NAACA is pleased to invite you to our 2023 Conference to be held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Suites Pittsburgh Downtown in Pittsburgh, Pa. on July 11-14, 2023.
The educational portion of our program includes presentations by long-time favorites Steve Vladeck and Erwin Chemerinsky, presentations by several repeat presenters including Chief Judge Jeffrey Sutton, Director Elizabeth Cronin, and Professor Rebecca Green, and presentations by some new faces, including Professor Lauren Ouziel, Professor Janis Puracal, and Professor Ashley London.
Two social events are scheduled this year: an opening reception and the T-shirt lottery reception.
Registration
Please fill out the
online registration form, and we can take payment via PayPal, or you may send
a check payable to NAACA (Fed. Tax ID No. 42-1676557).
You must register for the conference and reserve your room no later than June 15, 2022.
Tuition and Fees
Tuition for the conference is $420 for NAACA members, $645 for non-members. There is a separate fee of $60 for guests attending social events ($75 for families).
For information about joining NAACA and saving $225 in tuition, check out our
online membership form.
Discounts Available
Courts located in the 3rd Circuit (New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and the Virgin Islands) receive a 10% discount off tuition. There is a 20% discount off tuition for any court sending 5 or more attorneys. Please contact NAACA's Executive Directors at
naacaexecutivedirectors@gmail.com for details.
Accomodations
The conference is being held at the
Doubletree by Hilton, Pittsburgh Downtown, 1 Bigalow Square, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15219, where a block of rooms have been reserved until June 15, 2023. The room rate is $125, plus taxes of 14%. Reservations can be made by calling 800.222.8733. Identify yourself as being with NAACA to get the group rate. Conference rates extend 3 days before and after the end of conference, based on availability. Reservations made after June 15, 2023, will be made on rate and space
availability only.
Airline & Ground Transportation
You can fly into Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT). A taxi to the hotel will cost about $30-40 and take about 25 minutes. You can also use Uber (about $32) or Lyft (about $39). The 28X Airport Flyer, a shuttle bus serving the airport and downtown Pittsburgh, is another option. Cost is $2.75 and the closest stop is about 4 blocks from the hotel at 7th Avenue and William Penn Plaza. More information can be found
here.
Refund Policy
All fees, less a $50 processing fee, will be refunded for cancellations received before June 30, 2023. There will be no refunds for cancellations received after June 30, 2023.
What to Pack
Dress is casual. Weather in the Pittsburgh area in July tends to be warm with average high temperatures in the mid 80s and low temperatures in the mid 60s.
Detailed Conference Information is below, or you may download our conference brochure.
PROGRAM AGENDA
Tuesday, July 11
4:00-6:00 Registration- Doubletree by Hilton, Pittsburgh Downtown
6:00-8:00 Opening reception- Doubletree by Hilton, Pittsburgh Downtown Courtyard
Wednesday, July 12
8:30-9:00 Welcome & Opening Remarks
9:00-10:30 SCOTUS CRIMINAL LAW REVIEW – Professor Lauren Ouziel, Temple University, Beasley School of Law
Professor Ouziel will present her review of important criminal cases from the Supreme Court’s 2022-2023 Term.
10:30-10:45 Break
10:45-12:15 CLEANING OUR OWN HOUSE: The Role, Reality, and Challenges of Rule 8.4(g) and its Attempts to Advance Professionalism - Professor Ashley London, Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University and Thomas J. Farrell, Chief Disciplinary Counsel for the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennslvania
This program will review the history and evolution of the 2016 Amendment of American Bar Association Model Rule 8.4(g), which began as a measure to address and eliminate widespread professional concern about the deleterious effects of bias, discrimination, and harassment in the practice of law. This program will discuss not only the recent developments of 8.4(g) in Pennsylvania, but will also provide additional insights as to how this rule can be used to promote cultural competency across the profession.
12:15-1:45 Lunch Break
1:45 to 3:15 Breakout Sessions
THE FIRST AMENDMENT AND DISCRIMINATION IN THE COMMERCIAL MARKET - Professor Tobias Barrington Wolff, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School
An examination of the state of antidiscrimination measures, particularly those targeting LGBTQ+ discrimination, in the wake of
303 Creative LLC V. Elenis.
WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS AND THE ROLE OF FORENSICS - Professor Janis Puracal, Lewis and Clark Law School
Janis Puracal from the Forensic Justice Project will discuss the role that faulty and misleading forensics have played in wrongful convictions and the more recent advances to address admissibility and prevent wrongful convictions before they happen. Professor Puracal will provide a framework for determining admissibility based on scientific validity. The session will focus on the evolution of scientific discourse and how that evolution has begun to change the admissibility determination for some forensic disciplines.
