Ethics in Practice: Navigating the Legal Profession with Integrity (Presented by The Federal Bar Association Younger Lawyers Divisions)

Judge Embry Kidd, Circuit Judge| U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

Judge Embry J. Kidd obtained a bachelor’s degree with high honors in political science from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, where he was a Robert W. Woodruff Scholar. Afterward, he attended Yale Law School, where he was on the editorial board of The Yale Law Journal and Editor-in-Chief of the Yale Journal of Law & the Humanities. Upon graduation, he clerked for the Hon. Roger L. Gregory of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

After his clerkship, Judge Kidd entered private practice at Williams & Connolly LLP in Washington, D.C. He remained there until 2014, when he became an Assistant United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, Orlando Division. On July 25, 2019, Judge Kidd was appointed to be a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Orlando Division of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.

On May 8, 2024, President Joseph Biden nominated Judge Kidd to be a circuit judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. The Senate confirmed him on November 18, 2024, and he began his service on the Eleventh Circuit on January 3, 2025.

Chief Judge Nancy Rosenstengel, District Judge | Southern District of Illinois

Nancy J. Rosenstengel is the Chief United States District Judge in the Southern District of Illinois. Judge Rosenstengel was confirmed as a United States District Judge in 2014 and is the first female judge to serve in the Southern District of Illinois. Judge Rosenstengel became Chief Judge in April 2019.

Before joining the bench, she was a member of the Illinois and Missouri bars, practicing litigation in state and federal courts in St. Louis, Missouri. She later served as a career law clerk to United States District Judge G. Patrick Murphy, and as Clerk of Court in the Southern District of Illinois. She serves as the Seventh Circuit representative on the Committee on Codes of Conduct of the United States Judicial Conference and has served on several committees in the Seventh Circuit.

Erin Jackson, Founding Shareholder | Johnson Jackson

Erin Jackson is a founding shareholder of Johnson Jackson in Tampa, a boutique law firm specializing in management side labor and employment law. Erin has been Board Certified by the Florida Bar in Labor in Employment Law since 2006 and is also a Florida Supreme Court Circuit Civil Mediator. Since 2019, Erin has been recognized as one of the Top 50 Women Lawyers in Florida. She was selected by the Tampa Bay Business Journal as a 2018 Business Woman of the Year Honoree, and Johnson Jackson was named by the Tampa Bay Business Journal as the Best Place to Work in 2019 for employers of its size. Erin has served as President of the Tampa Bay Chapter of the Federal Bar Association and as Chair of the Trial and Litigation Section for the Hillsborough County Bar Association. She is also a past President of the Hillsborough Association for Women Lawyers and also serves on the Executive Board for the Glazer Children’s Museum, the Bay Area Manufacturers Association Board, and The Skills Center Board. Erin was awarded the George C. Carr Memorial Award by the Tampa Bay Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, recognizing excellence in federal practice and distinguished service to the Federal Bar Association. Erin enjoys helping employers understand and navigate employment laws, defending them when they are wrongfully accused, and as a mediator helping parties reach resolution.

Dan Ritter| Gray Ritter Graham

Dan Ritter’s practice involves high-stakes business litigation and helping families in catastrophic personal injury litigation. Before joining Gray Ritter Graham, Dan worked at two regional law firms, clerked for Chief Judge Nancy J. Rosenstengel in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, and clerked for Circuit Judge Ralph R. Erickson in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

He is proud to have been elected to leadership positions in the community. And for years, Dan mentored law students at Washington University School of Law by serving as an adjunct professor in U.S. Law & Methods.

Moderator – Michelle Moretz-Smith, Career Law Clerk | U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

Michelle Moretz-Smith serves as the Career Law Clerk to the Honorable Charles Wilson on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Previously, Mrs. Moretz-Smith served as a law clerk to the Honorable Amanda Arnold Sansone and the Honorable Anthony E. Porcelli.

Mrs. Moretz-Smith graduated magna cum laude from Stetson University College of Law with a Juris Doctor. During law school, she was on Stetson Law Review and served as Executive Editor. Throughout law school and before law school, Mrs. Moretz-Smith worked in the restaurant industry in various roles such as a server, dining room supervisor, assistant restaurant manager, and restaurant manager. Also before attending law school, Mrs. Moretz-Smith worked as a legal assistant to two criminal defense attorneys in North Carolina. Ms. Moretz-Smith graduated from the University of North Carolina Wilmington with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology with a minor in History.

I. Owning Mistakes – Why Transparency Matters | 2:00pm – 2:15pm

• Ethical obligations when an error occurs
• Case examples of mishandled vs. well-handled mistakes
• Discussion of client communication, internal reporting, and duty of candor
• Discussion of transparency with court in writings (properly using cases for their stated holdings, etc.)

II. Dealing with Adverse Authority & Truthful Advocacy | 2:15pm – 2:35pm

• Navigating case law or facts that hurt your position
• Responsibilities to clients, courts, and colleagues
• Examples of addressing adverse authority from the lawyers
• Discussion from the bench on how to address the adverse authority

III. Speaking Up the Chain | 2:35pm – 2:50pm

• Strategies for raising concerns effectively and safely
• How to handle culture and power dynamics when speaking up
• What role do senior lawyers play in fostering psychological safety and
• ethical dialogue

IV. Q&A / Discussion | 2:50pm – 3:00pm