Course List

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

Learning Objectives

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Learning Objectives:

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

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

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

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

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

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

“From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free, Jews for Palestine.” “Let’s take the f*king streets later.” “All Zionists must die tonight at midnight.”

Following the start of the Israel-Hamas War tensions burst wide open on college campuses all over the country following the aftermath of the October 7th attack. By the spring, a wave of pro-Palestinian tent encampments led to massive demonstrations, student takeovers and more than 3,200 people arrested. As tensions escalated, it became very difficult to delineate the line between protected free speech and unprotected harassment & true threats of violence. In this CLE, FIRE attorney Zach Greenberg will give his reasoning why it’s so important to protect the freedom of speech and the freedom of expression on college campuses and the line between protected speech and unprotected threats & harassment. Zach will specifically address: the Looking Glass theory, public vs. private universities, true threats, harassment, the More Speech approach, calls for genocide, encampments, content neutral + time + manner restrictions, disruption & the Heckler’s Veto and creating a culture of free speech.

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.

Modern law firm visibility is no longer about phone books and business cards — it’s about showing up ethically in online search results. But maintaining ethical standards when advertising online can be a tricky proposition filled with potential pitfalls.

This CLE explores how attorneys can effectively and ethically use Local SEO, Google Business Profiles, and AI-driven search tools to attract clients while staying compliant with ABA Model Rules 7.1–7.3. Designed for solo practitioner &, small-firm attorneys, this course demystifies the intersection of digital marketing and professional responsibility. Attendees will learn how to increase online visibility, manage client reviews and present truthful, transparent, and compliant content across all digital platforms. Real-world examples illustrate both ethical best practices and common missteps that can lead to bar complaints. The course concludes with actionable strategies attorneys can use to boost rankings — without sacrificing integrity.

Learning Objectives:

• Interpret and apply ABA Model Rules 7.1–7.3 to online marketing, advertising and client communications.

• Understand the fundamentals of Local SEO and how they affect law firm visibility within a defined geographic area.

• Develop, optimize and ethically manage a Google Business Profile to enhance credibility and compliance.

• Implement ethical practices for client testimonials and online reviews, ensuring confidentiality and authenticity.

• Recognize the ethical risks and opportunities in emerging technologies, including AI-driven search algorithms and generative content.

Olha Bodnar is the founder of Ethos Leads, a digital marketing agency for growth-minded law firms. Olha takes a different approach to digital marketing for growth-minded law firms. With over a decade of experience, she understands the unique challenges and ethical concerns attorneys face when advertising online.

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

Learning Objectives:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Learning Objectives:

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

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

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

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

Participants will learn how to:

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

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

* Analyze case law restricting or sanctioning Reptile-style argumentation

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

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

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

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

Learning Objectives:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Attorneys are no longer confined to print ads in the Sunday paper & late night T.V. commercials. The Internet & social media have opened an entirely new online landscape for attorneys to advertise their services & law firms – but this new electronic terrain presents new ethical challenges.

“In a wreck, need a check?,” attorneys with sledgehammers, a “healthy dose of Dic,” monster trucks & guns. As attorneys that help lawyers with websites & online marketing, Desire'e Martinelli & Jeff Lantz have seen these numerous attorneys violate the rules of professional conduct with their online advertising. They are here to keep your conduct ethical in your YouTube vidoes, Facebook posts & PPC advertising. Primary subject covered: tips to avoid common ethical pitfalls, the consequences & penalties of unethical online advertising, and the best practices & plan when advertising online. Additional topics: using disclaimers, testimonial, making promises, required notifications, misleading ads, confidentiality issues, unjustified expectations, comparative statements, truthfulness & accuracy, case law, creating an ethical compliance plan and tools & resources. Ethical Rules addressed: Rule 1.6: Confidentiality, Rule 7.1: Communications Concerning a Lawyer’s Services, Rule 5.5: Unauthorized Practice of Law and Rule 8.4: Third-Party Violations.

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.

Ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft have fundamentally reshaped personal transportation – and has created novel legal challenges in accident litigation, liability allocation and insurance coverage. This program presented by attorney Zachary Pyers will provide attorneys with a comprehensive examination of the rapidly evolving legal issues surrounding ridesharing accidents.

