OBI
Organization of Bar Investigators
Promoting Excellence within the Legal Profession
April 10, 2015
2015 Board of
Directors
President
Dawn Reid, CP
Sr. Certified Paralegal/
Investigator
Vice President
Erin Ross-Johnson
Investigator
Secretary
Michelle Burton
Sr. Paralegal/
Probation Officer
Treasurer
Randy Ross
Investigator
At-Large Director
2015-2017
Dean Veenstra
Investigator
At-Large Director
2014-2016
Robin Marker
Investigator
Immediate PastPresident
Jim Pangborn, Jr.
Investigator
2014 Committee
Chairs
Elections
Anne-Marie Kearney
Asst. Manager
Membership
Vanessa Norman
Investigator
Planning & Program
Carla McCoy
Investigator
Web & Publications
Cathe Hahn
Investigator
Greetings OBI Members,
The 12th Annual OBI Conference is being presented in the Mile High City,
Denver, Colorado, from September 1-4, 2015, and is hosted by the Colorado
Supreme Court, Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel and the Wyoming State
Bar, Office of Bar Counsel. The Colorado office has been an active supporter of
OBI since the 2003 inaugural conference. Denver is centrally located and has
inexpensive flights from almost every corner of the nation. Denver averages 300
days of sunshine a year. Denver is a fun city to travel to at any time of the year,
but particularly September has many wonderful events including the Labor Day
Weekend Taste of Colorado immediately following the conference.
I hope you will have the opportunity to attend and join other investigators from
the United States and Canada in the beautiful city of Denver. The Planning
Committee has worked hard to secure some fantastic speakers and topics.
Motivational interviewing techniques will be explored along with a hands-on
break-out session where you will apply your own investigative skills on fictitious
cases. Other speakers include Federal Bureau of Investigation Supervisory
Special Agent (SSA) Bradley Swim discussing domestic terrorism and First
Assistant Attorney General Robert Shapiro from the Special Prosecutions Unit
discussing protecting the public from the abuse of power by attorneys and other
legal professionals. Other hot topics include immigration, recovery from
addiction and the legalization of marijuana.
The conference will be held at the Embassy Suites Denver
Downtown/Convention Center at 1420 Stout Street, Denver, Colorado. We have
negotiated the room rate of $163 to include 2 days prior to and after the
conference dates. To secure this rate, your room must be reserved by 8/2/15.
The hotel link is embassysuites3.hilton.com/en/hotels/colorado/embassy-suitesdenver-downtown-convention-center-ENESES/ index or you may call 303-5921000 to make your reservations. Be sure to mention, OBI 2015 Convention.
Should you have any questions or need additional information, please do not
hesitate to contact Carla McCoy at [email protected] or 877-888-1370 x
7836.
We look forward to seeing you in Denver!
Sincerely,
NOBC Liaison
Michelle Burton
Sr. Paralegal/
Probation Officer
Dawn Reid
President
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Organization of Bar Investigators ~ PO Box 81556, Chicago, IL 60681-0556 ~ www.barinvestigators.com
12TH
DRAFT
ANNUAL OBI CONFERENCE AGENDA
Embassy Suites
Denver, Colorado
September 1-4, 2015
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
4:00 pm to 5:30 pm
Board Meeting
Open to the Public - TBD
Early Registration
6:00 pm to 10:00 pm Meet/Greet and Welcome Reception
Atrium Alcove at Hotel
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
8:00 am
Early Registration
9:00 am
Keynote address
James C. Coyle, Regulation Counsel
Honorable Monica Marquez, Justice of the Colorado
Supreme Court
10:00 am
Anjali Nandi, MA, LAC, MAC
Motivational Interviewing For Attorney Ethics Investigators
Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a way of having a meaningful,
strategic conversation with someone that develops relationship
quickly and allows for increased disclosure. This presentation will
offer skills to elicit pertinent information, work with resistance,
and facilitate behavior change if needed. These skills are
efficacious and are considered an evidence-based practice.
11:30 am
Lunch Break at Colorado Supreme Court
1300 Broadway, Denver, CO
Take free shuttle to Broadway Station –
Walk two blocks south on Broadway to 13th Avenue and enter
Colorado Supreme Court – Conference Rooms 1A and 1B
1:00 pm
Robert Shapiro, Esq.
