Course List

Solo and small firm attorneys often delay retirement and exit planning due to perceived complexity, cost, or uncertainty—unintentionally increasing professional, financial, and ethical risk. This practical CLE equips attorneys with a clear, risk-aware framework for planning their eventual exit, succession, or retirement while protecting clients, firm value, and personal financial security. The program focuses on realistic planning strategies for attorneys who may not have internal successors, including identifying risk exposure in delayed planning, coordinating legal and financial considerations, and implementing safeguards that align with professional responsibility obligations.

Learning Objectives:

* Identify key professional, ethical, and financial risks associated with delayed or informal retirement and exit planning in small firm and solo practices

* Evaluate practical exit pathways and assess their relative risk profiles

* Implement foundational risk-mitigation strategies to protect clients, firm value, and personal assets during retirement or transition planning

* Coordinate retirement and exit planning decisions with ethical obligations related to client communication, file management, trust accounts, and continuity of representation

* Develop a roadmap appropriate for attorneys without internal successors or large firm infrastructure

Stacey Carrasco is the Founder and Principal Attorney of Carrasco Legal Group, a boutique estate and business planning law firm based in Silver Spring, Maryland, serving clients throughout Maryland and the District of Columbia. With more than 20 years of legal experience, Ms. Carrasco counsels individuals, families, and small business owners on comprehensive planning strategies, including wills and trusts, incapacity planning (powers of attorney and advance directives), and business planning with a focus on entity formation, continuity, succession, and exit strategies.

Generative AI is a game-changing technology – but it also comes with ethical risks for attorneys and law firms. Developing an AI policy for your law firm is now crucial and involves addressing ethical considerations and ensuring compliance with legal standards while leveraging the benefits of AI.

This CLE explores the ethical, practical and regulatory implications of integrating artificial intelligence into legal practice. It covers core technologies like machine learning and generative AI, their application in law firms and the ethical responsibilities attorneys under the ABA Model Rules and various state bar ethics opinions. Attorneys will learn how to assess confidentiality risks, ensure transparency in billing, combat AI bias and develop firm-wide AI policies that uphold professional conduct and client trust.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Identify key AI technologies used in legal practice and their core functions.

2. Understand the ethical rules and responsibilities triggered by AI use, including competence, confidentiality, and candor.

3. Evaluate the risks of AI bias, misinformation, and data security breaches.

4. Develop a compliant AI policy aligned with ABA Model Rules and state bar guidance.

5. Communicate transparently with clients about AI use and its implications for fees, privacy, and case strategy.

Desire'e Martinelli is an attorney and the Director of Marketing & Analytics of Esquire Interactive LLC. Jeff Lantz is an attorney, entrepreneur, and the CEO of Esquire Interactive LLC, an interactive digital marketing agency for attorneys and law firms.

This CLE explores the connection between attorney wellness and professional responsibility, highlighting how stress management, balance, and sustainable practice habits are essential for both personal health and excellence in client service. Participants will learn practical strategies to reduce burnout, strengthen decision-making, and build healthier professional routines. The program emphasizes how wellness directly impacts an attorney’s ability to meet their ethical obligations to clients, colleagues, and the profession, and how supportive systems within firms can reduce risks, enhance communication, and foster long-term success.

Learning Objectives

1. Recognize how well-being affects professional performance, including the ability to provide competent, reliable, and high-quality service.

2. Identify the warning signs of impairment—such as stress, fatigue, or substance use—that can compromise judgment and create ethical risks.

3. Apply practical wellness strategies such as mindfulness, time management, and peer support that strengthen focus, resilience, and client service.

4. Evaluate practice management systems (records, communication, and technology use) to reduce errors and avoid malpractice exposure.

5. Understand professional duties related to leadership and accountability, including creating a culture of wellness, addressing misconduct, and supporting colleagues.

