Demystifying Discovery: Fundamental Tools and Tactics for Law Clerks and New Lawyers (Presented by the Federal Bar Association’s Judiciary Division/FJLCC)

Matthew P. Allen, Esq., Principal | Miller Canfield

Matthew P. Allen is a Principal at Miller Canfield and leads the firm’s securities litigation team. A business litigator and trial lawyer with broad courtroom experience spanning Detroit’s criminal courts to bet-the-company securities and international intellectual property disputes, Matt has also conducted sensitive internal investigations for corporations and universities involving export controls, national security, espionage, international securities fraud, and sexual abuse and assault. He is a court-certified mediator and complex commercial arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association, and has tried an international arbitration in Stockholm, Sweden under the Swedish Arbitration Act, in addition to litigating FINRA securities arbitrations and AAA commercial matters. Matt is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America — an invitation-only trial lawyer honorary society limited to fewer than one-half of one percent of American lawyers — and has been consistently recognized in Best Lawyers in America, Michigan Super Lawyers, and Leading Lawyers. He earned his B.A. in Political Science and English from the State University of New York College at Fredonia and his J.D. from Wayne State University Law School, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Wayne Law Review and clerked for the Chief U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan.

• Education & Credentials

Matt holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and English from SUNY College at Fredonia and a Juris Doctor from Wayne State University Law School, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Wayne Law Review. Following law school, he clerked for the Chief U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan — an experience that informs his courtroom advocacy and his work as a court-certified mediator and AAA commercial arbitrator. He is admitted to practice in Michigan, New York, and Illinois, and is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and the Michigan State Bar Foundation.

• Recognition & Leadership

Matt is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America — an invitation-only honorary society recognizing fewer than one-half of one percent of American lawyers for outstanding trial advocacy. He has been consistently recognized in Best Lawyers in America, Michigan Super Lawyers (2014–2024), and Leading Lawyers. He is Co-Chair of the ABA Securities Litigation Subcommittee and an executive board member of the Eastern District of Michigan Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. He has also been appointed to the Eastern District of Michigan’s Local Rules Advisory Committee and the Board of Trustees of the Oakland County Bar Foundation.

• Professional Involvement

Matt is Co-Chair of the ABA Securities Litigation Subcommittee and an executive board member of the FBA’s Eastern District of Michigan Chapter. He has presented at the Midwest Securities Law Institute, the ABA Securities Litigation Subcommittee, and the State Bar of Michigan’s Business Law Section on topics ranging from SEC enforcement and Wells notices to SEC disgorgement, shadow trading, and joint defense agreements. He co-presented with the FBI on economic espionage and trade secret protection, and has published analyses of Dodd-Frank, SEC enforcement initiatives, and Michigan securities law in the Wayne Law Review, Michigan Business Law Journal, and ABA publications. He also serves on the Leadership Oakland Board of Directors.

• Experience

Matt Allen’s career spans the full spectrum of high-stakes business litigation — from criminal jury trials and felony preliminary examinations as a Special Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in Wayne County, to securities enforcement defense, internal corporate investigations, international IP disputes, and AAA commercial arbitrations tried abroad. His SEC and DOJ enforcement defense work has involved formal and informal investigations by the SEC, FTC, DOJ, DHS, and FEC on behalf of corporations, audit committees, and senior officers. His editorial leadership of the Wayne Law Review, his district court clerkship, and his ABA and FBA committee leadership reflect a practitioner as committed to the profession’s institutional development as to the advocacy demands of his clients.

Christina Dines, Esq., Judicial Law Clerk | U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

Christina Dines is currently serving as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Adalberto Jordan of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Her clerkship experience is exceptional in breadth: she previously clerked for the Honorable John L. Sinatra, Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York and for Justice John D. Couriel of the Florida Supreme Court. In addition to her three clerkships, Christina brings substantial litigation experience from her prior role as a senior associate in the Miami office of Baker McKenzie LLP, where she was a member of the Litigation & Government Enforcement Practice Group, representing clients in complex civil disputes, internal and external investigations, and federal civil RICO matters across multiple state and federal courts including the U.S. Supreme Court. She graduated from the University of Notre Dame and Notre Dame Law School, was a Division I coxswain, and serves on the Notre Dame Monogram Club Board of Directors. She also serves on the Federal Bar Association’s Federal Judicial Law Clerk Committee.

