In a recent case, a U.S. Magistrate Judge sanctioned an attorney for telling opposing counsel it wasn’t “becoming of a woman” to raise her voice during a contentious deposition. Yes, we have made strides when it comes to creating a level playing field for women in the legal profession… but there is still a long way to go.

In this lively and thought-provoking program, Andrea S. Kramer and Alton B. Harris discuss how gender bias can prevent law firms and legal organizations from achieving their desired diversity goals. In this incredibly insightful and practical discussion Andie and Al will mainly address gender disparity in achievement in the legal profession, why gender disparity exists in law firms, ending the gender disparity in law firms and what attorneys can do. The following topics are also covered: ABA Model Rule 8.4(g), state bar professional responsibility rules, the Muller-Lyer Illusion, communal & agentic stereotypes, the Goldilocks dilemma, the moral & business rationale for creating diversity, affinity bias, unconscious bias, being proactive, impression management and what male lawyers can do to be a part of the solution. Finally, Andie and Al provide specific action steps for addressing implicit biases and creating policies and procedures that can prevent bias from influencing decisions inside the firm.

Andrea S. Kramer is an attorney and a partner in the international law firm of McDermott Will & Emery, LLP. The managing partner in the Chicago office of Nixon Peabody, Al is a frequent writer and lecturer on the financial markets, financial regulation, corporate governance and diversity in the legal profession.

Many of us have achieved the one of the pinnacles of the American dream, owning our own home. However, even though it’s the most expensive purchase many of us will make, quite a few attorneys and clients fail to understand the basics of the document that protects their investment - the homeowners insurance policy.

In this CLE course, attorney Evan Walker will walk you through the basics of understanding homeowners insurance policies and coverage. He will mainly cover the following topics: the declarations page & definitions, coverages, exclusions, endorsements and first & third party claims disputes. Evan will also discuss coverage & coverage limits, Coverages A - D, how to read the policy, the definitions of the insured & insured property, being underinsured, due diligence to make sure that you have adequate insurance, depreciation, additional living expenses, named perils, the burden of proof, scope of coverage, riders, contract-driven disputes, tort claims against third parties and subrogation.

After evacuating from New Orleans to Houston, Evan W. Walker graduated in 2008 as part of the ‘Hurricane Katrina Class.’ After graduation, Evan worked for a New Orleans insurance defense firm. He opened his own firm in 2014 to represent people after years of defending insurance companies.

With billions of cell phones and apps out there, the amount of ESI generated by cell phones is overwhelming to many legal professionals. We get it - you are an attorney not a computer genius. But if you are ignoring evidence on smart phones and apps, you are ignoring a virtual treasure trove of electronic information that can greatly benefit your client at trial.

In this CLE program, highly rated instructor Lars Daniel will use case examples from his digital forensics practice to explain the proper methods to forensically acquire cell phone evidence. Lars will mainly discuss the collection, acquisition, analysis and examination of electronic evidence on smartphones and challenging the evidence. Lars will also address the following topics: “thumb forensics” by first responders, logical & file systems, deleted & destroyed data, manual examinations, Google Maps & network, user accounts, Internet searches & history, call logs, SMS & MMS messaging, installed apps, power events, the user dictionary, Google is watching & listening, timelines, affidavit highlights, video verification, fakes messages are real and a spoofing case example.

A digital forensics expert, Lars Daniel has attended over 250 hours of forensic training and has worked on over 500 cases involving murder, child pornography, terrorism, rape, kidnapping, intellectual property, fraud, wrongful death, among other case types. A licensed attorney in California, Jason Castillo actively participated in this course.

Communicate with clients, don’t “borrow” money from trust accounts, calendar every key deadline… the same fundamental ethics principles still hold true for the 21st century lawyer. That’s because the same traditional ethics issues continue to plague lawyers, leading to countless ethics violations and malpractice lawsuits.

