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.

Practice Areas: Law Practice Management

State Accreditations: Alabama (AL) | Alaska (AK) | Arizona (AZ) | California (CA) | Colorado (CO) | Connecticut (CT) | Delaware (DE) | District of Columbia (DC) | Florida (FL) | Georgia (GA) | Iowa (IA) | ITA (ITA) | Kansas (KS) | Maryland (MD) | Massachusetts (MA) | Michigan (MI) | Missouri (MO) | Montana (MT) | Nevada (NV) | New Hampshire (NH) | New Jersey (NJ) | New York (NY) | North Dakota (ND) | Ohio (OH) | Pennsylvania (PA) | South Dakota (SD) | Tennessee (TN) | Texas (TX) | Vermont (VT) | Washington (WA) | West Virginia (WV)

Course Expiration: 12/31/2026

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.

Specialty Areas: Legal Ethics

Practice Areas: Ethics, Law Practice Management, Professional Conduct, Technology

State Accreditations: Alabama (AL) | Alaska (AK) | Arizona (AZ) | California (CA) | Colorado (CO) | Connecticut (CT) | District of Columbia (DC) | Florida (FL) | Georgia (GA) | Hawaii (HI) | Illinois (IL) | Indiana (IN) | Iowa (IA) | ITA (ITA) | Kansas (KS) | Louisiana (LA) | Maryland (MD) | Massachusetts (MA) | Michigan (MI) | Minnesota (MN) | Mississippi (MS) | Nevada (NV) | New Hampshire (NH) | New Jersey (NJ) | New Mexico (NM) | New York (NY) | North Carolina (NC) | North Dakota (ND) | Ohio (OH) | Oklahoma (OK) | Oregon (OR) | Pennsylvania (PA) | South Carolina (SC) | South Dakota (SD) | Tennessee (TN) | Texas (TX) | Utah (UT) | Vermont (VT) | Washington (WA) | Wyoming (WY)

Course Expiration: 01/31/2027

If you’ve seen Blade Runner, you know all about the Turing Test that was established in 1950. The test measures a machine's ability to exhibit intelligent behavior equivalent to, or indistinguishable from, that of a human. Well, ChatGPT broke the Turing Test.

Unfortunately, this new AI technology thinks like humans just a little too much – AI can produce results that promote bias and discrimination. The question now becomes how can attorneys harness this revolutionary new technology while remaining ethical in their legal practice. Presented by Amanda M. Blair of Fisher Phillips, this CLE will highlight some of the common pitfalls associated with attorneys using generative AI, show you how AI can be subject to biased & discriminatory results, provide steps for attorneys to avoid biased results and conclude with best practices for attorneys when using AI in their legal practice. Additional topics: Work Trend Index Annual Report, document & contract review, legal research & analysis, predicting case outcomes & litigation support, Westlaw Precisions with CoCounsel, risks & ethics of AI use, hallucinations & bias, data privacy & security, discrimination litigation involving AI bias, Automated Employment Decision Tools (AEDTs), EEOC guidance, sources of bias in AI systems and laws & policies addressing AI & Bias.

Amanda Blair is an associate in the firm’s New York office, focusing her practice on complex employment issues. Amanda’s experience as an assistant corporate counsel in the New York City Law Department has her well equipped to handle cases involving Title VII, ADA, the First Amendment, ADEA, FMLA, Section 1983, and State and City Human Rights Laws.

Specialty Areas: Labor and Employment Law

Practice Areas: Access to Justice, Diversity and Inclusion, Diversity and Wellness, Diversity, Inclusion and Elimination of Bias, Elimination of Bias, Equity in Justice (NM), Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity (EDI), Equity, Inclusion and Mitigation of Implicit and Explicit Bias (WA), Ethics, Implicit Bias, Professional Conduct, Professionalism

State Accreditations: Alaska (AK) | Arizona (AZ) | Arkansas (AR) | California (CA) | Colorado (CO) | Connecticut (CT) | Delaware (DE) | District of Columbia (DC) | Florida (FL) | Georgia (GA) | Illinois (IL) | Indiana (IN) | ITA (ITA) | Kentucky (KY) | Maryland (MD) | Massachusetts (MA) | Michigan (MI) | Minnesota (MN) | Nevada (NV) | New Hampshire (NH) | New Jersey (NJ) | New York (NY) | North Dakota (ND) | Ohio (OH) | Oregon (OR) | Pennsylvania (PA) | Puerto Rico (PR) | South Dakota (SD) | Tennessee (TN) | Texas (TX) | Vermont (VT) | Washington (WA) | West Virginia (WV)

Course Expiration: 12/31/2026

Lawyers are trained to solve others’ problems, yet many struggle when it comes to their own well-being. This course provides an accessible, ethics-grounded introduction to mental health and therapy for legal professionals. Attendees will examine the intersection between professional responsibility and lawyer well-being under the ABA Model Rules, including duties of competence, diligence, supervision, and withdrawal. The session also explores the ethical dimensions of recognizing impairment, referring colleagues or clients for help, and fostering a healthier law firm culture. Drawing from both legal and clinical perspectives, this program equips attorneys with practical tools for self-care, informed referrals, and ethically aligned support of others’ mental health needs.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify ethical obligations related to attorney mental health under ABA Model Rules 1.1 (Competence), 1.3 (Diligence), 1.16(a)(2) (Withdrawal), 5.1 (Supervision), and 1.14 (Clients with Diminished Capacity).

