When is it time for you to mediate?  An old country song describes it best: 
"You got to know when to hold 'em. Know when to fold 'em. Know when to walk away, and know when to run." Join a panel of seasoned mediators and lawyers for an in depth of discussion on how to discern the season for mediation to save yourself and your client time, energy and money.

11:00 am - Protecting Our Civil Service Workforce: The Rights of Federal Employees in Today’s Environment
                  Rob Shriver, Democracy Forward
                  Debra D'Agostino, Federal Practice Group
                  Mary Kuntz, Kalijarvi, Chuzi, Newman & Fitch, P.C.
                  Michael Vogelsang, The Employment Law Group (Moderator)

This year has presented some of the toughest challenges to federal employees’ job security and working conditions in the history of the U.S. civil service. Our expert panel of federal sector employment litigators will discuss from their own experience how federal employees can challenge firings, reductions in force, involuntary job reassignments, and other measures the Administration has imposed since January 2025, as well as others in the pipeline, like the proposed “Schedule Policy/Career” and the government's efforts to decertify public employee unions and abrogate collective bargaining agreements. We will cover the latest developments at the Merit Systems Protection Board, the EEOC, and the federal courts, aiming to give practitioners vital information they can use to help their federal employee clients or direct them to the right resources.

12:00 pm - Luncheon & Award Recognitions (East Room)
1:50 pm - Emerging Issues for Effective Representation of Non-Citizen Workers
                 Abigail Kerfoot, Centro de los Derechos del Migrante, Inc.
                 Cindy Larios, Murray Osorio PLLC
                 Cora Tekach, Tekach Law Firm
                 David Rodwin, Murphy Anderson PLLC (Moderator)

This panel will explore the evolving legal and practical challenges facing non-citizen workers—and the attorneys who represent them—in today’s rapidly shifting immigration and labor landscape. Panelists will address developments affecting work authorization, retaliation protections, access to courts, and the intersection of immigration status with unpaid-wage and other claims. The discussion will offer strategic guidance for counseling and litigating on behalf of non-citizen clients, with an emphasis on preserving claims, mitigating risk, and–above all–protecting workers’ rights.

2:55 pm - Supreme Court and Appellate Courts Update
                 Carolyn Wheeler, Katz Banks Kumin
                 Alan Kabat, Bernabei & Kabat
                 Brian Wolfman, Georgetown Law
                 Alisa Tiwari, Cohen Milstein (Moderator)

This panel will survey the most significant recent developments from the Supreme Court and federal appellate courts that shape the practice of employment law, particularly those that establish new standards of proof for discrimination and whistleblower claims. Speakers will break down key decisions, emerging doctrinal shifts, and notable cases on the horizon. Attendees will gain practical insight into how these rulings are already influencing litigation strategy and workplace policies, and what to expect as courts continue to redefine the landscape.

3:55 pm - Break 
4:05 pm - Raffle Drawing - Chet Levitt Fund for Employment Law
4:15 pm - Social Media Ethics for Attorneys: Best Practices and Common Pitfalls
                 Courtney Thomas, DC Bar
                 Thomas B. Mason, Harris, Wiltshire & Grannis LLP
                 Elizabeth Simon, Akin Group
                 Thomas Eiler, Zipin, Amster & Greenberg LLC (Moderator)

The rise of social media has transformed how attorneys communicate, connect, and share information. Social media can be a powerful tool for marketing, research, and client engagement. At the same time, however, the use of this tool presents some ethical challenges. The panel will provide an overview of our ethical obligations when using social media, including ensuring client confidentiality, avoiding false or misleading advertising of legal services, avoiding inadvertent attorney-client relationships and not crossing the line between permissible engagement and impermissible solicitation. In addition, the panel will address when an attorney’s social media activity may warrant termination of a client representation.

5:15 pm - Closing Remarks
5:30 pm - Networking Reception (East Room)