The patent system was one of the earliest instruments of economic development established by the young United States. These patent protections put in place by the Founding Fathers fostered the inventive American spirit and led to inventions that have truly shaped our world.

From vulcanized rubber to the iPhone, Eric Hanscom and Dave Branfman provide an insightful glimpse into 10 patents that define the world we live in today. The 10 inventions discussed: frequency hopping, vulcanized rubber, the quad copter, the elevator, GPS, the self-serving store, solar energy, the iPhone, virtual reality and the self-driving car. Eric and Dave will use these inventions and patents to teach numerous practical lessons including the importance of claims, inventorship, multiple inventors, assignment, patent applications, design vs. utility patents, Apple Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co., additional IP protection, copyright & trademark protection and patent illustrations.

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.

Practice Areas: Business Law, Intellectual Property

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

Course Expiration: 09/30/2027

There is a large remote fire loss in Alaska that takes 1-2 days of travel once you’re off the plane. Just as you arrive with your team, you get a text message that one of the parties will not be able to attend and wants to reschedule. What do you do?

This is where 3D scanning such as LiDAR and photogrammetry could save weeks of time and $1,000’s for all parties involved. This is an actual case example pulled from the files of Andrew Bennet, a fire & explosion investigator. In this CLE, Andrew Bennet will show you how 3D scanning can be deployed in your cases, detail the difference between LiDAR & photogrammetry, present 2 case examples & 2 actual 3D models, address the limitations and illustrate how 3D scanning can be used in litigation to virtually walk juries through crime scenes, accident reconstructions and fire investigations. Additional topics: scene documentation, virtual inspections, spoliation, crime scene work, “stitching,” joint scene exams vs. solitary exams, discovery & alteration, admissibility and receiving the 3D model.

Andrew Bennett is Fire & Explosion investigator at Envista Forensics. He has more than 20 years of experience, conducting over 1600 fire and explosion investigations globally in both the public and private sectors.

Specialty Areas: Technology

Practice Areas: Criminal Law, Litigation, Personal Injury, Real Property, Technology

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

Course Expiration: 03/27/2028

"The key consideration is workflow." - Craig Ball, Trial Lawyer & Electronic Evidence Expert. And at the end of the day, judges want an eDiscovery workflow and plan that is defensible with a process that is repeatable & explainable.

By focusing on the importance of creating a defensible eDiscovery workflow process, Alex Marjanovic & Robert Bird will show you how the EDRM framework enables attorneys to create and execute on this plan. The three main topics in this CLE: the EDRM Framework & the Cooperation Proclamation, From Preservation to Production: Validating the Process and Three Common eDiscovery Cases & Workflows. Additional subjects: issues that arise between the parties, dealing with volumes of data, budget vs. projected spend, what judges want, the EDRM (Electronic Discovery Reference Model) Framework, culling the data, advanced analytics, collaborative review, the details of production, legal holds & preservation, proportionality, SaaS platforms & applications like Salesforce, WeChat, AWS, Microsoft Teams & Slack, structured vs. unstructured data and defensible collection.

Alex Marjanovic is a Senior Managing Director at Ankura, a leading business advisory firm. Robert Bird joins Ankura as Managing Director with more than 10 years of experience in eDiscovery and data analytics.

Practice Areas: Business Law, eDiscovery, Employment Law, Litigation, Personal Injury

State Accreditations: Alaska (AK) | Arizona (AZ) | California (CA) | Colorado (CO) | Connecticut (CT) | District of Columbia (DC) | Florida (FL) | Illinois (IL) | 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) | Oregon (OR) | Pennsylvania (PA) | South Dakota (SD) | Texas (TX) | Vermont (VT) | Virginia (VA) | Washington (WA)

Course Expiration: 09/11/2027

How can you serve as the most effective and valuable resource for your business clients? It doesn’t start with going into the file cabinet and pulling out a bunch of arcane legal forms. It starts with strategy and preparation followed by proper documentation.

