Total Credits: 6 including 5 CLE, 1 Ethics
Don’t let the other side outmaneuver you! Gain the advantage you need in the courtroom by learning creative practice tips from some of the best trial lawyers in the state. No matter how long you have practiced, come to this seminar to be sure your clients get the best outcome at trial!
Mr. Heninger earned a B.A. degree from the University of Illinois in 1972. After spending two years as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, he earned his J.D. degree (Summa Cum Laude) from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in 1977. He served as a law clerk to Honorable James H. Hancock, District Judge for the Northern District of Alabama before beginning his practice as a trial lawyer specializing in the litigation of personal and commercial tort actions. He has authored “Bad Faith in Alabama: An Infant Tort in Intensive Care” in the Alabama Law Review. He has served as President of the Birmingham Bar Association and the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) Alabama Chapter. He received the ABICLE Walter P. Gewin Award for service to the bar in 1993. He has been listed by “Super Lawyers” as one of the Top 10 Lawyers in Alabama for the past 4 years. He has been listed in the Best Lawyers in America (Woodward & White) since 1991. He has written numerous papers and lectured throughout the country on trial advocacy skills and strategy at venues including: Harvard School of Law, Stanford School of Law; Georgetown School of Law; University of New Mexico School of Law; University of North Carolina School of Law; University of Tennessee School of Law; University of Miami School of Law; University of Alabama School of Law; and, Cumberland School of Law. He is a “master bencher” with the Birmingham Inns of Court and a “fellow” of the Alabama Law Foundation which limits its membership to the top 1% of the State Bar.
Terry McCarthy is a partner at the Birmingham law firm of Lightfoot, Franklin & White, and is the co-author (along with Charles Gamble and Robert Goodwin) of the Seventh Edition of McElroy’s Alabama Evidence and the Third Edition of Gamble’s Alabama Rules of Evidence. He has also authored numerous scholarly articles on evidence issues and gives several CLE presentations each year on various evidence topics. Terry has taught evidence courses as an adjunct professor for most of his legal career at multiple law schools, and he currently teaches first year Civil Procedure at The University of Alabama School of Law. He serves on the advisory committee for the Alabama Rules of Evidence, and is a graduate of The University of Alabama School of Law. Terry also has a diverse trial and appellate practice and has served as lead counsel in various matters in more than 25 states throughout the country. He may be reached at tmccarthy@lightfootlaw.com.
Scott Donaldson was a Judge on the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals from 2013 until retiring in 2021 and was a circuit judge from 2003-2013. Before taking office, he had an extensive trial and appellate law practice for 18 years. Donaldson was also the Chief Judge of the Court of the Judiciary (the court that adjudicates all complaints filed against Alabama judges). He served on the Alabama State Bar Commission and State Bar Disciplinary Commission and is a current or former chair or member of numerous other judicial and legal committees including the Evidence Committee, the Civil Pattern Jury Instructions Committee, and the Appellate Rules Committee. He has been an attorney or trial judge in approximately 180 jury trials and in hundreds of bench trials. After retiring from the bench, Donaldson had an active mediation, arbitration, trial and appellate law practice. He is currently the General Counsel for the DCH Health System.
Donaldson is a faculty member of the National Judicial College and has taught many four-day evidence courses to hundreds of trial judges across the country. He has also taught evidence courses for 13 state judicial associations, the ABA Tort, Trial & Insurance Practice Section, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and for the judges of the United States Patent Trial and Appeal Board. He teaches evidence and trial skills courses for the Alabama Circuit/District Judges Associations including new judge orientation sessions and for the Probate Judges Association. Donaldson taught Trial Advocacy at the University of Alabama School of Law each semester from 2006-2022 and was an instructor for the 40-hour Domestic Relations/Civil mediator training course for alabamamediationtraining.com. He is a frequent speaker at continuing legal education programs and has authored numerous legal articles as well as the Alabama Trial Notebook, published by the University of Alabama School of Law CLE program. He is a Fellow of the Alabama Law Foundation and Vice-President of the Board of Directors.
