Presented by The National Association of Workers’ Compensation Judiciary, Inc. (NAWCJ)
Separate registration required.
Registration Is Required To Attend The National Workers’ Compensation Judiciary College. See www.nawcj.org.
You Must Be An Adjudicator or Regulator To Attend.
Tuesday, August 21, 2018
8:45 – 5:00 pm
Grand Ballrooms 4 – 6 and Palms Ballroom – Canary
Convention Level
8:45 – 9:45 am
Live Foot Surgery
Palms Ballroom – Canary
Convention Level
Surgery Moderator:
Travis B. Van Dyke, MD
Orlando Orthopaedic Center
Orlando, FL
Surgeon:
Joseph D. Funk, DPM
Orlando Orthopaedic Center
Orlando, FL
The 11th Annual Orlando Orthopaedic Center Live Surgery Event offers a unique interactive look into an operating room as Joseph D. Funk, DPM, performs foot surgery: a metatarsal procedure live from the Orlando Orthopaedic Center Outpatient Surgery Center. With the help of moderator Travis B. Van Dyke, MD, Dr. Funk, board certified in foot surgery specializing in foot and ankle care, will explain the procedure step-by-step and answer questions from the audience. The goal of the presentation will be to explain the Weil Osteotomy for Metatarsalgia (a common minimally invasive outpatient procedure) and examine how the injury and recovery period affect day-to-day activity, employment restrictions, and workers’ compensation claims processing.
9:55 – 10:00 am
Announcements and Updates
Grand Ballrooms 4 – 6
Convention Level
Honorable James Szablewicz
Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission
Richmond, VA
10:00 – 10:50 am
What You Should Know and Do About Court-Related Violence
Introduction of Speaker:
Honorable Jennifer Hopens, NAWCJ President
Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation
Austin, TX
Speaker:
Honorable Charles Weller
Second Judicial District Court
Reno, NV
Judge Weller will present the most up-to-date information about court-related violence together with his personal experience and practical suggestions on how judges can enhance security for themselves and other court users.
10:50 – 11:00 am
Break
11:00 – 11:50 am
What Judges Should Know in the Age of Uber & Lyft: Employee or Independent Contractor?
Introduction of Panel:
Honorable Deneise Turner Lott
Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission
Jackson, MS
Panel:
Rosemary Eure, Attorney
Lancaster and Eure
Sarasota, FL
William E. Pipkin, Jr., Attorney
Austill, Lewis, Pipkin and Maddox, PC
Mobile, AL
A variety of conundrums can evolve from the structure of a work relationship. Is the injured worker an employee or independent contractor? Is the employee properly classified regarding work performed and the premium collected? How do these issues affect the process of litigating compensability or entitlement to benefits? In some settings, it might require impleading other parties, or electing recovery outside of workers’ compensation. This panel discussion will focus on the challenges for a workers’ compensation adjudicator when employment status is not clear.
12:00 – 12:30 pm
Lunch (provided)
Grand Ballrooms 1 & 2
Convention Level
Transition from Workers’ Compensation Attorney to Appellate Judge
Introduction of Speaker:
Honorable Jennifer Hopens, NAWCJ President
Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation
Austin, TX
Speaker:
Honorable M. Kemmerly Thomas
Florida First District Court of Appeal
Tallahassee, FL
Judge Thomas serves on the Florida First District Court of Appeal, which has statewide exclusive jurisdiction to review workers’ compensation decisions. Prior to appointment, she practiced twenty-five years in a multi-state workers’ compensation firm, and actively contributed to the state systems. She will discuss her transition to and experience on the appellate bench, and some thoughts on how effective workers’ compensation adjudicator orders survive appellate scrutiny. You will find her presentation most informative and entertaining.
12:30 – 1:00 pm
NAWCJ Annual Business Meeting
Honorable Jennifer Hopens, NAWCJ President
Texas Department of Insurance,
Division of Workers’ Compensation
Austin, TX
1:00 – 1:10 pm
Break
1:10 – 4:00 pm
Advanced Judicial Writing
Introduction of Speaker:
Honorable T. Scott Beck
South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission
Columbia, SC
Speaker:
Professor Wayne C. Schiess
Director – The David J. Beck Center for Legal Research, Writing, and Appellate Advocacy
University of Texas School of Law
Austin, TX
Judicial writing is a skill, and challenges exist in writing effective orders. Professor Schiess will provide an advanced perspective on how judges can and should write more efficiently and effectively. This program will be informative and sometimes humorous. Attendees will emerge with perspective and tools to enhance their writing.
4:00 – 4:10 pm
Break
4:10 – 5:00 pm
Diagnosis of Psychological Injuries
Introduction of Speaker:
Honorable Shannon Bruno Bishop
Louisiana Workforce Commission
New Orleans, LA
Speaker:
Jarrod Steffan, PhD
Jarrod Steffan, PhD, LLC
Wichita, KS
Psychological allegations can be an integral part of recovery from a physical injury. While various statutes have constraints regarding diagnosis and benefits, a common issue for all is the process of making a credible diagnosis of the injury itself. Some contend that all people come to the workplace with a certain level of psychosocial issues, which may influence the recovery from a work injury. How is that differentiated from an actual psychological diagnosis caused by a work-related injury?