National Association of Court Staff Attorneys 2022 Conference

NAACA is pleased to invite you to our 2022 Conference to be held at the Berkeley Law School, July 5-8, 2022.

The educational portion of our program includes presentations by long-time favorites Steve Vladeck and Erwin Chemerinsky and some new faces, including Judge Albert Diaz of the United States Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals; Professor Kate Fort, Michigan State Law School; Professor Lisa Ikemoto, UC Davis School of Law; and Professor Lee Strang, Toledo University School of Law. Topics presented include reviews of SCOTUS civil and criminal decisions from the 2021-2022 Term, Ethics, Reproductive Rights, Indian Law, Critical Race Theory, and Environmental Law, among others.

Three social events are scheduled this year: an opening reception, the T-shirt lottery reception, and a dinner hosted by Dean Chemerinsky.

Please fill out the online registration form, and we can take payment via paypal. For other payment arrangements, please see details below. Tuition for the conference is $420 for NAACA members, $645 for non- members. For information about joining NAACA and saving $225 in tuition, check out our online membership form.

A room block is available at The Hotel Shattuck Plaza, located a short distance from the law school where the conference will be held. The group rate is $159 (plus 13.195% fees and taxes) and is effective three days before and after the conference.

You must register for the conference and reserve your room no later than June 14, 2022.

Detailed Conference Information is below, or you may download our conference brochure.

Also see the most-recent Conference Agenda in PDF Format, with room assignments.

PROGRAM AGENDA

Tuesday, July 5

4:00-6:00 Registration- Hotel Shattuck Plaza

6:00-8:00 Opening reception- Hotel Shattuck Plaza Courtyard

Wednesday, July 6

8:30-9:00 Welcome and Opening Remarks

9:00-10:30 SCOTUS and the Shadow Docket – Professor Steve Vladeck, University of Texas School of Law:
Professor Vladeck will discuss recent developments on the U.S. Supreme Court’s “Shadow Docket,” particularly involving applications for emergency relief. Location: Warren Room

10:30-10:45 BREAK

10:45-12:15 BREAKOUT SESSIONS

The History of Certiorari at SCOTUS – Professor Steve Vladeck
Ever wonder how we got to a point in which the U.S. Supreme Court hears virtually all appeals through certiorari. Professor Vladeck provides the answer with this presentation: “William Howard Taft and the Rise of Certiorari: How the Supreme Court Swindled Congress and Consolidated Its Power.” Location: Warren Room

Recent Developments and Topics in Environmental Law – Professor Robin Craig, USC Gould School of Law
Professor Craig will guide us through recent developments in environmental law with a focus on new or noteworthy decisions at the federal appellate and SCOTUS level, and the impact of these decisions. Location: Goldberg Room

12:15-1:45 LUNCH BREAK

1:45 – 3:15 BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Law Clerks to Retired Supreme Court Justices: An Unexplored Resource – Professor Rory Little, UC Hastings College of the Law
Professor Little will discuss his unique experience of working with five Supreme Court Justices during his clerkship for retired Justice Stewart, and what this experience suggests about the concerns and benefits of Judicial Law Clerk sharing. Location: Warren Room

Federal Habeas Corpus for State Prisoners: What State-Court Staff Attorneys Might Want to Know. – Jimmy Frazier, Chief Deputy Staff Attorney, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
This program will discuss what state-court appellate attorneys need to know about federal habeas corpus relief for state prisoners. Location: Goldberg Room

3:15 – 3:30 BREAK

3:30-5:00 SCOTUS Criminal Law Review – Professor Rory Little
Professor Little will present his review of important criminal cases from the Supreme Court’s 2021-2022 Term. Location: Warren Room

5:15 – 7:00 T-Shirt Lottery Reception – Steinhart Courtyard and Roof Garden, Berkeley Law School

Thursday, July 7

9:00-10:30 Election Law – Professor Rebecca Green, William & Mary Law School
Professor Rebecca Green will provide an update regarding recent decisions in election law and discuss recurring themes. Location: Warren Room

10:30-10:45 BREAK

10:45-12:15 BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Supervising Staff in the Post-COVID world – Lisa Fitzgerald and Michelle Haubert
Lisa Fitzgerald, Senior Staff Attorney with the US 9th Circuit, and Michelle Haubert, Staff Attorney with the New Mexico Court of Appeals, discuss the issues raised when your staff works remotely including maintaining quality, production, and fairness to personnel. Location: Warren Room

How Can Line Attorneys Be More Efficient in Records Review?– Mark O’Brien and Kyle McLaughlin
Tips and a Round Table Discussion: Mark O’Brien, a Staff Attorney at the Supreme Court of Virginia, and Kyle McLaughlin, a Staff Attorney at the US Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, will lead a discussion on ways we can be more purposeful, organized, and efficient in reviewing large appellate records. Location: Goldberg Room

