4/7/08

Sampling worldwide cuisine and opportunities for learning and networking are planned for May 1-2 by the Legal Assistants Section of the State Bar of Michigan. They will be hosting for the first time, a TasteFest in Plymouth at the Inn of St. John's on Thursday, May 1, from 6:30–8:30 p.m. The following day, the section's Annual Day of Education, which this year focuses on Alternative Dispute Resolution, runs from at 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.

The education program will kick off with a continental breakfast and visits with the vendors, followed by the keynote address by attorney Rebecca Simkins Seslar. Seslar focuses her practice on labor and employment law. A former paralegal, she will highlight her talk with a unique perspective on the role paralegals can play in Alternative Dispute Resolution. Other speakers are:

• Janice M. Holdinski, whose topic is ADR 101. Holdinski is a Vice President at the American Arbitration Association.
• Paula K. Manis will teach "How to Become a Mediator, and ADR Opportunities for Non-Lawyers." Manis practices oil and gas law and is a lead trainer for mediation at Thomas M. Cooley Law School and at the MSU-Detroit College of Law. She is also an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association.
• Geoff Seidlein will present "Labor and Employment ADR." Seidlein specializes in drain, construction, municipal, and environmental law. He currently serves as a labor and employment law professor at Thomas M. Cooley Law School.
• Attorney John V. Tocco of Tocco Construction Consulting will focus on Construction Law and ADR. He is a member of the American Arbitration Association Panel of Construction Arbitrators and Mediators for large, complex cases. He is also an adjunct professor at MSU-Detroit College of Law, Eastern Michigan University, and Lawrence Technological University.
• Michael Turco, a shareholder at Butzel Long will cover Commercial Arbitration. His practice focuses on litigating significant commercial disputes and serving as lead counsel in business transaction and acquisition matters.

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