Dieter Clauss is Vice President of Clauss & Co., Inc., where he leads the professional liability program for Lawyers Insurance Group. He specializes in advising law firms and attorneys on risk management, professional responsibility, and malpractice coverage, helping legal professionals safeguard their practices while meeting client and ethical obligations.

Eyewitness testimony is powerful—but not always reliable. Decades of research have shown that memory can be fallible, and mistaken identifications remain a leading cause of wrongful convictions. In this CLE, expert witness testimony expert Dr. Curt Carlson draws on empirical research and real-world cases to explain how and why eyewitnesses can get it wrong—and what legal professionals can do about it. Participants will explore the science of perception, memory, and bias, learn about common pitfalls in police lineups, and review best practices that align with current psychological evidence. This session will help attorneys better evaluate the reliability of eyewitness testimony and improve how such evidence is addressed in investigations and at trial. Learning Objectives:

1. Identify key psychological variables that affect the accuracy of eyewitness identification.

2. Analyze common procedural flaws in police lineups and interviews that contribute to false identifications.

3. Evaluate the probative value of eyewitness testimony using scientifically grounded criteria.

4. Apply best practices in case strategy when dealing with eyewitness evidence, whether prosecuting, defending, or presiding.

5. Advocate for or challenge the admissibility and weight of eyewitness evidence through effective use of expert testimony.

Curt Carlson, Ph.D., is a distinguished cognitive psychologist whose academic journey informs his work at the intersection of psychology and the legal system. Since joining East Texas?A&M, he has led research on eyewitness memory and lineup procedures, secured a $344K National Institute of Justice grant, and holds fellowships in the American Psychology–Law Society and Psychonomic Society.

Part 1. Implicit bias plays a significant — yet often unrecognized — role at nearly every stage of the legal system, influencing decisions from initial police contact through charging, pretrial determinations, trial strategy and sentencing.

Even well-intentioned legal professionals may unknowingly rely on unconscious assumptions shaped by personal experience, cultural exposure, and systemic norms, leading to unequal outcomes and diminished confidence in the justice system. This course explores the pervasive role of implicit bias in the U.S. judicial system and introduces narrative tools as strategies to counteract these biases. Drawing on psychological research, legal data, narrative theory, and real-world case studies, the session guides attorneys in identifying decision points where implicit bias can affect outcomes and offers practical interventions, including the use of client narratives and videos.

Learning Objectives

* Define implicit bias and distinguish it from explicit bias

* Identify key decision points in the legal process where implicit bias may emerge

* Understand how implicit bias impacts decisions at arrest, charging, pretrial & sentencing

* Recognize the influence of personal experience and background on legal decision- making

* Use narrative-based mitigation strategies to humanize clients and challenge biased assumptions

* Apply the Implicit Association Test (IAT) to assess and reflect on personal implicit bias

The speakers include: Rebecca Grace, Professor Matthew Claire, PhD., Hon. Judge Mark W. Bennett, Prof. Leticia Saucedo, Shawn Marsh, PhD., Omkari Williams and Shari Rusk.

There are many reasons why shareholders fight and small businesses break up – differences in business vision & strategy, disagreements over financial decisions, conflicts of interest & personality clashes are some of the main ones. When shareholders fight, legal advisors must quickly assess available rights, remedies, and the trajectory of any potential resolution or litigation.

In this CLE, Brandon M. Schwartz will mainly explore fiduciary duties owed among shareholders in closely held corporations, detail the types of disputes that frequently arise and highlight the strategies available to resolve them effectively. The program highlights both substantive and procedural fiduciary obligations, including duties of loyalty, candor, and fair dealing. Attendees will also gain insights into majority vs. minority shareholder dynamics, shareholder oppression and deadlock scenarios. Finally, the session focuses on dispute resolution options — from mediation and arbitration to full-scale litigation and the use of Special Litigation Committees (SLCs). By the conclusion of the session, attorneys will be better equipped to advise clients on preventative measures, evaluate risks, and select dispute resolution strategies that protect shareholder rights and preserve business value.

