California CLE Course Catalog

This program will help you navigate the shifting sands of the judicial ethics and disclosure regimes as they apply to the Supreme Court and the lower federal courts and offers some predictions about potential future reforms by the Court and Congress.

Lawyers are much more likely than other professions to suffer from substance use and mental health disorders due to the high-stress nature of our work and a culture that encourages us to be self-reliant. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing stress and isolation among lawyers has made this problem even worse, particularly for the newest members of the bar. Our experts discuss this alarming trend and what we can do to help ourselves and our colleagues during these difficult times.

In the next installment of this popular series, grab a beer and a box of Cracker Jack as Peter Afrasiabi walks you through the unique legal position that America’s pastime occupies in the United States. From the first pitch -- when the Supreme Court initially conferred regulatory immunity upon the sport – through to what may be the final out – more recent decisions such as NCAA v. Alston that have opened the door for amateur athletes to profit from their names and likenesses, Peter will make you a legal expert on baseball in nine innings or less.

Does the Fourth Amendment - which prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures - bar law enforcement agencies from using online search histories, text messages, thermal tracking, GPS data or cellular phone pings to find and prosecute individuals? In the latest installment of “The Curious Lawyer” series, Peter Afrasiabi takes a deep dive into each of the ten amendments in the Bill of Rights, reminding us what each amendment protects and illustrating its impact on the other constitutional protections we enjoy. Whether you are a budding constitutional scholar or simply looking for interesting facts to share at a cocktail party, the Bill of Rights series is for you.

Studies show that lawyers experience substance use disorder at twice the rate of the general population. Teaching lawyers how to recognize when they may have a problem and getting them help when they do is difficult even in “normal times.” But the COVID-19 pandemic not only made the traditional obstacles even more challenging, but set up some new roadblocks in our path. This presentation examines why preventing addiction has become harder during the pandemic and shares some expert advice on what you can do to ensure that you or someone you know gets the help they need.

With a nod to Simon & Garfunkel, veteran patent litigator William O’Brien takes you through 15 ways to win – and 10 ways to lose - your patent case. Drawing upon decades of experience representing both patent plaintiffs and defendants in federal district courts, the Federal Circuit, the International Trade Commission, and, more recently, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, this program guides you through the critical issues you must consider at every stage to ensure that you obtain the best outcome for your company or your clients whenever important patents are in dispute.

In the latest installment of this popular series, Zach McGee presents Part Three of “The Dirty Dozen” – the 12 most unethical lawyers in the history of lawyering in the United States. The stories of the illegal and unethical conduct of these lawyers are cautionary tales for any lawyer who values his or her law license. Rules covered include ABA Model Rules 3.3, 3.4 & 8.4; California Business & Professions Code section 6103; California Attorney Guidelines of Civility and Professionalism, July 20, 2007.

In the latest installment of this popular series, Zach McGee presents Part Two of “The Dirty Dozen” – the 12 most unethical lawyers in the history of lawyering in the United States.  The stories of the illegal and unethical conduct of these lawyers are cautionary tales for any lawyer who values his or her law license.  Rules covered include:  ABA Model Rules 2.1 & 8.4; Virginia Rules of Professional Conduct 1.7 & 8.4.

Okta's 2023 Businesses at Work report reveals that companies with 2,000 employees now deploy an average of 211 apps, marking a 24-app increase from last year. Even smaller companies tend to use over 90 apps. While not all of these apps will contain relevant information for eDiscovery, they do point to a growing concern for in-house teams, law firms, and service providers: how to handle the ever-increasing amount of content, collaboration, and chat data. Legal teams must adapt to this trend and learn the best practices for managing the systems powering their business, whether it's emoji-laden messages in Slack or Teams, Confluence wiki pages, or Zoom meeting recordings.