Firm Activities - Wednesday, December 14, 2011 16:59 - 0 Comments

Beasley Allen Legal Strategies Conference

Our firm hosted its fifth annual Legal Strategies Conference & Expo at the Renaissance Hotel & Spa at the Convention Center in Montgomery last month. The two-day event provided continuing legal education credits and was open to all Alabama lawyers in private practice. The conference has grown steadily each year, from about 400 lawyers in 2007 to nearly 1,600 signed up this year. Dawn Hathcock, Vice President of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Convention and Visitor Bureau, had this to say about the conference:

Nationally-acclaimed law firm Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis and Miles, P.C. continues to support the local community while showcasing the city they so heavily invest in. Each year their Legal Strategies Conference, the largest of its kind within the state of Alabama, creates a huge boost to the River Region, contributing roughly a million dollars in economic impact. Events of this stature are extremely important, as we continue to market Montgomery as a true meeting destination.

Alabama Governor Robert Bentley, the keynote speaker, addressed the lawyers gathered in the Montgomery Performing Arts Center. He told the crowd, “Those of you who every day do the work of an attorney, you do the people’s business.” His topic was “The Importance of a Strong Judiciary,” and the Governor observed that “the judicial branch … is the one that keeps our state, the one that keeps our nation, on the right track.”

Other highlights of this year’s conference included remarks from Judge Charles Price, Attorney General Luther Strange, Morris Dees, Founder and Chief Trial Counsel of the Southern Poverty Law Center, and Mary Bauer, Legal Director at the Southern Poverty Law Center. John Croyle, founder and director of the Big Oak Ranch, was a special guest speaker for the third consecutive year at the Prayer Breakfast held on Friday morning. John brought audience members to tears with stories of some of the children helped by this special ministry, which provides a loving Christian home and family for youngsters in need.

Other legal issues addressed at the conference included Product Liability, Mass Torts, and Consumer and Investor Fraud. Special programs covered the topic of Legal Ethics, presented by Tony McLain, General Counsel, Alabama State Bar. An address by Jim Pratt, President, Alabama State Bar, who spoke on the topic of tort reform and the importance of lawyers becoming involved with the Bar’s activities, was a highlight of the conference. We really appreciated lawyers from all over the state coming to Montgomery for the conference. Hopefully, it was a meaningful experience for them.