UC Law SF to Host Judges, Scholars, and Experts at Third Annual Complex Litigation Ethics Conference

UC Law San Francisco professors Joshua P. Davis and Scott Dodson, both part of the Center for Litigation and Courts, are organizing the third annual Complex Litigation Ethics Conference from Oct. 17-18. The in-depth panels will explore vexing ethical issues faced in complex cases and cover the following topics: 

• AI, Complex Litigation, and Ethics 

• Individual Settlements in Class Litigation 

• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: Neurodiverse Clients and Counsel 

• Media Panel: When Represented Parties Speak Directly to the Press 

• Third-Party Filers and Candor to the Court 

Awards for Excellence in Ethics in Complex Litigation will also be presented to four individuals in recognition of their excellence in promoting ethics in class actions or other complex litigation.  

Awards for Excellence in Ethics in Complex Litigation Winners 

• The Hon. Claudia Wilken: Judge Wilken has presided over important class actions and other complex matters, including recent antitrust litigation involving the NCAA and compensation to college athletes. She has a record of extraordinary preparation, for holding lawyers and parties to high standards, and for deciding cases in accordance with the law and with fairness and integrity. 

• Prof. Nora Freeman Engstrom: Prof. Engstrom is a nationally recognized and award-winning scholar, addressing, among other subjects, the realities of complex litigation, ethics, and access to justice. Her writings have made extraordinary contributions to our understanding of how complex litigation works in practice and how we can improve it to serve victims of unlawful conduct and promote justice. 

• Paul Bland: Mr. Bland served as the Executive Director of Public Justice for ten years and as an attorney at that public interest institution for over a quarter of a century. During that time, he worked tirelessly to improve access to justice, to protect the interests and rights of ordinary people through complex litigation, and to enable and encourage plaintiffs’ attorneys to comply with high ethical standards. 

• Christopher Hockett: Mr. Hockett is a retired partner from Davis, Polk LLP where he earned a reputation for excellent legal work and utmost integrity in representing large corporations in complex litigation. Since retiring, he has served as a third-party neutral, taught at Berkeley Law and the University of Virginia Law School, and co-chaired an annual intensive training program for federal judges that alternates between Berkeley Law and the University of Chicago Law School. 

Interested parties can register here.