through the practical realities of integrating AI into a litigation practice and building simple tools and workflows to organize a case, all while flagging where confidentiality, competence, and candor-to-the-tribunal obligations actually bite.
This session is built for lawyers who want the productivity gains of AI without the ethics complaint. It will cover the duties of technological competence and supervision that apply whether you’re using AI to manage a heavy caseload or to sharpen trial strategy on a single high-stakes matter, and will offer concrete, low-lift ways to start experimenting responsibly. Criminal and civil practitioners alike will leave with skills and knowledge they can implement immediately and a clearer sense of where the ethical guardrails sit.
10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
How to Win When the Courtroom Isn’t the Only Battlefield: Navigating the Glare of Public Scrutiny
11 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
Break
11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Beyond the Interpreter: Cultural Competency as Trial Strategy
Too often, cultural competency is treated as a box to check rather than a strategic asset. This presentation takes a different approach: using narrative and storytelling to show experienced trial lawyers why understanding Hispanic and Latino cultural context isn’t peripheral to advocacy, but central to it. Through real-world stories and concept-driven discussion, this session zeroes in on how cultural fluency deepens client relationships, sharpens case theory, strengthens written advocacy and improves voir dire. Designed for seasoned criminal and civil litigators looking to add a strategic lens to their advocacy.
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Featured Luncheon Discussion – Voting Rights Under Pressure: Recent Legal Developments Every Attorney Should Know
Enjoy lunch while Morgan Jackson and Jordan Shaw engage in a timely conversation on “Voting Rights Under Pressure: Recent Legal Developments Every Attorney Should Know.” Guided by moderator Sonya Pfeiffer, this featured discussion will provide valuable insights into one of today’s most significant legal issues.
1:30 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Afternoon Free Time
The afternoon is yours! Discover Asheville’s vibrant shops, restaurants, and galleries, unwind at the spa, or simply find a rocking chair with a mountain view. However you choose to spend it, take time to relax and recharge before the evening’s celebration.
6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Skyline Soiree
Spend the evening at Wildwood Still, the rooftop bar atop the Moxy Asheville, where breathtaking mountain and downtown skyline views provide the backdrop for a memorable night. Enjoy delicious heavy hors d’oeuvres, handcrafted cocktails and mocktails, and great conversation as you reconnect with longtime friends, welcome new faces, and continue building relationships throughout the Mountain Magic weekend. Dressy casual attire is recommended.
Transportation is not provided for this event. We encourage you to use Uber, Lyft, or another rideshare or taxi service.
8 a.m. – 9 a.m.
Breakfast Buffet
Enjoy a full buffet featuring hot entrées, fresh fruit, pastries, and freshly brewed coffee before heading into another day of learning and conversation.
8 a.m. – 10 a.m.
Bloody Mary & Mimosa Bar
Cheers to the weekend! Stop by our Bloody Mary & Mimosa Bar to mix up your perfect morning sip. Whether you like it bold and spicy or bubbly and bright, we’ve got just the thing to kick off your day.
9 a.m. – 10 a.m.
The Unwinnable Case: Trial Strategy When the Facts, the Media, and Public Opinion Are Against You
By definition most consequential cases are not fought on a level playing field. By the time counsel is retained, the facts may appear overwhelming, damaging documents or recordings may already be public, social media has amplified the allegations so they have become unrecognizable, and civil, criminal, regulatory, employment, and reputational battles are unfolding and on the march simultaneously.
Drawing on her experience defending some of the nation’s highest-profile criminal matters, including the successful defense of Sean Combs against federal RICO and sex trafficking charges, as well as representing clients in sensitive investigations, internal workplace matters, and other high-stakes disputes, Teny Geragos will discuss practical strategies for litigating cases that many believe cannot be won.
Although illustrated through headline-making criminal cases, the session is designed equally for civil, employment, and commercial litigators. It examines how investigations shape litigation long before a complaint or indictment is filed; how witness interviews, digital evidence, and credibility assessments influence every subsequent proceeding; and how lawyers inheriting an unfavorable record can identify opportunities to reframe the facts rather than simply react to them.
This program explores a central truth shared by every trial lawyer: the cases that appear insurmountable often demand the highest level of advocacy. Whoever the client in that case, the same core principles of credibility, strategic judgment, and disciplined trial advocacy determine whether seemingly unwinnable cases become winning ones.
