Events
Event

The Great Debates Continue

Joint Program Sponsored by The Temple American Inn of Court and Gray’s Inn, London

The Temple American Inn of Court in conjunction with Gray’s Inn, London will present a TED® Talk-style debate on October 18, 2018, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at the Arch Street Meeting House in Philadelphia. This debate serves as a follow-up to the original cross-border debates between the Inns held in 2011 (in Philadelphia) and 2014 (in London), on whether The Declaration of Independence was an illegal document.

“We are honored to have such distinguished guests from the UK Bar and our own region to participate in this extraordinary exchange of ideas on topics of national and international importance,” says Hon. Patricia McInerney (Ret.), President of The Temple American Inn of Court.

“We are looking forward to continuing the long standing Inn tradition of promoting legal excellence, civility, and professionalism through events like this that bring together local and international practitioners and dignitaries,” she continues.

Blank Rome Partner Anthony B. Haller and Littler Mendelson Shareholder and National eDiscovery Counsel Paul D. Weiner serve as co-chairs of The Temple American Inn of Court Debate Planning Committee for the upcoming debate, which will cover the following topics:

  • Wisdom of Jury Trials in Civil Cases
  • Unique Issues in Terrorism Trials in the Post-9/11 Era
  • The Impact of Life Experience, Political Pressure, and (Social) Media Exposure on Judicial Independence

Presenting the United Kingdom’s views are:

  • The Right Honourable The Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, PC, formerly Lord Chief Justice and who was part of a three-Judge panel that issued a historic ruling on the role of Parliament in Brexit
  • The Hon. Lord Justice Haddon-Cave, recently appointed the Court of Appeals and before then the High Court Judge overseeing Terrorism Trials in the United Kingdom
  • Desmond Browne, QC, former chair of the Bar, past treasurer of Gray’s Inn, and presently president of the Inns of Court Council. Desmond is widely regarded as the leading QC in the UK for defamation cases and has been involved in most of the important cases affecting the media over the past three decades.

Presenting the United States’ views are:

  • Justice Randy J. Holland (Ret.), who served as a Delaware Supreme Court Justice for over 30 years, and is the namesake of The Randy J. Holland Delaware Workers' Compensation American Inn of Court
  • Robert J. Mongeluzzi, one of the most successful construction accident attorney in the United States, who has over 200 verdicts and settlements of a million dollars or more
  • Jennifer Arbittier Williams, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania who serves as the Deputy Coordinator for the Anti-Terrorism Administrative Council

Representatives from other local Inns of Court (including Villanova Law J. Willard O'Brien, Benjamin Franklin, Bucks County, Montgomery County, Richard S. Rodney, Terry – Carey, Nicholas Cipriani, and Drexel University Thomas Kline) and The American Inns of Court are expected to attend the debate.

A post-debate reception will follow.