Behind the Briefcase
 by Susan "the Snoop" Brown

As you all may know by now, the Annual Worker’s Compensation Institute presented by The Missouri Bar has a final meeting scheduled for May 20, 2005 in Clayton, Missouri. Although informative and helpful on the CLE credit end (7.8 hours!), we’ve all spent moments of any given seminar doodling in the corner of a handout, analyzing the flavors of the free candy, or simply hoping that its time for lunch. But as the seminar progresses and the panelists continue to illuminate us on worker’s compensation issues, do you ever wonder who the panelists really are? Why are they there? What are they all about? These people are your co-workers, your judges, perhaps your opposing counsel. But who are they after 5:00 pm? I interviewed a few of the speakers for the annual St. Louis meeting to uncover who they are “Behind the Briefcase.”

Presenting at 9:50, Mr. Fielding Poe. His topic: Case Law and the elusive Last Exposure Rule. Mr. Poe has five years of practice in workers' comp and is presently employed by the firm of Valentine & Rouse. Mr. Poe was born in Paragould, Arkansas, a town of twenty-two thousand people approximately ninety miles southwest of Memphis, Tennessee. In-depth investigation reveals that Paragould was recently voted the “Safest City in Arkansas.” Who knew? In his free time, Mr. Poe enjoys pottery, ceramic art, beekeeping, and the comedic styling of the Fox animated series “King of the Hill.”

Presenting at 3:30, Mr. Chris Archer. His topic: Legislation. Mr. Archer is a partner in the law firm of Archer and Lassa, LLC, and has been practicing workers' compensation law for 15 years. Mr. Archer was born in Cleveland, Ohio and eventually made it to Saint Louis University Law School. He credits his first job to his wife, whose attendance at a St. Louis area all female high school allowed him to have a better answer than “in Cleveland” to the infamous local question, “Where did you go to high school?” A proud family man, Mr. Archer admits that the best movie he has seen this year is “The Incredibles,” noting that he has four children. Nice save, Mr. Archer.

Presenting at 2:30, Ms. Betsy Levitt. Her topic: How to Cross Examine Medical and Vocational Experts. Ms. Levitt is a twenty-one year veteran of workers' compensation and is employed by Evans & Dixon, LLC. Apart from her fondness for traveling, reading and Mickey Mouse, investigation has revealed that if given the opportunity to be a contestant on any game show, Ms. Levitt would choose “The Price is Right.” Plinko anyone? Ms. Levitt advised that the most valuable piece of legal advice she received was to “treat fellow attorneys as you would like to be treated.” A valuable reminder to be sure.

Investigation of these three subjects revealed that all interviewed have children, two out of three prefer blue ink to black ink, and one has a thing for Chinese buffets. Fortunately, this investigator was not reduced to hiding behind shrubs, tapping phones, or using surveillance cameras at the Division in order to find out the dirt on these panelists. All parties interviewed were easy to question and very forthcoming in their answers.

Perhaps after reading this information you’ll view these attorneys in a different light when you listen to them at the Workers' Compensation Institute. Or perhaps you’ll continue to scribble on your handouts and try not to make too much noise when refilling your short glass of water. Who knows? But beware, this reporter may be watching. Stay tuned for future reports of “Behind the Briefcase”—you may be the next person “under investigation.”