University of Texas Law logo Update your account
  • Sign in or Join Account and Briefcase
    Not a member yet? Sign up Forgot password?
  • Accredited CLE
    Live Conferences Studio Webcasts eConferences eCourses Hooked on CLE Answer Bar
  • Research & Self-Study
    Materials eLibrary
  • Subscriptions
    MCLE On-Demand and eLibrary
  • Browse by Practice Area
    Administrative Admiralty and Maritime Alternative Dispute Resolution Appellate - Civil and Criminal Bankruptcy Business Entities Civil Rights Construction Corporate Counsel Criminal Cybersecurity Elder Law and Guardianship Employment Entertainment and Sports Law Environmental Essentials Ethics Exempt Organizations / Nonprofits Family Government Enforcement / White Collar Crime Healthcare Immigration Insurance Intellectual Property / Patent Law International Law Practice Management Litigation M&A and Securities Oil, Gas and Energy Practice Skills Real Estate Renewable Energy School Self-Care Taxation Technology Technology for Lawyers Trusts and Estates / Probate Water
  • Search
  • Shopping Cart

What are you searching for?

Skip to main content
UT Law CLE logo
  • Overview /
  • Schedule /
  • Faculty /
  • Credit Info /
  • Key Dates /
  • Venue /
Register or Buy ticket icon Buy
Conference art
Artwork Details

37th Annual Page Keeton

Civil Litigation Conference

Austin Oct 24-25, 2013 Four Seasons Hotel
Conference Concluded
Buy
Related products: Materials
Brochure thumbnail
Download Brochure (PDF)

Overview

Join leading litigators, judges and law professors at the 37th Annual Page Keeton Civil Litigation Conference at the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Austin.

  • Get the latest updates: recent Texas case law and amended and proposed rules, class action practice in the aftermath of Wal-Mart, dismissal on the pleadings after new Texas Procedural Rule 91a, and significant insurance cases
  • Learn from top litigators including John Beckworth on arbitration practice, Stephen Susman on improving jury trials and reducing expenses, and Lewis Sifford on leading an ethical professional life
  • Enhance your advocacy and practice skills: get your electronic evidence in and keep your opponent’s out, effectively use social media in trials and jury selection, bring excitement to the courtroom, get the charge right, eDiscovery for all budgets, tricks and traps in the Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code, and more
  • Hear from Supreme Court Justices on ‘The State of the Judiciary’ and ‘Supreme Court Update’, and other members of the bench on effective advocacy and persuasion
  • Earn up to 2.50 hours of ethics credit

  • Buy

Event Schedule

Program is subject to change.
All times are Central Time Zone.

  • Day 1 October 24, 2013
  • Day 2 October 25, 2013
  • Time
    Credit
    Subject
    Speaker
  • Thursday Morning, Oct. 24, 2013
    Presiding Officer:
    Jim M. Perdue Jr., Perdue & Kidd, LLP - Houston, TX
  • 8:00 am
    Registration Opens
    Includes continental breakfast.

  • 8:50 am
    Welcoming Remarks

  • 9:00 am
    0.50 hr
    Texas Civil Procedure Update: A Look at Recent Decisions and New Rules of Procedure
    Coverage of recent judicial decisions, and amended and proposed rules, including a written comprehensive review of recent case law as a handy reference tool for practitioners.

    Elaine Grafton Carlson, South Texas College of Law - Houston, TX
    Materials By:
    Courtney Taylor Carlson, Jackson Walker L.L.P. - Houston, TX

  • 9:30 am
    0.50 hr
    Supreme Court Update
    A current Texas Supreme Court Justice provides an update on significant decisions from the past year.

    Hon. Jeffrey S. Boyd, The Supreme Court of Texas - Austin, TX
    Materials By:
    Heather Jones Holmes, The Supreme Court of Texas - Austin, TX

  • 10:00 am
    0.75 hr
    Dismissal on the Pleadings: A New Rule in Texas, Old Problems in Federal Court
    The new Texas rule of procedure allowing dismissal of an action at the initial pleading stage basically tracks the federal Rule 12(b)(6) as explained by the United States Supreme Court in Twombly and Iqbal, but there is an important Texas twist: the loser has to pay attorney's fees. This feature completely changes the dynamic of when one chooses to file and oppose a motion to dismiss.

