CLEs You Actually Want to Hear

OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google are all rolling out their next generation of models this summer. GPT-5.6, the Claude 5 family, and the first Gemini 3.5 models arrive within weeks of one another, and each release changes what these tools can do in a law practice. Stephen Smith, founder and CEO of Intelligence by Intent, breaks down what is new in each platform and what the changes mean for your pract...

AB 515 brings significant changes to California's statement of decision process under CCP §§ 632 and 664, effective January 1, 2027. The updates cover how and when requests must be made, what the statement must include, and how the process connects to entry of judgment. Changes to California Rule of Court 3.1590 are underway and may be finalized by the time of this talk.

Cristina Garcia, trial attorney at Dolan Law Firm, P.C., will explore how attorneys representing clients with catastrophic injuries are regularly exposed to intense trauma. Over time, they may absorb their clients' experiences, placing them at risk for secondary traumatic stress. Garcia will cover how to identify the signs of vicarious trauma and emphasize the importance of self-care in sustaining...

A mismatch between the estate and gift tax exemption and the GST tax exemption is not a new issue, and it can arise either by design through specific planning techniques or unexpectedly as plans evolve. These disparities may become even more common now that portability applies to estate and gift exemptions but not to GST exemptions. This presentation will review the most frequent circumstances tha...

Family law attorneys are entrusted with guiding clients through some of life's most emotional and complex transitions. While empathy is essential to effective advocacy, consistently managing conflict, trauma and heightened emotions can take a significant personal and professional toll. Moderated by Hon. Vanessa Zecher (Ret.), with panelists Mary Lund, Ph. D., Rebekah Frye, CFLS, and Elena Gonzalez...

As AI rapidly reshapes the workplace, employers face increasing pressure to ensure employees use AI tools responsibly, effectively, and legally. Sheila Abron and Karen Odash, Fisher Phillips, explore the U.S. Department of Labor's emerging AI Literacy Framework and what it means for employers implementing workplace AI. Attendees will examine evolving expectations surrounding workforce training, hu...

Civility is often viewed as a matter of professional courtesy, but it can also be a powerful tool for effective advocacy and dispute resolution. This program will explore the role of civility and professionalism throughout the ADR process, including mediation and arbitration, and examine how attorney conduct can influence negotiations, client outcomes, costs, and credibility. Panelists Hon. Nancy...

In the wake of the Palisades Fire and other Southern California wildfires, many homeowners, renters, and businesses are confronting the insurance claim process for the first time. This session will provide a practical overview of first-party property insurance, with a focus on wildfire-related claims affecting Los Angeles and the greater Southern California region. Dan Veroff, Merlin Law Group, wi...

In this session, attorneys will discover how the language they use — internally and out loud — directly fuels or sabotages their performance, and how to leverage emotion as a tool rather than be governed by it. The legal profession is associated with some of the highest rates of anxiety, depression, and burnout of any profession. Emotional intelligence and self-regulation are increasingly recogniz...

The 2026 SAG-AFTRA TV/Theatrical Agreement has now been ratified and covers a lot of ground. The four-year deal running through June 2030 includes important changes to working rules, money breaks, residuals, and of course digital replica and artificial intelligence restrictions. Please join Ryan Wedell of Sheppard, whose practice centers on guild and production counsel matters, and David Shraga, a...

This program will explore the critical importance of close collaboration between in-house and outside counsel to ensure alignment on strategy, cost management, and risk mitigation throughout the arbitration process. Participants will gain practical strategies for controlling costs, managing timelines, selecting arbitrators strategically, and ensuring that the arbitration process supports broader b...

The employment mediation landscape has changed, and knowing how to navigate it makes all the difference. Christine Kurek of Kurek Dispute Resolution, Cynthia Sandoval of Sandoval Mediation, and Julie Arias Young of Julie Arias Young Mediation examine the trends reshaping how employment cases settle, including the rise of emotional distress verdicts, the growing use of anchoring, how to navigate fi...

