When: July 26 – August 1, 2026
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On behalf of our Appellate Law Section, Vice Chair Caryn Bellus has recorded a fantastic podcast with Kansas Gooden, Judge of Florida's Third District Court of Appeal. Caryn's questions, and Judge Gooden's responses, are tremendously insightful and informative for any attorney who practices appellate law. I urge every member of our section to listen to this podcast. Thank you, Caryn!
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Dear Insurance Coverage Section Members:
As many of you know, FDCC's Insurance Industry Institute (I-3) is the FDCC's preeminent insurance-focused conference targeted toward members of the insurance industry and their counsel. This year’s I-3 program continues the FDCC’s tradition of bringing together insurance industry leaders to discuss the latest developments, opportunities and issues. Among the presentations scheduled are Views from the Perspective of the Chief Claims... Details
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Hi all, I am a new FDCC member as of five months ago. During that timeframe, I have attended the annual summer conference in Park City, volunteered to serve as a state rep and accepted chair Ebner's invitation to write a Friday 5 article, attached and linked below.
I practice at a freestanding, boutique appellate firm in downtown Detroit that was started by my mentor/partner/second father and former FDCC member John Jacobs. John retired in 2021, passed away in 2023 and I have... Details
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California strikes again. Article from Poole Shaffery's newsletter.
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I am pleased to serve again as the Editor of the Month for the FDCC’s Civil
Writes newsletter. Like last month, we are examining a new decision from the U.S.
Supreme Court but this time we are looking at a school law topic. In June, the
Court issued a decision which lowered the standard required for education-related
damages claims under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, A.J.T. v. Osseo Area
Schools. I’ll explain what that decision means and what it doesn’t. Because... Details
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Section Article on impacts of new tariffs on the Construction Industry
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Congratulations - that is awesome!
I'm so glad to hear about defense wins.
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Agree with Jen! “Insanity” seems woefully insufficient but congratulations!! Excellent work. How was your medical expert able to testify about the reasonableness of the charges? That is always a challenge in NM Well done!
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First - BRAVO and thank you for posting!!
Second - Plaintiff asked for $5 billion??? or $5 million? Either way - bonkers. But if it's $5 billion I'm just going to quit and walk off into the woods.
Third - I hope this makes a lien provider think twice next time, but I'm afraid it won't.
Congratulations, Whitney!
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We just obtained a complete defense verdict on behalf of U-Haul following a 4-day arbitration in Atlanta (plus post-hearing briefs, plus oral argument on briefs). The plaintiff alleged she fell in the back of a truck due to an access panel that was not properly attached. Unfortunately, she found her way to some lien-based care doctors who performed a plethora of unnecessary medical treatment to the tune of $600,000.00 (which notably does not include any surgery). Her life care plan... Details
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As I was just starting my third year of law school at the University of Illinois College of Law, a
jury in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, returned a verdict in favor of Stella Liebeck for injuries
she sustained after spilling a hot cup of McDonald’s coffee onto her lap. The New Mexico
jury awarded Ms. Liebeck a net $160,000 in compensatory damages and $2,700,000 in
punitive damages.1
Liebeck v. McDonald’s Restaurants, et al., No. CV-93-02419, 1995 WL
360309 (N.M. Dist. Aug.... Details
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Hello everyone! I am excited to join the FDCC and the Appellate Law Section.
Here's some info about me. I joined Sandberg Phoenix & von Gontard P.C. in 2002 and lead its Appellate & Complex Litigation Team, along with being the firm's Chair of Professional Development. I've been married to my wife Sherrie Zeng for 30+ years and have two adult children, Charles and Victoria. I grew up in the St. Louis area, where my firm is headquartered. We also have offices in Kansas City,... Details
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June 2025
Editor of the Month
Megan M. Coluccio
Member, Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice
Seattle, WA
I am thrilled to serve as Editor of the Month for the Federation’s Civil Rights
and Public Entity Committee’s monthly newsletter
Civil Writes. This month we are
examining the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision
Barnes v. Felix, which reaffirms
the “totality of the circumstances” test for evaluating excessive force claims under the
Fourth Amendment. I am also excited to share a... Details
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