Agenda:

Registration:                         8:00 - 8:30 am
Morning Session:                 8:30 - 11:45 am
Lunch (On your own):          11:45 am - 12:45 pm
Afternoon Session:              12:45 - 4:30 pm

Complying with Rules of Professional Conduct and Ethics During Litigation

   Duty to preserve client confidences
   Duty to keep clients fully informed
   Duty to be competent and diligent
   Duties of truthfulness, candor and full disclosure
   What does unauthorized practice of law mean?
   A paralegal’s ethical responsibilities  
   What a paralegal should NOT do

Investigation Skills for Paralegals

   Use CRAAP
      • Currency
      • Relevance
      • Accuracy
      • Purpose  
      • Authority 
   Characteristics of strong sources of information
   Preliminary investigations

Evidence – Admissible or NOT

   Rules for admissibility of evidence
   Rules defining “relevant” evidence
   Types of evidence 
      • Documentary evidence
      • Testimonial evidence
      • Circumstantial evidence 
      • Demonstrative evidence
      • Physical evidence
      • Forensic evidence

Assisting with Formal Discovery

   What discovery is and what is it for?
   Types of discovery requests 
      • Requests for disclosure
      • Interrogatories
      • Request for production 
      • Requests for admissions
      • Depositions
      • Mental or physical examinations 
   Drafting and responding to discovery
   Participating in motions to compel discovery
   Managing/organizing discovery and evidence

What is eDiscovery and the EDRM Model?

   Information governance 
   Identification
   Processing
   Production
   Preservation
   Review 
   Presentation
   Collection
   Analysis
   Difference between eDiscovery and forensics

Records Management and Litigation

   Records management process
      • The life cycle of a record
      • Records management activities  
   Applying the records diagram to your case

Speakers:

Jonathon Hance

Partner, Bracewell LLP, Law Firm, Houston, TX

Mr. Hance is both a litigator and an intellectual property lawyer. As a litigator, he is at home in the court room, where he represents both plaintiffs and defendants and works hard to enforce his clients’ intellectual property rights and data confidentiality rights, to protect his clients’ brands, and to resolve complex commercial disputes in the design and construction, real estate, energy, healthcare and technology industries. As an IP lawyer, Mr. Hance works to protect and monetize his clients’ innovations and protect his clients’ brands across a variety of sectors, including the energy, real estate, and technology industries. He also advises healthcare institutions regarding corporate governance issues and patient data privacy and protection under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Mr. Hance has degrees from Southern Methodist University in Applied Mathematics, Computer Science and Viola Performance and J.D. degree from Washington and Lee University School of Law. He is a Certified Licensing Professional (CLP), and he served as a judicial clerk to the Honorable Jennifer Walker Elrod of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Prior to the practice of law, Mr. Hance served as the director of information and technology for a mid-size restaurant company where he actively participated in key technology and business decisions relating to corporate back-end computing services, point-of-sale and point-of-transaction systems and web-interface design. He also served as a mathematical consultant for the Bank of America Private Bank where he developed financial portfolio projection and analysis software using the Monte Carlo method.

Margie Putman

CP, NCPM, Putman Paralegal Firm, LLC, Sugar Land, Texas

Ms. Putman has been in the legal field since 1991 and she has worked for small and large law firms. In 2010, she graduated cum laude from the University of Houston with a BBA degree in Management, and she earned a Certificate of Entrepreneurship from Bauer College of Business. Ms. Putman’s last employer was Bracewell, LLP where she worked for nearly seven years. She has experience in civil litigation, personal injury, intellectual property law, class action lawsuits and other practice groups. In October 2018, upon hearing that she successfully passed the NALA exam, she pursued her idea of being an entrepreneur and combining her business degree with her NALA Paralegal Certification and opening her own paralegal firm. Ms. Putman owns Putman Paralegal Firm, LLC which opened in October 2018. The vision she has for her paralegal firm is to one day have at least one paralegal in every area of law at her firm. She knows this needs to begin with her, so she’s open to working with all practice groups. Ms. Putman is also a Texas mediator. In early September of 2019, she received mediation training from the Austin Dispute Resolution Center to satisfy the Texas Statutory requirement for mediation training in Texas and for admission into the Texas Mediator Credentialing Association. For a limited time, she will be offering pro bono mediations. In addition to the State Bar of Texas Paralegal Division – Online CLE Committee chair, she is also member of the Houston Metropolitan Paralegal Association and serves on the Board of Directors as recording officer. Ms. Putman contributes to the HMPA Newsletter and enjoys staying busy with paralegal events. She welcomes attorneys, paralegals or students to approach her with comments and suggestions concerning the development and growth of the paralegal profession.

Professional Affiliations: Member of National Association of Legal Assistants, Active Member of the State Bar of Texas Paralegal Division, Voting Member for the Houston Metropolitan Paralegal Association and Member of the National Notary Association.

Ms. Putman is a proud sponsor of the 2019 Bluebonnet Rescue Horse Training Challenge. She also supports the five branches of our armed forces and all first responders. In her spare time, Ms. Putman enjoys running, spending time outdoors and loves to travel with her family.