Learning Objectives

- Identify fiduciary duties owed among majority and minority shareholders in closely held corporations.

- Differentiate between common types of shareholder disputes, including deadlock, oppression, and breach of shareholder agreements.

- Analyze risks and consequences of shareholder disputes, including operational, financial, and reputational impacts.

- Evaluate dispute resolution options, including mediation, arbitration, and litigation.

- Understand the role of Special Litigation Committees (SLCs) in resolving shareholder disputes and the standards courts apply to review their decisions.

- Develop strategies for advising clients proactively to minimize disputes and preserve business relationships.

Brandon M. Schwartz, Esq., is a Board-Certified Civil Specialist by the Minnesota State Bar Association, a Board-Certified Civil Trial Advocate and Family Trial Law Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and has received recognition from peers and clients alike for his thorough, zealous and ethical representation.

Most clients want everything in a contract negotiation. Unfortunately, the other side probably wants everything too. The real question for practitioners is: which clauses are truly worth the fight? The answer, of course, is…. it depends.

In this CLE, Kristi Zentner and Heather Marx — a seasoned transactional attorney & an experienced commercial litigator — share insights drawn from daily practice on both sides of the negotiating table. They explore the most common flashpoints in contract drafting and negotiation, from indemnification and limitation of liability to representations, warranties, and confidentiality provisions. The dynamic duo also provide practical strategies for recognizing which provisions merit aggressive advocacy, show you how to tailor clauses to a client’s risk profile, and drafting the contact with enforceability in mind. Attendees will also gain tools for memorializing the negotiation: ensuring that contracts clearly reflect agreed terms, avoid ambiguities and reduce the risk of costly disputes down the road.

Learning Objectives

* Identify key contract clauses — such as indemnification, limitation of liability, and representations and warranties — that most often become points of contention and potential litigation.

* Evaluate negotiation dynamics, including leverage, market conditions, and counterparty risk, to determine which provisions are worth pressing and which can be compromised.

* Draft clear and enforceable risk-shifting provisions tailored to the transaction, including defining scope, triggers, exceptions, and remedies.

* Recognize common mistakes in contract drafting and negotiation that create ambiguity or weaken enforceability, and implement strategies to avoid them.

* Apply effective review techniques to ensure that contracts accurately memorialize negotiations, reflect agreed business terms, and align with preliminary documents such as term sheets or letters of intent.

* Integrate practical drafting tips—such as consistency of defined terms, clarity of structure, and avoidance of boilerplate legalese—into daily practice to improve contract quality and reduce litigation risk.

Kristi Zentner, Esq., is a transactional attorney who represents clients in general business, supply chain management, as well as tariff, customs, and trade matters. Heather Marx. Esq., applies her experience in the areas of complex business and commercial litigation to represent a variety of clients.

Ethical Mistakes that Could Cost You Your License explores the most frequent missteps that lead to attorney discipline—and how to avoid them. From trust account violations to client communication breakdowns, unauthorized practice of law, and improper withdrawal from representation, this program draws from real-world scenarios and applicable ABA Model Rules. Participants will leave with practical tools to improve ethical decision-making, reduce professional risk, and deliver better client service. Learning Objectives:

1. Identify common ethical violations that lead to discipline, suspension, or disbarment.

2. Apply the appropriate ABA Model Rules when managing client funds, communications, and fees.

3. Recognize the boundaries of authorized practice and how to ethically manage multijurisdictional or remote work.

4. Evaluate best practices for withdrawal from representation while safeguarding client interests.

5. Understand the disciplinary process and consequences of failing to respond to a complaint.

Cari L. Sheehan is Assistant General Counsel at Taft Stettinius & Hollister, where she focuses on professional responsibility, conflicts of interest compliance, and civil litigation. She regularly reviews outside counsel guidelines, conflict waivers, and engagement letters, and provides firm-wide ethics training. In addition to her role at Taft, Sheehan is an adjunct professor at Indiana University’s Robert H. McKinney School of Law, where she teaches Professional Responsibility.

