California MCLE Bundle

Course List click each course for details

• Attorneys Serving on Nonprofit Boards: Avoiding the Pitfalls

Attorneys Serving on Nonprofit Boards: Avoiding the Pitfalls

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: California (CA)

Course Expiration: 07/10/2029

Media Type: Streaming Video, MP3, Video Download, MP3 Player, USB

1.00 credit hours

• Boilerplate Clauses: Impact and Considerations

Boilerplate Clauses: Impact and Considerations

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.

Practice Areas: Business Law, Litigation

State Accreditations: California (CA)

Course Expiration: 06/10/2029

Media Type: Streaming Video, MP3, Video Download, MP3 Player, USB

1.00 credit hours

• Cognitive Science, Decision-Making and Persuading Your Jury

Cognitive Science, Decision-Making and Persuading Your Jury

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

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

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

Practice Areas: Criminal Law, Litigation, Personal Injury

State Accreditations: California (CA)

Course Expiration: 07/03/2029

Media Type: Streaming Video, MP3, Video Download, MP3 Player, USB

1.50 credit hours

• Copyright and Generative AI

Copyright and Generative AI

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

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

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

Practice Areas: Business Law, Intellectual Property

State Accreditations: California (CA)

Course Expiration: 01/15/2030

Media Type: Streaming Video, MP3, Video Download, MP3 Player, USB

1.00 credit hours

• Counseling Clients on Business Risks with Using Generative AI in the Workplace

Counseling Clients on Business Risks with Using Generative AI in the Workplace

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

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

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

Practice Areas: Business Law, Employment Law, Technology

State Accreditations: California (CA)

Course Expiration: 05/31/2029

Media Type: Streaming Video, MP3, Video Download, MP3 Player, USB

1.25 credit hours

• Drafting Real Estate Operating Agreements

Drafting Real Estate Operating Agreements

Nathan Osborn frequently works with clients to buy investment properties on the ski slopes of Breckenridge, Beaver Creek, Aspen and more. These clients buy these properties as VRBOs (Vacation Rental By Owner) to generate revenue – but what they fail to realize is that one accident on their property could put their personal assets at risk. Nate Osborn often recommends a very practical solution that offers asset protection & tax benefits – the LLC. In this CLE he provides practical guidance on how to draft a real estate limited liability company (LLC) operating agreement. Nate will provide a plethora of practical guidance on: asking the right questions, determining whether an LLC is the appropriate entity for your client, selecting a member or manager managed LLC, maximizing personal asset protection through the LLC, drafting capital contribution provisions, drafting real estate profit distribution provisions, drafting dispute resolution provisions and tax implications & how to maximize tax benefits. Specific topics covered: vacation rentals & investors, understanding the client’s business, the advantages of LLCs in real estate, putting title to real estate into an LLC, potential LLC liability, piercing the corporate veil, structuring capital calls, provisions to share real estate profits, incorporating IRAs, holding strategies & double FICA taxes and utilizing 1031 like-kind exchanges.

Nathan G. Osborn, Esq., focuses on real estate litigation, real estate transactions and commercial litigation. Mr. Osborn effectively uses his significant trial experience to help transactional clients avoid situations that often end up in court.

Practice Areas: Business Law, Real Property

State Accreditations: California (CA)

Course Expiration: 11/27/2029

Media Type: Streaming Video, MP3, Video Download, MP3 Player, USB

1.00 credit hours

• Free Speech on College Campuses Following the Israel-Hamas War

Free Speech on College Campuses Following the Israel-Hamas War

“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.

Practice Areas: Constitutional Law, Education Law

State Accreditations: California (CA)

Course Expiration: 11/22/2029

Media Type: Streaming Video, MP3, Video Download, MP3 Player, USB

1.00 credit hours

• Help for the Helper: Trauma, Compassion Fatigue and the Lawyer Who Cares

Help for the Helper: Trauma, Compassion Fatigue and the Lawyer Who Cares

Quick question. Why did you become an attorney? Many of us chose the legal profession as a noble calling to help people. But what happens when you have to deal with other people's problems - 90 hours a week, 51 weeks a year??

Trauma, burnout and compassion fatigue are all too often part of our daily legal practice. In this CLE, Brian Quinn will explore the connection between compassion fatigue that attorneys experience and medial & legal studies that have discovered a dramatic increase in attorney impairment due to alcoholism, addiction, and mental health disorders. Main subjects covered: LAP (Lawyer Assistance Program) Services, Burnout & Secondary Trauma, Compassion Fatigue, Why Lawyers are at Risk and Strategies That Work. Model Rule 1.6 ethical disclosure exception, being a problem collector, physical signs of burnout, the culture of the legal profession, disconnection & distraction, loneliness, lawyers as perfectionists, Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS), trauma, countertransference, compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue, from zealot to zombie, how your work suffers, movement is medicine, gratitude journals and using meditation apps.