In this course Joel Selik discusses the most common ethics violations you need to be aware of so you can continue to practice ethically. The main issues discussed include the most common ethical pitfalls, insurance issues, what happens when you get “the letter” and sources of ethics laws & duties. Joel will also address calendaring deadlines, communicating with clients, trust account issues, dumping clients, staying in your practice area, contingent & set fee agreements, billing issues, responding to a malpractice letter or ethics complaint from the state bar and key practice points to remain ethical in your everyday practice.

A malpractice attorney and ethics expert, Joel G. Selik has practiced law for over 30 years and frequently represents attorney clients in malpractice cases. Joel is licensed to practice law in both California and Nevada and he frequently presents seminars on Estate Planning, Nursing Home Litigation, Legal Ethics and Malpractice.

Copyright protection has become incredibly important for content producers in our new Digital Age where copyrighted content can be copied, pasted and distributed around the globe in seconds. However, there are many common myths associated with copyright protection, fair use and permission to use copyrighted works. Are you guilty of telling one of your clients to put their work in a sealed envelope and mail it to themselves?

In this CLE course, Rex Brabson provides an entertaining discussion about key issues in copyright law and the common misconceptions about fair use and permission to use copyrighted works. Rex will mainly cover: the elements to establish a valid copyright, common issues faced by authors & businesses, common myths associated with fair use and permission to use copyrighted works. He will also address the five copyright rights, how rights are acquired, original works of authorship, fixed in a tangible medium, the value of registration, copyright compared to trademark law, works made for hire, what is not protected, the four fair use factors, content that requires permission to use, protection for databases and the abstraction-filtration comparison test.

Rexford Brabson is of counsel at Branfman Law Group. Rex mainly handles state and federal trademark applications and Responses to Office Actions, in addition to preparing and filing copyright applications. A graduate of the University of San Diego School of Law, Rex was admitted to the State Bar of California in 2014.

Your 13 year-old daughter comes home from school one day crying because a group of girls posted a horrible video on YouTube calling her derogatory names and making fun of the way she dresses. The girls shot the video at a local restaurant on the way home from school. What can your daughter’s school legally do to punish the girls who filmed and posted the video?

In this CLE course Gretchen Shipley, an education technology lawyer, discusses one of the key issues facing educators and school districts today - cyberbullying and free speech. Gretchen will mainly cover the school’s duty to provide a safe environment, infringing on student’s free speech, school & district employees and related laws to cyberbullying. These topics will also be addressed: transmitting sexual images of minor, bullying & cyberbullying defined, schools & social media monitoring, bullying prevention laws, the school’s jurisdiction to punish student speech, the substantial disruption standard, search & seizure of student’s smartphones and impersonation laws. Gretchen will also discuss key case law in this area such as: Tinker v. Des Moines, J.C. v. Beverly Hills School District, J.S. v. Blue Mountain School District, New Jersey v. T.L.O and Klump v. Nazareth.

Gretchen M. Shipley is a partner in the San Diego area office of Fagen Friedman & Fulfrost and co-chair of the firm's eMatters Practice Group. A respected legal leader in education law and technology, Mrs. Shipley advises school districts and presents workshops to students, employees and district leaders nationwide on the promotion of digital citizenship in the school community.

A wife is murdered in her own home. The husband claims he tried to stop the intruder but the large man overcame him and tied him to a chair. But the wife’s Fitbit tells a different version of the story than the tale that the husband presents. As the police investigate the case and harness the digital information created by the wife’s Fitbit, it becomes instantly clear to the police that the husband’s story does not match up and he is arrested and charged with murder.

Welcome to our brave new electronic world where cameras, cell phones, Fitbits - and even video games - are used as crucial evidence in civil and criminal trials. In Part one of this two part introductory series Lars Daniel mainly covers the various types of digital evidence to consider in your cases, the evolution of digital evidence, what digital forensics encompasses and the acquisition & preservation of digital evidence. Lars also discusses our new online lives, digital footprints, digital media in legal cases, the four primary areas of digital forensics, sub-disciplines of digital forensics, extracting forensically sound evidence, how data is organized and the fragile nature of digital evidence. Lars specially addresses harnessing digital information from Google searches, Facebook Chats, “Private” Browsing, Connected Devices, Chrome, Firefox and jump lists.

