Welcome to the State Bar of Arizona Annual Convention

Message from the State Bar President

Dear 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 incorporated 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