Course List

Generative AI is a game-changing technology – but it also comes with ethical risks for attorneys and law firms. Developing an AI policy for your law firm is now crucial and involves addressing ethical considerations and ensuring compliance with legal standards while leveraging the benefits of AI.

This CLE explores the ethical, practical and regulatory implications of integrating artificial intelligence into legal practice. It covers core technologies like machine learning and generative AI, their application in law firms and the ethical responsibilities attorneys under the ABA Model Rules and various state bar ethics opinions. Attorneys will learn how to assess confidentiality risks, ensure transparency in billing, combat AI bias and develop firm-wide AI policies that uphold professional conduct and client trust.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Identify key AI technologies used in legal practice and their core functions.

2. Understand the ethical rules and responsibilities triggered by AI use, including competence, confidentiality, and candor.

3. Evaluate the risks of AI bias, misinformation, and data security breaches.

4. Develop a compliant AI policy aligned with ABA Model Rules and state bar guidance.

5. Communicate transparently with clients about AI use and its implications for fees, privacy, and case strategy.

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.

There are many reasons why shareholders fight and small businesses break up – differences in business vision & strategy, disagreements over financial decisions, conflicts of interest & personality clashes are some of the main ones. When shareholders fight, legal advisors must quickly assess available rights, remedies, and the trajectory of any potential resolution or litigation.

In this CLE, Brandon M. Schwartz will mainly explore fiduciary duties owed among shareholders in closely held corporations, detail the types of disputes that frequently arise and highlight the strategies available to resolve them effectively. The program highlights both substantive and procedural fiduciary obligations, including duties of loyalty, candor, and fair dealing. Attendees will also gain insights into majority vs. minority shareholder dynamics, shareholder oppression and deadlock scenarios. Finally, the session focuses on dispute resolution options — from mediation and arbitration to full-scale litigation and the use of Special Litigation Committees (SLCs). By the conclusion of the session, attorneys will be better equipped to advise clients on preventative measures, evaluate risks, and select dispute resolution strategies that protect shareholder rights and preserve business value.

Learning Objectives

- Identify fiduciary duties owed among majority and minority shareholders in closely held corporations.

- Differentiate between common types of shareholder disputes, including deadlock, oppression, and breach of shareholder agreements.

- Analyze risks and consequences of shareholder disputes, including operational, financial, and reputational impacts.

- Evaluate dispute resolution options, including mediation, arbitration, and litigation.

- Understand the role of Special Litigation Committees (SLCs) in resolving shareholder disputes and the standards courts apply to review their decisions.

- Develop strategies for advising clients proactively to minimize disputes and preserve business relationships.

Brandon M. Schwartz, Esq., is a Board-Certified Civil Specialist by the Minnesota State Bar Association, a Board-Certified Civil Trial Advocate and Family Trial Law Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and has received recognition from peers and clients alike for his thorough, zealous and ethical representation.

Plaintiffs' lawyers now need to write more than ever. Unfortunately, courts are slammed with heavy caseloads and you are competing against other litigants for what little time the judge has to analyze the claims & merit of your case. How can you avoid the dreaded MTD??

Join professional brief writer Jonathan Hilton as he explains how to craft legal briefs that judges will want to read. He will present & explain his top ten tips: five practice points to help the judge spot your best arguments in less time and five practice points on how to make your clients more likable & your clients’ stories more compelling. The ten points: (1) Start with first principles, (2) Create an alternate storyline, (3) Show why you state a claim — don’t just defend, (4) Plant the emotional facts in the Complaint, (5) Dumb Cases Die, (6) Use notice pleading to build your story, (7) Distinguish Civ. R. 8 from Civ. R. 9(b), (8) Use the right theory to hook in the big pockets, (9) Handle SOLs carefully and (10) To amend… or not to amend? Jonathan will round out the hour by looking at resources that will help you become a better brief writer moving forward.

Jonathan Hilton became the youngest-ever Cincinnati Chess Champion at age 15, and he earned the National Master in chess title the following year. At Hilton Parker LLC, Mr. Hilton now advisies other attorneys on how to best navigate through their most difficult cases. As a consultant and brief writer, he designs novel legal theories in courts across the country.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Nearly a century before the first Tesla hit the streets, the driverless car du jour was a Pontiac known as the Phantom developed in the 1920’s. The Phantom was remote controlled by the tap of a telegraph key by a second car trailing miles behind.

Fast forward to today & driverless cars are set to take the world by storm with the global market for self-driving vehicles reaching around $2.5 trillion by 2030. But we are still at the infancy of this new technology that heavily employs autopilot and CAT (Collision Avoidance Technology). In this CLE, Brett Scheiber will detail this new technology and discuss litigation that has ensued from accidents involving Tesla vehicles. Brett will mainly: demystify autopilot, describe how the tech works & how it fails, review Tesla’s claims regarding its autopilot and CAT (Collision Avoidance Technology) technology, show you how to collect the evidence for litigation and how to vett these & other CAT cases. He will also discuss: the 5 levels of tech, myths & facts regarding autopilot & CAT, EDR (Event Data Recorder) data, on-board Tesla videos, car log/D16, the NHTSA & NTSB and the future of Tesla cases & litigation.

Brett Schreiber’s practice includes mass torts, personal injury, medical malpractice and condemnation law. Whether lecturing student groups or handling pro bono claims for wrongfully convicted, he is guided by the Hebrew principle of tikkun olam meaning “to heal the world.”

"I know it when I see it." Potter Stewart’s words are one of the more famous legal quotes and referred to hardcore pornography.

Well, I think we can all agree without further details that (repeatedly) pooping in a pringles can and throwing it in the opposing party’s parking lot violates some type of ethical rule or professionalism guideline. And yes, that actually happened and the lawyer was suspended for 1 year. In this CLE, Ron Daniels turns things around and provides professionalism lessons from lawyers behaving badly. The case examples analyzed: the attorney who pooped in the pringles can, lawyers & unprofessional emails, a defense attorneys unprofessional use of AI, unprofessional conduct at deposition and unprofessional conduct on social media. Additional topics: Ethics vs. Professionalism, the Lawyer’s Creed, Georgia’s Aspirational Statements on Professionalism, the Golden Rule and civility. Ron E. Daniels is a trial attorney that represents clients in consumer protection cases.

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.

This CLE program is designed to guide estate planning attorneys through the often-overlooked nuances of trust drafting and funding. With real-world examples and practical drafting language, attorney Leah Morrison highlights the most common mistakes practitioners make when preparing and funding trusts. From discretionary standards and trustee powers to titling assets and interpreting ambiguous clauses, this course equips attendees with actionable strategies to improve trust clarity, enforceability and alignment with client intent. This session provides essential tools to reduce risk, avoid litigation and deliver higher-value estate plans.

After completing this course, participants will be able to:

• Identify the essential components of a valid trust and explain the roles and responsibilities of trustees, beneficiaries, and grantors.
• Interpret and evaluate key trust language — including Health, Education, Maintenance, and Support (HEMS) clauses — to ensure clarity and consistency with settlor intent.
• Assess the implications of trustee discretion and standard of review in discretionary distributions, with an emphasis on avoiding misinterpretation and potential litigation.
• Analyze real-world drafting and funding mistakes to understand their consequences and apply corrective strategies in practice.
• Implement effective funding strategies by correctly titling assets and coordinating trust provisions with beneficiary designations, tax implications, and estate planning goals.

Leah Morrison thinks of tax law as a board game with very elaborate rules. Once you learn the rules, you can learn how to navigate the game – and win. Her knowledge of both tax and estate law allows her to present her clients with options for estate plans that take taxes into account when appropriate.