Welcome to the 2013 Convention
Message from the State Bar President
My Fellow Lawyers,
Welcome to the 2013 Convention of the State
Bar of Arizona taking place at the historic and
elegant Arizona Biltmore Resort. The theme
of this year’s Convention is Serving Justice.
We lawyers serve justice by affording access to
legal services for those with limited incomes.
We serve justice by ensuring a fair, impartial
and independent judiciary. We serve justice by
affording equal protection of the laws. And we serve justice by providing
excellent advice and ethical representation of our clients. We have incor-
porated the theme of Serving Justice throughout the Convention in many
seminars and special events.
The Convention kicks off Wednesday morning with a program on
Veterans Courts, addressing access to justice for those who have served
our country. In addition, we will have a special series of seminars for
public lawyers this year, including Lawyering in a Political Environment
and other Hot Topics in Public Law. And there will be a plenary session
Wednesday afternoon relating Lessons from the Holocaust. Then, on
Thursday morning, we will have a program on Constitutional Policy and
Legislation in the Era of Initiative.
Thursday’s luncheon will be hosted by and for the benefit of the Arizona
Foundation for Legal Services & Education, which supports our state’s
legal services agencies. In keeping with our theme, this year’s silent auction beneficiary will be the Foundation.
Thursday afternoon it will be difficult to decide which program to attend,
with such topics as Appellate Practice in the Trial Court, Shooting Your
Mouth Off About the 2nd Amendment, and the Defense of Marriage Act.
Friday likewise will feature many outstanding programs designed to
facilitate excellence of representation in the areas of Bankruptcy Law,
Family Law, Juvenile Law, and Labor and Employment Law.
The highlight of our Convention luncheon on Friday will be a keynote
address by the Honorable Alan Page, who will tackle the topics of football
and law, relying upon his unique experiences as a National Football
League Hall of Famer and as the first African-American Supreme Court
Justice of Minnesota.
The Convention will provide valuable learning opportunities through a
variety of teaching modalities offered by diverse presenters. Equally important, it will provide great opportunities for networking and socializing
with colleagues at a variety of parties, events, seminars, and lunches.
Thanks to Convention Co-Chairs Wendy Weigand and Jim O’Sullivan,
the entire Convention Committee, and the State Bar’s outstanding
Members Services staff, we are sure to enjoy a memorable, entertaining,
and informative event.
On behalf of the State Bar of Arizona, welcome to the 2013 State Bar
Convention.
Sincerely, Amelia Craig Cramer
4 2013 State Bar of Arizona Annual Convention
Register online at azbar.org/convention