2. Recognize signs of impairment in oneself, colleagues, and clients, and understand appropriate steps and resources for referral.

3. Differentiate between major types of therapy and helping professionals to make informed, ethical referrals or personal choices for support.

4. Evaluate the barriers to help-seeking in the legal profession and strategies to reduce stigma consistent with ethical and professional responsibility standards.

5. Apply ethical principles of empathy, confidentiality, and competence when assisting others experiencing mental health challenges.

Elon Slutsky is a psychotherapist, attorney, and researcher based in Denver, Colorado. With a multidisciplinary academic background, he holds a bachelor's degree in Biology and English from Amherst College, a master's in Secondary Education from Pace University, a J.D. from Cornell Law School, and an M.A. in Mental Health Counseling from Northwestern University, completed in March 2024. In 2024–25. He is serving as a Fulbright Research Fellow, focusing on extending schema therapy into a transdiagnostic therapeutic framework tailored for highly skilled professionals like doctors and lawyers.

Specialty Areas: Legal Ethics

Practice Areas: Attorney Wellness, Ethics, Mental Health & Substance Abuse, Professional Well Being (NC), Professionalism

State Accreditations: Alabama (AL) | Alaska (AK) | Arizona (AZ) | California (CA) | Colorado (CO) | Connecticut (CT) | Delaware (DE) | District of Columbia (DC) | Florida (FL) | Georgia (GA) | Idaho (ID) | Illinois (IL) | Iowa (IA) | ITA (ITA) | Kansas (KS) | Kentucky (KY) | Louisiana (LA) | Maryland (MD) | Massachusetts (MA) | Michigan (MI) | Minnesota (MN) | Missouri (MO) | Nebraska (NE) | Nevada (NV) | New Hampshire (NH) | New Jersey (NJ) | New Mexico (NM) | New York (NY) | North Carolina (NC) | North Dakota (ND) | Ohio (OH) | Oklahoma (OK) | Oregon (OR) | Pennsylvania (PA) | South Dakota (SD) | Tennessee (TN) | Texas (TX) | Vermont (VT) | Washington (WA) | West Virginia (WV)

Course Expiration: 09/30/2026

Proper billing is critical to the success of your law firm. BUT…. law firm billing can be one of the most repetitive, dreaded & time-consuming parts of any lawyer’s day. And we all love chasing down clients to get paid.

In this program, Josh Andrews will present the best practices for attorney billing & timekeeping and handing issues with nonpaying clients. From essential guidelines for capturing billable hours to the top billing mistakes that attorneys make, Josh will provide you with the tools and strategies you need to run a tight ship. Josh will: examine the best practices for avoiding & resolving fee disputes, present strategies for dealing with nonpaying clients and highlight emerging billing and timekeeping tools for law firms. Additional subjects: understanding your firm codes, capturing your time, nonbillable time, knowing the billing cycles, planning for profit, Model Rules 1.5 & 8.4, putting it in the contract, protecting your rights & preserving your relationship and software is your friend.

Josh Andrews is the managing partner of Gatehouse Law where he focuses his practice on the legal needs of entrepreneurs, business law and complex transactions.

Practice Areas: Law Practice Management

State Accreditations: Alabama (AL) | Alaska (AK) | Arizona (AZ) | California (CA) | Colorado (CO) | Connecticut (CT) | District of Columbia (DC) | Florida (FL) | Georgia (GA) | Illinois (IL) | Indiana (IN) | ITA (ITA) | Kansas (KS) | Maryland (MD) | Massachusetts (MA) | Michigan (MI) | Minnesota (MN) | Missouri (MO) | Nevada (NV) | New Hampshire (NH) | New Jersey (NJ) | New York (NY) | North Carolina (NC) | North Dakota (ND) | Ohio (OH) | Oklahoma (OK) | Oregon (OR) | Pennsylvania (PA) | South Dakota (SD) | Tennessee (TN) | Texas (TX) | Utah (UT) | Vermont (VT) | Washington (WA)

Course Expiration: 12/31/2026

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.