This CLE program provides attorneys with critical guidance on navigating the increasingly intertwined worlds of legal ethics, malpractice risk & cybersecurity. As law firms become prime targets for cyber threats, ethical responsibilities under the ABA Model Rules demand heightened awareness and action.

Led by attorney Jeff Cunningham — who defends lawyers and firms in malpractice and ethics cases — this course explores the blurred lines between ethics violations and cyber negligence. Through practical strategies and real-world examples, the course offers attorneys actionable methods to build ethical “guardrails” that protect both client data and professional reputations. Topics include vendor due diligence, cyber infrastructure, legal tech trends, client counseling on cyber duties, and enhancing law firm security teams. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of key ethics rules, including Competence (Rule 1.1), Confidentiality (Rule 1.6), Communication (Rule 1.4), and Supervision Responsibilities (Rules 5.1–5.3), as applied in the digital age. Attorneys will walk away with a playbook for proactive compliance — ensuring they meet ethical obligations while mitigating malpractice and cyber liability in a high-risk environment.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify and interpret key ethical rules—including ABA Model Rules 1.1, 1.4, 1.6, and 5.1–5.3—as they apply to cybersecurity responsibilities in legal practice.

• Distinguish between ethical violations and legal malpractice in the context of cyber risk, and recognize how blurred boundaries create new areas of liability.

• Develop practical strategies for cyber compliance, including building secure infrastructure, conducting vendor due diligence, and training legal staff and nonlawyer personnel.

• Evaluate their firm's current cyber readiness and implement “ethics guardrails” to proactively reduce exposure to cyber threats and ethics grievances.

• Advise clients effectively on their own cybersecurity obligations, enhancing client service and meeting ethical duties under communication and competence rules.

Jeff Cunningham, Esq., actively defends lawyers and acts as outside General Counsel to small and mid-sized law firms across the United States, while also serving as this firm’s General Counsel. Jeff defends industry professionals in a wide range of professional liability, ethics and professional disciplinary matters. With an emphasis on simple systems of risk management, Jeff brings a holistic approach of protecting our clients before problems occur.

Product liability, mass torts, and class action claims are no longer limited to the United States—they’ve gone global. With new claimant-friendly frameworks, such as the EU’s latest Product Liability Directive, and an increase in cross-border coordination among plaintiffs’ firms, multinational corporations are facing mounting exposure worldwide. This program explores the accelerating globalization of mass tort and product liability litigation, the key jurisdictions driving this trend, and the evolving strategies required to assess risk and mount effective defenses. Attendees will gain insight into recent global trends, emerging procedural developments, and practical tools for in-house counsel and their outside counsel to mitigate potential liability before it arises and successfully defend claims when they do.

Learning Objectives:

1. Recognize key global trends and statistical data highlighting the rapid expansion of product liability, mass tort, and class action litigation beyond the United States.

2. Identify new and emerging laws—such as the EU Product Liability Directive—and jurisdictions that have become increasingly hospitable to collective redress claims.

3. Evaluate potential cross-border litigation risks for manufacturers and other corporate defendants and implement proactive risk-mitigation measures.

4. Develop effective defense strategies for managing and resolving international product liability and mass tort claims, including jurisdictional, procedural, and coordination considerations.

5. Apply lessons from recent high-profile global cases to strengthen compliance, corporate governance, and litigation readiness programs. Chris Campbell is the Chair of DLA Piper's Product Liability and Mass Tort practice group, one of the world's largest and most acclaimed teams in product liability defense. A Harvard Law School graduate, Chris has 20 years of experience in mass tort, class action, and complex commercial litigation, including trials and appeals. He has served as global, national, and trial counsel for companies in life sciences, food and beverage, automotive, and insurance sectors.

