2015 Annual Meeting showcases Justice Kennedy as award recipient

Attendees of this year’s State Bar Annual Meeting in Anaheim might recognize a very familiar face: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy.

Justice Kennedy

In between the MCLE courses, special events and networking opportunities, Kennedy will be on hand to receive the 2015 Bernard E. Witkin Medal. This year marks the second year in a row that a Supreme Court justice has been at the Annual Meeting. Last year, Justice Antonin Scalia spoke at the event.

Taking place Oct. 8 through 11, the Annual Meeting will feature 126 MCLE courses, allowing for up to 20 hours of MCLE and legal specialization credit. Social events and networking opportunities will take place throughout the four-day meeting, as will opportunities to hear legal scholars and celebrity speakers.

Keynote speakers include Amy Weaver, general counsel of Salesforce, and Juval Aviv, president and CEO of Interfor Inc., who will discuss cyber security threats faced by government entities and the private sector. This year’s general session, from 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 8, will be led by Kathleen A. Tarr, an actor, author, Stanford University lecturer and former Skadden fellow. Called “Delights, Diversions, and Discriminations: The Bias and Business of Show Business,” it will be a dialogue on the legal industry’s response to bias in the entertainment industry. In addition to Tarr, it will feature celebrity guests Edward James Olmos, an actor and activist, and Amy Pietz, a ballerina turned actor.

The President’s Festival, an outdoor, family friendly gathering featuring food trucks, dancing and games, will take place from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Oct. 9. The State Bar Luncheon and Alexander F. Morrison Address is Oct. 10. Speaking will be Judge James M. Peck, a former bankruptcy judge in the Southern District of New York who presided over the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy.

As in years past, the exhibit hall will allow lawyers to meet with leading legal vendors and learn about the latest products, services and technology that may benefit their practice. An Annual Meeting badge or a pass (given at registration to non-registrants) is required for admission.

There is also a free annual meeting app to help with navigating and planning for the meeting. Download it here. The Twitter hashtag for this year’s meeting is #CalBarAM15.

Attendees can either choose a full meeting pass or, for a cost savings, a two-day pass. Reduced fees are also available for young and newly admitted lawyers. The deadline for early-bird registration, which saves $100, is Sept 14. The cutoff for registering online is Sept. 21, although there will be an opportunity to register on-site starting Oct. 8.

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