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EMINENT DOMAIN CONFERENCE
hosted by
Harris County Attorney Mike Stafford
March 22, 2006
Houston, Texas

Scroll down to view the complete schedule

Accredited by the State Bar of Texas MCLE Department for 6.5 MCLE hours, including 1 Ethics Hour.

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

8:00 REGISTRATION and Continental Breakfast

8:45 Welcome and Opening Remarks
  • James J. Alfini, Dean and President, South Texas College of Law - Houston
  • Mike Stafford, Harris County Attorney - Houston
  • Professor Olga L. Moya, Director of CLE, South Texas College of Law - Houston

Morning Moderator:
Robert S. Soard, Harris County Attorney's Office - Houston
9:00 Dealing with the Special Commissioners
(includes .25 hour of legal ethics)
This topic explores the legal, practical and ethical considerations of presenting an eminent domain case to the special commissioners. The speaker will cover the qualifications of special commissioners and how they are appointed, the powers and duties of the special commissioners and the role of the court in this phase of the condemnation proceeding.
  • John P. Mustachio, Harris County Attorney's Office - Houston

9:45 Ethics and Eminent Domain
(Ethics topic)
This topic deals with ethical issues facing the eminent domain practitioner representing landowners and condemning authorities.
  • Douglas P. Ray, Harris County Attorney's Office - Houston

10:30 Morning Break

10:45 Kelo v. City of New London and Condemning Property for Economic Development
This topic includes a discussion of the much publicized U.S. Supreme Court ruling that upheld condemnation for economic development and the legislation that followed the court's decision.
  • Michael E. Denosky, Ross, Melton, Denosky & Balcezak, P.C. - Austin

11:30 New Developments in Eminent Domain
This topic covers an update on recent court decisions concerning eminent domain, including statutory and jurisdictional issues.
  • Margaret A. Pollard, Sullins Johnston Rohrbach & Magers - Houston

12:15 Lunch Break

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Afternoon Moderator:
Douglas P. Ray, Harris County Attorney's Office - Houston
1:15 Inversely Yours: The Constitution's "Just Compensation" Mandate
This topic ventures into the Serbonian bog of inverse condemnation law to explore the scope and breadth of the constitutional protection afforded a property owner to recover compensation for a condemnor's unacknowledged taking or damage to property.
  • H. Dixon Montague, Vinson & Elkins, L.L.P. - Houston

2:00 Top 10 Evidentiary Issues in Eminent Domain Cases
This topic covers common evidentiary challenges that arise in an eminent domain case. The discussion will include a view from the bench on making winning objections and on using proper decorum in the courtroom.
  • Hon. R. Jack Cagle, County Civil Court at Law No. 1 - Houston

2:30 Appraising Billboards in Eminent Domain Cases
This topic explores factors that an appraiser should consider when dealing with a billboard condemnation, including the various methods for appraising billboards and the different property interests involved.
  • David R. Dominy, MAI, Managing Director, Integra Realty Resources - Houston

3:00 Afternoon Break

3:15 Project Influence on Property Valuation
This topic reviews the legal standards applicable to the admissibility of market data when there is evidence of valuation influence due to the announcement of the project.
  • Bonnie C. Lockhart, Assistant Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General of Texas - Austin


3:45 Life after Hubenak
This topic covers how this landmark Texas Supreme Court decision drastically affects challenges to the right-to-take in Texas eminent domain cases.
  • Thomas E. Sheffield, Barron, Adler & Anderson, LLP - Houston

4:30 Trans-Texas Corridor Project
This topic provides an overview of this controversial transportation system, including eminent domain issues.
  • Katherine E. Kasten, Law Offices of Eddie Vassallo, PC - Dallas

5:00 Adjourn to reception

Join Harris County Attorney Mike Stafford
and the course faculty for a reception
in the Emilie Slohm Room
(6th Floor of the Fred Parks Law Library)
5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

R.S.V.P. to Ben Santillán at santillan@stcl.edu or (713) 646-2937
by March 10, 2006.



Total MCLE hours = 6.5 hours, including 1 hour of legal ethics

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For Questions regarding Continuing Legal Education, Email: ksmith@stcl.edu