Professional Advocacy in General District Court (Online Seminar)

MCLE Credits: 1.5
Ethics Credits Included: 1.5

MCLE Credit:	1.5 (Ethics: 1.5)
Live-Interactive Credit:	0.0
Price:	$119 (Includes a downloadable audio version.)
Viewable Through:	10/8/2020

Information
Schedule
Faculty
Locations, Dates and Fees

Information

A pre-recorded streaming video replay from the October 2017 webcast, Professional Advocacy in General District Court .

Why Attend?

Practical tips and techniques to advocate professionally in a general district courtroom

Get an overview of ethical rules for advocacy in any court
Get guidance on the proper, professional approach to scenarios you will encounter or have encountered in general district court—both civil and criminal
Hear practical advice from a sitting judge and a seasoned attorney on the dos and don’ts of courtroom behavior
Rediscover the meaning of being a “professional”
Earn 1.5 hours of MCLE Ethics credit

In today’s crowded legal market, many trial attorneys have little time to consider what it means to be professional. Rather, the law has become a business and a way to earn a living. There once was a dignity and nobility associated with being a lawyer that has been pushed to the side and almost forgotten by some.

This seminar is intended to remind all attorneys, new and experienced, of what it means to be a professional, and specifically how to act that way in the courtroom. From suggestions on how to communicate with the clerk of court to how to deal with a difficult adversary, the seminar will touch on ethical and professional considerations of trial practice in general district court, including decorum and etiquette.

Schedule

Faculty

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Hon. J. Bruce Strickland, General District Court Judge / Stafford County

Judge Strickland received his undergraduate degree in Spanish from James Madison University and his law degree from the University of Miami School of Law. Prior to taking the bench, he worked in private practice doing a variety of work in all courts including civil and criminal work in general district court. He is the resident judge in Stafford County and presides over a DUI court, as well as his regular civil and criminal dockets each week. He also serves on the Supreme Court’s Domestic Violence Advisory Committee.

Mark S. Gardner, Gardner & Burks, P.C. / Spotsylvania

Mark Gardner is the founding partner of Gardner & Burks, P.C. in Spotsylvania County. Prior to going into private practice, Mr. Gardner was the Commonwealth Attorney in Spotsylvania County. Before his time as Commonwealth Attorney, he was a Clerk for a Virginia Supreme Court Justice. He received his undergraduate degree from Davidson College and his law degree from the University of Richmond. Mr. Gardner’s private practice focuses on Criminal Defense. He has been a faculty member for the Virginia State Bar Professionalism Course and President of the Fredericksburg Area Bar Association. Mr. Gardner has been listed in Richmond magazine as a Virginia Super Lawyer for Criminal Defense.