Pre-Conference Workshop

Title: Interactive Legal Laboratory, Participant Agreements & Releases

Date: May 1st

Location: Boulder Outlook Hotel, Boulder, CO

Start Time: 1 p.m.

End Time: 4:30 p.m.

Cost: $100.00

Presenter: Charles R. Gregg, Attorney at Law

Presenter's Contact Information

Email: rgregg@gregglaw.net

Website: www.rebgregg.com

Bio:

Charles (Reb) Gregg is a practicing attorney in Houston, Texas, specializing in general litigation and the legal liability issues of adventure and recreation programs. Mr. Gregg is a frequent speaker in the outdoor recreation industry and has written extensively on these issues, including in the Outdoor Education and Recreation Law Quarterly which he co-edited. Reb is counsel to a number of outdoor programs and to the Association for Challenge Course Technology (ACCT). Reb serves on the Board of Directors for the Student Conservation Association, the Accreditation Council of the Association for Experiential Education (AEE), and as a member of the Wilderness Risk Managers' Committee. Reb counsels numerous organizations throughout the country on legal and liability issues.

Workshop Description:

Releases are a fundamental part of an organization’s strategy for protecting itself from claims. We will examine the elements of the Climber’s (or Participant’s, or other) Agreement which describes activities and risks and attempts to eliminate or deflect liability for negligence. Participants are urged to bring their program’s document – and, if they choose, expose it to the consideration of the workshop attendees – for a better understanding of how to maximize protection in this manner. We will also discuss factors which might detract from the effectiveness of such documents, and their use with minors and in “roster” situations. Current case law will be used to highlight certain issues and solutions.

Workshop Goals:

The workshop will help an organization understand the elements and use of a document which provides protection from claims, including a “release” or waiver of claims of negligence, and should enable an organization, assisted by counsel of its choosing and competent in this area of the law, to create such a document.

Workshop Outline:

1. What is a release?
2. Why a release?
3. The elements of the agreement.
4. Issues regarding minors.
5. How might a release fail?
6. Issues of ethics and coercion.