Course List

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.

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.

When people sit down to discuss their estate plan with their attorney, they often neglect to account for some of the most important members of the household — their furry friends.

Yes, Pet Law is a thing and planning for your pet’s future is also a thing. In this CLE the dynamic duo of Cheryl Nolan and Dan Weiner will tell you all about estate planning issues for your client’s pets. The main topics presented: pet law fundamentals, estate planning foundations, animal law & pet owner pitfalls, unique alternatives for lawyers and considerations for pet owners. Cheryl and Dan also discuss: pet law trends, custody, possession and rights of title, issues with pet caregivers, communicating with vets who have the right to access records, what happens to assets upon death, avoiding probate, the Lifetime Asset Protection Trust, disability planning, funding the pet trust, the MAAP Plan and accounting for the 10 D’s (death, divorce, deployment, etc.).

Cheryl Nolan decided on a career in law to help others and be of service. After 23 years promoting the interests of the disadvantaged and equal access to justice, Cheryl now runs an animal-centered law practice. Daniel Weiner is a US and UK licensed attorney, based in San Diego, who provides trust administration and estate planning services to families and individuals across California.

The Founding Fathers thought so highly of robust public discussion, they added the freedom of speech to the 1st Amendment to the Constitution — right after the freedom of religion. Unfortunately, many colleges do not place this same value on the right to free speech.

One junior college student was barred from passing out pocket Constitutions — on Constitution Day. Emory University told students they can’t hang Christmas decorations. And Syracuse University charged a student orientation leader with hazing & suspended her — because she helped organize an optional campus scavenger hunt. There are countless tales of colleges impermissibly chilling speech on campus and punishing students for legally exercising their free speech rights. In this CLE, Zach Greenberg will mainly cover: hate speech vs. free speech, the more speech approach, college standards & regulations, speech codes and free speech zones. Additional topics: public vs. private colleges, harassment policies, the “true threat” standard, thought reform at the University of Delaware and dealing with hateful speech. Zach will also discuss numerous case examples where colleges overstepped their bounds and trampled on student’s First Amendment rights.

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.

Moneyball. A book written about the Oakland A’s because their organization was the first to utilize research and analytics in baseball to achieve tremendous success on a limited budget. “Moneyball” has since crossed over into numerous industries — and now it’s available for trial lawyers.

How often does opposing counsel take cases to trial? What is your judge’s summary judgement record? How can analytics help you write more persuasive motions? How can legal information make you a better lawyer? Attorney Nicole Clark will show you how legal research, data & analytics can help you win your cases in state trial court. Main topics: Judge Analytics & Ruling History, Case Valuation & Verdict Data, Strategic State Trial Court Research & Alerts and Law Firm Intelligence. Additional subjects: potential risks of re-assignment, litigation & motion strategy, discussing case strategy with your client & setting expectations, the 4 Buckets of Data (1) Rulings (2) Dockets (3) Documents (4) Verdicts, rulings as outlines for motions, searching filed documents via legal issue, motion type & outcome, expert testimony, jury instructions, motions to disqualify and good faith settlements.

Nicole A. Clark is an attorney and the co-founder and CEO of Trellis. She previously worked as a litigator, where she quickly realized that leveraging legal research, data and analytics could transform the practice of law.

Nowadays “documents” means much more than it did 30 years ago when all your valuable “papers” were behind lock & key in your trusty file cabinet. Emails, PDFs, word docs, JPGs & more have now expanded the world of documents — as well as forgeries, fakes and cut & paste signatures.

How do you know if a PDF is legit? How can you tell if the signature on a holographic will has been “lift cropped”? Dr. Edmond Locard said that “any action… constituting a crime, cannot occur without leaving a trace.” Mike Wakshull will show you how he finds these traces & clues using the tools & techniques of his Forensic Document Examination practice. Case examples discussed: is a JPEG embedded in PDF part of the original document, Divorce Case — Zoom stock split email, altered deed filed with the county recorder, alteration of a mortgage document, PDF authenticity, faked signature on a holographic will, intersection of ink & toner and intersecting lines. Further topics: “Repeatability, Reproducibility & Replicability,” Photoshop tools, using camera metadata, GPS data, the Video Spectral Comparator (VSC), the digital microscope, using blue light & filters and ESDA Imaging.

Michael N. Wakshull is a court-qualified civil & criminal forensic document examiner and has been qualified as an expert witness in California Superior Courts and Federal District Court. His clients are in 27 states and five countries and partners with legal clients to dissect evidence presented in handwritten and computer-generated questioned documents.

For better - or worse - many people's perceptions of attorneys are based on Elle Woods, Atticus and everybody's favorite cousin, Vinny. From Philadelphia to The Firm, the movies we watch dominate the public?s perceptions of real attorneys.

