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It was very apropos that Miami became the backdrop for this year’s ABA Midyear meeting. The word of the week was immigration and it was used with zealous amplitude. Unless you were buried under your desk at work and separated from your mobile, it was impossible to escape the nonstop media coverage of sanctuary cities, executive orders, travel bans, and, of course, political tension. No matter what your position on immigration might be, the country is ablaze with differing opinions about the proper course of action.
Of course, there were other topics on the minds of attendees and participants at the ABA Midyear Meeting, and we did our best to learn about them all. Our coverage began with the leader of the American Bar Association herself, President Linda Klein, being interviewed by Digital Detectives hosts Sharon Nelson and John Simek. During their time together, President Klein discussed her veterans initiative, ABA Blueprint, the SCOTUS nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch, and Law Day 2017. Next up, we broached the topic of student loan debt with Crystal Araujo, Jennifer Nicholls, Whitney Barkley Denney, and Michael Dumas as they talked about rising student loans, income-driven repayment plans, and how law schools are reacting to concerns from borrowers with our hosts Sandy Gallant-Jones of ABA Law Student Podcast and, once again, Sharon Nelson of Digital Detectives.
ABA President @LindaKleinLaw stops by for an #ABAMidyear interview with hosts @sharonnelsonesq & John Simek. Episode to air soon! ?? pic.twitter.com/bFaEyBncTU
— Laurence Colletti (@LaurenceEsq) February 3, 2017
During our days in Miami, we engaged in other discussions stemming from civil justice, activities of the ABA Young Lawyers Division, and the decline of jury trials to best practices for corporate counsel, voting rules for the Senate, and solutions for road rage. In addition, we talked about the necessity for attorneys in the entertainment industry, doing business in Cuba, and ethics in public sector law. On our last day of interviews, we concluded our coverage with a two part discussion about immigration.
To hear more, tune in below to our reports from On the Road at the 2017 ABA Midyear Meeting.
American Bar Association President Linda Klein joins hosts Sharon Nelson and John Simek to discuss her veterans initiative, ABA Blueprint, the SCOTUS nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch, and Law Day 2017. Listen here: ABA Midyear Meeting 2017: Updates from ABA President Linda Klein
Hosts Sandy Gallant-Jones and Sharon Nelson are joined by Jennifer Nicholls, Crystal Araujo, Whitney Barkley-Denney, and Michael Dumas to talk about rising student loan debt, income-driven repayment plans, and how law schools are reacting to concerns from borrowers. Listen here: ABA Midyear Meeting 2017: Fighting the Tide of Student Debt
Chief Justice Thomas A. Balmer, former Chief Justice Wallace Bernard Jefferson, Judge Jennifer D. Bailey, and Dean Hannah Lieberman from the David A. Clark School of Law join Legal Talk Network Executive Producer Laurence Colletti for a conversation about their committee report on improving costs and efficiency in the civil justice system. Listen here: ABA Midyear Meeting 2017: Civil Justice for All
Achieving Civil Justice for All recording: Judge Bailey, Dean Lieberman, Chief Justice Balmer and Chief Justice Jefferson #ABAMidyear pic.twitter.com/HB4nUuuizI
— Legal Talk Network (@LegalTalkNet) February 3, 2017
Legal Talk Network Executive Producer Laurence Colletti sits down with ABA Young Lawyers Division Chair Anna Romanskaya to discuss what new lawyers need to know about running a practice today and how their section is helping improve access to education for young people nationwide. Listen here: ABA Midyear Meeting 2017: Lawyers: The Next Generation
Greenberg Traurig attorney and American Bar Association’s Commission on the American Jury Chair Alan Dimond sits down with Legal Talk Network Executive Producer Laurence Colletti to discuss reasons for the dramatic fall in jury trials in both civil and criminal courts and what, if anything, should be done about it. Listen here: ABA Midyear Meeting 2017: The Decline of American Jury Trials