Practice Areas: Attorney Wellness, Law Practice Management

State Accreditations: Alabama (AL) | Alaska (AK) | Arizona (AZ) | California (CA) | Colorado (CO) | Connecticut (CT) | Delaware (DE) | District of Columbia (DC) | Florida (FL) | Iowa (IA) | ITA (ITA) | Kansas (KS) | Kentucky (KY) | Louisiana (LA) | Maryland (MD) | Massachusetts (MA) | Michigan (MI) | Minnesota (MN) | Montana (MT) | Nebraska (NE) | Nevada (NV) | New Hampshire (NH) | New Jersey (NJ) | New Mexico (NM) | New York (NY) | North Carolina (NC) | North Dakota (ND) | Ohio (OH) | Oklahoma (OK) | Oregon (OR) | Pennsylvania (PA) | Rhode Island (RI) | South Dakota (SD) | Tennessee (TN) | Texas (TX) | Vermont (VT) | Washington (WA) | West Virginia (WV) | Wyoming (WY)

Course Expiration: 11/30/2026

If you are an attorney, you’ve probably been asked to serve on a Board. However, if you do agree there are numerous legal & ethical pitfalls that you must avoid as an attorney.

In this CLE, Nikki Semanchik will teach you what you need to know about serving on a Board, from your initial homework & due diligence to your ethical duties & avoiding conflicts of interest. The course is broken into three main parts, with Nikki first providing background on the key points of Nonprofit Law, she will then take a deep dive into your fiduciary duties and conclude by detailing the risks of serving as Director & legal counsel. Additional topics: entity type, public transparency, Board Committees vs. Advisory Boards, the duties & role of Directors, the Articles of Incorporation, reviewing bylaws & internal policies, Duty of Care, Duty of Inquiry, Duty of Loyalty, Duty to Follow Investment Standards, conflicts of interest, director protections, the Business Judgment Rule, volunteer immunity, Indemnification, Directors & Officers (D&O) Insurance, Nonprofit Compliance, the loss of the attorney-client privilege and your liability exposure.

Nikki Semanchik is the Founding Attorney of Semanchik Law Group, a business and nonprofit firm located in San Diego, California. In addition to assisting nonprofits with formation, compliance and governance, she also represents for profit businesses on a wide variety of matters.

Practice Areas: Business Law

State Accreditations: Alabama (AL) | Alaska (AK) | Arizona (AZ) | Arkansas (AR) | California (CA) | Colorado (CO) | Connecticut (CT) | Delaware (DE) | District of Columbia (DC) | Florida (FL) | Georgia (GA) | Hawaii (HI) | Illinois (IL) | Indiana (IN) | ITA (ITA) | Kentucky (KY) | Maryland (MD) | Massachusetts (MA) | Michigan (MI) | Minnesota (MN) | Missouri (MO) | Montana (MT) | Nebraska (NE) | Nevada (NV) | New Hampshire (NH) | New Jersey (NJ) | New York (NY) | North Dakota (ND) | Ohio (OH) | Oregon (OR) | Pennsylvania (PA) | Puerto Rico (PR) | Rhode Island (RI) | South Dakota (SD) | Tennessee (TN) | Texas (TX) | Vermont (VT) | Virginia (VA) | Washington (WA) | West Virginia (WV)

Course Expiration: 12/31/2026

Mediation presents unique opportunities and challenges for lawyers—whether serving as advocates for clients or neutrals guiding resolution. Yet, common ethical missteps can undermine the process, damage credibility, and even create professional liability. This CLE will explore how attorneys can avoid the most frequent ethical pitfalls in mediation by grounding practice in the ABA Model Standards of Conduct for Mediators and applicable professional conduct rules. Participants will gain practical guidance on preparing ethically for mediation, building rapport with parties, maintaining neutrality, and balancing zealous advocacy with duties of candor and fairness. Through real-world examples and best practices, the course empowers lawyers to engage in mediation with confidence while protecting both their clients and their professional integrity.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify the most common ethics mistakes that occur in mediation from both the advocate’s and neutral’s perspective.

2. Apply the ABA Model Standards of Conduct for Mediators and Rules of Professional Conduct to mediation practice.

3. Evaluate how to prepare for mediation in a way that aligns with ethical duties to clients and the process.

4. Implement strategies for building rapport and maintaining neutrality while avoiding bias or undue influence.

5. Recognize red flags and apply preventative measures to reduce the risk of ethical violations in mediation.

Francine Friedman Griesing has over 40 years of experience, she is a strategic advisor to top executives, general counsel, and institutions—handling complex business transactions, high-stakes litigation, employment matters, ethics, and alternative dispute resolution. She has served as an advocate and a neutral arbitrator and mediator in range of commercial and employment disputes. Her clients include Fortune 500 companies, privately-held businesses, non-profits, higher education institutions, law firms and individual professionals and executives.

