Agenda / Content Covered

All times are shown in Pacific time

1. Preparing Pleadings, Motions and Briefs
   9:00 - 9:50, Carrie P. Cravatta
   
   1. Drafting Pleadings (with Samples)
   2. Service and Filing (Including E-Filing)
   3. Drafting Common Motions (with Samples)
   4. Opposition, Affidavits, Memorandums and Orders
   5. Tips for Persuasive Writing and Cite-Checking
2. Discovery Requests, Responses and Document Productions
   9:50 - 10:40, Thomas P. Alongi
   
   1. Preparing Disclosure Statements
   2. Drafting Discovery Requests
   3. Preparation and Service of Subpoenas
   4. Responding and Objecting to Discovery Requests
   5. Document Retrieval, Review and Production
   6. Collecting, Reviewing and Producing Electronic Documents
   7. Creating Privilege Logs
3. Depositions: Scheduling, Preparation and Summaries
   10:55 - 11:45, Kenneth J. Peace
   
   1. Setting up/Scheduling Depositions
   2. Deposition Preparation
   3. Reviewing and Summarizing Depositions
4. Litigation Case Management, Organization and Communication
   12:45 - 1:35, Kenneth J. Peace
   
   1. Calendaring and Docketing
   2. Tracking Systems
   3. Document Management
   4. Organizing Case Files
   5. Coordinating Communications Between Parties
   6. Leveraging Technology in Litigation
   7. Savvy Legal Research and Online Investigation Tips
5. Preparing for Jury Selection and Instructions
   1:35 - 2:25, Daniel Torrens
   
   1. Obtaining a List of Potential Jurors
   2. Preparing Juror Questionnaires
   3. Drafting Voir Dire Questions
   4. Researching Potential Jurors: Social Media and More
   5. Understanding Rules for Jury Challenges
6. Trial Preparation and Creating a Trial Notebook
   2:40 - 3:30, Daniel Torrens
   
   1. Preparing Trial Binders - Litigation vs. Chronological Notebook
   2. Organizing Exhibits and Other Demonstrative Evidence
   3. The Power of the Exhibit and Witness Lists
   4. Preservation of Evidence - Spoliation and Other Issues
   5. Locating and Communicating with Lay and Expert Witnesses
   6. Trial Site Preparation
   7. Assisting at Trial and Post-Trial Wrap-up
7. Ethics for Litigation Paralegals
   3:30 - 4:30, Louis A. Silverman
   
   1. Avoiding UPL in Litigation
   2. Handling Client Files
   3. Billing and Timekeeping
   4. Ethics of Discovery and Evidence
   5. Maintaining Confidentiality

Accreditation Details:

THOMAS P. ALONGI is a partner and owner at Alongi Law Firm, PLLC, where he has more than 25 years of legal experience handling domestic violence issues, family law, criminal defense and juvenile court cases. Mr. Alongi has taught family law, community property, civil procedure and criminal procedure as an adjunct professor at Arizona Summit Law School. He earned his J.D. degree from the University of Kansas School of Law.

CARRIE P. CRAVATTA is an attorney, with the firm Stewart Law Group. Ms. Cravatta practices in the areas of family law, child support, spousal support and grandparents rights. Ms. Cravatta is licensed in both Illinois and Arizona. She is a member of the State Bar of Arizona, Maricopa County Bar Association, and volunteers regularly at FLAP. She earned her B.A. degree from North Central College in Naperville, Illinois and her J.D. degree at the John Marshall Law School in Chicago, Illinois.

KENNETH J. PEACE is an attorney with Resnick & Louis, P.C., where he has focused his practice on estate, probate, and trust administration; and litigation and disputes, including disputed guardianships and conservatorships. His areas of practice also include business and commercial counsel and litigation, and real estate counsel and litigation. Mr. Peace is a member of the State Bar of Arizona, Illinois State Bar Association, the District Court of Arizona, the Supreme Court of Arizona, Valley Estate Planners, Scottsdale Bar Association, Scottsdale Estate Planners, North Phoenix Bar Association, The Central Arizona Estate Planning Council, and the San Carlos Apache Tribal Bar Association. He is judge pro tem for Maricopa County Superior Court. Mr. Peace earned his B.S. degree from the University of Illinois and his J.D. degree from DePaul University.

LOUIS A. SILVERMAN has been practicing law in Arizona since 1981. From 1981 through 2005, Mr. Silverman’s practice included many aspects of litigation, including family law, civil litigation, and personal injury and wrongful death. In addition, he included estate planning and estate administration. Mr. Silverman has narrowed his practice focus, to estate planning, estate administration, probate law, and related tax matters. He accomplished this transition through affiliations with professional estate planning associations, ongoing continuing education, and accepting only estate planning and estate administration matters. In 2015, Mr. Silverman became board-certified in estate and trust law by the State Bar of Arizona. His practice emphasizes estate planning, which includes wills and trusts and other estate planning devices, and trust administration and probate, which includes death probate, guardianship, and conservatorship. Mr. Silverman has served as judge pro tem on the Maricopa County Superior Court. He is a member of WealthCounsel and is a past member of the Elder Law, Mental Health and Special Needs Planning Section of the State Bar of Arizona. Mr. Silverman is on the board of trustees of Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and past president of the Board of Directors of Tempe Leadership. He is a frequent speaker on National Business Institute’s educational panels and also lectures to local groups on estate planning issues. Mr. Silverman earned his B.S. degree in business from Arizona State University and his J.D. degree from South Texas College of Law in Houston. He is admitted to practice in the state courts of Arizona and Texas, the U.S. District Court for Arizona, and the Western District of Texas.

DANIEL TORRENS is an attorney with Portmeirion Law Offices in Phoenix where he practices in the areas of personal injury litigation, alternative dispute resolution, and commercial litigation. Mr. Torrens lectures nationally in the areas of contracts, personal injury, and trial advocacy. He is a faculty member of the Arizona College of Trial Advocacy and a graduate of the State Bar of Arizona's CLE Institute. Mr. Torrens is a member of the State Bar of Arizona and the Colorado Bar Association. He is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and is a judge pro tem with the Maricopa County Superior Court. Mr. Torrens earned his B.A. degree from Arizona State University and his J.D. degree from the University of Nebraska.