A digital forensics expert, Lars Daniel has attended over 250 hours of forensic training and has worked on over 500 cases involving murder, child pornography, terrorism, rape, kidnapping, intellectual property, fraud, wrongful death, among other case types. A licensed attorney in California, Jason Castillo actively participated in this course.

One of your favorite clients is Pearl, who you’ve helped with some real estate and estate planning matters when her husband of 55 years passed away. Even though she’s in her eighties, she’s still sharp as a tack. One day she calls you frantically because her checking account is suddenly overdrawn and she thinks that her housekeeper might be to blame.

While many people think that it mainly consists of physical abuse, elder abuse is more often times a crime of financial abuse where relatives, caretakers and “friends” take advantage of the elderly. An experienced document examiner, Mike Wakshull has seen altered wills, attempted stock transfers, suspicious checks and homes sold with forged real estate deeds. Using case examples from his own practice, he will cover the following topics: knowing the telltale signs of faked signatures, the importance of exemplars, fluidity vs. tremor, examining the unique attributes of a signature and the tools used to examine documents.

A court-qualified forensic document examiner, Michael N. Wakshull has been involved in the Forensic Document Examination arena since 1983 and belongs to a number of Document Examination Associations. A licensed attorney in California, Jason Castillo actively participated in this course.

Complying with the ethical rules can be a challenge for solo and small firm practitioners. Small firm and solo practitioners normally handle nearly all legal and business aspects of the firm, as they often serve as their own marketing, administration, billing and collections departments.

In this program, attorney Gary J. Ross provides an extremely comprehensive review of the main ethical issues faced by solo practitioners and attorneys in small firms. When you complete this course you will know the sources to ethics rules for attorneys, recognize the reasons SmallLaw attorneys tend to have more ethics violations, understand the most common ethical pitfalls and know how to properly operate your law practice in accordance with the ethics rules. Additional topics covered: the Model Rules, ethics opinions, court decisions, communication concerning a lawyer's services, using engagement letters, establishing the lawyer-client relationship, charging a reasonable fee, retainers, conflicts of interest, taking on matters in a new area of law, ending the lawyer-client relationship, of counsel relationships and sharing fees.

Gary J. Ross founded Jackson Ross PLLC in 2013 to cater to the legal needs of the startup and venture capital community. Prior to founding Jackson Ross, Gary worked in the corporate transactions and securities practice groups in various large firms in various large cities, and also managed to fit in a tour of duty with the Treasury Department.

“Attorneys wear different hats when they perform legal services on behalf of their clients and when they conduct business with them. As to the latter, the law presumes the hat they wear is a black one.” This quote succinctly sums up how courts and ethics regulators feel about attorney-client transactions and how you will be viewed if you do business with your clients.

In this CLE course, attorney Peter Afrasiabi discusses the pertinent ethical rules and provides guidance on how you can avoid tripping the wires if you decide to do business with your clients. Peter will mainly cover the factors for attorney-client transactions to avoid ethical pitfalls, specific case examples, the effect of ethical violations and best practices to remain ethical. He also addresses California Rule of Professional Responsibility 3-300, ABA Rule 1.8, state fiduciary duty law, New York Rule 1.8, the original engagement, the presumption of undue influence, fair and reasonable & disclosed in a writing, advising independent counsel and getting client consent in writing. Peter also discusses the following specific transactions: a charging lien on future recovery proceeds, client assignment of right to statutory attorney’s fees, deeds of trust secured by a note to pay fees, joint ventures with clients, accepting stock from a startup and loans to clients.

From battles with Madonna over the "Material Girl" brand to fair use disputes with the Eagles' Don Henley to protecting such iconic brands as Bettie Page in trademark and trade dress disputes, Peter R. Afrasiabi primarily handles copyright, trademark, and entertainment disputes. He is also the Chair of the Appellate Practice Group for One LLP and co-director of the Appellate Litigation Clinic at the University of California, Irvine School of Law.

Franchise law is a specialized area of law that is fairly regulated by both federal law and various state laws. Knowing the intricacies of how franchising and franchise law work can enhance your skill sets as a practitioner and help you better assist your business clients.