From Mullets on the Go to the KFC Colonel’s Secret Recipe – and even MLB’s Lena Blackburne Rubbing Mud for baseballs– you won’t find a more entertaining CLE. This course features intellectual property attorneys Eric Hanscom and David Branfman, who provide practical guidance for attorneys counseling clients on patent and trade secret protection. Drawing from decades of experience, the presenters explain the distinctions between utility and design patents, the benefits and limitations of provisional applications and the strategic application of trade secrets. Through numerous entertaining case studies and real client stories, this session offers insights into leveraging multiple IP tools effectively. The discussion includes legal requirements, enforcement risks, best practices and how to advise clients based on business goals and budget constraints.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the distinctions between utility, design, and provisional patents.
• Identify when trade secrets are preferable over patent protection.
• Recognize how trademarks, trade dress, and patents can work in tandem.
• Evaluate common IP pitfalls and missteps made by clients.
• Apply legal and strategic considerations to IP planning and protection.
• Develop trade secret protection plans and understand their legal foundations.
• Analyze real-world examples to understand the practical application of IP law.

Patent attorney Eric Hanscom is actively involved in overseeing IP litigation, contract negotiation and customs issues around the globe. David Branfman’s IP practice focuses on entertainment law, including trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, licensing, motion pictures & TV and music.

Trial attorneys now increasingly rely on the “Reptile Theory” — a trial strategy designed to awaken jurors’ primal instincts for safety, fear and self-preservation. This technique has been credited with driving a sharp rise in “nuclear verdicts” awarded by juries over the last decade.

In this engaging and highly practical session, veteran trial attorney Kate Whitlock, Esq. explores how these Reptile tactics operate — and how defense counsel can effectively recognize, neutralize, and counter them at every stage of litigation. Kate will examine how juror anger, distrust of authority and media-driven narratives have reshaped the litigation landscape. She provides participants with actionable strategies for depositions, motions practice, voir dire, trial themes and closing arguments to defuse emotional manipulation and restore rational decision-making. Attorneys will leave this session with a deep understanding of the psychological and procedural underpinnings of Reptile Theory, how it manifests in pleadings and discovery and concrete techniques for minimizing exposure to runaway verdicts.

Participants will learn how to:

* Define Reptile Theory and explain its psychological roots in the triune brain model

* Identify hallmarks of Reptile tactics in pleadings, discovery, and witness examination

* Analyze case law restricting or sanctioning Reptile-style argumentation

* Develop motion and deposition strategies to protect witnesses and preserve appellate issues

* Reframe trial themes around reasonableness, personal responsibility, and fairness to neutralize fear-based appeals

Kate Whitlock has spent her career defending and counseling individuals and companies accused of not doing their jobs right. Primarily in professional liability, bad faith and sexual misconduct matters, Kate represents clients in many different fields – legal, insurance, accounting, real estate, education and more.

Mergers and acquisitions require lawyers to balance fast-moving deal timelines, complex drafting, extensive diligence, and coordination among multiple parties — all under heightened professional liability exposure. This CLE provides a practical, data-driven overview of the most significant malpractice risks that arise throughout the lifecycle of an M&A transaction, including pre-closing diligence failures, drafting errors, communication breakdowns, and post-closing claims. Drawing from real-world claims statistics and industry trends, the course outlines key deal points where lawyers are most vulnerable, explains how errors typically occur, and offers actionable strategies for mitigating risk through disciplined workflows, documentation practices, internal controls, and the effective use of insurance products.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify the primary professional liability risks faced by lawyers in M&A practice at the pre-closing, active deal, and post-closing stages.

2. Recognize common failure points in diligence, contract drafting, deal structuring, redlining, and communication that contribute to malpractice claims.

3. Implement effective risk-management strategies, including conflict checks, diligence protocols, documentation discipline, and internal oversight controls.

4. Understand how indemnification structures, caps, baskets, survival periods, and escrow arrangements can shift or minimize liability.

5. Evaluate the role of RWI and TLPE insurance products in addressing gaps in transaction protection and reducing exposure for buyers, sellers, and counsel.

