West Virginia Association for Justice
59th Annual Convention and Seminar
Featured National Speakers
Cedric Ashley
Cedric Ashley is the founder and managing director of LifeCycleLegal , a Princeton, New Jersey professional service company whose mission is the development of balanced, engaged and effective legal industry professionals. He holds B.A. and J.D. degrees from Rutgers University and earned a Master of Divinity degree from Drew University Theological School. He earned a certification from the Institute for Social and Emotional Intelligence and received additional training from the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching. As a practicing lawyer, he worked as an assistant district attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and was an associate with the firm of Pitney, Hardin, Kipp and Szuch. He also served as director of academic development at Rutgers Law School - Newark. He is a solo practitioner in Princeton.
W. Mark Lanier
Mark Lanier is author, teacher, pastor and expert story teller as well as one of the top trial attorneys in the United States. He founded the Lanier Law Firm in Houston, Texas in 1990 and expanded the firm with offices in New York and Los Angeles. His practice areas include toxic exposure, serious personal injury, products liability including prescription drugs, medical malpractice and business litigation. Lanier won the first verdict in the country over Vioxx as well as the defective DePuy Orthopaedics hip implants. He has lectured extensively at both continuing legal education seminars and the nation’s top law schools. He is the founder of the Lanier Theological Library, one of the country’s largest private theological collections, and his books include Christianity on Trial: A Lawyer Examines the Christian Faith. In 2015, he earned the American Association for Justice Lifetime Achievement Award. He earned his J. D. from the Texas Tech University School of Law.
Tobias Millrood
Tobias Millrood is a partner in the suburban Philadelphia firm of Pogust, Braslow and Millrood and has more than 18 years experience in complex civil litigation with a focus on pharmaceutical and medical device litigation. Tobi was one of the country’s leading attorneys on hormone therapy lawsuits in both the lower courts and at the appellate level. He has served in numerous court-appointed leadership positions in pharmaceutical and medical device litigation. He has lectured frequently at various seminars on mass tort litigation, ethics issues with mass torts, trial advocacy and electronic discovery. Tobi earned a B.A. from Tulane University and is a graduate of the University of Tulsa College of Law. He is the current treasurer of the American Association for Justice.
Maritza Rodriguez
Maritza Rodriguez opened her solo practice, Rodriguez Law Firm, in 2012 and has offices in both Newark and New Bruswick, New Jersey. Her firm specializes in family law, including international family law and child abduction cases. Prior to opening her own firm, Maritza worked with the New Jersey Public Defender’s Office for five years and for two years with the New Jersey Department of Public Advocate. Before completing law school, she worked in politics and publishing. She earned a B.A. from Rutgers University and is a graduate of the Rutgers Law School-Newark. She is the current chair of the family law section for the National Hispanic Bar Association and a Leadership Academy Fellow of the New Jersey State Bar Association.
Tad Thomas
Tad Thomas is one of the country’s foremost plaintiff attorney experts on computer technology for both the law office and the courtroom. He has presented regional national seminars on topics including paperless law offices, integrating iPads and apps into your practice, firm websites, social media, cloud-based computing and more. Tad earned a B.A. from Georgetown College and is a graduate of Northern Kentucky University’s Salmon P. Chase College of Law. He worked in private practice for several years before being named Assistant Deputy Attorney General for the Office of the Kentucky Attorney General. He returned to private practice in January 2011 and opened Thomas Law Offices in Louisville. His practice is limited to plaintiffs’ civil litigation on behalf of individuals and businesses.
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