In this CLE course, Joe Donnini will cover not only the fundamentals of franchise law, but also address numerous practical points that you must consider to effectively represent your clients that are considering buying a franchise. Joe will mainly discuss the legal definition of a franchise, the federal & state regulatory framework, disclosure & documents, franchise contracts and common legal and practical concerns. Joe also spends a considerable portion of the course reviewing the 23 items in the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) including: the estimated initial investment, initial & other fees, financing, renewal, termination, transfer & dispute resolution, financial performance representations and contracts.

Joe Donnini is an experienced attorney, entrepreneur, educator, and business consultant. Having a diverse background has positioned Joe to gain perspective in multiple industries on many matters. Joe has assisted clients in key areas of business creation, development, operations, and finance.

Spanning four trials and twenty years, the Harry Bridges saga marked one of the most brutal and longest civil litigation battles in American history in the deportation context. Even after the Supreme Court called it a relentless "crusade," and a veritable case of "man's intolerance to man," the Executive lawyers and FBI investigators still relentlessly pursued the imprisonment and deportation of one man - Harry Bridges.

Attorney, author and adjunct professor Peter Afrasiabi examines the ethical issues related to federal disqualification motions by delving into the fascinating Harry Ellis case and examining President Trump's calls to disqualify Judge Gonzalo Curiel from his civil fraud case due to his Mexican heritage. By analyzing a number of additional case examples, Peter also highlights the questions related to the timing of bringing these motions, when you should (and should not) bring such motions and the ethical issues associated with disqualification motions. Peter discusses these common scenarios: a judge's prior relationship with parties, a judge's prior relationship with a witness, a judge's prior relationship with lawyer, a judge's public commentary on issues and disqualification motions brought on race-charges.

From battles with Madonna over the "Material Girl" brand to fair use disputes with the Eagles' Don Henley to protecting such iconic brands as Bettie Page in trademark and trade dress disputes, Peter R. Afrasiabi primarily handles copyright, trademark, and entertainment disputes.

A client walks into your office in a major panic! She just got off the phone with the bank… who just told her she doesn’t own her own home. They have a deed that transfers the property out of her possession - that’s now owned 100% by her ex-husband - and it’s even been recorded by the county recorder. How can you possibly help this client?

Forensic document examiners are retained to determine whether a document has been altered. By reviewing a series of case examples, Mike Wakshull provides an overview of the different types of alterations encountered by document examiners in legal cases and the methods used to detect these alterations. Mike discusses alterations to the following documents: a real estate deed, a birth certificate, a falsified mortgage document, a transfer of property agreement, an employment contract, an altered receipt, a holographic will, an altered PDF and an altered email. He also addresses using Photoshop, examining ink, discovery of cut-and-paste signatures, tools used by document examiners, digital microscopes vs. stereo microscopes, pixilation, examining signatures written on digital tablets, examining word documents and the future of forensic document examination.

A court-qualified forensic document examiner, Michael N. Wakshull has been involved in the Forensic Document Examination arena since 1983 and belongs to a number of Document Examination Associations. A licensed attorney in California, Jason Castillo actively participated in this course.

Susan Fowler had tried everything - going to human resources, talking to her managers, transferring departments, but nothing changed. An engineer at Uber, the sexist comments at work just kept coming. So she went online and wrote a 3,000-word blog post exposing the behavior and culture at Uber. Less than one year later, Uber co-founder and C.E.O. Travis Kalanick was forced out along a number of Uber executives

With the #MeToo hashtag, women have been empowered to share their harrowing experiences of harassment and assault by men. These stories have dominated Twitter and the headline news and have resulted in numerous terminations and lawsuits. In this CLE course, trial attorney Dan Gilleon will discuss litigating sexual harassment claims in the #MeToo era, state and federal laws covering sexual misconduct and important considerations when evaluating sexual misconduct cases. Dan will also cover the following topics: the four stages to these cases, numerous case examples from his practice, hostile work environment & quid pro quo cases, claims under FEHA (Fair Employment and Housing Act), insurance & the defendant’s ability to pay and key statutes of limitations.

