State Bar Annual Meeting scheduled for Oct. 10 through 13 in San Jose

Attorneys interested in attending this year’s Annual Meeting in San Jose will have a new incentive to do so: cost savings.

For the first time, attendees will have the option of a purchasing a full meeting pass (starting at $450 with a new attorney discount available) or a two-day pass (starting at $325). Also new this year, the State Bar will be hosting its first general session, focusing on internet privacy issues.

Scheduled for Oct. 10 through 13 and built around the theme of Innovation and the Law, the State Bar’s Annual Meeting will offer 145 seminars in three educational tracks – technology, practice skills and substantive law. Keynote speakers include Nobel Peace Laureate and former president of Costa Rica Oscar Arias Sanchez, founding dean of University of California Irvine School of Law Erwin Chemerinsky, Reuters Legal Affairs Editor-in-Charge Joan Biskupic and Chief Deputy City Attorney for San Francisco Therese M. Stewart. Those attending the full meeting have an opportunity to earn up to 18.5 hours of participatory CLE credit.

The meeting begins with CLE courses on Thursday, Oct. 10, followed by an opening night reception in the exhibit hall. Those wanting to attend the reception are asked to RSVP on the Annual Meeting registration form.

The deadline for hotel and early bird registration (with a reduced fee) is Sept. 11, but members can pre-register until Sept. 18. Annual Meeting events, CLE sessions and the exhibit hall will be located within the San Jose McEnery Convention Center or surrounding hotel properties.

The decision to offer two-day passes in addition to a full meeting pass this year was partly motivated by the fact that San Jose is a relatively easy commute from San Francisco, a hub for many of California attorneys. The two-day pass gives attendees access to CLE courses, either on Thursday and Friday or on Saturday and Sunday.

This year’s new general session, which will take place from 8 to 9:30 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 11, is entitled “Beyond 1984: Piracy, Privacy and Surveillance in the New Age.” Moderated by NPR TechNation host Moira Gunn, the program is a conversation with Theresa Payton, cyber security authority and identity theft expert, and Wired.com Senior Editor and former hacker Kevin Poulsen. A complimentary breakfast will be served.

The general session promises to delve into cutting-edge issues and provide attendees the opportunity to network with lawyers whom they might not see when attending the regular CLE sessions. It is scheduled at a time when there are no other programs going on.

Other key events include the California Women Lawyers 39th Annual Dinner, at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 10, and the State Bar luncheon and Alexander F. Morrison address, from 12:15 to 1:45 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12. For attendees looking for some nightlife and laughs, join the California Young Lawyers Association who inspired the Annual Meeting Night at the Improv from 9 p.m. to midnight on Saturday, Oct. 12. All three events are ticketed.

Like last year, attendees will be able to download an annual meeting app to help them navigate and plan for the meeting. The Twitter hashtag for this year’s meeting is #CalBarAM13.

For more information or to register, go to the Annual Meeting home page.