Specialty Areas: Legal Ethics

Practice Areas: Alternative Dispute Resolution, Ethics, Professional Conduct

State Accreditations: Alabama (AL) | Alaska (AK) | Arizona (AZ) | California (CA) | Colorado (CO) | Connecticut (CT) | Delaware (DE) | District of Columbia (DC) | Florida (FL) | Idaho (ID) | Iowa (IA) | ITA (ITA) | Kansas (KS) | Kentucky (KY) | Louisiana (LA) | Maryland (MD) | Massachusetts (MA) | Michigan (MI) | Minnesota (MN) | Montana (MT) | Nebraska (NE) | Nevada (NV) | New Hampshire (NH) | New Jersey (NJ) | New Mexico (NM) | New York (NY) | North Carolina (NC) | North Dakota (ND) | Ohio (OH) | Oklahoma (OK) | Oregon (OR) | Pennsylvania (PA) | Rhode Island (RI) | South Dakota (SD) | Tennessee (TN) | Texas (TX) | Vermont (VT) | Washington (WA) | West Virginia (WV) | Wyoming (WY)

Course Expiration: 09/30/2026

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.

Practice Areas: Criminal Law, Litigation, Personal Injury

State Accreditations: Alabama (AL) | Alaska (AK) | Arizona (AZ) | California (CA) | Colorado (CO) | Connecticut (CT) | Delaware (DE) | District of Columbia (DC) | Florida (FL) | Idaho (ID) | Iowa (IA) | ITA (ITA) | Kansas (KS) | Kentucky (KY) | Louisiana (LA) | Maryland (MD) | Massachusetts (MA) | Michigan (MI) | Minnesota (MN) | Missouri (MO) | Montana (MT) | Nebraska (NE) | Nevada (NV) | New Hampshire (NH) | New Jersey (NJ) | New Mexico (NM) | New York (NY) | North Carolina (NC) | North Dakota (ND) | Ohio (OH) | Oklahoma (OK) | Oregon (OR) | Pennsylvania (PA) | Rhode Island (RI) | South Dakota (SD) | Tennessee (TN) | Texas (TX) | Vermont (VT) | Washington (WA) | West Virginia (WV)

Course Expiration: 09/30/2026

Public keys, blockchain and NFTs. Crypto is becoming an increasingly more common asset in divorce cases. But the reality is that many attorneys have no clue about cold wallets, decentralized exchanges and Bored Apes. Further, crypto is also one of the easiest ways to hide money for a tech savvy spouse.

In this CLE Kelly Burris will discuss valuing unusual assets like collectibles, handling mineral rights and finding & dealing with cryptocurrency in divorce cases. Additional subjects: collectibles, getting an expert for valuations, the economic analysis method for valuing patents, the legal benefits of copyright protection, the strength & value of a trademark, “I Drink Your Milkshake” — The Rule of Capture, fair market value, book value, insurance value, appraised value, crypto for dummies, beyond BitCoin, public keys, private keys, decentralized blockchain wallets, the BlockChain, how parties hold crypto, third party centralized exchanges like Coinbase, mining, questions for clients, finding crypto, discovery, interrogatories and tax issues. Crypto can be an ideal way to hide marital assets because even an experienced family lawyer may not know enough to suspect its existence in a divorce case.

Kelly L. Burris got into family law to help people instead of corporations. “I wanted to be able to help people get through these tough situations in their lives and do it the right way.”

Specialty Areas: Family Law

Practice Areas: Family Law

State Accreditations: Alaska (AK) | Arizona (AZ) | California (CA) | Connecticut (CT) | District of Columbia (DC) | Florida (FL) | Idaho (ID) | Illinois (IL) | ITA (ITA) | Maryland (MD) | Massachusetts (MA) | Michigan (MI) | Missouri (MO) | Nevada (NV) | New Jersey (NJ) | New York (NY) | North Dakota (ND) | Pennsylvania (PA) | South Dakota (SD) | Texas (TX) | Vermont (VT) | Virginia (VA) | Washington (WA)

Course Expiration: 07/31/2026

Choice of Law, Prevailing Party, Forum Selection, Force Majeure. “Boilerplate” refers to the standard clauses that typically appear at the end of a contract.

These provisions are often pulled from templates and frequently overlooked by the parties and the attorneys tasked with drafting the agreements. However, these clauses establish essential rights for the parties and warrant careful consideration – especially in the front-end drafting stage of the agreement so you can avoid trying to enforce or fight these common clauses on the back end in litigation. In this CLE, Shannon Bell will delve into these common boilerplate clauses: choice of law, arbitration, forum & venue selection, amendment & modification, force majeure, jury waiver, prevailing party, merger and survival. Shannon will dissect key case law from around the country and provide practical tips & suggestions for drafting better boilerplate clauses in your contracts.

Shannon M. Bell has years of trial experience in state and federal courts and litigates a wide variety of complex business disputes, construction disputes, fiduciary claims, employment issues, and landlord/tenant issues, with a specialization in construction.