Following these methods presented by Melody Kramer you will become an invaluable resource for your small business clients thinking about a collaborative venture with another entrepreneur or business person. Melody will mainly cover these topics: preparing the client, purpose & structure of the agreement, defining the terms of the relationship, due diligence before drafting the agreement, discussing the legal framework with clients and drafting the collaboration agreement. Additional subjects addressed: choice of entity, ownership & revenue sharing, liability, work product, control of contributions, balance of power, dividing responsibilities, the checklist, dispute resolution, the method of terminating the business, paperwork and dignity & respect. Melody will also discuss numerous case examples from her practice.

Melody A. Kramer is a trial lawyer, author, speaker, innovator and visionary. Melody has earned a reputation as a fearless advocate for clients in courtrooms across the country and an innovative problem solver in keeping people out of court.

Practice Areas: Business Law

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

Course Expiration: 12/01/2026

This CLE program, presented by Richard Birke, explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the legal profession, focusing on its adoption by law firms, ethical considerations, and its implications for dispute resolution. Participants will gain insights into the current applications of AI in legal practice, understand the risks and challenges associated with its use, and learn strategies to integrate AI tools effectively while maintaining professional standards and confidentiality.

Specialty Areas: Technology

Practice Areas: Technology

State Accreditations: Alaska (AK) | Arizona (AZ) | California (CA) | Connecticut (CT) | District of Columbia (DC) | 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) | South Dakota (SD) | Texas (TX) | Washington (WA)

Course Expiration: 04/30/2029

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: Implicit Bias

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: 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) | 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)

Course Expiration: 09/13/2029

This CLE program, presented by Dr. Ryan Abbott, explores the evolving role of artificial intelligence (AI) in dispute resolution. Participants will gain an in-depth understanding of AI's applications in legal and ADR settings, the challenges and ethical implications of its use, and how practitioners can leverage AI tools to improve outcomes, efficiency, and fairness.

Specialty Areas: Technology

Practice Areas: Alternative Dispute Resolution, Technology

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

Course Expiration: 06/29/2028

DraftKings, PokerStars, lotto at the corner store… once backroom taboo, legalized gambling is now big (legal) business in the United States. And with online gambling skyrocketing during the coronavirus crisis, many attorneys have run into problems with the “secret” addiction.

Brian S. Quinn had to learn his lesson the hard way. What started as football polls in middle school — ended with Brian selling his law practice to pay his debts and a stint in prison. In this CLE, Brian will primarily explore: the DSM-5 & gambling disorders, legalized gambling in the U.S. and mental health & gambling and harm to the legal profession. Brian will also detail the early warning signs of impairment, explain Lawyers Assistance Programs that provide services to lawyers & judges, examine the barriers that prevent lawyers from getting help and explore the role that education plays in breaking the stigma and the fear associated with addiction and mental illness in the legal profession. Special attention will be given to the connection between the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on social isolation, stress, anxiety, depression and gambling disorders.

Prior to working for Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers, Brian S. Quinn was a sole practitioner for nearly 40 years and has also worked in the field of Alcohol and Drug Counseling at Mirmont Treatment Center and Malvern Institute in suburban Philadelphia.

Practice Areas: Criminal Law, Family Law, Mental Health & Substance Abuse, Sports and Entertainment, Substance Abuse

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

Course Expiration: 08/02/2026

This CLE program, presented by Justice Trotter and Kathy Yani, aims to provide attorneys, mediators, and legal professionals with the essential skills and knowledge required to navigate complex allocation scenarios in mass tort litigation. Participants will explore key strategies, ethical considerations, and best practices for dividing lump-sum settlements among multiple claimants while ensuring transparency, fairness, and compliance with procedural requirements.

Practice Areas: Alternative Dispute Resolution, Litigation

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

Course Expiration: 04/23/2028

True liberty means enjoying fruits of your labor and maximizing the profit made from your hard work — even student athletes. And for years, student athletes were forbidden from pursuing endorsement offers, even though schools & business are making billions broadcasting their games.