• Education & Credentials

Christina holds undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Notre Dame and Notre Dame Law School. A former Division I coxswain at Notre Dame, she brings a competitive and team-oriented approach to her legal work. Her three judicial clerkships — at the Florida Supreme Court, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit — provide a multi-level perspective on judicial decision-making, appellate advocacy, and the practical demands of federal and state court practice that is extraordinarily rare among practitioners at any career stage.

• Recognition & Leadership

Christina’s three clerkships at the state supreme court, federal district court, and federal circuit court levels represent a record of judicial placement that is virtually unmatched among practitioners of her experience. Her service on the Federal Bar Association’s Federal Judicial Law Clerk Committee reflects recognition of her expertise and perspective on clerkship and judicial practice. Her prior recognition at Notre Dame Law School and her Monogram Club Board membership reflect a career grounded in both academic distinction and community leadership.

• Professional Involvement

Christina serves on the Federal Bar Association’s Federal Judicial Law Clerk Committee, through which she contributes to the national dialogue on federal practice, clerkship pathways, and judicial advocacy. Her prior Baker McKenzie practice involved complex civil litigation, government enforcement defense, and civil RICO matters — a background that meaningfully complements her three-clerkship appellate and trial court perspective.

• Experience

Christina Dines offers a perspective on federal court practice that is rarely available in a single practitioner: experience as a law clerk at the state supreme court, federal district court, and federal circuit court of appeals levels, combined with private practice at Baker McKenzie’s Miami office representing clients in high-stakes litigation and government enforcement matters. Her clerkships with Justice Couriel of the Florida Supreme Court, Judge Sinatra of the W.D.N.Y., and Judge Jordan of the Eleventh Circuit have given her firsthand exposure to judicial reasoning across a broad range of civil and criminal issues — an experience that informs her approach to advocacy, brief writing, and litigation strategy in ways that practitioners with only private-side experience rarely achieve.

Debra M. Strauss, Esq., Professor of Business Law | Fairfield University Charles F. Dolan School of Business

Debra M. Strauss is a Professor of Business Law at Fairfield University’s Charles F. Dolan School of Business, where she teaches international law, business law, and applied ethics. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Cornell University and Yale Law School, she clerked for the Honorable Charles L. Brieant, Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, before practicing commercial litigation at Rogers & Wells (now Clifford Chance LLP). Professor Strauss is the author of Behind the Bench: The Guide to Judicial Clerkships (West Academic Publishing, 3rd ed. 2023) — a leading practitioner and student resource on the courts — and previously served as the founding Director of Judicial Clerkship Counseling and Programs at Yale Law School. She authored the National Judicial Clerkship Study for the American Bar Association and the National Association for Law Placement, and is a founder and officer of the Connecticut Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. She serves as Co-Chair of the Federal Judicial Law Clerk Committee of the FBA Judiciary Division.

• Education & Credentials

Professor Strauss is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Cornell University and holds a J.D. from Yale Law School. She clerked for the Honorable Charles L. Brieant, Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, following her Yale Law graduation. Her teaching at Fairfield’s Dolan School of Business spans international law, business law, and applied ethics, and her authorship of Behind the Bench — now in its third edition from West Academic Publishing — has made her one of the most widely cited authorities on judicial clerkships in the United States.

• Recognition & Leadership

Professor Strauss’s recognition spans academia, the bar, and the judiciary. As the founding Director of Yale Law School’s Judicial Clerkship Counseling and Programs, she shaped the clerkship culture and preparation of one of the country’s most prominent law schools. Her authorship of the National Judicial Clerkship Study for the ABA and NALP produced the most comprehensive empirical analysis of judicial clerkship trends ever compiled. Now in its third edition, Behind the Bench is universally regarded as the definitive guide to judicial clerkships. She is a founder and officer of the Connecticut FBA Chapter and Co-Chair of the FBA Judiciary Division’s Federal Judicial Law Clerk Committee.