    Charles L. "Chip" Babcock, Jackson Walker, L.L.P. - Houston, TX
    Hon. W. Royal Furgeson Jr. (Ret.), Dean, UNT Dallas College of Law - Dallas, TX

  • 10:45 am
    Break

  • 11:00 am
    0.75 hr
    0.25 hr ethics
    Insurance Law for the Trial Lawyer
    The most significant cases of 2013.

    Philip K. Maxwell, Attorney at Law - Austin, TX
    Lee H. Shidlofsky, Shidlofsky Law Firm PLLC - Austin, TX

  • 11:45 am
    0.50 hr
    Recent Developments in Class Action Litigation: Wal-Mart and Beyond

    The Supreme Court has issued a number of important class action decisions in recent years. The Court’s landmark 2011 ruling in Wal-Mart v. Dukes has already greatly impacted class action litigation across the country, and during its recently concluded October 2012 term, the Court decided seven cases that are also likely to substantially affect the application of Rule 23. This presentation describes class action practice in the aftermath of Wal-Mart, and how litigants and courts must also navigate the Court’s most recent decisions addressing issues such as evidentiary standards for class certification and jurisdiction under the Class Action Fairness Act.

    Sean D. Jordan, Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP - Austin, TX

  • 12:15 pm
    Lunch on Your Own

  • Thursday Afternoon, Oct. 24, 2013
    Presiding Officer:
    William J. Chriss, Law Office of William J. Chriss, P.C., Of Counsel to Gravely & Pearson, L.L.P. - Austin, TX
  • 1:30 pm
    0.50 hr
    Restating Fraud
    Liability for fraud is the next topic to be addressed by the Restatement (Third) of Torts: Liability for Economic Harm. Dean Farnsworth, who is serving as Reporter for the project, presents an interesting overview of current problems in the field.

    Ward Farnsworth, The University of Texas School of Law - Austin, TX

  • 2:00 pm
    0.50 hr

    A Trial Lawyer's Perspective on the Current State of, and Recent Developments in, Arbitration


    A discussion of lessons learned from the boom in arbitration practice and how recent developments impact arbitration practice in Texas.

    John B. Beckworth, The University of Texas School of Law - Austin, TX
    Materials By:
    Helen Hemingway, WattBeckworth - Houston, TX
    John F. Sullivan III, WattBeckworth - Houston, TX
    Joseph G. Thompson III, WattBeckworth - Houston, TX

  • 2:30 pm
    0.50 hr
    The Admissibility of Electronic Evidence
    Learn how to get your electronic evidence into evidence and keep your opponent’s electronic evidence out.

    Jeremy Counseller, Baylor Law School - Waco, TX

  • 3:00 pm
    Break

  • 3:15 pm
    0.50 hr
    Uniform Trade Secrets and Data Theft
    A discussion of what has changed for Texas litigators now that Texas has become the 48th state to adopt the Uniform Trade Secret Act, with input on the practicalities of trade secret litigation from general counsel in the tech industry.

    Karen C. Burgess, Richardson & Burgess LLP - Austin, TX (Invited)
    Materials By:
    Diana E. Reinhart, Richardson & Burgess LLP - Austin, TX

  • 3:45 pm
    0.50 hr ethics
    The Neuroscience of Frivolity: Litigator's Guide to Disciplinary Rule 3.01
    No surprise the brain makes people do dumb things. It was never handed this rule: Rule 3.01 Meritorious Claims and Contentions - A lawyer shall not bring or defend a proceeding, or assert or controvert an issue therein, unless the lawyer reasonably believes that there is a basis for doing so that is not frivolous.

    Kevin L. Leahy, The University of Texas School of Law - Austin, TX

  • 4:15 pm
    0.75 hr ethics
    Ethics Lessons: Leading a Professional Life
    A focused discussion of simple, practical strategies for leading a fulfilling, meaningful and ethical professional life.

    Lewis Sifford, Sifford, Anderson & Co., P.C. - Dallas, TX

  • 5:00 pm
    Adjourn

  • Time
    Credit
    Subject
    Speaker
  • Friday Morning, Oct. 25, 2013
    Presiding Officer:
    Lisa Bowlin Hobbs, Kuhn Hobbs PLLC - Austin, TX
  • 8:00 am
    Conference Room Opens
    Includes continental breakfast.

  • 8:30 am
    0.50 hr
    eDiscovery for Everyone
    A brief exploration of tips, tricks and tools that enable anyone to become more adept at dealing with electronic evidence without spending a fortune on hiring vendors or experts.