10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Presentation by Lisa Weinstein
11 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
Break
11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
The Whole World Is Watching: Trying the High-Profile Case
Few cases carry the cultural weight of the Etan Patz matter. Etan’s 1979 disappearance reshaped how a generation thought about child safety and gave rise to National Missing Children’s Day. Representing a defendant the public has already convicted, in a case saturated by decades of media attention, presents challenges that civil and criminal litigators share: seating a fair jury amid pervasive publicity, controlling a narrative the press has already written, and advocating for a client the room may be predisposed to distrust. This hour examines voir dire under saturation publicity, pretrial and trial narrative strategy, the ethics of trying a case in the media age, and how to manage the emotional gravity of a courtroom involving a child victim or a sympathetic party (techniques that translate directly to high-profile civil defense, mass-tort, and wrongful-death practice).
12:30 p.m.
Adjourn to Enjoy Asheville!
As Mountain Magic comes to a close, thank you for being part of this special weekend. We hope you leave feeling reconnected, recharged, and reignited for the work ahead. If your schedule allows, stay a little longer and enjoy Asheville in the fall – it’s the perfect time to explore the mountains, discover local favorites, and take in the beauty of the season. Safe travels!
Reconnect, Recharge & Reignite
Mountain Magic is more than a conference. It’s a signature NCAJ tradition where members come together to reconnect, recharge and return home with renewed purpose. This year’s program features nationally renowned speakers offering exceptional CLE programs (7.0 CLE hours, inc. 1.0 technology hour), meaningful networking opportunities and time set aside to relax and engage with colleagues in North Carolina’s most iconic destination.
Fall in Asheville is Simply Unmatched
Experience the crisp mountain air and breathtaking fall colors at the historic Grove Park Inn. From its luxurious spa to its timeless architecture and world-class amenities, the setting offers the perfect backdrop for both professional growth and personal renewal. Whether you come for the education, the connections or the scenery, Mountain Magic 2026 promises to be an unforgettable experience.
We look forward to welcoming you back to Asheville.
The photos from Mountain Magic 2025 are fantastic
Photographer Danny Gale of D. Gale Photo took the beautiful shots of our Welcome Reception & Dinner at the Grove Park Inn’s Seely Pavillion. Find those and shots of Friday and Saturday’s speakers and events in the photo gallery.
VIEW PHOTO GALLERYMountain Magic Preferred Partners
Diamond Preferred Partners | $50,000 Annual Investment
Sapphire Preferred Partners | $40,000 Annual Investment
Ruby Preferred Partners | $30,000 Annual Investment
Platinum Preferred Partners | $20,000+ Annual Investment
Gold Preferred Partners | $15,000+ Annual Investment
Bronze Preferred Partners | $7,500+ Annual Investment
Mountain Magic Circle of Leadership
diamond level | $24,000 annual investment
Sapphire Level | $18,000 Annual Investment
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Emerald level | $6,000 annual investment
Pearl Level | $3,000 Annual Investment
Mountain Magic Social Sponsors
Interested in Joining Us as a Sponsor or Exhibitor?
SPONSOR | $7,500 Investment –
†Please note that only 10 total exhibitor tables are available as of April 1, 2025.
- PREMIUM business speaking opportunity (2-3 minutes)
- Six-foot table and tablecloth in exhibit hall
- TWO representatives per table — additional representatives are welcome at $250 per person
- TWO tickets to all Mountain Magic social events
- Company logo/link/description featured prominently on Mountain Magic custom website
- Company logo and link prominently featured on all Mountain Magic emails, signage and slides
- Thank you posts throughout the weekend on social media across NCAJ branded channels
Contact Mary Kay Kennedy for more details or to secure your spot.
EXHIBITOR | $5,000 Investment –
†Please note that only 10 total exhibitor tables are available as of April 1, 2025.
- Six-foot table and tablecloth in exhibit hall
- TWO representatives per table — additional representatives are welcome at $250 per person
- TWO tickets to all Mountain Magic social events
- Company logo/link/description featured prominently on Mountain Magic custom website
- Company logo and link prominently featured on all Mountain Magic emails, signage and slides
- Thank you posts throughout the weekend on social media across NCAJ branded channels
Contact Mary Kay Kennedy for more details or to secure your spot.
SOCIAL PARTNER | $3,500 Investment –
- TWO tickets to all Mountain Magic social events ONLY (no access to the CLE events and seminar rooms/sessions)
- Company logo/link/description featured prominently on Mountain Magic custom website
Contact Mary Kay Kennedy for more details or to secure your spot.