• Professional Involvement

Professor Strauss is a founder and officer of the Connecticut Chapter of the Federal Bar Association and serves as Co-Chair of the Federal Judicial Law Clerk Committee of the FBA Judiciary Division. She frequently presents and consults on federal practice, effective appellate and trial court advocacy, legal writing, and judicial clerkship success at law schools, bar associations, and judicial education programs. Her consulting work extends to law firms and organizations seeking to understand and navigate the federal courts.

• Experience

Professor Strauss’s career combines the credentials of a Yale Law graduate and Southern District of New York judicial clerk with the teaching expertise of a long-tenured Fairfield University professor and the scholarly authority of the author of the nation’s leading judicial clerkship guide. Her founding directorship of Yale Law School’s clerkship program, her national ABA/NALP clerkship study, her Connecticut FBA chapter leadership, and her ongoing FBA Judiciary Division committee work place her at the intersection of academic, practitioner, and judicial communities in ways that make her uniquely equipped to speak on federal practice, advocacy, and the federal judiciary.

Anoosheh Shaikh, Esq., Associate | Duane Morris LLP

Anoosheh Shaikh is an Associate in Duane Morris LLP’s Miami office, where she has developed a well-rounded litigation practice focused on complex commercial disputes, securities matters, and employment litigation. She is well-versed in end-to-end litigation strategy, including managing discovery, drafting motions, and preparing for trial. Prior to joining Duane Morris, she served as a law clerk to the Honorable Embry Kidd of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Anoosheh is a 2022 cum laude graduate of the University of Miami School of Law, where she served as Vice President of the Charles C. Papy Jr. Moot Court Board and was a member of the International and Comparative Law Review. She was inducted into the Order of Barristers National Honors Society for excellence in oral advocacy and brief writing. She is also a cum laude graduate of The George Washington University.

• Education & Credentials

Anoosheh holds a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, from The George Washington University and a Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the University of Miami School of Law (2022). At Miami Law, she served as Vice President of the Charles C. Papy Jr. Moot Court Board and was a member of the International and Comparative Law Review. She was inducted into the Order of Barristers — a national honor society recognizing outstanding achievement in oral advocacy and brief writing. Her prior clerkship with Judge Embry Kidd of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida adds judicial perspective to her litigation practice.

• Recognition & Leadership

Anoosheh’s recognition includes cum laude distinction at both The George Washington University and the University of Miami School of Law, induction into the Order of Barristers for excellence in oral advocacy and brief writing, and her selection as Vice President of Miami Law’s Charles C. Papy Jr. Moot Court Board. Her clerkship with Judge Kidd of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida reflects the combination of academic excellence and practical aptitude that competitive federal clerkships demand.

• Professional Involvement

Anoosheh is an active contributor to Duane Morris’s complex commercial litigation, securities, and employment litigation practice groups. Her law school leadership on the Moot Court Board and the International and Comparative Law Review reflect a practitioner who began her career with a strong foundation in oral advocacy, brief writing, and cross-border legal issues.

• Experience

Anoosheh Shaikh’s career combines a dual cum laude academic record, competitive federal clerkship, Order of Barristers recognition, and an emerging practice in complex commercial, securities, and employment litigation at Duane Morris LLP in Miami. Her Vice Presidency of the Miami Law Moot Court Board — an institution that produced her moot court skills and connections — combined with her Middle District of Florida clerkship, provides a foundation for litigation practice that emphasizes preparation, precision, and advocacy effectiveness at every stage of a case.

Kaitlin Farrell, Esq., Partner | Haug Partners LLP

Kaitlin Farrell is a Partner at Haug Partners LLP in New York, where her practice focuses on patent litigation and pre-lawsuit investigations in matters involving pharmaceuticals, medical devices, chemicals, cosmetics, food and beverage, automotive, and consumer products. She is a registered patent attorney who leverages her life sciences background — a B.S. in Biological Sciences and Anthropology from Fordham University — to develop results-oriented strategies for clients seeking to maximize the value of their patent assets. Kaitlin has litigated major patent disputes before the PTAB, the ITC, and patent venues across the country, and has represented clients before the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. She was elevated to partner as of April 2022 and was named among the top intellectual property attorneys for 2024 by Attorney Intel. She earned her J.D. from Notre Dame Law School (2017), where she was President of the Women’s Legal Forum and completed an externship at the USPTO Office of Patent Legal Administration, and received the ABA/Bloomberg BNA Award for Excellence in the Study of Intellectual Property Law.

