My favorite type of speaker(s) to book for a seminar
Last week we held our annual Superior Court Boot Camp at the Arctic Hotel in Seattle (what a gorgeous restoration – can’t believe it is a DoubleTree).
And I have to share a bit about our one of my favorite speakers to book.
Judge Paris Kallas retired last July after 15 years on the bench in King County. She is now a neutral at a small ADR firm called Judicial Dispute Resolution LLC in Seattle.
Judge Kallas is one of my favorite people to book at our seminars because she is a joy to work with and a pleasure to meet and chat with. Yes, I’m ending in a prepositional phrase; live with it.
Judge Kallas cheerfully joins our planning conference calls, gives us her handouts and input in a timely manner and always has a smile for my staff and I on the day of our program. Even the first time I met her a year ago it was like we were old friends.
There’s something about that kind of warmth and welcoming presence that just makes you feel good.
And, in case you’re thinking I only like booking her for her sparkling personality, she is a great presenter, provides practical, useful tips, and always gets great evaluations. She knows her stuff when it comes to trial practice.
This isn’t to say that all the other panelists on that particular panel weren’t fantastic, they were. I enjoyed talking with and working with all of them. Judge Tim Bradshaw has an incredible sense of humor, great advice, and he pinch hit for Judge Spector, so we owe him one. Loren Dunn of Riddell Williams has spoken for us several times and he always works on providing an excellent, informative, practical presentation and a charming presence to boot. Steve Fogg of Corr Cronin joined the gang like the old pro that he is and Judge Jim Rogers always has insightful, interesting advice to provide. Glenn Draper substituted in for Matt Bergman, both of Bergman Draper & Frockt, and both worth listening to.
This year we were joined by plaintiff’s attorney Mike Wampold, who managed to join us while in the middle of a trial – an impressive feat!
What made the entire program work so well however, was the great interaction between the panelists. They had fun, they joked with each other and the audience and they did it while presenting useful, practical litigation tips and strategy all the while.
Now that’s a conference that makes me happy to be a part of. Yep, another prepositional phrase.
Just for fun, here’s a picture of the seminar room. For once I didn’t mind not having any windows!
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