You can find out all you need to know about the CLE, which is being held from March 26th to the 28th in Jackson Hole and registration is available right up to the last minute by contacting the Wyoming Trial Lawyers Association at 307-635-0820, or by going to their web site at www.wytla.org. This is a great event, there is over 300 inches of base snow in Jackson this winter and if you love to ski and want some top quality CLE this event is for you!

The headline speaker, Attorney Richard Friedman is the author of two highly regarded books for trial lawyers,   " Rules of the Road" and " Polarizing the Case".        

However, what makes this event so unique is that virtually every speaker will be captured in HD quality video and rebroadcast after the event both online and via DVD. This ambitious project is being produced by The Legal Broadcast Network on behalf of the WTLA and it will provide 14 hours of video CLE which can be purchased either by the hour or in a complete set. What also makes this different then any other video presentation is that each hour will be hosted by one of several prominent trial lawyers who have agreed to moderate each hour, with a setting more like "the actors studio" or a talk show then your typical video. Gone are the power points and static shots behind a lectern, and in their place will be dynamic interviews in which some of the nations top trial lawyers and experts are interviewed at length about their cases, their tactics and unique knowledge.

The complete list of speakers includes the following:

Attorney Zoe Littlepage. Zoe Booth is one of the nations leading trial lawyers and the attorney that just brought in the stunning $134.5 million verdict against Wyeth in the HRT, Prempro/Premarin litigation just two weeks ago. In her first major appearance before a trial lawyers group since that award Zoe will be joined by her legal partner Rainey Booth for a full hour on the back ground of HRT litigation, how this case was developed and tried and what the future holds for HRT litigation.

Attorney Rainey Booth. Rainey Booth is the other name partner in Littlepage Booth, one of the nations top firms in the area of HRT litigation and other pharmaceutical mass torts. As part of the team that won the recent verdict in Reno, NV. in which Wyeth was ordered to pay over $134 million in damages to three plaintiffs, he will be part of the CLE hour hosted by Rick Kuykendall in which the details of this litigation and case are explored.

Attorney Christina Fountain. One of the nations leading experts in Federal Rule 26 protective orders will be sharing her extensive knowledge of this very specific, but vitally important, area of the law. Rule 26 issues are often time where cases are won and lost in pre-trial discovery and every trial lawyer needs to know as much as possible about these procedures.

Attorney Jim Orr. Just two months ago in Palm Beach, FL the first major verdict in the Fentanyl and Duragesic Patch cases came in for the plaintiff, and the attorney arguing this case for his client was Jim Orr. How he and his partner, Angel Reyes came into this case, developed their arguments and carried the day will be part of the CLE hour on Fentanyl litigation and mass tort issues, again hosted by Rick Kuykendall.

Attorney Angel Reyes. In the second part of this CLE hour nationally renown mass tort attorney Angel Reyes will share his insights on developing a mass torts practice, partnering with other attorneys to develop and try cases as well as how to manage a mass tort case and practice. This is an segment that every attorney interested in Mass Torts should be sure to watch and listen to as Rick Kuykendall and Angel Reyes review the world of Mass Torts.

Attorney Rex Burch. One of the most intriguing areas of mass tort or claims is the FSLA case centering on wage and hour litigation. As it will be pointed out in this hour on these topics, wage and hourly cases exist in virtually every city and town in the US and trial lawyers need to learn about this growing area of the law and how to recognize and develop these cases. If you only purchase one hour of the CLE this might be the one that pays the greatest dividends.

Attorney Eric Oliver. One of the leading experts in teaching trial lawyers how to develop effective and winning communication strategies both for pre-trial and at trial. A consistent theme, communication tools and a strategy for talking to a jury are crucial components of every trial lawyers practice. Eric Oliver will spend over 3 hours showing you how this is done and get you thinking in ways you may never have thought about when it comes to your ability to craft your case and arguments.

Attorney Matt Garretson. Medicare liens, Medicaid liens and private health care liens are the bane of every mass tort attorney in the US. There is no way to avoid the issue of how liens must be resolved and handled in mass tort cases and Matt is the acknowledged leader in the rights and responsibilities of trial lawyers in handling lien resolution. If you are still scratching your head over the Ahlborn decision, then you have GOT to get this hour of CLE and learn what ticking time bombs might be hidden in your case files.

Attorney Rick Kuykendall. One of the nations leading experts in mass tort cases and issues, Rick has generously agreed to host the first 5 hours of CLE for us and to conduct the in depth interviews with each expert. His 30 years of litigation experience, mass tort negotiations and political expertise will all be on display as he creates a dynamic and insightful interview with each guest on their area of the law. Finally, a CLE where lawyers are talking with other lawyers about the issues and questions we all have. Rick is a member of the Murphy Law Firm in Baltimore, MD and a frequent guest and contributor on The Legal Broadcast Network.