First Assistant Attorney General - Special Prosecutions Unit
Colorado Supreme Court (immediately following lunch)
Protecting the Public by Countering the Abuse of Power by
Attorneys and Other Public Figures.
The collateral inter-relationship that often occurs between a
criminal prosecution of a licensed attorney and the important
actions initiated by an attorney disciplinary authority demonstrate
the need for both enforcement entities to have better insight into
each other’s jurisdictions and capabilities. This presentation will
provide the attendee with a representative sample of criminal
investigations from a prosecutor’s perspective which involve
allegations centering on the abuse, deceit and/or manipulation by
legal professionals and others in related professions.
2:45 pm
Break
3:00 pm
Small Group Break-Out
Investigation Techniques – Fictitious Sample Case:
Attendees will break into small groups consisting of investigators
from different states, with each group to be given the same
fictitious case to discuss the various investigative techniques
employed in the different states and come up with an investigative
strategy. Once that phase is complete, a general discussion will
be held to compare the different strategies employed on the same
set of facts.
Thursday, September 3, 2015
9:00 am
Jeff Joseph, Esq.
Immigration Changes – What New Executive Orders
Mean to Ethics Investigators.
President Obama’s Executive Action on Immigration in November
2014, its aftermath and the ramifications for the practice of
immigration law will be explored, with particular emphasis on the
potential for exploitation of clients.
10:15 am
Break
10:30 am
John S. Gleason, Esq. and Alexander R. Rothrock, Esq.
Both Sides - Prosecuting and Defending Respondents:
Making the transition from prosecutor to defense counsel in the
attorney discipline arena will be explored by the former Colorado
Regulation Counsel in a presentation with a long-standing
respondent’s defense counsel.
11:30 am
Lunch
1:00 pm
Scott Meiklejohn, Esq. - James C. Coyle, Regulation Counsel
Addiction to Disbarment to Redemption:
Few attorneys traverse the complicated journey from denial of an
alcohol addiction to disbarment, and then to recovery from
addiction and readmission to the practice of law. Mr. Scott
Meiklejohn has made that journey. He will share his story of
personal struggle and rehabilitation.
2:30 pm
Supervisor Special Agent Bradley Swim and
Special Agent Matthew Dahl
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Sovereignty
3:30 pm
Break
3:45 pm
Ryan Kennedy
Compassion Fatigue and Burnout
5:00 pm
Happy Hour at Hotel
6:30 pm
Dinner Reception at Hotel
Friday, September 4, 2015
9:00 am
Chris Halsor, Esq.
Marijuana Legalization in Colorado – Trials and Tribulations
10:30 am
Break
11:00 am
Raffle
11:30 am
Closing Remarks
12TH ANNUAL OBI CONFERENCE REGISTRATION FORM
Embassy Suites – Denver, Colorado
September 1-4, 2015
Name (please print)
_____________________________________________________
Title:
_____________________________________________________
Jurisdiction:
_____________________________________________________
Address:
_____________________________________________________
Telephone number:
_____________________________________________________
Email address:
_____________________________________________________
Conference fees are $250.00 for members and $300.00 for non-members.
Please make check payable to ORGANIZATION OF BAR INVESTIGATORS
Mail check and this registration form to:
Randall C. Ross, CPA
Investigator
North Carolina State Bar
PO Box 25908
Raleigh, NC 27611
Room reservations at Embassy Suites can be made by calling toll free 1-800-HILTONS or
303-592-1000 hotel direct. You may also visit the hotel
website, www.denverdowntown.embassysuites.com and enter the Group Code OBI in the
group code field under Add Special Rate Codes from the left side of the reservation screen.
Reserve your room by August 2, 2015 under the OBI’s group and receive the discounted
rate of $163.00 per night, plus tax (this includes single and double occupancy.)
The Thursday night banquet is included in your registration fee. You are welcome to bring a guest.
Please attach a check for $70.00 made payable to “OBI” for each additional person who will be
attending the banquet with you and include it with your registration form.
# GUEST(S) ___________
_____ I have certain dietary restrictions and request that someone contact me to ensure that
arrangements can be made for the banquet dinner: Please explain:
_______________________________________________________________________________________
For any additional questions regarding the conference or if you are experiencing unresolved
problems with hotel bookings or travel arrangements to/from the airport, please feel free to
contact Carla McCoy at tollfree 877-888-1370 ext 7836 or [email protected].