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2025 CENTRAL TEXAS FEDERAL
BENCH BAR CONFERENCE PROGRAM
7:45-8:30am
Registration
Continental Breakfast
8:30-9:30am
Welcome
- Judge Robert Pitman, U.S. District Judge, Austin
- Austin Mayor Kirk Watson
- Trey Duck, Nix Patterson
Plenary 1
Standing Orders
- Judge Derek Gilliland, U.S. Magistrate Judge, Waco (moderator)
- Judge Leon Schydlower, U.D. District Judge, El Paso
- Judge Alan Albright, U.S. District Judge, Austin and Waco
- Judge Jason Pulliam, U.S. District Judge, San Antonio
9:30-9:45am
9:45-10:30am
BREAK
Breakout 1
Loper Bright: Impacts on Federal Practice
- Professor Tara Grove, U.T. School of Law
- Scott Keller, Lehotsky Keller Cohn
Breakout 2
Depositions: Preparing for Them and Using at Trial
- Judge David Alan Ezra, San Antonio and Austin
- Zack C. Ewing, Kirkland & Ellis
- Stephen B. Crain, Bracewell
10:30-10:45am
10:45-11:30am
BREAK
Breakout 3
The Fourth Amendment and Digital Data: Developments
for Civil and Criminal Lawyers
- Judge Richard B. Farrer, U.S. Magistrate Judge, San Antonio (moderator)
- Judge Henry J. Bemporad, U.S. Magistrate Judge, San Antonio
- Judge Andy Austin, Retired U.S. Magistrate Judge, Austin
Breakout 4
Remember the Local Rules? Law Clerks’ Advice and
Observations
- Judge Mark Lane, U.S. Magistrate Judge, Austin (moderator)
- Sarah Holland, Permanent Clerk for Judge Pitman
- Andrea Houston, Permanent Clerk for Judge Lane
- Hannah Miller, Permanent Clerk for Judge Chestney
- Mark Scott, Permanent Clerk for Judge Albright
11:30-11:45am
BREAK
11:45-1:00pm
Lunch
State of the Western District of Texas
- Chief Judge Alia Moses, Chief U.S. District Judge, Del Rio
Plenary 2
Access to Justice: A Call to Action
- Liane Noble, Assistant U.S. Attorney, Austin (moderator)
- Justice Brett Busby, Supreme Court of Texas
- Judge Lora Livingston, District Judge, 261st Civil District Court,
Travis County (retired)
- Santosh Aravind, Scott Douglass & McConnico
- Alisa DeLuna, Executive Director of Volunteer Legal Services
of Central Texas
- Deb Fowler, Executive Director of Texas Appleseed
1:00-1:15pm
1:15-2:15pm
BREAK
Plenary 3
Psychology of Jury Trials
- Judge Robert Pitman, U.S. District Judge, Austin (moderator)
- Professor Bob Duke, U.T., Co-Host of Two Guys on Your Head
- Professor Mike Golden, U.T. School of Law
- Shayna S. Cook, Goldman Ismail Tomaselli Brennan & Baum
2:15-2:30pm
2:30-3:15pm
BREAK
Breakout 5
Employment Law Update: Muldrow and Beyond
- Judge Elizabeth S. (“Betsy”) Chestney (moderator)
- Andy McSwain, Beard Kultgen
- Julie A. Springer, Weisbart Springer
Breakout 6
Storytelling in IP Cases
- Judge Susan Hightower, U.S. Magistrate Judge, Austin
- Leah Bhimani Buratti, Botkin Chiarello Calaf
3:15-3:30pm
3:30-4:15pm
Breakout 7
Modern Communication Platforms in E-Discovery
- Judge Xavier Rodriguez
- Judge Dustin Howell
- Andrea D’Ambra, Norton Rose Fulbright
Breakout 8
Bankruptcy Law: A Primer for Civil Lawyers
- Jennifer F. Wertz, Jackson Walker
- Natalie Friend Wilson, Langley & Banack
BREAK
4:15-6:00pm
Networking Reception/Happy Hour

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