Statewide conference of legal professionals offers full, stimulating day of presentations

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by Cynthia Price
Legal News

The statewide conference of NALS, “the association for legal professionals,” is three days long, this year starting at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, April 25, and going through a Sunday farewell breakfast.

A lot of that is devoted to conducting business, but Friday’s agenda is more relaxing: social time, door prizes, a varied exhibitor hall, and a full roster of entertaining and informative presentations.

The event attracts legal assistants and paralegals from all over the state; the West Michigan chapter has a strong presence. The 2019 location was the newly-completed Delta Hotels Conference Center in Kalamazoo.

Two of the days’ speakers provided updates to previous stories run in the Grand Rapids Legal News.

The first of those was from James Liggins, the Warner Norcross + Judd attorney, and was an update on holding  the 2021 National Mock Trial Competition in Michigan, specifically in Kalamazoo.

Liggins started out by complimenting his former assistant at previous firm Miller Canfield, Pam Wilcox, who was responsible for arranging the NALS session.

He then spoke about the great honor of hosting the national competition, which will be May 6, 2021, and of the challenges facing the Center for Civil Education, which is spearheading it.

“I will say that we will need a host of support for this initiative,” he explained. In exchange for the predicted $1 million in commerce it will bring, the sponsors anticipate 250 to 300 volunteers will be needed, which can include attorneys and non-attorneys. Many on the bench as well as practicing lawyers will be asked to serve as judges for the competition, which entails groups from every state giving their best arguments in a pre-set case.

Liggins, who derived the passion for his legal career from being on the Kalamazoo High School team, brought along three students who demonstrated what mock trial is like, along with the team coach, Francis Bilancio. In March, the 2019 team became the state champion for the 21st time, making it the team in Michigan with the most times advancing to nationals.

Following that, Special Assistant Attorney General Erin House updated the group on the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative in Kalamazoo.

Readers of the Oct. 3, 2018, Legal News may remember that House and her team were assigned to SAKI after it became clear that, nationally, there were thousands of sexual assault forensic evidence kits which had never been tested –  over 11,000 in Detroit alone.

What the SAKI team has found out is perhaps not surprising, but is important in keeping people safe in the future. One key finding is that a large percentage of sexual assault perpetrators are repeat offenders – one advantage that going through the old evidence kits offers, in that corresponding with databases of known assailants may help take dangerous people off the street.

They have also discovered that not everyone with an untested kit wants to reopen the case. This has made it difficult for her team to keep going since they have to make a direct approach to those assaulted before pursuing the case, and that may open up some very negative emotions.

Though the Kalamazoo SAKI caseload has continued to grow – 207 cases have been referred, with  at least four convictions and several investigations ongoing – House said that her most important take-away is that society needs to change its view of sexual assault.

“Be a part of changing the way individuals, society and the legal system talks about and responds to sexual assault victims and perpetrators,” House urged.

Watch for more coverage of the NALS conference in next week’s issue.

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