Specialty Areas: Civil Trial Law, Consumer Law

Practice Areas: Business Law, Litigation

State Accreditations: Alabama (AL) | Alaska (AK) | Arizona (AZ) | Arkansas (AR) | California (CA) | Colorado (CO) | Connecticut (CT) | Delaware (DE) | District of Columbia (DC) | Georgia (GA) | Illinois (IL) | Indiana (IN) | ITA (ITA) | Kentucky (KY) | Maryland (MD) | Massachusetts (MA) | Michigan (MI) | Minnesota (MN) | Missouri (MO) | Montana (MT) | Nebraska (NE) | Nevada (NV) | New Hampshire (NH) | New Jersey (NJ) | New York (NY) | North Dakota (ND) | Ohio (OH) | Oregon (OR) | Pennsylvania (PA) | Puerto Rico (PR) | Rhode Island (RI) | South Dakota (SD) | Texas (TX) | Vermont (VT) | Virginia (VA) | Washington (WA) | West Virginia (WV)

Course Expiration: 12/31/2026

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.

Specialty Areas: Civil Trial Law, Consumer Law

Practice Areas: Business Law, Litigation

State Accreditations: Alabama (AL) | Alaska (AK) | Arizona (AZ) | California (CA) | Colorado (CO) | Connecticut (CT) | District of Columbia (DC) | Florida (FL) | Georgia (GA) | Illinois (IL) | Indiana (IN) | Iowa (IA) | ITA (ITA) | Kansas (KS) | Louisiana (LA) | Maine (ME) | Maryland (MD) | Massachusetts (MA) | Michigan (MI) | Minnesota (MN) | Mississippi (MS) | Missouri (MO) | Montana (MT) | Nevada (NV) | New Hampshire (NH) | New Jersey (NJ) | New Mexico (NM) | New York (NY) | North Carolina (NC) | North Dakota (ND) | Ohio (OH) | Oklahoma (OK) | Oregon (OR) | Pennsylvania (PA) | South Carolina (SC) | South Dakota (SD) | Tennessee (TN) | Texas (TX) | Utah (UT) | Vermont (VT) | Washington (WA) | Wyoming (WY)

Course Expiration: 01/31/2027

Plaintiffs' lawyers now need to write more than ever. Unfortunately, courts are slammed with heavy caseloads and you are competing against other litigants for what little time the judge has to analyze the claims & merit of your case. How can you avoid the dreaded MTD??

Join professional brief writer Jonathan Hilton as he explains how to craft legal briefs that judges will want to read. He will present & explain his top ten tips: five practice points to help the judge spot your best arguments in less time and five practice points on how to make your clients more likable & your clients’ stories more compelling. The ten points: (1) Start with first principles, (2) Create an alternate storyline, (3) Show why you state a claim — don’t just defend, (4) Plant the emotional facts in the Complaint, (5) Dumb Cases Die, (6) Use notice pleading to build your story, (7) Distinguish Civ. R. 8 from Civ. R. 9(b), (8) Use the right theory to hook in the big pockets, (9) Handle SOLs carefully and (10) To amend… or not to amend? Jonathan will round out the hour by looking at resources that will help you become a better brief writer moving forward.

Jonathan Hilton became the youngest-ever Cincinnati Chess Champion at age 15, and he earned the National Master in chess title the following year. At Hilton Parker LLC, Mr. Hilton now advisies other attorneys on how to best navigate through their most difficult cases. As a consultant and brief writer, he designs novel legal theories in courts across the country.

Practice Areas: Litigation, Personal Injury

State Accreditations: Alabama (AL) | Alaska (AK) | Arizona (AZ) | Arkansas (AR) | California (CA) | Colorado (CO) | Connecticut (CT) | Delaware (DE) | District of Columbia (DC) | Florida (FL) | Georgia (GA) | Illinois (IL) | Indiana (IN) | ITA (ITA) | Kansas (KS) | Kentucky (KY) | Louisiana (LA) | Maine (ME) | Maryland (MD) | Massachusetts (MA) | Michigan (MI) | Minnesota (MN) | Mississippi (MS) | Missouri (MO) | Montana (MT) | Nevada (NV) | New Hampshire (NH) | New Jersey (NJ) | New Mexico (NM) | New York (NY) | North Carolina (NC) | North Dakota (ND) | Ohio (OH) | Oklahoma (OK) | Oregon (OR) | Pennsylvania (PA) | Puerto Rico (PR) | South Carolina (SC) | South Dakota (SD) | Tennessee (TN) | Texas (TX) | Utah (UT) | Vermont (VT) | Virginia (VA) | Washington (WA) | West Virginia (WV) | Wyoming (WY)

Course Expiration: 04/30/2027

California's employment laws are among the most comprehensive in the United States, offering extensive protections to workers. Non-compliance can lead to significant financial penalties & litigation costs and reputational harm to businesses. Attorneys must stay informed to effectively advise clients and ensure adherence to these evolving laws.

Employment Law Litigation attorney Mila Arutunian will provide an extensive overview of the legal framework of California employment law for attorneys that represents businesses and law firms. She will cover, At Will vs. Wrongful Termination, Minimum Wage & Overtime, Meal & Rest Breaks, Employee Classification (Employee vs. Independent Contractors), Illegal Discrimination, Adverse Employment Actions, Workplace Harassment & Discrimination, Protected Classes, the California Civil Rights Department (CRD), Workplace Harassment, Leaves of Absence and Workers’ Compensation. Mila will conclude by providing best practices for employers to remain compliant & will review a 10 point Employment Law compliance checklist.

Emilia Arutunian (Mila) is the Director of Antonyan Miranda’s Employment Law Litigation and Personal Injury Relations division. Mila served as the President of the San Diego County Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Section in 2021 and 2022, and has been a Chair of the Lawyers Club of San Diego Life, Law and Parenting Committee consistently from 2021 through the present.

Specialty Areas: Business Law, Labor and Employment Law

Practice Areas: Business Law, Employment Law

State Accreditations: Alabama (AL) | Alaska (AK) | Arizona (AZ) | California (CA) | Colorado (CO) | Connecticut (CT) | District of Columbia (DC) | Florida (FL) | Georgia (GA) | Illinois (IL) | Indiana (IN) | ITA (ITA) | Maryland (MD) | Massachusetts (MA) | Michigan (MI) | Minnesota (MN) | Missouri (MO) | Nevada (NV) | New Hampshire (NH) | New Jersey (NJ) | New York (NY) | North Dakota (ND) | Ohio (OH) | Oregon (OR) | Pennsylvania (PA) | Puerto Rico (PR) | South Dakota (SD) | Tennessee (TN) | Texas (TX) | Utah (UT) | Vermont (VT) | Virginia (VA) | Washington (WA)

Course Expiration: 06/30/2027

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission is one of the most consequential, controversial and misunderstood decisions of the 21st century. And it’s also 175 pages long.

If you don’t feel like sifting through 175 pages of incredibly complex legal arguments, you’re in luck – First Amendment & campaign finance attorney Zach Greenberg is here for you. Zach will break down what’s in the decision, what it practically means, the concurrence, the dissent and the key rationales used by both sides. Specific topics covered: The 3 main elements of Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA), First Amendment prohibition against the government discriminating based on the speaker, Money = Free Speech, how the First Amendment extends to corporations, what Citizens United is NOT about, Independent Expenditures, express advocacy vs. issuing ads, state vs. federal elections, election season vs. non-election season, Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce, McConnell v. Federal Election Comm’n, the 3 pillars of the majority decision, the Anti-Distortion Rationale and the Corruption Rationale.

A native New Yorker, Zach graduated from Binghamton University in 2013 and Syracuse Law in 2016. Zach developed an appreciation for free speech while leading the College Libertarians and the Federalist Society.

Practice Areas: Constitutional Law, Election Law, Law Practice Management

State Accreditations: Alaska (AK) | Arizona (AZ) | California (CA) | Colorado (CO) | Connecticut (CT) | District of Columbia (DC) | Florida (FL) | Georgia (GA) | Illinois (IL) | Indiana (IN) | ITA (ITA) | Kansas (KS) | Maine (ME) | Maryland (MD) | Massachusetts (MA) | Michigan (MI) | Minnesota (MN) | Missouri (MO) | Nevada (NV) | New Hampshire (NH) | New Jersey (NJ) | New York (NY) | North Carolina (NC) | North Dakota (ND) | Ohio (OH) | Oklahoma (OK) | Oregon (OR) | Pennsylvania (PA) | South Carolina (SC) | South Dakota (SD) | Tennessee (TN) | Texas (TX) | Utah (UT) | Vermont (VT) | Washington (WA)

Course Expiration: 04/30/2027

“Civil Settlement Techniques” introduces participants to effective settlement practices in mediation and arbitration. Drawing on his 25 years on the bench, including as an Associate Justice on the California Court of Appeal, and his subsequent experience as a JAMS neutral, Judge Aldridge explains both the art and structure of settlement. The session covers pre-mediation preparation, ensuring settlement authority, managing opening sessions, distributive versus integrative bargaining, overcoming adversarial tactics, addressing process and substantive interests, and ensuring fairness. The program concludes with in-depth discussion of structured settlements, including case law, tax implications, and solvency considerations. Attendees will leave with concrete, repeatable strategies for maximizing settlement efficiency, fairness, and durability.