Where a patent case is filed can be almost as consequential as the merits. Local patent rules, individual judges’ standing orders, unwritten “rules,” and judicial temperament vary dramatically across districts. For defendants, those differences can mean everything. Karen Boyd, Thompson Hine LLP, brings a defense-side perspective to the tactical decisions that shape a case from day one: where to fi...

Research shows that legal decision-makers often weigh a defendant's expressions of remorse as highly valuable when estimating character and future behavior during the legal process, particularly during sentencing. Yet assessing remorse in court is a subjective process heavily influenced by the backgrounds of decision-makers and defendants, which fosters and reinforces implicit bias. Dr. Colleen Be...

Getting a favorable judgment is only half the battle. Collecting on the judgment it is where the rubber meets the road. Ira M. Friedman, Certified Family Law Specialist, Fellow of the American Academy of Family Lawyers, and partner at Friedman & Friedman, draws on 51 years of enforcement practice to walk attorneys through various tips and tricks of collection tools available in family law matters...

Video, audio, and digital records have long functioned as anchors of truth in criminal trials. But as AI-generated media, deepfakes, synthetic voice recordings, and manipulated digital evidence become increasingly realistic, that foundational assumption is under pressure. Duncan Levin, Levin & Associates, will examine how synthetic evidence challenges core criminal-trial doctrines, including authe...

Although jurors are tasked with rendering a verdict based on the evidence and arguments presented in court, the unavoidable truth is that they often rely heavily on non-evidentiary factors, particularly when faced with a complex or highly technical case. One such factor is perceived credibility, not just of the witnesses but also of the attorneys themselves. Jurors use the perceived credibility of...

Gurkan Ay, PhD, Director at Resolution Economics, Paul F. White, PhD, Partner at Resolution Economics, and Kacey R. Riccomini of Thompson Coburn LLP will break down how AI-based tools used in hiring, performance evaluation, and compensation create discrimination risk under Title VII, the ADA, the ADEA, and a growing body of state laws including NYC Local Law 144 and California's Title 2 regulation...

Preparing and defending the deposition of a client who has been severing traumatized and suffers from PTSD requires more than the standard technique. Mishandled deposition and preparation of a client who suffers from trauma can cause further harm and result in disengagement. Melissa Hague of the Joel Bieber Firm examines how trauma affects memory, behavior, and communication, and what that means f...

Generative AI is transforming the way lawyers work, and this interactive presentation explores how you can harness its potential to enhance your legal work. Designed specifically for in-house lawyers, Sterling Miller, Hilgers, explores what Generative AI is and, more importantly, how to craft effective AI prompts that deliver practical, actionable insights for legal research, contract drafting, co...

In this program, Ryan McCarl, the author of Elegant Legal Writing, will discuss how attorneys can make briefs more readable and persuasive. Drawing on examples from real litigation filings and concepts informed by cognitive psychology, the program examines how judges process information under constraints of time, attention, and working memory — and how lawyers can structure their briefs to help ju...

A standard severability clause and a delegation clause can coexist in the same arbitration agreement, but until recently, California practitioners could not be certain a court would honor both. The Ninth Circuit's March 19, 2026 decision in Sandler v. Modernizing Medicine, Inc. provides important guidance for attorneys drafting, enforcing, or challenging employment arbitration agreements in Califo...

The term “brackets” raises anxiety or ire for many mediators and attorneys because it is susceptible to so many different interpretations. (And, of course, there is the math!) This often leads to a knee-jerk resistance to the use of this powerful negotiation technique. This presentation will cover various forms of “bracketing” such as conditional offers, public and private ranges, specific numbers...

As technology rapidly accelerates, drones and drone law move further from being a niche. In fact, drones are generating legal issues that cut across criminal defense, civil litigation, municipal law, real estate, entertainment, and more. Chances are you already represent clients utilizing drones in some capacity and if not, you may soon as the FAA’s new regulations will make them even more widely...

COPRAC's recent advisory makes clear that efficiency does not replace professional responsibility. Powerful AI systems require human oversight, and the lawyer's obligation to supervise, verify, and own AI-assisted work is non-negotiable under California Rules of Professional Conduct Rule 1.1 and ABA Model Rule 5.3. Christian Puzder of Casefriend examines how attorneys can responsibly integrate AI...