Participants will gain an in-depth understanding of the prevalence of ridesharing, applicable state & federal regulations, and the complex relationships between drivers, companies, and passengers. The course explores negligence claims against drivers, direct and vicarious liability theories against companies, insurance gaps during different ridesharing “periods,” and evolving defenses. The program also addresses high-profile litigation, settlements, and regulatory actions, while highlighting key ethical considerations for attorneys handling ridesharing cases. By combining practical litigation strategies, case law analysis and ethical pitfalls, this CLE equips attorneys to effectively represent plaintiffs or defendants in ridesharing accident cases while maintaining compliance with professional responsibility standards.

Learning Objectives

- Identify the regulatory frameworks governing ridesharing companies, including state-level insurance, licensing and driver requirements.

- Analyze the employment status of drivers and evaluate its impact on liability allocation between drivers and ridesharing companies.

- Assess the applicability of legal theories such as negligence, respondeat superior, joint enterprise liability, and negligent hiring/retention.

- Evaluate insurance coverage during the three distinct ridesharing periods and recognize common coverage gaps for drivers, passengers, and third parties.

- Examine case law involving ridesharing accident claims, arbitration agreements, and regulatory settlements (e.g., Doe v. Uber, Good v. Uber, Meyer v. Uber, Gunter Willim v. Uber).

- Apply ethical rules to ridesharing cases, including duties of competence in technology, confidentiality obligations, conflict of interest assessments, and restrictions on financial assistance.

- Advise clients on emerging ridesharing issues such as data privacy, safety features, and potential common carrier status.

Zachary B. Pyers focuses his practice on civil litigation – including complex and class action litigation, corporate and commercial litigation, professional liability, and catastrophic loss.

The ethical rules regarding conflicts of interest may appear deceptively simple. However, there are numerous situations that may arise where they can be very complicated or deceptive. Or there could be an exception to the conflicts rule or a way to work around it with a well-crafted consent.

In this CLE, ethics expert & Professor of Legal Ethics Cari Sheehan will provide practical guidance on specific ethical situations that arise in your daily practice. Cari will mainly discuss the ethical framework, practical steps to avoid conflicts of interest and specific scenarios where conflicts occur. The steps to conflicts of interest resolution discussed: (1) identifying if it’s a current, former or prospective client, (2) analyzing whether a conflict exists, (3) determining if the conflict is consentable, (4) obtaining informed consent, and (5) remedies if the conflict is not resolved. Specific issues presented: joint representation, the informed disclosure that is required, simultaneous representation in unrelated matters, the material limitation standard, prior work conflicts, informed consent, injunctive relief, disqualification, fee forfeiture, former clients, imputed conflicts, utilizing a firm-wide database and creating ethical walls/screens. Model Rules implicated: 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 1.10 1.11 & 1.13.

With over 15 years of legal experience in civil litigation, conflicts of interest, and professional responsibility, Cari Sheehan serves as the Taft Law’s Assistant General Counsel. She is also an Assistant Clinical Professor of Business Law and Ethics with the IU Kelley School of Business in Indianapolis where she teaches courses in Business Law and Ethics.

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

Learning Objectives:

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

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

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

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

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

6. Integrate international considerations into counseling for global businesses.

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

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

Pete Rose was banned permanently from baseball for gambling on games while managing the Cincinnati Reds. “Shoeless” Joe Jackson was banned permanently by Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis in 1920 for his part in the Black Sox Scandal – even though he hit .375 in the World Series with 12 hits, 3 doubles and a home run.

Now with the explosion of online gambling and companies like DraftKings, FanDuel and BetMGM, there are even more risks involved for attorneys that represent athletes. Brandon Leopoldus is a sports agent and he constantly reminds his clients about the perils of sports betting, even something as simple as participating in fantasy football with friends. This CLE is broken into 3 parts: the historical context, legal & practical aspects of sports betting and the sponsorship, integration & industry governance of sports betting companies. Additional topics: betting scandals, violations & penalties of Rule 21 in Major League Baseball, the Shohei Ohtani Situation, legalization & regulation of sports betting, Murphy vs. NCAA (2018), Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PAPSA) of 1992, conflicts with league policies, use of AI & geolocation to monitor betting activity, collaboration with leagues to identify anomalies, advising clients on compliance & regulations and best practices for lawyers.

Brandon Leopoldus is a California-based attorney and founder of Leopoldus Law, APC – a specialized law firm dedicated to serving clients in the sports industry. With a focus on providing tailored legal solutions and strategies, Mr. Leopoldus is committed to helping his clients navigate the complexities of their off-field and off-screen needs.