Judge Richard Aldridge is a JAMS neutral and retired Associate Justice of the California Court of Appeal. With a judicial career spanning 25 years, Judge Aldridge became known for advancing ADR processes in complex civil cases. He also served for two decades on the faculty of the B.E. Witkin California Judicial College, teaching civil settlement techniques. Since joining JAMS in 2017, he has focused on mediation and arbitration, particularly in high-stakes civil disputes. Judge Aldridge emphasizes preparation, neutrality, and creativity in settlement processes and is recognized for his practical guidance on distributive and integrative bargaining as well as structured settlements. His career reflects a commitment to efficiency, fairness, and innovative dispute resolution.

Practice Areas: Alternative Dispute Resolution

State Accreditations: Alaska (AK) | Arizona (AZ) | California (CA) | Connecticut (CT) | District of Columbia (DC) | Florida (FL) | Illinois (IL) | Maryland (MD) | Massachusetts (MA) | Michigan (MI) | Minnesota (MN) | Missouri (MO) | Nevada (NV) | New Hampshire (NH) | New York (NY) | North Dakota (ND) | Ohio (OH) | Pennsylvania (PA) | South Dakota (SD) | Texas (TX) | Washington (WA) | Wisconsin (WI)

Course Expiration: 11/30/2026

“Civility- A Game-theoretic Approach” examines professional civility not just as an ethical aspiration but as a problem of incentives, trust, and strategy. Beginning with an overview of civility codes from multiple bar associations, the program critiques their lack of enforceability and explores how game theory offers a richer framework for understanding cooperation and conflict. The session delves into the Prisoner’s Dilemma, tit-for-tat strategies, and the dynamics of repeated play, highlighting how lessons from economics, sociology, and negotiation theory can be applied to legal contexts such as discovery, depositions, mediation, and union negotiations. Participants will leave with actionable insights on building cooperative reputations, designing systems that promote civility, and recognizing the behavioral triggers that influence cooperation versus competition.

Richard Birke is a nationally recognized scholar, mediator, and educator specializing in negotiation, dispute resolution, and the application of behavioral science to law. With over 25 years of teaching experience in law schools, Birke has conducted extensive experiments with the Prisoner’s Dilemma to illustrate principles of cooperation and competition in negotiation. He has served as a mediator in high-stakes disputes, consulted on collective bargaining and union negotiations, and integrated insights from economics, psychology, and sociology into ADR practice. Known for his engaging teaching style and ability to translate theory into practice, Birke emphasizes how civility can be promoted not just by codes of conduct but by structuring incentives and reputational systems that reward cooperation.

Specialty Areas: Legal Ethics

Practice Areas: Alternative Dispute Resolution

State Accreditations: Alaska (AK) | Arizona (AZ) | California (CA) | Connecticut (CT) | District of Columbia (DC) | Florida (FL) | Illinois (IL) | Maryland (MD) | Massachusetts (MA) | Michigan (MI) | Minnesota (MN) | Nevada (NV) | New Hampshire (NH) | New York (NY) | North Dakota (ND) | Ohio (OH) | Pennsylvania (PA) | South Dakota (SD) | Texas (TX) | Washington (WA)

Course Expiration: 11/30/2026

Getting 8 or 9 figure settlements for your clients is not from luck, an accident, or magic. It is not a talent you are born with or a gift that is given to you. It comes from learning the science of persuasion and then discovering how to deploy it in the courtroom.

R. Rex Parris obtained an historic $370 million defamation verdict for his clients against the founder of Guess jeans. He gets up at 4:00 a.m. every morning to study cognitive science & the irrational way jurors make decisions so he can achieve the best results for his clients. In this CLE, he will share his knowledge of persuasion & how to change minds by covering: behavioral decision making & how jurors think, keeping things simple and “priming” your jury to get the best results. Further topics: how decisions are affected by heuristics, biases & other influences, the SIMPLEST case wins, how to control fear in the courtroom, smiling & making eye contact, proximity, unconscious competence, attorneys are wordsmiths, trimming the fat & cutting extra words, visual priming, obsessing over the results, living life with laughter turned off and reversals. The following books are discussed, Click: Ten Truths for Building Extraordinary Relationships, The Power of Eye Contact, Start With Why, The Influentials and Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst.

R. Rex Parris, Esq. has achieved outstanding results in the courtroom over the span of his career – including an historic, record-breaking defamation jury verdict in Los Angeles for $370,000,000. Rex has also been the mayor of Lancaster, California, since 2008.