  • 9:00 am
    0.50 hr
    Obtaining and Overturning Default Judgments
    The Texas Supreme Court recently issued opinions in several default judgment cases. Learn about those opinions and get reacquainted with the procedures for obtaining and overturning default judgments in Texas State Court.

    Alex Wilson Albright, The University of Texas School of Law - Austin, TX

  • 9:30 am
    0.50 hr

    Perils and Pitfalls in the Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code: How You Can Avoid or Exploit Them to Your Advantage


    There are a number of provisions in the Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code that can trip up the unwary practitioner. Learn tips to avoid the traps that lie waiting in the litigation landscape for the unsuspecting attorney.

    Paula Knippa, Slack & Davis - Austin, TX

  • 10:00 am
    Break

  • 10:15 am
    0.50 hr
    Trial by Agreement: How Trial Lawyers Hold the Key to Improving Jury Trials in Civil Cases
    Recent innovations trial lawyers can use to reduce expense and improve jury comprehension.

    Stephen D. Susman, Susman Godfrey LLP - New York, NY

  • 10:45 am
    0.50 hr
    Getting the Charge Right and Charge Error Preservation
    A "real life" jury charge conference with objections and submissions.

    Moderator:
    Hon. Jeff Brown, The Supreme Court of Texas - Austin, TX
    Panelists:
    Wanda McKee Fowler, Wright & Close LLP - Houston, TX
    Clyde J. "Jay" Jackson III, Abraham Watkins Nichols Sorrels & Friend - Houston, TX
    David Keltner, Kelly Hart & Hallman LLP - Fort Worth, TX

  • 11:15 am
    0.50 hr
    0.25 hr ethics
    Attorney Fee Agreement
    Taking care of your fee agreements: creative approaches for the large and small firm.

    Marcy Hogan Greer, Norton Rose Fulbright - Austin, TX
    James Holmes, Schmidt and Holmes LLP - Dallas, TX

  • 11:45 am
    Pick Up Lunch
    Included in registration.

  • Friday Afternoon, Oct. 25, 2013
    Presiding Officer:
    Adam T. Schramek, Norton Rose Fulbright - Austin, TX
  • Luncheon Presentation
  • 12:00 pm
    0.50 hr
    Bringing Excitement to the Courtroom
    From the bold to the unexpected, learn how to keep things hopping in trial.

    Charla G. Aldous, Aldous Law Firm - Dallas, TX

  • 12:30 pm
    Break

  • 12:45 pm
    0.50 hr ethics
    Advocacy in Traditional and Non-Traditional Contexts
    New tips for every litigator whatever the circumstance, from arbitrations, mediations and hearings, to jury trials, expedited trials and more.

    Tracy W. McCormack, The University of Texas School of Law - Austin, TX

  • 1:15 pm
    0.50 hr
    State of the Judiciary

    Panelists:
    Hon. Thomas R. Phillips, Baker Botts - Austin, TX
    Hon. Jeffrey S. Boyd, The Supreme Court of Texas - Austin, TX
    Hon. Phil W. Johnson, The Supreme Court of Texas - Austin, TX

  • 1:45 pm
    0.50 hr
    30 Tips in 30 Minutes
    This fast-paced presentation highlights 30 invaluable tech tips, web resources, tools and iPad apps of exceptional value to civil trial lawyers, road warriors and interesting people. Focus runs the gamut from note-taking to trial presentation to research and trends in practice management and trial technology; from PDF annotation to graphic presentation to gesture control devices. See 30 minutes of the future, available now.

    Mark L. Greenwald, Attorney at Law - San Antonio, TX
    Mark I. Unger, The Unger Law Firm, PC - San Antonio, TX

  • 2:15 pm
    Break

  • 2:30 pm
    0.50 hr
    0.25 hr ethics
    Social Media in Trials and Jury Selection
    Real world tips to make effective use of social media in litigation.

    Michael G. Sawicki, Sawicki & Lauten, L.L.P. - Dallas, TX

  • 3:00 pm
    1.00 hr
    Judicial Panel on Advocacy and Persuasion
    Effective advocacy and persuasion.

