All U.S. jurisdictions (except DC) prohibit anyone not a lawyer from owning an equity interest in a law firm. Proponents of the prohibition have argued that it is an element of legal professionalism and serves the interests of lawyers' clients. Great Britain and Australia have recently abandoned this prohibition, arguing that clients may be better served by well-financed practice organizations that can acquire technology and other resources for efficient practice.  Both countries have substituted regulation of practice entities' behavior for limitations on who their owners may be.

This Teleforum explores whether any changes now should be made in the U.S. approach. Our panelists have been prominent in the current debate about this issue.

Featuring:

• Mr. Francis J. Menton, Jr., Partner, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
• Prof. Thomas D. Morgan, Oppenheim Professor of Antitrust and Trade Regulation Law, George Washington University Law School
• Mr. John E. Thies, President, Illinois State Bar Association, and Shareholder, Webber & Thies, P.C.
• Moderator: Mr. Dean A. Reuter, Vice President & Director of Practice Groups, The Federalist Society

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An increase in Federal executive branch regulatory activity – whether through executive order, formal or informal administrative agency action – has been noted by many across the country. In launching the Executive Branch Review Project, the Practice Groups of the Federalist Society seek to prompt a national debate about whether there has been an uptick in such regulatory activity, and, if so, with what consequence. The project will provide objective resources that identify major government activity, and will provide a forum for debate and discussion about whether such regulation constitutes a form of legal and regulatory overreach. The first component of this project is a new blog dedicated to highlighting action or inaction by the executive branch, http://www.executivebranchproject.com/.

To kickoff this new endeavor, U.S. Senator Michael S. Lee (Utah) and Federalist Society founder and Vice Chairman David M. McIntosh discussed the project and provided their perspectives on the use of executive power.

Featuring:

• Hon. Michael S. Lee, United States Senate, Utah
• Hon. David M. McIntosh, Partner, Mayer Brown LLP and Vice Chairman, The Federalist Society
• Moderator: Mr. Dean A. Reuter, Vice President & Director of Practice Groups, The Federalist Society

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The Professional Responsibility & Legal Education Practice Group hosted this panel on "Prosecutorial Misconduct" on Thursday, November 15, 2012, during the 2012 National Lawyers Convention.

Professional Responsibility: Prosecutorial Misconduct
2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
East Room

• Mr. James C. Dunlop, Jones Day
• Ms. Sidney K. Powell, Sidney Powell, PC
• Prof. Ronald D. Rotunda, The Doy & Dee Henley Chair and Distinguished Professor of Jurisprudence, Chapman University School of Law
• Hon. Kenneth L. Wainstein, Partner, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP and former U.S. Homeland Security Advisor
• Moderator: Hon. Merrick B. Garland, U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit

Mayflower Hotel
Washington, DC

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October 1st marks the first day of the 2012 Supreme Court Term. Thus far the Court's docket includes major cases about affirmative action, international law and the alien tort statute, national security, criminal law, and others. Notable cases include Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin, concerning a public university's use of race in undergraduate admissions decisions and the Equal Protection Clause; Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum, about the application of the Alien Tort Statute to human rights abuses abroad, and whether the statute covers corporations; Clapper v. Amnesty International USA, regarding the right to challenge the constitutionality of a global terrorism wiretapping program; Amgen Inc. v. Connecticut Retirement Plans and Trust Funds, concerning the proof that investors need to pursue a securities fraud claim by class-action lawsuit; and Florida v. Harris and Florida v. Jardines, about police use of a drug-sniffing dog to search the exterior of a private residence under the Fourth Amendment, and whether a dog’s “alert” constitutes probable cause for search of a private vehicle. The Court is also likely to add other significant cases, including potentially a case filed by proponents of California’s “Proposition 8” challenge, which now has a certiorari petition pending. In addition to these cases and others, the panelists discussed the current composition and the future of the Court, a particularly timely topic in light of the upcoming presidential election.

Featuring:

• Mr. Tom Goldstein, Founding Partner, Goldstein & Russell P.C.
• Prof. Nicholas Quinn Rosenkranz, Professor of Law, Georgetown University Law Center
• Ms. Carrie Severino, Chief Counsel and Policy Director, Judicial Crisis Network
• Mr. Stuart Taylor, Contributing Editor, National Journal
• Hon. Kenneth L. Wainstein, Partner, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft
• Moderator: Mr. Pete Williams, NBC News Justice Correspondent
• Introduction: Mr. Douglas R. Cox, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP

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