Alan Dimond recording about the ABA Commission on the American Jury interviewed by @LaurenceEsq #ABAMidyear @GT_Law pic.twitter.com/ZqLwFxX6P6
— Legal Talk Network (@LegalTalkNet) February 2, 2017
Legal Talk Network Executive Producer Laurence Colletti is joined by Gallup, Inc. Associate Counsel Kara Jermain for a conversation about best practices for corporate counsel and the importance of understanding different perspectives on the job. Listen here: ABA Midyear Meeting 2017: Corporate Counsel Boot Camp
City of Tampa Councilman Mike Suarez, Lynx Companies Vice President of Strategic Development Andrew M. Korge, and Florida real estate and business attorney Brian Willis join Legal Talk Network Executive Producer Laurence Colletti to talk about road rage, the reasons for, and predictions for solutions thereof. Listen here: ABA Midyear Meeting 2017: Road Rage
Road Rage & Future of Transportation recording with Councilman @mikefortampa @AndrewKorge @BrianWillisTPA #ABAMidyear pic.twitter.com/yJrM9D8BPm
— Legal Talk Network (@LegalTalkNet) February 3, 2017
Legal Talk Network Executive Producer Laurence Colletti is joined by Governance Institute President Russell R. Wheeler and Sidley Austin LLP’s White Collar: Government Litigation & Investigations group global co-leader Karen Popp to discuss the “Nuclear Option” and the impact of changing procedural rules at the US Senate. Listen here: ABA Midyear Meeting 2017: When Voting Goes Nuclear
Directors, producers, and attorneys Richard Rappaport, Neda Ghomeshi, Bryan Thompson, Emily Patricia Graham, Tyler Rabinowitz, Jose Sariego, and Shannon Harvey join Legal Talk Network Executive Producer Laurence Colletti to talk about the the current state of the entertainment industry and why attorneys are needed more than ever. Listen here: ABA Midyear Meeting 2017: Attorneys in the Spotlight
A great panel discussion about film, television, new media, and their need for attorneys at #ABAMidyear. https://t.co/w97tOdYY3X pic.twitter.com/qk5sUKPA1v
— Legal Talk Network (@LegalTalkNet) February 7, 2017
Legal Talk Network CEO Adam Camras and Executive Producer Laurence Colletti sit down with customs attorney Peter Quinter, editor in chief of Cuba Journal Simons Chase, and commercial litigation attorney Carolina Blanco to discuss future business prospects and recent immigration policy changes with Cuba. Listen here: ABA Midyear Meeting 2017: Business in Cuba
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Brooker and lawyer-turned-independent writer Katherine Mikkelson join Legal Talk Network Executive Producer Laurence Colletti for thespian-styled role playing exercises designed to highlight different ethical dilemmas public sector lawyers face. Who knew ethical conundrums could be so entertaining? Listen here: ABA Midyear Meeting 2017: The Ethics of Ethics
Host Reid Trautz and Legal Talk Network Executive Producer Laurence Colletti sit down with Judge Dana Leigh Marks and Esther Olavarria from the Department of Homeland Security for a conversation about immigration, executive orders, and how lawyers from different areas of practice can get involved. Listen here: ABA Midyear Meeting 2017: The Executive Order on Immigration and How Lawyers Can Help
#Immigration at a Crossroads: Judge Dana Leigh Marks, Esther Olavarria, interviewed by Reid Trautz & Laurence Colletti #ABAMidyear pic.twitter.com/52QhOU5LTL
— Legal Talk Network (@LegalTalkNet) February 4, 2017
American Immigration Lawyers Association Practice and Professionalism Director Reid Trautz joins Legal Talk Network Executive Producer Laurence Colletti to discuss confusion behind the recent travel ban implemented by the Trump Administration, predictions for upcoming executive orders, and avenues for attorneys to get involved. Listen here: ABA Midyear Meeting 2017: Immigration Law with Reid Trautz
After receiving his J.D. and MBA, Laurence Colletti went into solo practice with emphasis in general business and commercial real estate. He has always carried a strong passion for web-based media with a particular interest in podcasting and video. Laurence leverages his legal background against that passion to help bring sophisticated, relevant content to Legal Talk Network podcasts. You can follow Laurence on Twitter at @LaurenceEsq.