• Education & Credentials

Kaitlin holds a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences and Anthropology from Fordham University and a Juris Doctor from Notre Dame Law School (2017). At Notre Dame Law, she was President of the Women’s Legal Forum — whose faculty advisor was now-Justice Amy Coney Barrett — and completed an externship at the USPTO in the Office of Patent Legal Administration. She is a registered patent attorney before the USPTO and received the ABA/Bloomberg BNA Award for Excellence in the Study of Intellectual Property Law. She was selected to New York Rising Stars (2023–2024) in Intellectual Property Litigation.

• Recognition & Leadership

Kaitlin received the ABA/Bloomberg BNA Award for Excellence in the Study of Intellectual Property Law during law school and was selected to New York Rising Stars in Intellectual Property Litigation for 2023–2024. She was named among the top intellectual property attorneys for 2024 by Attorney Intel. Her elevation to partner at Haug Partners in 2022 — a firm recognized as a leading pharmaceutical patent litigation boutique — reflects practitioner recognition of her litigation quality and client advocacy. She is an active contributor to national and international IP associations and has presented at the Centerforce IP Strategy Summit and other major IP conferences.

• Professional Involvement

Kaitlin is an active contributor to local, national, and international intellectual property associations, and is a proponent of DEI initiatives within the IP bar. She has presented at the Centerforce IP Strategy Summit and co-presented CLE programs on PTAB practice, the Federal Circuit’s enablement standard post-Amgen, and pharmaceutical patent litigation strategy. Her USPTO externship background and her registered patent attorney status reflect sustained engagement with the patent prosecution and policy dimensions of IP law in addition to her litigation practice.

• Experience

Kaitlin Farrell has built a pharmaceutical and life sciences patent litigation practice at Haug Partners that spans the full spectrum of patent dispute venues — from PTAB and ITC proceedings through district court trials and Federal Circuit and Supreme Court appeals. Her Fordham life sciences undergraduate degree informs her ability to engage directly with technical experts and understand the biological, chemical, and medical science underlying her clients’ patent assets. Her record at Notre Dame Law, her USPTO externship, her ABA/BNA IP award, her registered patent attorney status, and her 2022 elevation to partner at one of New York’s most respected IP litigation boutiques reflect a career defined by technical depth, advocacy quality, and a strong commitment to the development of the IP bar.

SESSION 1 – Role of Discovery and Purposes of Different Discovery Types | 12:00pm – 12:15pm

Panelists examine how interrogatories, requests for production, requests for admission, and depositions each serve distinct strategic functions, and how selecting the right tool at the right stage shapes the outcome of federal civil litigation.

SESSION 2 – Importance and Examples of Adhering to Local Rules and Judge-Specific Preferences | 12:15pm – 12:30pm

Beyond the Federal Rules, every court and judge carries distinct procedural expectations. Panelists walk through real examples of how local rules and standing orders directly affect discovery strategy, compliance, and credibility before the bench.

SESSION 3 – Drafting Tips | 12:30pm – 12:45pm

Effective discovery begins with precise, well-crafted requests. Panelists share practical drafting techniques to minimize ambiguity, anticipate objections, and produce responses that hold up under scrutiny — saving clients time and litigation costs.

SESSION 4 – Meet and Confers; Navigating Discovery Disputes in Litigation | 12:45pm – 12:55pm

When discovery breaks down, the meet-and-confer process becomes critical. Panelists outline proven strategies for resolving disputes efficiently, avoiding unnecessary motion practice, and preserving professional relationships throughout contentious litigation.

SESSION 5 – Questions and Answers | 12:55pm – 1:00pm

Attendees bring their most pressing discovery challenges to the panel. This open exchange allows practitioners to apply session insights directly to real-world scenarios they encounter in active federal civil litigation matters.