May the Record Reflect

In Episode 3, Judge Robert McGahey chats with us about the importance of public service during this week’s National Celebration of Pro Bono. Judge McGahey presides over a civil docket in the Denver District Court. In his almost 20 years on the bench, he has also served in the criminal and domestic relations divisions. In his 25-year civil trial practice before becoming a judge, he tried over one hundred jury trials. Judge McGahey is a familiar face at NITA trial skills programs and is the four-time recipient of NITA’s Volunteer of the Year award. Outside the courtroom, he loves to travel and is a film buff, to which his many law-setting movie reviews for our Legal Advocate blog will attest. 

Topics
1:49 Why public service matters
2:42 Choosing a career in public service 
4:48 Why I volunteer for NITA
6:18 How I found NITA 
7:20 Signature “softball” 

Quote
“If the rule of law means anything, it means that everyone who’s touched by the legal system should be treated fairly and with dignity—and that means everyone, not just the people that can afford lawyers. That’s why my favorite programs are public service programs—public service lawyers, immigration programs, tribal programs—and by teaching at those programs, I hopefully do my part to level the legal playing field by making sure there are well-trained advocates available to everyone who needs one.” Robert McGahey

Recommended Resources
Robert McGahey court bio
Asked and Answered: Judge Robert McGahey
Bill deMoulin obituary
Perry Mason
Erin Brokovich movie review
Chicago movie review

Upcoming Teaching Engagements
Deposition Skills: Rocky Mountain

In Episode 2 of NITA’s recognition of the National Celebration of Pro Bono here on the podcast, we are joined by Whitney Untiedt. Whitney is an attorney with Freidin|Brown in Miami, where she handles whistleblower and false claims actions, medical malpractice, and catastrophic injury cases. Previously, Whitney managed the national, firmwide pro bono practice at an AmLaw 100 firm and mobilized large-scale legal efforts in response to natural disasters, the unconstitutional incarceration of juveniles, and the immigration enforcement crisis. Whitney is also NITA program director and will join our Board of Trustees in January 2020.

Topics
2:38 Why I volunteer for NITA 
5:03 Why public service matters
6:59 A volunteer experience that meant a lot to me
9:45 Signature “softball” 

Quote
“My work as a volunteer faculty member is given back to the organization in honor of all those who came before me, every NITA faculty member, and participant who’s mentored me professionally, and everyone in the NITA family who’s offered to spent their time and their expertise to bring up the next generation of lawyer leaders.” Whitney Untiedt

Recommended Resources
Whitney Untiedt on LinkedIn
Freidin|Brown
Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC)
Catholic Charities of NYC – NITA Public Service Program
NITA Announces Co-Program Directors: Jayme Cassidy and Whitney Untiedt, Building Trial Skills Florida in March 2020
Attorney of the Year: Whitney Untiedt

Upcoming Teaching Engagements
Building Trial Skills: Florida

In today’s inaugural episode of May the Record Reflect, we introduce you to NITA’s new podcast by talking to Annie Deets, one of NITA’s 100+ hour volunteers for 2018. Volunteerism is the theme for this season of the podcast because this week is the National Celebration of Pro Bono, an annual event that brings attention to the valuable pro bono work by lawyers, paralegals, and law students in the U.S., whether it’s to recognize individual volunteers or to draw awareness to opportunities for service in our profession.

Annie Deets works for the Law Office of the Public Defender in DeKalb County, Georgia, where she handles some of Atlanta’s highest-profile criminal cases as part of the Behavioral Health Division. During her career, she has also represented victims of domestic violence as a Henry County prosecutor, as well as handled civil matters for indigent populations in rural Georgia. Annie donated over a hundred hours in teaching time to NITA over the past year and was selected as one of NITA’s NextGen faculty in 2018.  

Topics

1:34 Why I volunteer for NITA 
4:23 The difference I think public service makes
5:21 My public service experiences 
7:56 Signature “softball” 

Quote
“I think our country right now is really in this kind of struggle, this time of turmoil and kind of searching for our soul, and what do we stand for and what do we want to represent. . . . Public service, I think, in times like this, it matters now more than ever, because if we’re not equipping people with the skills they need to fight these really hard battles on the front line, then nobody’s going to be there to fight them.” Annie Deets

Recommended Resources
Annie Deets on LinkedIn
Atlanta Legal Aid – NITA Public Service Program
Legal Aid Association of California – NITA Public Service Program
Introducing NITA’s 2018 Next Generation Faculty Members
Annie Deets on women and confidence

Upcoming Teaching Engagements
Deposition Skills: Atlanta
Deposition Skills: Nashville