Social media in jury selection among topics at ABA conference

Uber, Lyft and Sidecar may be championed by customers, but taxi and limo services across the nation have no love for the unconventional transportation providers.  Not surprisingly, neither do insurance companies. And, is it ethical to use social media in the jury selection process? These are just two of the hot button issues that will be examined during the American Bar Association’s inaugural Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section Conference April 29-May 1 at The Ritz-Carlton in Philadelphia. The conference is being held jointly with the ABA Judicial Division.

Also at the conference, the ABA’s Magna Carta traveling exhibit will be on display on Wednesday, April 29, from noon to 5 p.m.; Thursday, April 30, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Friday, May 1, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Program highlights include:

• “Using Social Media in the Jury Selection Process: Ethical Issues and Best Practices” —With 1.23 billion monthly users on Facebook and 300 million subscribers to LinkedIn, the odds are someone on your jury panel is using social media. What are the ethical constraints in using social media to review the background of your jury pool?

• “Cyber Liability: The Silent Threat to Businesses and Law Firms” — This panel features a discussion of data attacks, electronically perpetrated frauds, privacy breaches and the related threats to corporate clients and law firms. Panelists will discuss methods to manage these risks and available insurance products to offset the losses caused by the identified risks and breaches. The panel will include representatives from Chubb & Son, IBM and Worldwide Fidelity & Financial Institution.

• “The Insurance Coverage Implications of Using Your Cellphone App to get a Ride” —Transportation network companies (TNCs) such as Uber, Lyft and Sidecar have sparked opposition from taxi and limo services across the country and have also sparked controversy regarding insurance coverage. This program will discuss the emerging TNC insurance coverage issues and regulatory responses, including: regulatory requirements that TNCs maintain commercial auto liability coverage and whether such coverage is primary or secondary to a driver’s private passenger auto policy; and when the “hand-off” between the private passenger and commercial auto coverage occurs — is commercial coverage in effect when the driver is “app on” or only when a ride is accepted? Speakers include representatives from Uber, Lyft, Property Casualty Insurers Association of America and the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulations.