Citizenship on Trial

Citizenship has long been treated as a stable legal status—durable, protective, and largely beyond contest once acquired. That assumption is increasingly strained. In the past year, questions have arisen about who is entitled to citizenship, how citizenship is obtained, and under what circumstances it can be denied, limited, or revoked. Citizenship law increasingly sits at the intersection of immigration enforcement, constitutional interpretation, and democratic participation. This panel will equip attendees with an overview of citizenship law as well as practical insight to identify citizenship issues that may arise in a number of contexts. Panelists will examine recent and emerging citizenship changes focusing on three key areas: (1) denaturalization efforts; (2) the birthright citizenship executive order (and resulting Supreme Court case—Trump v. Barbara); and (3) barriers to naturalization. Using current litigation and enforcement trends as case studies, the panel will explore how citizenship is increasingly treated not as a settled fact, but as a status that must be continually defended.

• Moderator: Prof. Kate Melloy Goettel, Associate Clinical Law Professor, University of Iowa College of Law
• Ozlem Barnard, Founder & Managing Attorney, Barnard Legal PLLC
• Elizabeth (Betty) Stevens, Of Counsel, Amaryllis Law

Behind the Corporate Curtain: In-House Counsel Perspective on Federal Litigation, Outside Counsel Management, and Emerging Issues in an Era of Rapid Change

This program offers a candid, practical discussion from the in-house counsel perspective on what makes outside counsel truly effective partners in today’s legal landscape. Panelists from Dominion Energy, Capital One, and Performance Food Group—all of which have substantial corporate presence in Richmond—will explore how in-house lawyers triage federal cases, manage litigation portfolios, and make strategic decisions around early case assessment, budgeting, and settlement in federal court, among other topics. Beyond day-to-day case management, the session will examine what distinguishes exceptional outside counsel from adequate ones and how the in-house and outside counsel relationship can be structured to deliver maximum value. Panelists will address common pain points in that relationship, including communication expectations, budgeting transparency, responsiveness, and what outside counsel can do to genuinely help in-house teams balance competing priorities of cost efficiency, legal rigor, business pragmatism, and minimal disruption to operations. The discussion will also cover managing e-discovery costs and federal preservation obligations, as well as the rapidly expanding role of AI in legal practice, how in-house departments are deploying AI tools, what they expect from outside counsel in terms of AI adoption and innovation, and where panelists see the legal profession heading in the years ahead as technology, judicial expectations, and client demands continue to evolve. Whether you sit inside a corporate legal department or in a law firm handling federal matters, this session will provide actionable insights and forward-looking perspective from in-house leaders that you can put to use immediately.

• Moderator: Ryan Frei, Partner, McGuireWoods
• Jeb Eakin, Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Performance Food Group, Inc.
• Jim Stuckey, Vice President and General Counsel, Dominion Energy
• Brent Timberlake, Managing Vice President, Chief Counsel, Capital One

What’s the State of the Administrative State? A Retrospective on the Impacts of the Supreme Court’s October 2023 Term

Administrative law is experiencing a revolution unlike anything in living memory, largely thanks to a trio of recent decisions issued by the United States Supreme Court: Loper Bright Enterprises, et al. v. Raimondo; Corner Post, Inc. v. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; and Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy, et al. The program will explore the history of the administrative state and the leadup to the Supreme Court’s October 2023 Term; conduct a deep dive into the Court’s Loper Bright, Corner Post, and Jarkesy decisions; and reflect on how courts and agencies have applied those decisions since they made headlines almost two years ago.

• Keith Coyle, Chief Counsel, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), U.S. Department of Transportation
• Prof. Craig Green, Charles Klein Professor of Law and Government, Temple University (invited)
• Christina Manfredi McKinley, Partner, BlankRome
• Hon. Allison Jones Rushing, Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (invited)

Optional Technology. Mandatory Integrity. Ethical Responsibilities of the Federal Bar in the Age of AI

This presentation confronts what federal practice demands in this moment: verification, candor, supervision, and the unyielding responsibility that comes with signing your name. We will examine Rule 11, the duty of candor, and why speed has never been the profession’s highest value. The real danger is not smarter tools; it is diminished ownership. Technology may assist. But in federal court, integrity is not optional, and the signature on a pleading still means something.

• Hon. Jason Robertson, Magistrate Judge, U.S. District Court – Eastern District of Oklahoma

A View from the Commonwealth: Virginia’s Solicitors General in Federal Court

State Solicitors General play an increasingly important role in federal appellate litigation — defending state laws in the courts of appeals, coordinating multistate coalitions, filing amicus briefs at the Supreme Court, and navigating the growing volume of litigation between states and the federal government. This panel brings together current and former Virginia Solicitors General from both parties — including two who now serve on the bench — to discuss these issues from the perspective of practitioners who have done the work. Topics will include developing and executing appellate litigation strategy on behalf of a state, the mechanics of multistate amicus and party-side coalitions, the relationship between state SG offices and the federal Solicitor General, and how SG experience translates to the bench and private practice. With the Fourth Circuit sitting in Richmond during the Annual Meeting, the panel offers timely and practical insights for any federal practitioner who works with or opposite state legal offices.

• Moderator: Kevin Elliker, Counsel, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP
• Tillman Breckenridge, Solicitor General of Virginia, State of Virginia Attorney General’s Office
• Erika Maley, Partner, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP
• Hon. Stephen R. McCullough, Justice, Supreme Court of Virginia
• Hon. Stuart J. Raphael, Judge, Court of Appeals of Virginia

Litigation in the “Rocket Docket” – A Discussion with Judges from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia

Before serving on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, Judge Albert V. Bryan presided as Chief Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia and began laying the foundation for what would later become known as the “Rocket Docket.” In 1961, Judge Walter E. Hoffman succeeded Judge Bryan as Chief Judge and began formalizing procedural mechanisms to efficiently move cases towards trial or settlement. This eventually led all divisions in the Eastern District—Richmond, Alexandria, and Norfolk/Newport News—to adopt compressed discovery schedules that forced litigants to distill cases to their essence and encouraged pre-trial resolution. Six current EDVA judges will participate in a panel to discuss the history of this unique Court, explain its modernized practices, and offer insight into its further development and role within the federal judiciary. Attendees will gain insight into the Court’s handling of various pre-trial proceedings and trials themselves in both the civil and criminal realms. The panel will also field pre-screened questions from FBA members to address the topics of greatest interest to current practitioners.

• Moderator: Robert Farlow, Partner, Holland & Knight LLP
• Hon. Rossie Alston, District Judge, U.S. District Court – Eastern District of Virginia
• Hon. Mark Colombell, Magistrate Judge, U.S. District Court – Eastern District of Virginia
• Hon. Elizabeth Hanes, District Judge, U.S. District Court – Eastern District of Virginia
• Hon. Robert Krask, Magistrate Judge, U.S. District Court – Eastern District of Virginia
• Hon. M. Hannah Lauck, Chief Judge, U.S. District Court – Eastern District of Virginia
• Hon. Lindsey Vaala, Magistrate Judge, U.S. District Court – Eastern District of Virginia