For decades, Dan Gilleon has been fighting for his clients with exceptional intensity and passion. Mr. Gilleon fights with vigor for his clients, often for the “little guy” that is being taken advantage of or bullied and he has fought and won countless high profile cases, often against powerful companies or even dangerous thugs and criminals.

You’ve seen them on the Internet. Some have seen them on the roads. Autonomous vehicles are here, many more are on the way, and they are going to change the world we live in. Think about this - when a driverless car gets pulled over for speeding who gets the ticket? Or when a Tesla on auto pilot crashes killing the driver - is the car company liable?

Driverless cars are the wave of the future. How will this new technology affect your practice? Attorney Brett Schreiber provides a glimpse into the future of the auto industry, the potential liability of driverless cars and how these robot cars will affect your legal practice. Brett covers the following topics: the future of cars, the rise of automation, the macro level look of automated driving, the effects on the trucking industry, ride sharing companies, joint ventures in the auto & tech industry, the results of automation, getting access to car data, autonomous driving bills around the country, legal liability, the changes coming to personal injury practice, the Tesla accident, SB 1298 and defining the “operator” & “driver” of the vehicle.

Brett Schreiber’s practice includes mass torts, personal injury, medical malpractice and condemnation law. Brett is a young lawyer who has begun to distinguish himself as one of the next generation of legal leaders. In 2009 he earned recognition as one of San Diego’s Top Attorneys, perhaps the youngest person to do so. He is slated to be the youngest President in the history of the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego.

You run a successful six-person personal injury law firm. You can’t sleep one hot summer night and you’re up late so you decide to check Twitter one more time… and you can’t help but notice that your new paralegal James has blasted you as being a terrible, penny-pinching boss with horrible breath that “pervs” on female employees at the office. Can you fire him for this rude, untrue and offensive tweet?

The answer… it depends! The explosion of social media use in the workplace – from Facebook to online dating apps – has created a flood of novel legal and practical issues for employers. Further, increasing legislation, emerging case law, NLRB decisions and a change in administrations further cloud the legal landscape. If you need some guidance on how employers may legally handle employee social media use, join employment law attorney Alix Rubin for a lively and practical discussion of situations that arise when employees “misbehave” on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media sites and apps. Alix will mainly discuss the types of confidential information employers may protect from online exposure, the types of information you may discipline an employee for disclosing online, when you can and cannot monitor your employees’ social media activity and who owns an employee’s business-related social media contacts. This CLE course is full of recent case examples and practical guidance for employers.

Alix R. Rubin founded Rubin Employment Law in 2010 to fill the need for compassionate legal counsel for both employers and employees. The firm’s goal is to help its clients resolve their disputes cost effectively and with as little disruption to their businesses, and lives, as possible. A former member of a New Jersey District Ethics Committee, she currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Volunteer Lawyers for Justice and as a director of the Wharton Alumni Club of New Jersey.

It’s Tuesday and you’re just about to head to a lunch meeting. You get an email from Dan, one of your longest running clients that has recently had some financial hardships. Dan emailed you to “suggest” that he thought about covering up some “possible” money-laundering with some documents you previously prepared for him. What do you do?

Yes, dicey situations arise when it comes to the interplay of privilege, confidentiality and the attorney work product doctrine. Although related, these are different concepts and the interplay of the three frequently confuses lawyers and judges alike. In this CLE course, C. Evan Stewart will provide some clarity on these complex and interwoven issues. Evan will cover: ABA Model Rule 1.6, mandatory & permissive disclosures, SEC violations, the 5 C’s of Confidentiality, why the attorney-client privilege is under attack, selective waiver, the crime-fraud exception, the Michael Cohen incident, confidentiality & ex-employees, opinion vs. ordinary work product and ten tips to maximize the protections of confidentiality. Evan will discuss number case examples and practical everyday situations so you can better understand the similarities and differences between the privilege doctrine, the work product doctrine, and confidentiality.