6. Apply a defensible M&A practice framework that includes standardized engagement terms, peer review, closing documentation, and post-closing reporting.

Dieter Clauss is Vice President of Clauss & Co., Inc., where he leads the professional liability program for Lawyers Insurance Group. He specializes in advising law firms and attorneys on risk management, professional responsibility, and malpractice coverage, helping legal professionals safeguard their practices while meeting client and ethical obligations.

Many attorneys struggle silently with perfectionism, self-doubt and the fear of being “found out,” despite outward success. These internal pressures — often far greater than the external demands of legal practice — can significantly impact mental health and overall well-being if left unaddressed. Does this sound familiar??

“Everyone tells me I’m doing a great job—my clients, my colleagues, my family. So why do I still feel like I don’t measure up?”

“If I ask for help, everyone will know the truth about me.”

“I’m ok. I can work this out for myself

This program examines how perfectionism manifests within the legal profession and why lawyers are uniquely vulnerable to related mental health and substance use challenges. Drawing on current research and everyday insights, this course identifies early warning signs of distress, impairment, and burnout, while addressing the cultural, professional, and psychological barriers that prevent lawyers from seeking help. The program also highlights practical strategies for managing perfectionism, reducing stigma, restoring balance and maintaining long-term professional well-being. Attendees will gain a clear understanding of the confidential resources available through Lawyer Assistance Programs and how these services can support lawyers before problems escalate.

Upon completion of this program, participants will be able to:

* Identify early warning signs of distress, burnout, and impairment related to mental health and substance use issues within the legal profession.

* Explain how perfectionism manifests among attorneys, including its relationship to imposter syndrome, anxiety, and self-criticism.

* Recognize why lawyers are at increased risk for mental health and substance use disorders due to professional culture, personality traits, and workplace demands.

* Understand common barriers—including stigma, shame, and denial—that prevent legal professionals from seeking assistance.

* Apply practical well-being strategies to manage perfectionism, reduce distress, and promote healthier work-life balance.

* Identify available confidential resources, including Lawyer Assistance Programs, and understand how and when to access support.

Brian S. Quinn, Esquire is a licensed attorney in Pennsylvania who currently serves as the Education and Outreach Coordinator for Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers of Pennsylvania, Inc., a Lawyers Assistance Program established in 1988 for the purpose of helping lawyers, judges and law students recover from alcoholism, drug addiction and mental health disorders.

Generative AI is transforming how intellectual property is created, licensed, enforced, and monetized—often faster than legal frameworks can adapt. This course equips attorneys to protect IP-based businesses in the AI age by examining the latest caselaw, U.S. Copyright Office releases, and emerging risks in publicity rights, branding, and consumer protection. The program also explores practical strategies for preserving human authorship, drafting effective contracts, navigating platform policies, and preparing for international and legislative developments. Attendees will leave with tools, checklists, and hypotheticals to spot risks and advise clients with confidence in this rapidly evolving area.

Learning Objectives:

1. Analyze recent case law and assess how rulings shape copyright, contract, and data-use risks.

2. Apply Copyright Office 2024–2025 guidance on AI-assisted works, disclosure requirements, and registration strategies.

3. Evaluate right of publicity risks from digital replicas and anticipate federal and state developments.

4. Identify trademark, branding, and consumer-protection issues raised by AI-generated content, including false endorsement and FTC compliance.

5. Advise clients on platform and industry frameworks that govern monetization and enforcement.

6. Integrate international considerations into counseling for global businesses.

7. Anticipate legislative and litigation trends and develop forward-looking strategies.

Brittany Ratelle is a dynamic attorney and sought-after presenter specializing in business, intellectual property, and digital law for creators, influencers, and small business owners. Based in Coeur?d’Alene, Idaho, she guides modern entrepreneurs through entity formation, brand protection, contracts, privacy, and FTC compliance—without the legal jargon or intimidation.

An employee concludes every email with “Have a Blessed Day.” Seems pretty innocuous but it makes a few co-workers mad. Can the employer make her stop using this closing in all her work emails?