But is there something these fictional characters can teach us about professionalism and achieving higher standards of conduct in our everyday conduct? Ron E. Daniels will highlight professional - and unprofessional - conduct displayed by some of our favorite big screen movie characters to teach us how we can practice with greater professionalism. Ron will use the Georgia Lawyer's Creed to show how you can enhance your service to your clients, opposing parties & their counsel, the courts, colleagues in the practice of law, the profession, the public & our systems of justice. Movies & characters discussed include: Joe Miller in Philadelphia, Fletcher Reede in Liar Liar, Gordon Bombay in The Mighty Ducks, Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, Mitch McDeere in The Firm, Rudy Baylor in The Rainmaker and Vincent Gambino in My Cousin Vinny.

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.

An estate plan is a set of written, dated and signed documents based on the Probate Code of your state. Every one of us should have an estate plan and establishing a trust is an essential part of planning for your clients.

In this CLE, Marguerite Lorenz will cover some key ethical issues around selecting a trustee, the duties of a Fiduciary and what completion of the trust looks like. Specific topics covered: wills, Power of Attorney for Finance, advance directives (AHCD), the trustor, planning for incapacity & death, the job of the fiduciary, administration, the business of your life, setting up successors for success, digital assets & accounts, model succession plan, who can serve as your fiduciary and how the trustee knows the work is done. Think of this presentation two ways — what you need to know for you and your own family in terms of estate planning (even if you already have an estate plan), and what you need to know to teach your clients how to select the right person(s) for the job of implementing their unique Estate Plan.

Since 2003, Ms. Lorenz has been a managing partner of Lorenz Private Trustees and has served as a Professional Trustee and Executor on over 100 matters.

Referral fees are unethical. My state prohibits referral fees. Such fees must be based on ‘work performed’ and are only proper for contingency matters. Misconceptions abound.

The reality is that numerous state bars have noted that fee sharing is not only ethical — but it actually leads to better outcomes for clients. Come get cozy with Curt Brown and the rules of professional conduct as he 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.

You get that lovely client call at 3:45 on a Friday afternoon. One of your newer business clients wants a demand letter drafted ? because a newly departed employee took her company cell phone. Good idea?

Yes, many clients just want you to reach into your files and fire off that demand letter before it's happy hour on Friday - but is that the best approach? Like Ted Lasso said, "be curious" and know the right questions to ask your client before initiating that first blow of litigation - maybe a simple phone call can resolve the issue? Presented by Shannon Bell, this extremely thoughtful & poignant CLE will provide real-world points on when & how to carefully craft demand letters to advance client goals. Main topics: the client call, the info you need to gather, what goes into the letter, the Decision Tree and ethical considerations. Additional subjects: choice of law, notice provisions, cure periods, trade secrets cases, departing employees, cease & desist, breach of contract, managing client expectations, demand letters & unwanted publicity, slowing things down, the nuclear option, legal obligations, required by law, conventional obligation (contract), tone, kinds of demands, avoiding coercion & threats and substance & style.

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.

This CLE will offer in-depth legal analysis and practical suggestions on how ethical duties can empower policy holders when a liability insurer agree to defend under a reservation of rights but then appoints defense counsel and directs the defense.

In this CLE, Stephen L. Thomas examines the language of the ethical rules, liability insurance law, and provides non-litigation solutions for panel counsel to comply with ethical obligations, for reserving insurers to fulfill contractual & regulatory obligations, for policyholders to enforce their rights and for counsel for injured victims to facilitate prompt settlements. The main issues discussed: how a reservation of rights triggers counsel?s duty of undivided loyalty and creates a possible conflict of interest, well established (disparate) case law and practice pointers for how policy holders can win. Also covered: the 3 Types of Jurisdictions, the California Restatement Rule, Per Se Rule states, the Enhanced Duties Rule, Rule 1.7: Undivided Loyalty, Rule 1.4: Communication, Rule 1.6: Confidentiality, Rule 1.8: Compensation (Cal. 1.8.6), the 6 Prongs to success, developing admissible evidence, Insurance Industry Defenses, case law. Model emails & letters, questionnaires and a detailed memorandum of law are also provided in the written materials.

An attorney with over 40 years of experience in Insurance Law, Stephen L. Thomas focuses on defending policyholders in a wide variety of liability suits.

Surviving prison as an innocent person is a surreal nightmare no one wants to think about. But it can happen to you - and those you love.

Justin Brooks has spent his career freeing innocent people from prison. Putting you at the defense table, this CLE forces us to consider how any one of us might be swept up in the legal system. From bad IDs to people telling lies, Justin provides the main reasons that people are wrongfully convicted and he offers detailed accounts of the cases he has worked on. Main topics: bad lawyering, differences in police work in the city vs. the country, you come home & find your partner dead, false confessions, junk science, Shaken Baby Syndrome, you have or care for a sick child, the jury is blinded by junk science, bad information from informants, and you are poor and/or a person of color. Additional topics: bite mark evidence, bad crime scene preservation, Relative Opinion Process, Cross-Racial Identifications, problems with Police line-ups, DNA testing & database, the Reid Technique, the CSI Effect, the McMartin Pre-School case and the Brian Banks case.

Professor Justin Brooks directs the LLM Program in Comparative Law in Spanish at the USD School of Law. As the program director, he administers a national moot court program in Mexico, and coordinates the work of 35 innocence organizations in Latin America.