Advanced Appellate Advocacy Seminar
The Eighth District Court of Appeals, in partnership with the Cleveland State University College of Law, is offering an all-day CLE, featuring Eighth District Court of Appeals judges and staff attorneys, along with esteemed practitioners and legal scholars. The seminar is available both in-person and remotely via zoom and will focus on advanced topics in civil and criminal appeals.
Event Program
Registration (8:30 – 8:55 a.m.)
Opening Remarks and Introduction: Judges Mary J. Boyle and Lisa Forbes, Eighth District Court of Appeals, Co-Chairs of the Education Committee
I. The Court Today: Updates and Insights (9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.)
Featured Moderator:
Erin M. O’Toole, Court Administrator, Eighth District Court of Appeals
Featured Speakers:
- Jacob Dicus, Deputy Court Administrator, Eighth District Court of Appeals
- Toni Farkas, Staff Attorney, Eighth District Court of Appeals
II. Criminal Prosecution in the Age of Digital Evidence (9:30-10:15 a.m.)
Featured Moderator:
Judge Deena Calabrese, Eighth District Court of Appeals
Featured Speaker:
- Clinical Professor James Ewing, CSU Law
BREAK: 10:15-10:30 a.m.
III. Ethics and AI: What Every Lawyer Needs to Know (10:30 - 12:00 p.m.)
Featured Moderator:
Judge Lisa Forbes, Eighth District Court of Appeals, Eighth District Court of Appeals
Featured Speakers:
- Michael Meuti, Partner at Benesch Law
- D. Allan Asbury, Senior Counsel, Ohio Board of Professional Conduct
- Nick Froning (Partner, Koblentz, Penvose & Froning,LLC)
BREAK: 12:00-12:15 p.m.
IV. Keynote presentation: Murder in the Court: A Tale of Sex, Lies, Race, Corruption, Confrontation and Politics (12:15-1:30 p.m.)
Featured Moderator:
Administrative Judge Michelle J. Sheehan, Eighth District Court of Appeals
Featured Speakers:
- Judge Sean C. Gallagher, Eighth District Court of Appeals
- Judge Patrick Carroll, Lakewood Municipal Court (retired)
V. In the Trenches: The Criminal Appellate Practitioners’ Perspective (1:30-2:45 p.m.)
Featured Moderator:
Judge Deena Calabrese, Eighth District Court of Appeals
Featured Speakers:
- Tasha Forchione, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office
- Daniel Van, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office
- Erika Cunliffe, Cuyahoga County Public Defender’s Office
- Robert McCaleb, Cuyahoga County Public Defender’s Office
- Jay Schlachet, Schlachet and Levy Eric Levy, Schlachet and Levy
BREAK: 2:45-3:00 p.m.
VI. It’s Not Too Late to Compromise: Appellate Mediation Panel (3:00-3:45 p.m.)
Featured Moderator:
Judge Mary J. Boyle, Eighth District Court of Appeals
Featured Speakers:
- Newton Cargill, Mediator
- Erik L. Walter, Dworken & Bernstein Co. L.P.A.
- Edward Herman, Herman Law
- James R. Russell - Chief Assistant Director of Law for the City of Cleveland
- Suzana Pastor, Keith D. Weiner & Assoc. Co., L.P.A.
This event is free and will take place in person at CSU Law and via Zoom.
This program has been approved for 6.0 hours of CLE credit, including 1.5 hours of professional conduct, by the Ohio Supreme Court, and 6.0 hours of appellate specialization credit by the Ohio State Bar Association.