Bennett & Belfort, P.C. associate attorney, Craig D. Levey, along with his colleague, Courtney Shea hosted Part I of the program “Feed Your Mind: A Legal Lunch Series” on January 31, 2013. The lunch series, created by members of both the Massachusetts Bar Association’s Civil Litigation Section and Young Lawyers Division, provides civil litigators across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with an opportunity to gather and discuss hot topics in litigation.
Hon. Stephen E. Neel (Ret.), now with the alternative dispute resolution firm JAMS, was the guest speaker at the first lunch event. Judge Neel discussed the differences between life on the bench and as a mediator and arbitrator, opportune times for parties to opt for ADR, important skills that an attorney might employ in conducting an effective opening statement, and effective tactics for attorneys to use during mediation. Notably, Judge Neel stressed the importance of attorneys providing their mediator with a comprehensive pre-mediation memorandum to apprise the mediator of the facts of the case, legal issues and pertinent case law. Additionally, Judge Neel encouraged attorneys to prepare a concise and cogent opening statement that effectively outlines the major issues of the case.
Part II of the legal lunch series is scheduled for Wednesday, March 27, 2013 and will focus on litigating legal malpractice cases.