    Moderator:
    Jim M. Perdue Jr., Perdue & Kidd, LLP - Houston, TX
    Panelists:
    Hon. Nancy F. Atlas, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas - Houston, TX
    Hon. Lee Yeakel, U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas - Austin, TX
    Hon. Stephen Yelenosky, 345th Judicial Civil District Court - Austin, TX

  • 4:00 pm
    Adjourn

  • Day 1 October 24, 2013
  • Day 2 October 25, 2013
Download Schedule

Conference Faculty

Alex Wilson Albright

The University of Texas School of Law
Austin, TX

Charla G. Aldous

Aldous Law Firm
Dallas, TX

Hon. Nancy F. Atlas

U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas
Houston, TX

Charles L. "Chip" Babcock

Jackson Walker, L.L.P.
Houston, TX

John B. Beckworth

The University of Texas School of Law
Austin, TX

Hon. Jeffrey S. Boyd

The Supreme Court of Texas
Austin, TX

Hon. Jeff Brown

The Supreme Court of Texas
Austin, TX

Karen C. Burgess

Richardson & Burgess LLP
Austin, TX
(Invited)

Courtney Taylor Carlson

Jackson Walker L.L.P.
Houston, TX

Elaine Grafton Carlson

South Texas College of Law
Houston, TX

Jeremy Counseller

Baylor Law School
Waco, TX

Ward Farnsworth

The University of Texas School of Law
Austin, TX

Wanda McKee Fowler

Wright & Close LLP
Houston, TX

Hon. W. Royal Furgeson Jr. (Ret.)

Dean, UNT Dallas College of Law
Dallas, TX

Mark L. Greenwald

Attorney at Law
San Antonio, TX

Marcy Hogan Greer

Norton Rose Fulbright
Austin, TX

Helen Hemingway

WattBeckworth
Houston, TX

Heather Jones Holmes

The Supreme Court of Texas
Austin, TX

James Holmes

Schmidt and Holmes LLP
Dallas, TX

Clyde J. "Jay" Jackson III

Abraham Watkins Nichols Sorrels & Friend
Houston, TX

Hon. Phil W. Johnson

The Supreme Court of Texas
Austin, TX

Sean D. Jordan

Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP
Austin, TX

David Keltner

Kelly Hart & Hallman LLP
Fort Worth, TX

Paula Knippa

Slack & Davis
Austin, TX

Kevin L. Leahy

The University of Texas School of Law
Austin, TX

Philip K. Maxwell

Attorney at Law
Austin, TX

Tracy W. McCormack

The University of Texas School of Law
Austin, TX

Jim M. Perdue Jr.

Perdue & Kidd, LLP
Houston, TX

Hon. Thomas R. Phillips

Baker Botts
Austin, TX

Diana E. Reinhart

Richardson & Burgess LLP
Austin, TX

Michael G. Sawicki

Sawicki & Lauten, L.L.P.
Dallas, TX

Lee H. Shidlofsky

Shidlofsky Law Firm PLLC
Austin, TX

Lewis Sifford

Sifford, Anderson & Co., P.C.
Dallas, TX

John F. Sullivan III

WattBeckworth
Houston, TX

Stephen D. Susman

Susman Godfrey LLP
New York, NY

Joseph G. Thompson III

WattBeckworth
Houston, TX

Mark I. Unger

The Unger Law Firm, PC
San Antonio, TX

Hon. Lee Yeakel

U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas
Austin, TX

Hon. Stephen Yelenosky

345th Judicial Civil District Court
Austin, TX

Planning Committee

William J. Chriss—Co-Chair

Law Office of William J. Chriss, P.C., Of Counsel to Gravely & Pearson, L.L.P.
Austin, TX

Jim M. Perdue Jr.—Co-Chair

Perdue & Kidd, LLP
Houston, TX

Craig Ball

Attorney and Forensic Technologist, Certified Computer Forensic Examiner
Austin, TX