Brian S. Quinn, Esquire is a licensed attorney in Pennsylvania who currently serves as the Education and Outreach Coordinator for LLC of Pennsylvania, a Lawyers Assistance Program established for the purpose of helping lawyers, judges and law students.

Specialty Areas: Prevention & Detection Competence

Practice Areas: Prevention & Detection Competence

State Accreditations: California (CA)

Course Expiration: 06/15/2028

Media Type: Streaming Video, MP3, Video Download, MP3 Player, USB

1.00 credit hours | 1.00 Prevention & Detection Competence

• How Unconscious Bias Creates Risks for Law Firms

How Unconscious Bias Creates Risks for Law Firms

"It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so." - Mark Twain

Implicit bias is a hard-wired cognitive shortcut that is the brain's way of simplifying a very complex world. This mental crutch helps us make snap judgements to quickly assess potential dangers in our environment. But this same unconscious bias can lead to bad decisions that violate an attorneys' ethical duties of Competence, Communication & Diligence. It can also lead to bad press for law firms, malpractice lawsuits and possibly disbarment. In this CLE, Danny Howell will mainly cover the ABA & state response to combatting implicit bias, the types of unconscious bias that create ethical risks for attorneys, ABA Ethics Opinion 500, bias against persons with disabilities and the fact that a 1 hour implicit bias CLE is not enough. Further topics of discussion: confirmation bias, cultural bias, affinity bias, sunk cost bias, accent bias, the EEOC & mental health conditions, faulty assumptions, the circle of trust, mentoring, expanding your circle and following the leaders. Ethical Rules discussed: Rule 1.1, Rule 3.1, Rule 5.1 & Rule 8.4(d).

Danny Howell has been representing attorneys in professional liability suits, bar investigations and complaints and disbarment actions before the federal courts and the United States Patent & Trademark Office, for over 25 years.

Specialty Areas: Implicit Bias

Practice Areas: Implicit Bias

State Accreditations: California (CA)

Course Expiration: 11/28/2028

Media Type: Streaming Video, MP3, Video Download, MP3 Player, USB

1.00 credit hours | 1.00 Implicit Bias

• Implicit Bias In The Courtroom: Will It Cost You Your Next Case?

Implicit Bias In The Courtroom: Will It Cost You Your Next Case?

Are you biased? Nobody thinks they are biased – but every person has hidden, unconscious bias wired into our brains. Implicit bias is a subtle cognitive process that starts in the amygdala and affects the way we process information and formulate decisions.

Mike Wakshull will introduce you to the neuroscience of unconscious, implicit bias and how this cognitive bias leads to errors during trial. The course will focus on attorney & judge decision-making and implicit bias in forensic sciences and expert witnesses. Mike will conclude by providing potential solutions for attorneys to overcome these hidden biases. Additional issues discussed include stereotypes, confirmation bias, sources of bias, how implicit bias leads to false results, personal appearance & bias, contextual bias, confirmation bias, juries & heuristics, telling stories, familiarity & human error and expert methodology. After this course you will be able to recognize & reduce your biases, know how to counter the opposition's biases, determine if the forensic examiner's report is biased, recognize the effects of bias on forensic examiners' opinions and learn how biases impacts juries.

A court-qualified forensic document examiner, Michael N. Wakshull has been involved in the Forensic Document Examination arena since 2010 and belongs to a number of Document Examination Associations.

Specialty Areas: Implicit Bias

Practice Areas: Implicit Bias

State Accreditations: California (CA)

Course Expiration: 10/06/2027

Media Type: Streaming Video, MP3, Video Download, MP3 Player, USB

1.00 credit hours | 1.00 Implicit Bias

• Legal Issues for Influencer Marketing

Legal Issues for Influencer Marketing

Ask almost any kid what they're going to do when they grow up. YouTuber and Influencer will be two of the top answers.

Yes, Logan Paul might make your stomach sick. But he leveraged his social media influence to sell his energy drink Prime to Coca-Cola for $10 Billion - after only 9 months in existence. Influencers wield increasingly more power in the marketplace & advertising in our new Tik Tok, Instagram and Threads world. Rob Laplaca will introduce you to the world of social media influencers and the legal issues for companies that utilize them to sell their products and represent their brands. Main topics: Characteristics + Regulations, Endorsements + Mandatory Disclosures, Penalties, Recent Enforcement Actions and Influencer Contract Provisions. Additional points of discussion: fake followers & posts, the FTC Act, FTC Guidelines, reviews & testimony, tags, pins, likes, "material connection," seen & understood, civil liability and typical FTC Orders. Enforcement actions discussed: Roomster, Amazon, Fashion Nova, Teami, Lord & Taylor, Kim Kardashian and Tom Brady & FTX Crypto.

Rob represents promotional marketing agencies and major brands, including food and beverage, retail, entertainment and personal care in a variety of nationwide marketing activities from traditional promotions and offers to social media, in-app and other on-line programs.

Practice Areas: Business Law, Intellectual Property

State Accreditations: California (CA)

Course Expiration: 07/07/2028

Media Type: Streaming Video, MP3, Video Download, MP3 Player, USB

1.25 credit hours

• Medication Misadventures: Medical Malpractice from a Toxicologist’s Perspective

Medication Misadventures: Medical Malpractice from a Toxicologist’s Perspective

Last year over 7 BILLION prescriptions were filled in the U.S. With this flood of dangerous prescription medications & people taking multiple prescriptions, adverse reactions occur every day and so does medical malpractice stemming from these dangerous drugs.

Presented by toxicologist Dr. Allison A. Muller, this CLE explores 10 different points when analyzing the details of a possible medication-related case. Dr. Muller will: identify “red flags” in a medical record that a patient may have suffered harmed from a medication, cite 2 reasons why safe dosages of a medication vary among patients, list 3 resources for reliable & user-friendly drug information and analyze 4 case examples from her own practice. Also covered: prescription stats, when medication misadventures occur, overdose & drug interactions, limitations of the medical chart, right medication… right patient?, right dose?, antidotes: why are they in the chart?, drug levels, older adults & medications: safety, checking the prescribing information, some drugs have rare toxicities, drug info resources and picking the right toxicologist.

Dr. Muller is a board-certified toxicologist, fellow of the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology and registered pharmacist with over 20 years’ experience in the field of clinical toxicology.

Practice Areas: Criminal Law, Litigation, Personal Injury, Trusts and Estates

State Accreditations: California (CA)

Course Expiration: 01/31/2029

Media Type: Streaming Video, MP3, Video Download, MP3 Player, USB

1.00 credit hours

• Modern Trial Skills: Getting Emails, Texts and Social Media Into Evidence

Modern Trial Skills: Getting Emails, Texts and Social Media Into Evidence

In 2006 the FRCP was amended to include a “new” type of evidence – Electronically Stored Information (ESI). Twenty years later almost every trial hinges on text messages, Facebook posts, IG stories, tweets, emails, blogs & countless more sources of electronic evidence.

In this CLE, Nicholas J. Schneider, Esq. will discuss the basics of laying a foundation for the admission of evidence, provide tangible trial tips and show you example trial examinations for establishing each of the five core foundation elements. Nick will then apply this framework, with practical examples, to common types of modern digital evidence, including business records, text messages, social media and other forms of ESI. These rules and procedures are addressed: Introduction & Exclusion of Evidence, Pre-Foundation, Competence, Foundation, the Original Document Rule, Privilege, Relevance, Authenticity and Hearsay. Nick will specifically discuss preparing & introducing: ESI, photos, video, email, texts, social media and websites & blog posts.

Nicholas Schneider is a trial attorney and Partner with the national law firm Eckert Seamans. He focuses his practice on complex commercial disputes involving breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, business torts, employment disputes, copyright infringement, unfair competition and class actions.

Practice Areas: Criminal Law, Litigation, Personal Injury

State Accreditations: California (CA)

Course Expiration: 08/28/2029

Media Type: Streaming Video, MP3, Video Download, MP3 Player, USB

1.00 credit hours

• Navigating the Ethical Minefield: Internet Marketing for Attorneys

Navigating the Ethical Minefield: Internet Marketing for Attorneys

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 Dick,” 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.

Specialty Areas: Legal Ethics

Practice Areas: Ethics, Law Practice Management

State Accreditations: California (CA)

Course Expiration: 07/18/2029

Media Type: Streaming Video, MP3, Video Download, MP3 Player, USB

1.00 credit hours | 1.00 Legal Ethics

• Professionalism For the Modern Practitioner

Professionalism For the Modern Practitioner

Not too long ago, lawyers wrote letters, sent faxes and relied on their reputation for integrity & intelligence to gain clients. Now attorneys email, tweet and advertise on Google and Facebook.