Attorney Jan Schlichtmann. The Civil Action attorney and co-founder of The Legal Broadcast Network will be conducting 5 hours of CLE interviews on topics such as 468b trusts, factoring, legal financing, structured settlements, structured legal fees, medicare and medicaid lien resolution and qui tam cases. One of the leading advocates for trial lawyers and innovative approaches to the law, Jan will bring his passion and unique insights to every interview.

Attorney Robert Wood. The acknowledge expert in the US on taxable damage cases, 468b trusts and how to handle tax issues related to settlements. The man who literally wrote the book will be joining us for a full hour discussion on taxable damages, the Murphy vs IRS case, how to minimize the tax impact of a taxable case and other strategies that are vitally important for any attorney working on taxable cases such as wrongful termination, wrongful imprisonment, sexual abuse, environmental claims, etc.

Attorney Matt Bracy. One of the nations leading experts on factoring will be joining Jan Schlichtmann in a full hour discussion of the Structured Settlement Protection Act, attorneys rights and obligations when a client looks to factor an annuity as well as a cross examination regarding the misconceptions about factoring. Every trial lawyer must know what to do and how to respond to clients who are looking to cash in their structured settlement and this hour will focus on those issues.    

Mark Wahlstrom and Kenneth Winthrop. Why is it that trial lawyers get caught on a vicious cycle of funding cases and paying expenses and taxes, but rarely putting away sufficient money for their own retirements? In this hour long discussion the innovative approach of using a structured legal fee to fund your retirement plan will be laid out and reviewed in detail. It's a primer on how trial lawyers can take large taxable fees and instead of getting pounded with taxes, defer their fees over a period of years, and then put those deferred amounts into a qualified retirement plan. Every sole practitioner or lawyer working as a PC needs to know how this program works and implement it into their practice management.

Michael Blum. No area in the trial lawyers practice has expanded as quickly and dramatically as legal and case financing. The reality is that most litigation needs to be financed and with the explosion of finance companies available to lend, trial lawyers need a how to manual on their rights, obligations, tax issues and ethical constraints as to how these lending options work. If you are curious as to how legal financing works and what you need to watch out for, this hour should prove invaluable.

Starting the week after the event we will be posting highlights of each speaker, as well as links to purchase any hour that interests you, or the entire 14 hours at a value price.  

What makes this event so distinctive is that it will provide a wide range of CLE, with 14 hours total available for attendees, but also a truly unique golf event based upon both team and individual play. The golf event is being sponsored by Wahlstrom & Associates, of Scottsdale, AZ and is open to trial lawyers from all 50 states who are interested in competing and representing their state.

The event well be held at the nationally known 4 star Scottsdale Plaza Resort. You can check out their web site and take a tour, but rest assured this home base for the event is located in the very heart of Scottsdale's entertainment, shopping and golf district, literally in walking distance to many major night clubs and restaurants. The resort has been selected both for it's excellent service, but also to insure your time spent driving to golf, airports, clubs and dining are minimal so more of your time is spent enjoying your weekend in the desert.

The golf, which will be a one day tournament, is to be held at the nationally renown Talking Stick Golf club. Talking Stick is a short 5 minute drive from the host hotel, and is a Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw design, managed by Troon Golf and ranked 4.5 stars by the readers of Golf Digest Magazine and ranked the number two public course in Arizona by Golfweek magazine. Our attendees will play both the North course in the one day event and we will have run of the course both days once the CLE is completed. This is an unparalleled opportunity to play a Coore/Crenshaw design in a tournament event and as part of a truly inspirational and innovative CLE program.  

If you are a trial lawyer either in, or outside of Wyoming, and you are interested in either forming a team to compete, or are just interested in attending the CLE and taking advantage of the social, educational and networking opportunities this event will provide, you can contact the WTLA offices in Cheyenne, WY, 307-635-0820.

All of the content, both print, audio and video, will be created and provided by The Wyoming Trial Lawyers Association, but broadcast through the facilities of The Legal Broadcast Network. Sponsorship of the content is being funded by Wahlstrom & Associates of Scottsdale, AZ, and is designed to assist the state's Trial Lawyers in communicating with, educating and informing both it's members and the public.

This public blog page is available to any viewer, but please note their will be some audio and video podcasts available only to WTLA members through the password protected WTLA site. If you have any questions about this content, or wish to make sure you receive all updates and broadcasts intended for WTLA members, you can contact either The WTLA or LBN.  

Until then, listen in on some of our early audio podcasts and be sure to check back frequently.