Now, recent state legislation allows student athletes to profit from their fame & notoriety while still maintaining their athletic eligibility. You can be a star female college basketball player — and still get paid for doing some commercials for the local pizza shop. Unfortunately, the patchwork of state legislation & hands off approach by the NCAA has left the legal landscape in chaos. Brian Brunkow will try to clear things up by explaining the rules around Name Image Likeness (NIL), boosters & collectives and the transfer portal. Additional topics in this CLE: the NCAA Interim Policy, NIL activity & impact, the NIL deal process, 3rd parties & booster status, the Quid Pro Quo requirement, fair market value for endorsements, pay for play (PFP), NCAA Hypos and Q&A, undue benefits and notice of transfer “Impact.”

Brian Brunkow is a Seattle-area lawyer focused on negotiations, dispute resolution and NCAA compliance. In addition, he teaches lawyers about sports agency law and speaks at West Coast coaching clinics on student-athlete development.

Practice Areas: Business Law, Intellectual Property, Sports and Entertainment

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) | Mississippi (MS) | Missouri (MO) | Nevada (NV) | New Hampshire (NH) | New Jersey (NJ) | New York (NY) | North Carolina (NC) | North Dakota (ND) | Ohio (OH) | Oregon (OR) | Pennsylvania (PA) | Puerto Rico (PR) | South Dakota (SD) | Texas (TX) | Vermont (VT) | Virginia (VA) | Washington (WA)

Course Expiration: 01/18/2028

This CLE program, led by Richard Birke, explores the ethical considerations that arbitrators must navigate in their practice. It focuses on the JAMS Ethics Guidelines, confidentiality requirements, disclosure obligations, and decision-making responsibilities. Participants will gain a clear understanding of the ethical framework governing arbitration and practical strategies for managing challenging situations.

Specialty Areas: Legal Ethics

Practice Areas: Alternative Dispute Resolution, Ethics

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

Course Expiration: 01/22/2029

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Doge Coin… oh my! Yes, it’s a brave new world when it comes to “money.” If you invested $1 in Bitcoin 10 years ago — you would now have close to $1 million dollars of the world’s most popular cryptocurrency.

Whether you think crypto is a giant scam — or the next big thing — at least one of your client’s probably holds cryptocurrency as part of their estate. Blake Harris will show you how you can best protect your client’s cryptocurrency wealth through proven asset protection techniques. Blake will demystify cryptocurrency & blockchain technology, fill you in on NFTs & the metaverse and show you how it relates to estate planning, asset protection, probate and the taxation of crypto. Additional topics: NOT asset protection, the trust protector, avoiding lawsuits & judgements, charging order protection, LLCs, domestic trusts, international asset protection trusts, triggering a trust, blockchain applications & advantages, crypto miners, crypto inflation hedge, RUFADAA, Offshore Trusts, digital assets, Bored Apes, and the Electric Daisy Carnival.

Blake Harris is the managing attorney at Blake Harris Law, where he assists clients with wills and trusts, asset protection, and probate. Blake helps families plan for and manage the transfer of their assets and he specializes in estate planning, asset protection, and probate.

Practice Areas: Taxation, Wills, Trusts & Estates

State Accreditations: Alaska (AK) | Arizona (AZ) | California (CA) | Connecticut (CT) | District of Columbia (DC) | Florida (FL) | 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) | Vermont (VT) | Washington (WA)

Course Expiration: 03/11/2027

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) | ITA (ITA) | Maryland (MD) | Massachusetts (MA) | Michigan (MI) | Missouri (MO) | Nevada (NV) | New Hampshire (NH) | New Jersey (NJ) | New York (NY) | North Dakota (ND) | Ohio (OH) | Oregon (OR) | Pennsylvania (PA) | South Dakota (SD) | Texas (TX) | Vermont (VT) | Washington (WA)

Course Expiration: 09/30/2029

From darkness and the depths of despair — to recovery and redemption. Unfortunately, Laurie’s struggles with drugs, alcohol and substances are not unique. What is unique is her phoenix-like rise from impairment to the Executive Director of Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers.

Laurie shares her personal story, and accompanied by Tracy Kepler, she will detail how impaired attorneys risk destroying their careers and lives. Laurie and Tracy will discuss recent studies & statistics, detail the resources provided by state LAPs, instruct attorneys on how to recognize signs of impairment, identify the possible disciplinary implications of an impaired attorneys' conduct and show you what law firms & attorneys can do about the problem. Additional topics: Lawyer Assistance Programs (LAPs), the Prevalence of Substance Use Among American Attorneys, Bloomberg Law’s Attorney Workload & Hours study, the “Stress, Drink, Leave” study, tips for helping, Model Rule 5.1, Model Rule 1.1, Model Rule 1.16(a)(2), ABA & State Ethics Opinions, programs & policies, assessments, mentoring, counseling, well-being training and making YOURSELF a priority.