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act requires employers to reasonably accommodate an employee's sincerely held religious beliefs – but what exactly does this mean? Can an employee keep a 3-foot statute of Jesus in their cubicle? What if an employee refuses to work every Sunday because it is his Sabbath? And how about the guy that wears the “Official Mensch” button to work every day? In this CLE, Jason Boulette will explore the new standard for accommodating religious expression at work, the conflict between the right to engage in religious expression and the right to be free from it and strategies for navigating the gray area between the two. Jason will start by discussing the evolving legal definition of “religion” in the U.S. across constitutional and statutory contexts with an emphasis on employment law under Title VII, detail the landmark Supreme Court decision in Groff v. DeJoy (2023) which significantly raised the standard for denying religious accommodations in the workplace and analyzes the resulting case law under Groff and what it means for employers going forward.

Participants will be able to:

* Understand how the law’s definition of “religion” has changed over time

* Identify common characteristics of “religion” for purposes of Title VII

* Predict how Groff v. DeJoy affects litigation & employer obligations under Title VII

* Distinguish between effective and preferred accommodations

* Apply EEOC guidance and best practices in workplace scenarios

Jason Boulette, Esq., is Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and the former Chair of the Labor and Employment Section of the State Bar of Texas.

Tax strategy is one of the most misunderstood concepts in both legal and financial practice. Many attorneys and business owners assume that working with a CPA or filing accurate tax returns equates to having a tax strategy. In reality, most taxpayers are engaged in compliance—not strategy. This course reframes tax strategy as a proactive, forward-looking discipline that must be implemented before key financial decisions are made, not after the fact.

Presented by Tax Wizard Sam Brotman, this program explores the fundamental distinction between reactive tax compliance and proactive tax design. Participants will learn why tax returns function as “report cards” reflecting past decisions rather than tools for future planning, and how timing plays a critical role in determining tax outcomes. The course further examines how tax consequences are driven by structural decisions, including how income is earned, classified, distributed, and reinvested.

Learning Objectives:

• Analyze how structural decisions drive tax results

• Explain the concept of tax strategy as system design

• Evaluate the integration of tax, business, and personal financial strategy

• Understand the stages of wealth progression

• Identify the characteristics of the High Earner trap

• Assess the impact of tax drag and compound taxation

• Apply a strategic framework for capital allocation

• Incorporate tax policy principles into planning

Attendees will also explore the integration of tax strategy with broader business and personal financial planning, including how evolving life circumstances, geographic considerations, and growth trajectories impact tax outcomes. Special attention is given to the “HENRY” (High Earner, Not Rich Yet) stage, where high income and high tax burdens often prevent meaningful wealth accumulation, as well as the concept of “tax drag” and its compounding effect on long-term financial growth.

By shifting from an income-extraction mindset to a capital formation approach, this course provides attorneys with a strategic framework to better advise clients on designing systems that minimize tax friction, preserve capital, and support long-term wealth creation. This program is ideal for practitioners seeking to move beyond compliance and deliver more sophisticated, forward-looking tax guidance. Sam Brotman is a nationally recognized tax attorney whose practice focuses on federal and state tax defense, controversy, and compliance.

The Civil War Amendments—Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth—represent a profound transformation of the U.S. Constitution, redefining the relationship between the individual, the state, and the federal government. This course explores how these amendments sought to repair the original Constitution’s failure to address slavery and racial inequality. Tracing the historical arc from America’s founding through the Civil War and Reconstruction, the program examines the philosophical and legal clash between republicanism and aristocracy, the enduring myth of “states’ rights,” and the continuing relevance of these amendments in today’s constitutional debates. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of how law has been used both to justify and dismantle systems of racial oppression—and how the Civil War Amendments remain central to the pursuit of liberty and equality for all.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the legal and historical failures of the original U.S. Constitution regarding slavery and racial equality.

2. Explain the transformative role of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments in redefining citizenship, equal protection, and federal enforcement powers.