With the advent of attorney advertising, bar associations began re-emphasizing notions of professionalism as the practice of law became more of a business. Email, social media and AI have only made it more difficult for attorneys to practice with professionalism. In this CLE, Ron Daniels will opine on how modern lawyers can remain professional in our new electronic world. Main topics: The foundations of professionalism in the legal profession, what it means to be a professional, professionalism resources and professionalism scenarios for the 21st Century attorney. Additional topics: Ethics vs. Professionalism, the Lawyer's Creed, Georgia's Aspirational Statements on Professionalism, the Golden Rule, practicing with professionalism in your daily practice, civility & professionalism, email hijinks, 140 Characters of Mayhem and responding to negative Google reviews.

Ron E. Daniels is a trial attorney that represents clients in consumer protection cases. He fiercely and proudly represent Georgians in cases involving credit card, student loan and medical debt.

Specialty Areas: Civility

Practice Areas: Civility

State Accreditations: California (CA)

Course Expiration: 12/21/2028

Media Type: Streaming Video, MP3, Video Download, MP3 Player, USB

1.00 credit hours | 1.00 Civility

• Sports Betting: Legal and Practical Tips for Your Clients

Sports Betting: Legal and Practical Tips for Your Clients

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.

Practice Areas: Sports and Entertainment

State Accreditations: California (CA)

Course Expiration: 10/31/2029

Media Type: Streaming Video, MP3, Video Download, MP3 Player, USB

1.00 credit hours

• Succession Planning for Law Firms: Ethically Dealing with Death or Incapacity

Succession Planning for Law Firms: Ethically Dealing with Death or Incapacity

As a solo and small firm attorney, you have a LOT on your plate. Unfortunately, due to our busy schedules and client demands, many attorneys simply fail to think about succession planning in the case of death or incapacity.

This CLE program taught by Ritzel Starleigh Ngo will provide legal practitioners with a practical framework of an attorney's ethical obligations to the law firm and clients in the case of the unforeseen. Using the ABA Model Rules as the foundation for the course, Ritzel speaker will discuss pertinent topics such as determining incapacity, primary components of an ethical law firm succession plan, rules regarding selling or shutting down a law practice, attorney-client privilege & confidentiality, fiduciary duties owed to clients, conflicts of interest, and dealing with client trust accounts. Ritzel will conclude with hypotheticals meant to instruct attorneys how to satisfy their ethical duties when confronted with common situations involving capacity.

A solo practitioner, Ritzel Starleigh Ngo is based in Camarillo, California. She is highly experienced in contentious dissolutions, parentage matters, child custody & visitation and spousal & child support.

Specialty Areas: Legal Ethics

Practice Areas: Ethics

State Accreditations: California (CA)

Course Expiration: 08/19/2027

Media Type: Streaming Video, MP3, Video Download, MP3 Player, USB

1.00 credit hours | 1.00 Legal Ethics

• The Biggest Cybersecurity Threat: Human Behavior

The Biggest Cybersecurity Threat: Human Behavior

If cybercrime was a country, it would be the third largest economy behind only China and the United States. By 2028, the annual cost of cybercrime worldwide is expected to approach $15 trillion. Attorneys must be educated on the risks associated with cybersecurity in order to protect their firms and clients.

Your law firm’s cybersecurity is only as strong as your weakest link: your employees. 95% of all successful cyber breaches are due to human behavior. In the CLE Tom Kirkham will describe the extent of the cybercrime threat to your law firm, address strategies & trainings and he will conclude by introducing you to the 3 pillar methodology to protect your law firm. Additional topics: the size & scale of the hacking industry, what is at risk for attorneys, common shortfalls, the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, exploiting human factors & behavior, psychological warfare, why training fails, plan & act, Cybersecurity Defense Systems, IT Infrastructure, governance, and Managed Cybersecurity Services (MSSP). With these strategies that Tom details, you can create a security-first culture that will help your law firm survive and thrive in the face of the cyber pandemic. This program is designed for attorneys at any level of practice in any field of law.

Tom Kirkham, founder and CEO of Intech Security provides cybersecurity defense systems and focuses on educating and encouraging organizations to establish a security-first environment.