Laurie Besden is the Executive Director of Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers of Pennsylvania, Inc. (LCL). Tracy L. Kepler is a Risk Control Director for CNA’s Lawyers Insurance Program.

Specialty Areas: Prevention & Detection Competence

Practice Areas: Attorney Wellness, Diversity and Wellness, Ethics, Mental Health & Substance Abuse, Prevention & Detection Competence, Professional Conduct, Professional Well Being (NC), Professionalism, Substance Abuse

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) | Nevada (NV) | New Hampshire (NH) | New Jersey (NJ) | New York (NY) | North Carolina (NC) | North Dakota (ND) | Ohio (OH) | Oregon (OR) | Pennsylvania (PA) | South Dakota (SD) | Texas (TX) | Vermont (VT) | Washington (WA)

Course Expiration: 02/08/2028

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) | 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) | Maine (ME) | Maryland (MD) | Massachusetts (MA) | Michigan (MI) | Minnesota (MN) | Mississippi (MS) | 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) | South Carolina (SC) | South Dakota (SD) | Tennessee (TN) | Texas (TX) | Utah (UT) | Vermont (VT) | Washington (WA) | Wyoming (WY)

Course Expiration: 07/10/2029

You get a call from an old friend that needs help. His brother-in-law works for the government in Thailand and he wants your help to wire transfer $6.5 million out of the country, set up a series of LLCs and then buy luxury condos. Good idea to represent this client?

The drug trade and globalization has led to more dirty money flowing into the U.S. and lawyers unwittingly taking part in money laundering. Timothy Dunfey will teach you the risks & red flags of money laundering and how to protect yourself, your clients and your law firm from being used as a laundromat. In this CLE he will: discuss the lawyer’s role as gatekeepers, explore relevant federal regulation, show you how to measure geographic risk and detail the guidance to attorneys from the ABA. Additional topics: protecting your trust accounts, placement, layering, integration, the 1MDB case, Currency Transaction Reports (CTR), Suspicious Activity Reports (SAR’s), the USA Patriot Act, the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020, the Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC), Geographic Targeting Orders (GTO), real estate, title companies, knowing your client, Beneficial Ownership, Client Due Diligence and the danger of cash businesses.

Timothy Dunfey, Esq., CFE, CAMS, is a consulting expert who has 16 years of experience in financial services operations and compliance. Mr. Dunfey is a highly seasoned professional experienced in all facets of AML and OFAC processes, regulatory communications, investigations, and risk management.

Practice Areas: Business Law, Law Practice Management, Real Property

State Accreditations: Alabama (AL) | Alaska (AK) | Arizona (AZ) | California (CA) | Colorado (CO) | Connecticut (CT) | District of Columbia (DC) | Florida (FL) | Georgia (GA) | Idaho (ID) | Illinois (IL) | Indiana (IN) | ITA (ITA) | Maryland (MD) | Massachusetts (MA) | Michigan (MI) | Minnesota (MN) | Missouri (MO) | Montana (MT) | Nevada (NV) | New Hampshire (NH) | New Jersey (NJ) | New York (NY) | North Carolina (NC) | 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)

Course Expiration: 02/27/2028

Being an independent trustee is not an easy job. Trustors (settlors) must rely on trusted individuals to carry out their wishes and to fulfill their promises to the beneficiaries. And beneficiaries hope for the fulfillment of the settlor’s promises are in the hands of the trustee.

Then throw in a global pandemic, a change of administration and major change to the tax laws… and a difficult job becomes even more daunting. In this CLE you will learn new tips, techniques and interact for working with fiduciaries and other legal professionals in your field. Topics include: Crisis Planning for Persons with Disability, Embracing Disruption as a Catalyst for Change, Planning in the Light of Tax Uncertainty, Impact of Residency of Trustees, Beneficiaries & Managers on State Income, Creditor and Divorce Laws, The Evolving Role of Fiduciaries in Addressing the Needs of the Affluent Family and HEMS Distribution Standards for Trustees. This course will benefit attorneys when working with wealth managers, family advisors, CPAs and insurance professionals.