3:15-3:30 Break
3:30-5:00 WHO DECIDES? STATES AS LABORATORIES OF CONSTITUTIONAL EXPERIMENTATION - Chief Judge Jeffrey Sutton, United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
Chief Judge Sutton of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals will discuss his highlyacclaimed 2021 book, Who Decides? He will address the evergreen question of law and politics by asking who should decide the disputes of the day, including those about individual rights. Our acceptance of the resolution of those disputes often turns on who the decision maker is, as it reveals who governs us.
6:00-8:00 T-Shirt Lottery Reception -- The Church Brew Works, 3525 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Thursday, July 13
9:30-10:00 STATE COURTS IN THE SUPREME COURT - Professor Steve Vladeck, University of Texas School of Law
A look at the historical relationship between state court rulings and U.S. Supreme Court review, with a focus on jurisdictional shifts, the disappearance of direct appeals from state courts, and the implications for contemporary state court decisionmaking.
10:30-10:45 Break
10:45-12:15 WHEN EVERY CASE IS AN EMERGENCY: THE RISE OF JUDGE SHOPPING, STATE-DRIVEN LITIGATION, OUTLIER JUDGES, AND EMERGENCY APPEALS - Professor Steve Vladeck, University of Texas School of Law
12:15-1:45 Lunch
1:45-3:15 Breakout Sessions
PARALLEL JUSTICE FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME: The Evolution of Victims’ Rights and its Impact on the Legal System - Elizabeth Cronin, Director of NYS Department of Victim Services
Ms. Cronin will discuss the evolution and extent of the rights of crime victims both federally and in various states and the impact of these laws and regulations on the legal system.
IMMIGRATION LAW AND THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION - Professor Shelia Velez Martinez, University of Pittsburgh School of Law
Professor Vélez Martínez will discuss her work with the Immigration Law Clinic and recent legal decisions and issues affecting those immigrating to the United States during the Biden Administration.
3:30-5:00 A POST-DOBBS WORLD : The Future of Medication Abortion and the Landscape of Reproductive Rights since Dobbs - Professor Greer Donley, University of Pittsburgh School of Law
Professor Donley will discuss developments in reproductive rights, including regulations on medication abortion access, issues facing medical professionals, and notable case decisions.
Friday, July 14
9:00-10:30 SCOTUS CIVIL LAW REVIEW – Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, Berkeley Law School
Dean Chemerinsky presents his much-anticipated review of the important civil cases from the Supreme Court’s 2022 - 2023 Term.
10:30-10:45 Break
10:45-12:15 FREE SPEECH ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES - Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, Berkeley Law School
Dean Chemerinsky discusses this controversial issue and the tension between the duty of a campus to provide supportive learning environments for an increasingly diverse student body while never restricting the expression of ideas.
12:45-1:45 Lunch Break
Business Lunch for NAACA Members. Bigelow Grill, Doubletree by Hilton, Pittsburgh Downtown
1:45-3:15 Breakout Sessions
THE DEATH OF THE ARTIST: A PLAGIARIST'S PERSPECTIVE - Professor Brian Frye, University of Kentucky Rosenberg College of Law
Thoughts, among other things, on Andy Warhol, Prince, and copyright’s fair use doctrine after
Warhol Found. v. Goldsmith.
LEGAL WRITING: FROM GOOD TO GREAT– Professor Anne Ralph, The Ohio State University, Moritz College of Law
Writing is an essential tool of our trade. Can we learn to make writing easier, faster, better, and even more graceful? Yes. Every legal writer can become good at writing, and every good legal writer can become great. Join Professor Ralph to explore the wisdom of writing style gurus and legal writing experts including Supreme Court Justices, as well as insights from social science and narrative theory (the study of stories).
3:15-3:30 Break
3:30-5:00 ELECTION LAW UPDATE – Professor Rebecca Green, William & Mary Law School
Professor Green will discuss recent decisions regarding elections, recurrent themes in elections litigation, and what courts should know.