Specialty Areas: Technology

Practice Areas: Business Law, Criminal Law, Law Practice Management, Personal Injury, Technology, Trusts and Estates

State Accreditations: California (CA)

Course Expiration: 07/31/2029

Media Type: Streaming Video, MP3, Video Download, MP3 Player, USB

1.00 credit hours | 1.00 Technology

• The Ethics of Referral Fees

The Ethics of Referral Fees

Curt Brown surveys the regulatory frameworks of the ABA and all 50 states so you know the ethical landscape when referring or accepting cases from fellow attorneys in your state and around the country. Curt will primarily discuss common misconceptions, ABA Rule 1.5 and the ethical approach states have taken to promote referrals amongst attorneys. Curt will also talk about best practices, 4 common myths, joint responsibility, disclosures, "reasonable fees," ongoing responsibilities after referring a matter, pure referral states, crossing state lines, international issues and dealing with nonlawyer companies and law firms based abroad. What Curt will NOT cover in this CLE: Referrals to & from Non-lawyers, Runners & Cappers and Lawyer Referral Services. Mr. Brown is Co-Founder and Chief of Legal Innovation at Overture and also serves as Overture's General Counsel. In 2023, he was named a Rising Star by Super Lawyers.

Specialty Areas: Legal Ethics

Practice Areas: Ethics

State Accreditations: California (CA)

Course Expiration: 05/31/2028

Media Type: Streaming Video, MP3, Video Download, MP3 Player, USB

1.00 credit hours | 1.00 Legal Ethics

• The Secret Addiction: Attorneys and the Impact of Internet and Sports Betting

The Secret Addiction: Attorneys and the Impact of Internet and Sports Betting

Online gambling is BIG business. By 2029, the projected market volume is expected to reach $133 BILLION. It’s no wonder that gambling disorder was recently recognized by the DSM-V as an addictive disorder.

It’s also no surprise that lawyers are especially at risk because addiction is already problematic for lawyers, who suffer disproportionate rates of mental & addictive disorders. A former alcoholic with a cocaine & sports gambling addition, Brian Quinn knows the depths of despair all too well. From being suspended from the practice of law for 5 years to serving as Education & Outreach Coordinator at LCL, Brian learned to persevere & overcome. He will share his personal story and take a deep dive into gambling addiction – including its warning signs, risks, co-morbidities, related ethical issues and the toll it takes on the legal profession. Additional topics: how LAPs (Lawyer Assistance Programs) help attorneys, the Hazelden-Betty Ford Study on Lawyer Impairment, the DSM-5: Gambling Disorder definition, the Gambling Establishment, Murphy v National Collegiate Athletic Association, Roger Goodell & The NFL, accessibility & anonymity, perfectionism, excessive self-reliance and the stigma of addiction for attorneys.

Brian S. Quinn, Esquire is a licensed attorney in Pennsylvania who currently serves as the Education and Outreach Coordinator for Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers of Pennsylvania, Inc., a Lawyers Assistance Program established in 1988 for the purpose of helping lawyers, judges and law students recover from alcoholism, drug addiction and mental health disorders.

Specialty Areas: Prevention & Detection Competence

Practice Areas: Prevention & Detection Competence, Substance Abuse

State Accreditations: California (CA)

Course Expiration: 09/06/2029

Media Type: Streaming Video, MP3, Video Download, MP3 Player, USB

1.00 credit hours | 1.00 Prevention & Detection Competence

• TikTok Attorneys, Ethics Doesn't Stop

TikTok Attorneys, Ethics Doesn't Stop

Do you know Michael Mandell, Anthony Barbuto or @TikTorTok?? You might not know them yet – but literally millions of other people do. Yes, even attorneys are breaking into the TikTok market… and some have 10M+ followers!!!

However, TikTok does not come without ethical concerns for attorneys, especially considering the constraints of attorney advertising rules. In this CLE, Cari Sheehan will detail the ethical issues associated with using social media & TikTok and review some attorney influencer videos to see if their online conduct truly comports with the Rules of Professional Conduct. Main topics covered: attorney advertising in a TikTok world, how artificial intelligence can help attorney advertising and ethical rules implicated in advertising on social media platforms. Additional subjects: how attorneys can educate, entertain & inspire on TikTok, how AI like ChatGPT & otter.ai can help attorneys, using disclaimers, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, using TikTok for hiring & collecting evidence, the perks of successful advertising, showing your personality & humanizing the profession, the cons of TikTok and best practices for remaining ethical while advertising online.

Cari Sheehan is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Business Law and Ethics with the IU Kelley School of Business – Indianapolis where she teaches courses in Business Law and Ethics.

Specialty Areas: Legal Ethics

Practice Areas: Ethics, Law Practice Management

State Accreditations: California (CA)

Course Expiration: 05/17/2029

Media Type: Streaming Video, MP3, Video Download, MP3 Player, USB

1.00 credit hours | 1.00 Legal Ethics

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