C. Evan Stewart’s practice principally focuses on the financial services industry, handling litigation matters for domestic and international clients before federal and state trial and appellate courts, in arbitration forums and the U.S. Supreme Court. He advises clients on a range of complex commercial matters, including antitrust, bankruptcy, class action defense, ethics, intellectual property, internal investigations, securities litigation, and tax controversies.

Say it with me, we all know it. “A statement, made out of court, provided for the truth of the matter asserted.” Yes, we can all repeat the definition of hearsay in our sleep. It’s the application of the hearsay rule that’s trips up lawyers and judges alike.

In this incredibly insightful course, Paul S. Marks provides you with better organized framework for analyzing potential hearsay evidence that has been gleaned from over twenty years of trial practice. Paul will mainly cover the basic elements of the hearsay rule, oral testimony vs. written testimony & “The Hearsay Conundrum” and exceptions to the hearsay rule. Paul will also discuss why the hearsay rule is a lawyer’s dream, non-verbal conduct intended as communication, implied statements, quickly assessing possible hearsay statements, the veracity of the statement, using motions in limine to keep possible hearsay away from the jury, FRE 105 - Limited Admissibility, FRE 403 - Prejudicial vs. Probative and FRE 803(6) - The Business Records exception.

Paul Marks has practiced civil and commercial litigation in California for over twenty years. Mr. Marks has served as first chair trial counsel in over thirty cases that have reached verdict, about half of them being jury trials.

When a company equips 11 million of its cars with software to cheat federal emissions tests and standards. When a former star athlete takes his own life at 43 due to a traumatic brain injury suffered while playing in the NFL. And when a terrorist group rams two planes filled with gas into the World Trade Center and into heart of New York City and America. Trial lawyers are there to protect the public and our Democracy.

A renowned trial lawyer who has tried hundreds of high profile cases and class actions, David Casey has been at the forefront of the fight to protect the public for over the last forty years. In this CLE course, David highlights the infamous cases he has litigated and the trial bar’s role in protecting the public and democracy. David will discuss the Exxon Valdez litigation, tobacco litigation, Wells Fargo’s collateral protection insurance litigation, Apple litigation regarding slowing phone speeds, CTE & the NFL, Tony Gwynn & smokeless tobacco, the Battling Bastards of Bataan and the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund.

A third generation attorney, he joined his late father David S. Casey Sr.’s firm in 1976, after working as a prosecutor for the San Diego City Attorney’s office. With dozens of high profile verdicts and settlements achieved over a nearly 40-year legal career, he is well on his way to attaining his father’s - who tried more than 700 jury trials - legendary status.

Dodge, Chevy, Ford… America are known around the world for our car culture and our love of the automotive industry. And if it’s one thing that many Americans enjoy doing, it’s customizing their cars by slapping on the hottest new rims or upgrading to the most fuel-efficient oxygen sensor. For that reason, the aftermarket auto industry is big business domestically and the globe. The industry is slated to expand exponentially over the coming years with an estimated target revenue of $680 billion by 2024.

This course will discuss common legal issues in the aftermarket automotive industry and focuses on intellectual property concerns regarding aftermarket auto parts. The main subjects covered include: the aftermarket auto industry, how to protect inventions, how to protect the name of a company or product, how to enforce a trademark, how use copyright protection for websites & artwork, pre-litigation strategies to avoid court, the role of product liability insurance, facing a potential lawsuit and how to advise clients. Eric, Ed and Dave also discuss the SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) Convention, protecting manufacturers, provisional patents, potential investors, trade secret protection, foreign IP protection, descriptive trademarks, enforcing & policing marks, registering copyrights, statutory damages, copyright myths, additional insureds and the schedule of assets.

An intellectual property attorney, Eric Hancom is actively involved in overseeing litigation, contract negotiation and customs issues in the US, Asia, Europe, South American and Australia over matters ranging from patent and trademark infringement to breach of contract. Edward W. Burns has extensive litigation experience in State and Federal Court and assists clients in protecting corporate intellectual property, including infringement litigation. David Branfman’s practice focuses on intellectual property and entertainment law, including trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, licensing, motion pictures & TV and music.