Practice Areas: Criminal Law, Litigation, Personal Injury

State Accreditations: Alabama (AL) | Alaska (AK) | Arizona (AZ) | Arkansas (AR) | California (CA) | Colorado (CO) | Connecticut (CT) | Delaware (DE) | District of Columbia (DC) | Florida (FL) | Georgia (GA) | Illinois (IL) | Indiana (IN) | ITA (ITA) | Kentucky (KY) | Maryland (MD) | Massachusetts (MA) | Michigan (MI) | Minnesota (MN) | Missouri (MO) | Nebraska (NE) | Nevada (NV) | New Hampshire (NH) | New Jersey (NJ) | New York (NY) | North Dakota (ND) | Ohio (OH) | Oregon (OR) | Pennsylvania (PA) | Puerto Rico (PR) | South Dakota (SD) | Tennessee (TN) | Texas (TX) | Vermont (VT) | Virginia (VA) | Washington (WA) | West Virginia (WV)

Course Expiration: 12/31/2026

A few years ago, the hot copyright case was the "Monkey Selfie" - a battle over a photo of a macaque monkey taking a selfie with a photographer's camera. Copyright protection was denied because of the human authorship requirement.

Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) is now the hottest topic of the day. Attorney Scott Sholder will dive into these novel & cutting edge copyright issues of authorship, ownership & protectability of AI generated content when generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) is used to generate content and works of art. Scott will mainly cover: Copyright Basics, Copyright Registration, Generative AI Basics and Generative AI: Authorship & Copyrightability. Additional topics: ownership of copyright, works made for hire, joint authorship, the blurred Lines Between AI & Human Creation, Machine Learning (ML), Deep Learning (DL), AI Models & training data, potential input issues, the human authorship requirement, works generated solely in response to user prompts, Copyright Office AI Disclosure Requirements and how to best protect your clients. Cases discussed: Naruto v. Slater (2018), Thaler v. Perlmutter (2022), Zarya of the Dawn (2023) and Jason Allen v. Shira Perlmutter (2024).

Scott J. Sholder, is the Co-Chair of the firm’s Litigation group and focuses his practice on litigation, counseling, and dispute resolution in connection with entertainment, media, art, and intellectual property matters.

Specialty Areas: Civil Trial Law

Practice Areas: Business Law, Intellectual Property

State Accreditations: Alabama (AL) | Alaska (AK) | Arizona (AZ) | Arkansas (AR) | California (CA) | Colorado (CO) | Connecticut (CT) | Delaware (DE) | District of Columbia (DC) | Florida (FL) | Georgia (GA) | Illinois (IL) | Indiana (IN) | ITA (ITA) | Kansas (KS) | Kentucky (KY) | Maine (ME) | Maryland (MD) | Massachusetts (MA) | Michigan (MI) | Minnesota (MN) | Missouri (MO) | Nevada (NV) | New Hampshire (NH) | New Jersey (NJ) | New York (NY) | North Dakota (ND) | Ohio (OH) | Oklahoma (OK) | Oregon (OR) | Pennsylvania (PA) | Puerto Rico (PR) | Rhode Island (RI) | South Carolina (SC) | South Dakota (SD) | Tennessee (TN) | Texas (TX) | Utah (UT) | Vermont (VT) | Virginia (VA) | Washington (WA) | West Virginia (WV)

Course Expiration: 04/30/2027

The latest fad in the tech revolution is AI (Artificial Intelligence). Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT are transforming industries from healthcare to finance and everything in between.

But we are at the infancy stages of AI and utilizing this new tech also comes with risks that could harm your clients’ business interests or expose them to legal liability. In this CLE, Jeremy Kahn will provide an overview of the benefits & risks of generative AI and the legal implications across several practice areas to enable you to confidently advise your clients about this transformative technology and run a more efficient & profitable law practice. Topics discussed: creative content generation, text generation & natural language processing (NLP), predictive modeling & forecasting , improving accessibility, HIPPA & PIH implications, IP issues (trade secrets & copyright), three instances of Samsung employees unintentionally leaking sensitive information to ChatGPT, “Hallucinations” (inaccuracies & defamation), latest guidance from the Copyright Office, biases & Employment Discrimination, best practices to help protect your clients and 6 key questions to ask clients.

Jeremy L. Kahn is a thoughtful and strategic litigator, with a creative approach. He enjoys crafting strategies to resolve difficult and legally challenging problems, always seeking to achieve his clients’ desired results in an efficient manner.

Practice Areas: Business Law, Employment Law, Technology

State Accreditations: Alabama (AL) | Alaska (AK) | Arizona (AZ) | Arkansas (AR) | California (CA) | Colorado (CO) | Connecticut (CT) | Delaware (DE) | District of Columbia (DC) | Florida (FL) | Georgia (GA) | Illinois (IL) | Indiana (IN) | ITA (ITA) | Kentucky (KY) | Maryland (MD) | Massachusetts (MA) | Michigan (MI) | Minnesota (MN) | Missouri (MO) | Nevada (NV) | New Hampshire (NH) | New Jersey (NJ) | New York (NY) | North Dakota (ND) | Ohio (OH) | Oregon (OR) | Pennsylvania (PA) | Puerto Rico (PR) | South Dakota (SD) | Texas (TX) | Vermont (VT) | Virginia (VA) | Washington (WA) | West Virginia (WV)

Course Expiration: 12/31/2026