The speakers at the Independent Trustee Alliance (ITA) Annual Conference include: Ann Koerner, R.N., BSN, Jane Beddall, M.A., J.D., Tom Pauloski, Esq., Jim Roberts, Esq., Courtney Pullen, M.A., Christian Kelso, J.D.

Practice Areas: Taxation, Wills, Trusts & Estates

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

Course Expiration: 09/03/2026

You’re sipping your Sunday morning coffee and checking the news on your iPhone when you see your law school classmate quoted about a national sexual discrimination lawsuit. Why her — and not you??

Could a well-timed article put pressure on opposing counsel to settle? When you are preparing to file major litigation do you contact the local newspaper with a press release? Do you know the ethical boundaries of trial publicity & extrajudicial statements when communicating with reporters about pending litigation? Presented by Janet Falk, a New York PR expert with over 30 years of experience, this course will present best practices for solo and small firm attorneys seeking to raise their media profile — the ethical way. Janet will help you to: spot the ethical issues of speaking to reporters about cases filed in court, know the ethical boundaries when communicating with clients & public about your law practice, develop succinct biographical material for media profiles & releases, be aware of the types of case information can be ethically disclosed in press releases about pending litigation — while staying within the ethical rules. A sample Media Profile and Press Release will be analyzed and provided in the written materials.

Janet Falk is Chief Strategist of Falk Communications and Research. She has more than 30 years experience in-house and at public relations agencies. Janet mainly advises attorneys with a solo practice and at small law firms on Media Relations and Marketing Communications.

Specialty Areas: Legal Ethics

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

State Accreditations: Alaska (AK) | Arizona (AZ) | California (CA) | Connecticut (CT) | District of Columbia (DC) | Illinois (IL) | Maryland (MD) | Massachusetts (MA) | Michigan (MI) | New Jersey (NJ) | New York (NY) | North Dakota (ND) | Pennsylvania (PA) | South Dakota (SD) | Vermont (VT) | Washington (WA)

Course Expiration: 10/15/2026

Serving as an attorney, fiduciary or trustee is not walk in the park. It can be extremely stressful dealing with other people's problems on a daily basis and determining serious issues with their life, liberty property are on the line.

Every day there are resistant clients, serious deadlines, testy judges? and so much more. Attorneys, clients and the legal system benefits from a calm approach ? and with mindfulness we can focus ourselves to enhance our competence and strengthen our diligence. In this CLE, Marguerite Lorenz will address stress, substance abuse, attorney well-being and how mindfulness can help you remain competent to practice law. Marguerite will discuss what it means to be a professional, the everyday stresses we encounter, mindfulness techniques and how mindfulness increases work quality. These topics are also covered: competence, diligence communication with clients, active listening, self-care and changing habits of response.

The principal at Lorenz Fiduciary Services, Inc., Marguerite C. Lorenz has been serving as Private Trustee and Executor since 2003. She is a frequent presenter for various professional organizations and she co-authored "Ethics for Trustees" along with Jane Lorenz. Marguerite has also served as Chairman of the Professional Fiduciaries Bureau Advisory Committee.

Specialty Areas: Prevention & Detection Competence

Practice Areas: Ethics, Mental Health & Substance Abuse, Professional Conduct, Professionalism, Substance Abuse

State Accreditations: Alaska (AK) | Arizona (AZ) | California (CA) | Connecticut (CT) | District of Columbia (DC) | Illinois (IL) | ITA (ITA) | Maryland (MD) | Massachusetts (MA) | Michigan (MI) | New Jersey (NJ) | New York (NY) | North Dakota (ND) | Pennsylvania (PA) | South Dakota (SD) | Vermont (VT) | Washington (WA)

Course Expiration: 02/19/2026

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.”

Practice Areas: Family 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) | Idaho (ID) | 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 Carolina (NC) | 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: 05/07/2028