Friday, November 13, 2026, 10:00 a.m.–Noon ET
This program was also presented on February 24, March 19, and April 1, 2026.
| MCLE Credit: | 2.0 |
| Live-Interactive Credit: | 2.0 (all formats) |
As in sports, preparing for trial in a family law case requires strategy, discipline, execution of your game plan, anticipation of the opposition, and quick pivots under pressure. In this two-hour presentation, speakers Julie Day and David Masterman will offer a lighthearted but informative discussion of how to assess, research, prepare, and present a family law case.
Registration Deadlines:
| Webcast: | 10 minutes prior to seminar. If you register for a webcast the day of the seminar, your e-mail receipt will include a link to launch the seminar and download the materials. |
| Telephone: | Online registration ends 10 minutes prior to seminar Call (800) 979-8253 to register up to one hour prior to the seminar |
Cancellation Policy: Cancellation/transfer requests will be honored until 5:00 p.m. the day preceding the seminar. You will, however, be charged $40 if you cancel or transfer your registration to a different seminar after the link to the materials has been e-mailed by Virginia CLE®.
Full refunds or transfers are available up to two days after a webcast in the unlikely event that you experience technical difficulties.
MCLE Credit Caveat: The MCLE Board measures credits by the time you spend in attendance. If you enter a seminar late or leave it early, or both, you must reflect those adjustments accurately in the credits you report on your credit reporting form. A code will be given at the end of the seminar, which must be written on your MCLE form.
Private recording of this program is prohibited.
Can’t Attend?
E-mail distance_ed@vacle.org to be notified when/if this program is made available as an online or USB seminar.
E-mail publications@vacle.org to be notified when/if this program’s seminar materials are made available for sale.
| 10:00 | Getting to the Big Game—The Four Quarters of Family Law Trial Prep |
| 12:00 | Adjourn |
Julie Hottle Day, Culin, Sharp, Autry & Day, PLC / Fairfax
David D. Masterman (retired)
Julie Hottle Day, Culin, Sharp, Autry & Day, PLC / Fairfax
Julie Day represents parties in family law litigation and mediation, focusing on families in which small business ownership or complex assets and retirement benefits are at issue. Northern Virginia executives and business owners rely on her as an attorney who can comprehend and resolve the unique issues that arise for divorcing parties whose assets and issues are outside the norm. She prides herself in her reputation as an honest, hardworking attorney who keeps her clients well informed, and she believes that a client who is well informed is a client well served. She is an experienced practitioner whose careful preparation and attention to detail during the course of representation benefit the interests of her clients as much at the mediation table as they do in the courtroom.
Ms. Day practices in her firm’s Fairfax City and Warrenton offices. She has conducted litigation in the Virginia counties of Fairfax, Arlington, Loudoun, Prince William, Fauquier, Culpeper, and Orange and argued appeals to the Court of Appeals of Virginia. She has been admitted to practice in Maryland since 1999 and is also admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court.
A firm believer in giving back to her personal and professional communities, Ms. Day frequently authors and presents Continuing Legal Education seminars on matters related to the practice of family law. Her personal passion is the importance of liberal arts education. She is an avid supporter of her liberal arts alma mater, Lycoming College, having served as the vice president of its Alumni Association Executive Board, chaired the Annual Fund, served as a member of the President’s Leadership Counsel, and, most recently, as a member of the Lycoming College Board of Trustees.
David D. Masterman (retired)
David D. Masterman practiced law for 42 years, with a concentration in family law developing early in his career.
Practicing in Northern Virginia, primarily Fairfax County, he had opportunities to handle complex cases of many types, and he was unusual in that he enjoyed the challenges of custody cases in particular. Over the years, he practiced with a number of attorneys who were or still are at the top of family law practitioners.
He has often shared his views and knowledge of practicing family law for different groups, including Virginia CLE.
He received his undergraduate degree in history from Grinnell College in Iowa, then got his JD at the University of Virginia’s law school, where he was pretty good at softball.
Mr. Masterman received a number of professional recognitions over his career, with a couple of highlights being his listing in Washingtonian magazine as a top family law attorney for nearly two decades, and the Betty A. Thompson Lifetime Achievement Award from the Family Law Section of the Virginia State Bar.
BUT NOW, he’s retired. In December 2025, he wound up his legal practice, and then in short order he sold his home and relocated to La Paz, in Baja California Sur, Mexico, with his wife Erin and their 5 cats. If you ever need to move your cats internationally, he can tell you about it.
He now spends his time realizing he can’t speak Spanish well and traveling now; in fact, his YouTube travel channel, DaveGoesPlaces, is growing and pays him, so he can now call himself a professional social media content creator.
