WDTL hosts the best annual convention, and this year was no different. Held at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler in British Columbia, this year’s theme was “The New Era,” a shoutout to the pillars of the Washington Defense Trial Lawyers and the emerging younger generation.  

We kicked off the convention with our Trial Boot Camp Championship, which consisted of closing arguments by five superstar young attorneys. All the attorneys did a fantastic job and Philip Johnson of Mix Sanders Thompson took the top prize with his stellar performance.  

Our speakers included the Canadian phenom Jonathan Hodes, a Henderson panel led by Rory Cosgrove, a fireside chat with Roy Umlauf and Kim Reppart, ethics with Judge Erlick, an anti-SLAPP update from DWT attorneys Bruce Johnson and Caesar Kalinowski, and our keynote speaker Denise Gaskin who provided life coaching and stress management advice. We partied down at the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre and at the Fairmont for our Welcome Reception and Awards Dinner.

The convention is the perfect time to catch up with old friends, make new ones, and get inspired for the final half of the work year. This one ranked ten out of ten.