12:15-1:45 LUNCH BREAK

1:45 - 3:15 The End of Roe: Dobbs and the Future of Reproductive Rights – Professor Lisa Ikemoto, UC Davis School of Law
Professor Ikemoto will discuss recent legislative and judicial developments affecting reproductive rights, including the decision of the US Supreme Court in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health.Location: Warren Room

3:15 – 3:30 BREAK

3:30-5:00 Ethics – The Honorable Albert Diaz, Judge, USCA 4th Circuit
Judge Diaz will present an engaging discussion of ethical issues relevant to staff attorneys including potential conflicts of interest, confidentiality, and political activity. Location: Warren Room

6:00-8:00 Dinner hosted by Dean Erwin Chemerinsky (round trip Uber vouchers provided

Friday, July 8

9:00-10:30 Religion and the Courts – Professor Lee Strang, The University of Toledo School of Law
Professor Strang will discuss the recent trends in the Supreme Court’s caselaw broadening the Free Exercise Clause and narrowing the Establishment Clause. Location: Warren Room

10:30-10:45 BREAK

10:45-12:15 Debate on Originalism – Professor Lee Strang and Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, Berkeley Law School
Dean Chemerinsky and Professor Strang will debate whether the Supreme Court does and should follow originalism. Dean Chemerinsky is the author of the soon-to-be-released book Worse Than Nothing: The Dangerous Fallacy of Originalism. Professor Strang is the author of the 2019 book Originalism’s Promise: A Natural Account of the American Constitution. Location: Warren Room

12:15-1:45 LUNCH BREAK- BUSINESS LUNCH FOR ALL NAACA MEMBERS

1:45 – 3:15 BREAKOUT SESSIONS

What is Critical Race Theory and What is it Not – Professor Yvette Butler, University of Mississippi School of Law
Professor Butler presents a thoughtful discussion of this controversial topic. Location: Warren Room

Indian Law– Professor Kate Fort, Michigan State Law School
Adjunct professor Kathryn Fort will provide an overview of the Indian Child Welfare Act and a discussion of Texas v. Haaland (the Brackeen case), which is currently before the U.S. Supreme Court. Location: Goldberg Room

3:15 – 3:30 BREAK

3:30-5:00 SCOTUS Civil Law Review – Dean Erwin Chemerinsky
Dean Chemerinsky presents his much-anticipated review of the important civil cases from the Supreme Court’s 2021-2022 Term. Location: Warren Room

TUITION/REGISTRATION FEES
Conference tuition is $420 for NAACA members and $645 for non-members. There is a separate fee of $30 for guests attending social events ($35 for families). Registration deadline is June 14, 2022. You may register online at https://naacaonline.org/con_registration/registration.php which will allow you pay via PayPal. You may also pay by check payable to NAACA (Fed. Tax ID No. 42-1676557), mailed to NAACA, P.O. Box 2154, Mechanicsville, Va. 23116.

DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE
Courts located in the 9th Circuit (Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington) receive a 10% discount off tuition. Courts sending 5 or more attorneys will receive a 20% discount off tuition.

MEMBERSHIP
To take advantage of the lower tuition rate for NAACA members, NAACAonline.org has information on how to become a member or you can email NAACA’s Executive Directors at naacaexecutivedirectors@gmail.com

ACCOMMODATIONS
The conference is being hosted by UC Berkeley Law School. A block of rooms has been reserved at the Hotel Shattuck Plaza, www.hotelshattuckplaza.com. The room rate is $159, plus taxes of 13.195%. Reservations can be made by calling 510.845.7300 . Identify yourself as being with NAACA to get the group rate. Conference rates extend three days before and after the end of conference, based on availability. Reservations made after June 14, 2022, will be made on rate and space availability only. For more information about the hotel, visit: www.hotelshattuckplaza.com.

AIRLINE AND GROUND TRANSPORTATION
You can fly into San Francisco International Airport (SFO) or Oakland International Airport (OAK). Both are served by all major airlines. You can take BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) to the hotel from both SFO and OAK to the Downtown Berkeley stop, about a block from the Hotel Shattuck Plaza. A ride on Uber from SFO will cost about $50-55, and from OAK $30-35 whereas Lyft will cost $42-50 from SFO and $30-35 from OAK. A taxi ride from SFO is about $95 and from OAK about $55.

SOCIAL EVENTS
To facilitate social interactions among attendees, three (free!) planned social events are being held at this year’s conference. The opening reception will take place on Tuesday at the Hotel Shattuck Plaza following registration. On Wednesday evening at 5:15 p.m., the ever-popular T-Shirt lottery reception is scheduled at the Steinhart Courtyard in the Berkeley Law School- bring a t-shirt from an event, festival, or landmark from your hometown or state to swap. And on Thursday evening, Dean Erwin Chemerinsky will be hosting a dinner for all conference attendees.

REFUND POLICY
All fees, less a $50 processing fee, will be refunded for cancellations received before June 30. There will be no refunds for cancellations received after June 30.

WHAT TO PACK
Dress is casual. Weather in the Berkeley area in July tends to be warm with average high temperatures about 72 and low temperatures in the low 50’s.