3. Analyze how the ideology of “states’ rights” was historically used to uphold slavery and later resist civil rights, and how that conflicts with the text and purpose of the Reconstruction Amendments.

4. Identify key constitutional debates and Supreme Court decisions that have shaped the implementation and limitations of the Civil War Amendments.

Robert J. McWhirter is a nationally recognized constitutional scholar, criminal defense attorney, and award-winning author. A Certified Specialist in Criminal Law by the State Bar of Arizona, he has tried over 100 cases across federal, state, and municipal courts. He has served on the ABA Criminal Justice Standards Committee and has extensive international justice reform experience in Latin America. A frequent legal commentator in national media, Mr. McWhirter is known for his accessible yet deeply researched insights on constitutional law, civil rights, and the continuing evolution of American legal principles.

This CLE session explores the historical significance, constitutional implications, and enduring impact of the Fifteenth Amendment, which guaranteed the right to vote regardless of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. Through a compelling legal and historical narrative, participants will trace the role of Black self-determination in shaping the fight for voting rights, from the Revolutionary War through Reconstruction and into the modern era. The course analyzes key legal developments, racial justice struggles, domestic terrorism, and evolving interpretations of voting rights by the U.S. Supreme Court, including recent decisions like Shelby County v. Holder and Allen v. Milligan. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of the Amendment’s promises—and the systemic challenges that continue to threaten them.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the historical roots and constitutional purpose of the Fifteenth Amendment, including its origins in the Civil War and Reconstruction.

2. Analyze how courts and legislatures have interpreted, enforced, or undermined the Amendment through key decisions and policies from the 19th century to the present.

3. Evaluate the continuing legal and social impact of voter suppression tactics, modern judicial rulings, and legislative responses on the right to vote and equal political participation.

Robert J. McWhirter is a nationally recognized constitutional scholar, criminal defense attorney, and award-winning author. A Certified Specialist in Criminal Law by the State Bar of Arizona, he has tried over 100 cases across federal, state, and municipal courts. He has served on the ABA Criminal Justice Standards Committee and has extensive international justice reform experience in Latin America. A frequent legal commentator in national media, Mr. McWhirter is known for his accessible yet deeply researched insights on constitutional law, civil rights, and the continuing evolution of American legal principles.

This CLE course explores the origins, intent, and evolving interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment—one of the most transformative provisions in American constitutional history. Enacted in the aftermath of the Civil War, the Amendment sought to enshrine equality, expand citizenship, and empower the federal government to protect civil rights. The course examines the historical context leading to its adoption, the judicial backlash during Reconstruction, and the long arc of legal struggle through landmark Supreme Court cases—from Plessy v. Ferguson and Brown v. Board of Education to modern debates over affirmative action. Participants will engage with both historical insights and contemporary legal implications as the course analyzes whether the Fourteenth Amendment has fulfilled its promise of a “new birth of freedom.”

Learning Objectives:

1. Explain the historical and political context that gave rise to the Fourteenth Amendment and its relationship to the Declaration of Independence and the Civil War Amendments.

2. Analyze the major clauses of the Amendment—citizenship, privileges or immunities, due process, equal protection—and the original intent behind them.

3. Evaluate how judicial interpretation of the Amendment has changed over time, including key cases that both limited and expanded its reach.

4. Apply modern Equal Protection and Due Process principles to ongoing legal debates, including race-conscious admissions and federal civil rights enforcement.

Robert J. McWhirter is a nationally recognized constitutional scholar, criminal defense attorney, and award-winning author. A Certified Specialist in Criminal Law by the State Bar of Arizona, he has tried over 100 cases across federal, state, and municipal courts. He has served on the ABA Criminal Justice Standards Committee and has extensive international justice reform experience in Latin America. A frequent legal commentator in national media, Mr. McWhirter is known for his accessible yet deeply researched insights on constitutional law, civil rights, and the continuing evolution of American legal principles.