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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

It’s a Friday afternoon, you’re trying to wrap up all the loose ends from the week and looking forward to spending some time with your family over the weekend. Then the phone rings. It’s a long-time client that runs a tow truck company. He’s decided it’s easier for him to pay all of his drivers as independent contractors… good idea???

Yes, while entrepreneurs and business owners are great at starting and running business, they are not always so great at employment law. That’s where you step in to counsel your business clients to help them avoid costly employment related lawsuits. Michael Freeland will discuss the following common scenarios that often lead to employer liability: independent contractors vs. employees, exempt employees, paying scheduled hours vs. the time sheet, final payment after termination, at will employees and retaliating against employees. Michael also talks about the dynamics of employment law, pre-litigation concerns, factors that determine independent contractor status, labelling employees as managers, potential damages, tracking worker’s performance & hours, failing to provide full pay at termination, the “employee in limbo” scenario, documenting attempts to contact AWOL workers and wrongful termination.

Michael M. Freeland has conducted state and federal trials, arbitrations and administrative hearings. In addition to his extensive appellate court experience, he is proficient in litigation and motion practice, mediation, arbitration and depositions.

We are all biased. There is no way around it. Bias has been hardwired into our brains during our species existence on this planet. Bias stems from a biological survival response triggered by a dangerous or stressful event where a split-second judgement is required to escape danger.

This CLE course will teach you how illegal and unconscious bias affects your cases. Richad Huver provides a lively discussion about how lawyers must identify & deal with biases, how bias affects your decision-making & cases, how to spot illegal & unconscious bias and the common types of bias that lawyers must deal with in their cases. Richard also addresses snap judgements, bias & decision-making, the amygdala, bias & the biological response, the two brain systems, illegal bias, stereotypes and Harvard’s Project Implicit. In addition to illegal biases, the following biases are highlighted: cognitive bias, availability bias, anchoring bias, recency bias, the ostrich effect, the bandwagon effect, the placebo effect, confirmation bias, information bias, choice-supportive bias, zero risk bias and survivorship & outcome bias.

Richard's three-decades of litigation experience and leadership roles in the legal community, including President of the San Diego County Bar Association, have proven invaluable in his burgeoning mediation practice. Richard received an Outstanding Trial Lawyer award in 2000 and the President's Award in 2001 from the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego.