Schedule-at-a-Glance: Introductory Course
*Please note all times are in Central Time. Schedule is subject to change.
This program is designed for Associates with one to five years of family law experience. Learn more about the Institute speakers here.
Friday, June 20
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. | Dine Arounds
Saturday, June 21
12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Registration
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Faculty Lunch (invite only)
1:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. | Welcome & Introductions
1:15 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. | Boundaries and Balance in the Practice of Law
Scott Mann, MannTuckerMuirGordon Family Law, LLC (Kansas)
Participants will internalize a deeper understanding of the demands placed on young lawyers in practice, including the impact on their personal lives. Additionally, they will gain insights into strategies for managing their career trajectory, such as how to effectively communicate with superiors about career opportunities, setting professional boundaries and navigating discussions around compensation.
1:45 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. | Client Management – What to Do, When to Do It, and Why It Matters
Daniel Gray, Cooper Ginsberg Gray (Virginia)
Participants will be able to effectively manage clients from the moment of intake onward, including setting realistic case goals, addressing client expectations regarding partner vs. associate involvement and clearly communicating fees and billing structures.
2:30 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. | Building A Good Reputation
Thomas J. Sasser, Sasser, Cestero, & Roy, P.A. (Florida)
Participants will be able to identify and apply strategies to build a strong professional reputation, including effective use of social media, networking within and outside their local legal community and maintaining appropriate conduct both in and out of the courtroom.
3:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. | Break
3:30 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. | Organizing the Case – The Associate’s Perspective
Sandy Brooks, Offit Kurman P.A. (Maryland)
Participants will understand essential case management strategies, including file organization, deadline tracking, considerations for timing of events and secure file closure.
4:15 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Easy Evidence
Todd Stahly, Stahly Mehrtens LLC (Colorado)
Participants will know how to identify and utilize simple, yet effective pieces of evidence, such as inventories, proposed property divisions, timelines of key events and summaries of requested relief, to present a compelling case. They will gain skills in selecting and organizing these tools to enhance case clarity and support their legal arguments efficiently.
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. | Mentor Dinner
Sunday, June 22
7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. | Breakfast
8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. | Breaking Down Tax Returns
Renee Ross, Ross Family Law, APC (California)
Participants will recognize the various components of personal tax returns, including those with pass-through taxes from a business, as well as how to analyze the information contained within them. They will gain the skills to extract relevant details from tax returns and apply this information effectively in a legal case to support financial analysis and decision-making.
9:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. | Discovery
Michael Flores, Michael I. Flores, P.C. (Massachusetts)
Participants will have a deeper understanding of the types of discovery and their uses, the Uniform Depositions Act, and various methods for resisting discovery requests, including objections, motions to quash and protective orders.
10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | Introduction to Business Financials
Lauren Melhart, Kinser & Bates, LLP (Texas)
Participants will have a core understanding of the various financial documents associated with businesses owned by one or both spouses, including what information to request, how to request it and how to analyze the documents once received to assess the financial expenditures made by and ownership structure of the business.
10:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. | Break
10:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Introduction to Business Valuation
Stacy Collins, Stout (Pennsylvania) and Kyle Garcia, Stout (New York)
Participants will gain a foundational knowledge of business valuations (BV), including key terms of art such as “standard of value” and the various approaches and methods used in conducting a business valuation.
6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. | Networking Reception at Flight Club
Monday, June 23
8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. | Breakfast
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. | An Overview of UCCJEA and UIFSA
Laura C. Belleau, Belleau Family Law Group (Arizona)
Participants will have a fundamental understanding of the two uniform acts applicable to custody cases – the UCCJEA (Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act) and UIFSA (Uniform Interstate Family Support Act). They will learn when each act applies, how the interstate process works and the key differences between the two, enabling them to navigate custody cases involving multiple jurisdictions more effectively.
10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. | Introduction to Parenting Plan Concepts & Terminology
Laura Davis Smith, Davis Smith & jean, LLC (Florida)
Participants will have a clear understanding of the terminology related to parenting plans, the essential components that make up a parenting plan and the theoretical concepts that guide the development of different types of plans, enabling them to create well-informed, effective parenting arrangements.
10:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. | Break
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Depositions of Lay Witnesses and Prepping Your Client to Testify
Michael Flores, Michael I. Flores, PC (Massachusetts)
Participants will have a solid understanding of the importance of witness preparation for both depositions and courtroom testimony. They will also learn various techniques for preparing witnesses while considering privilege and disclosure rules, ensuring effective and ethical witness preparation throughout the legal process.
12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Dealing with Experts as an Associate
Todd Stahly, Stahly Mehrtens LLC (Colorado)
Participants will be better equipped to interact effectively with experts, utilize experts in case preparation (if permitted), prepare discovery responses related to expert opinions and develop trial evidence related to expert testimony, enhancing their ability to incorporate expert input throughout the litigation process.
12:30 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. | Objections
Lauren Melhart, Kinser & Bates, LLP (Texas)
Participants will understand the most common objections in family law litigation, including those encountered during discovery and in the courtroom. They will learn when and how to lodge a proper legal objection, as well as how to present objections persuasively to strengthen their case.
12:45 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. | Lunch
1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. | Trial Skills – Theme, Theory and The Art of Persuasion
Janet Battey, Ferro & Battey, LLC (Connecticut)
Participants will be able to develop compelling themes and theories for their family law cases and know how to leverage these trial techniques to provide a cohesive presentation that maximizes persuasiveness in the courtroom.
2:45 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. | Dealing with Opposing Counsel
Jim Hunnicutt, Dolowitz Hunnicitt & Gibbs, PLLC (Utah)
Participants will be able to confidently manage situations involving opposing counsel who is unreasonable, disrespectful and/or non-responsive. They will develop strategies for maintaining professionalism, setting boundaries and effectively addressing challenges while safeguarding the interests of their clients. Participants will also enhance their skills in de-escalating tense situations and ensuring productive communication, even in difficult circumstances.
3:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. | Break
3:30 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. | Drafting Orders and Preserving the Record
Laura Davis Smith, David Smith & Jean, LLC (Florida)
Participants will be able to draft clear, enforceable family law orders and will gain an understanding of how to preserve issues at the trial court level for potential appellate or higher court review. They will learn practical techniques for ensuring that their orders are legally sound and will develop strategies for effectively documenting key issues for future appeals.
4:15 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Agreements That Affect a Divorce
Kevin Rubin, Rubin Family Law, LLC (Georgia)
Participants will have a solid understanding of the various types of agreements that can impact a future divorce, including prenuptial agreements, postnuptial agreements, mediated settlement agreements, trusts and business agreements. They will gain insight into the legal implications of each agreement type and how they can influence the division of assets, support obligations and other key aspects of a divorce.
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. | Faculty Dinner & Dine Arounds
Tuesday, June 24
7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. | Breakfast
8:30 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. | Emerging Issues in Family Law
Renee Ross, Ross Family Law, APC (California)
Participants will have a comprehensive understanding of the emerging issues in family law across the country, including the role of artificial intelligence in litigation and the impact of social media on family law cases. They will gain insight into how these evolving factors are shaping legal strategies, evidence presentation and case management in family law matters.
9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. | Pepto Bismol Moments – What to Do When You Mess Up
Sandy Brooks, Offit Kurman, P.A. (Maryland)
Participants will be able to identify common mistakes made in family law litigation, understand how to respond effectively and implement strategies to correct past errors. They will gain practical knowledge of how to avoid these pitfalls in future cases and improve their overall litigation approach to better serve their clients.
10:15 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. | Ethics Jeopardy
Laura C. Belleau, Belleau Family Law Group (Arizona) and Kristi Reardon, Reardon House Colton PLC (Arizona)
Participants will comprehend the emerging ethical issues and trends in family law along with the aspirational ethical goals for family lawyers as presented in the AAML Bounds of Advocacy. The session will include interactive components designed to test participants’ understanding of the key concepts by responding in the form of a question.
11:00 a.m. | Closing Remarks