Karl Bayer

Dispute Resolution Expert
Austin, TX

Quentin Brogdon

The Law Offices of Frank L. Branson, P.C.
Dallas, TX

Karen C. Burgess

Richardson & Burgess LLP
Austin, TX

Elaine Grafton Carlson

South Texas College of Law
Houston, TX

Rachel Giesber Clingman

Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP
Houston, TX

Claudia Wilson Frost

DLA Piper LLP
Houston, TX

Steven Goode

The University of Texas School of Law
Austin, TX

Lisa Bowlin Hobbs

Kuhn Hobbs PLLC
Austin, TX

James Holmes

Schmidt and Holmes LLP
Dallas, TX

Sean D. Jordan

Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP
Austin, TX

Hollis L. Levy

The University of Texas School of Law
Austin, TX

Philip K. Maxwell

Attorney at Law
Austin, TX

Adam T. Schramek

Norton Rose Fulbright
Austin, TX

John F. Sullivan III

WattBeckworth
Houston, TX

Hon. Kent C. Sullivan

Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP
Houston, TX

Mark C. Walker

Cox Smith Matthews Incorporated
El Paso, TX

Credit Info

  • Austin
MCLE Credit
Toggle view Texas – 12.75 hrs  |  2.50 hrs Ethics
Legal Specialization(s): Civil Appellate Law, Civil Trial Law, Personal Injury Trial Law
You may claim your credit online in Your Briefcase, and UT Law CLE will report credit on your behalf to the State Bar of Texas. A Certificate of Attendance will be provided in Your Briefcase for your records. The system reports Texas CLE credit every Tuesday. If you are claiming credit in the last week of your birth month, self-report your CLE credit directly to the State Bar of Texas at texasbar.com, using the course number  provided on your certificate of attendance.
Toggle view California – 12.75 hrs  |  2.50 hrs Ethics
You must claim your credit online in Your Briefcase, and will then be provided a Certificate of Attendance for your records. UT Law CLE is required to provide the State Bar with electronic attendance records for any MCLE participatory activity within 60 days of completion of the activity. The California licensee is responsible for reporting their compliance/credit hours earned to the State Bar at the end of their reporting period directly to the State Bar of California at calbar.ca.gov.  UT Law CLE will maintain Attendance Records for four years.  
Toggle view Oklahoma – 15.50 hrs  |  3.00 hrs Ethics
You must claim and certify your credit online in Your Briefcase, then you will then be provided a Certificate of Attendance for your records. UT Law CLE will report credit on your behalf to the Oklahoma Bar Association within 30 days after the conference.
Other Credit
Toggle view TX Accounting CPE – 15.00 hrs
The University of Texas School of Law (Provider #250) live conferences are presumptively approved by The Texas State Board of Public Accountancy for Texas Accounting CPE credit based on a 50-minute credit hour. Approved for general CPE credit only.

At the conference, you are welcome to sign in on the Accounting CPE Record of Attendance form at the registration desk, but we are now reporting all credit online. You will receive a Texas Accounting Certificate of Completion in Your Briefcase. Self-report your CPE credit directly to TSBPA. UT Law CLE will maintain Attendance Records for four years.  

Contact us at accreditation@utcle.org if you have additional questions.

Key Dates

Austin – Oct 24-25, 2013 – Four Seasons Hotel
Conference Concluded
Buy
  • Austin
Individual
Last day for $550.00 Regular pricing: Oct 18, 2013

$600.00 for registrations received after this time

Group 10% (5-9) (5 registrants minimum)
Last day for $495.00 Regular pricing: Oct 18, 2013

$545.00 for registrations received after this time

Group 20% (10+) (10 registrants minimum)
Last day for $440.00 Regular pricing: Oct 18, 2013

$490.00 for registrations received after this time

Last day for cancellation (full refund): Oct 18, 2013

$50 processing fee applied after this date

Last day for cancellation: Oct 21, 2013

Venue

speaker

Four Seasons Hotel

98 San Jacinto Boulevard
Austin, TX 78701-4082
512-478-4500 (reservations)
Map

Accommodations

$249.00 good through Sep 30, 2013
Reserve your room online.

Parking Information

Valet-parking $16 per day during event, $32.50 overnight. Self-parking $12 per day during event (limited availability). 

Stay in the loop with UT Law CLE

Sign-Up Now  
Accredited CLE
Live Conferences
Studio Webcasts
eConferences
eCourses
Hooked on CLE
Answer Bar
Research & Self-Study
Materials
eLibrary

Subscriptions
MCLE On-Demand and eLibrary
Your UT Law CLE
Your Briefcase
Your Account
Your Cart
Redeem Your Code
Sign In or Join
About
Scholarships
Sponsorships
Speakers
Texas Law Resources
UT Law CLE
About Us
Our Volunteers
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Security
Help & Contact
FAQ
Contact Us
Facebook    LinkedIn    Youtube

© 2025 The University of Texas School of Law Continuing Legal Education | 512.475.6700 | Version 9.022.2

Back to top
More Information
Warning
Error
Warning
Please sign in to continue
Forgot Password   |  Create Account
Item has been added to your cart.

Item description

Checkout
Item has been added to your Briefcase.

Item description

Go to your Briefcase