Washington CLE Course Catalog

Lawyers used to be able to get away with playing dumb. We could conveniently ignore the misdeeds of our clients…we could keep our eyes shut. Not any more. The ABA recently issued Opinion 491 which creates a responsibility to ask questions about our client’s bad deeds…and every lawyer needs to understand. (Rules 1.6, and 1.2 also covered)

Our expert faculty will update you on a potpourri of automatic stay and discharge injunction violation issues, including the latest guidance from the Supreme Court on action vs. inaction, the return of repossessed cars and the collection of discharged debt.

One of the sharpest tools in the lawyer’s arsenal is a surprisingly common item. The letter. Whether it’s a demand letter, a note sent during negotiations, or a client communication, your success could be dependent on a piece of correspondence. Join the CLE Performer, Stuart Teicher as he explains how to write a variety of effective letter types.

If a person can be proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of a crime, then the criminal-justice system can(doesn’t mean it will) get that person off the streets, at least temporarily, but… What happens when such a person has served his/her sentence, yet we identify that person (hopefully correctly) as still dangerous?… Or, what if we identify a person (hopefully correctly) as dangerous, but that person has not been convicted of a crime? What can the mental-health “system” do? – i.e., what are the legal requirements for short-and long-term involuntary civil commitment?">If a person can be proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of a crime, then the criminal-justice system can(doesn’t mean it will) get that person off the streets, at least temporarily, but… What happens when such a person has served his/her sentence, yet we identify that person (hopefully correctly) as still dangerous?… Or, what if we identify a person (hopefully correctly) as dangerous, but that person has not been convicted of a crime? What can the mental-health “system” do? – i.e., what are the legal requirements for short-and long-term involuntary civil commitment?

In this session, Dr. Brian Russell will discuss how the Violence Risk Assessment is used to evaluate individuals for potential violence. He will provide real case examples to provide a clearer understanding how these tools work, where it failed and how it has improved since it's conception.

Besides becoming a pop-culture catchphrase, how has the shift to a virtual environment impacted proceedings over the last year, and what changes do you believe are here to stay? Our panel of experts will examine some of the greatest challenges, faux pas, and successes in virtual proceedings over the course of this transformative time.

Join Dr. Brian Russell as he dives into the competencies expected of your clients in civil matters; mainly making contracts, making healthcare decisions and making a will. He uses his knowledge and experience, both as an attorney and a licensed psychologist, to provide a deeper understanding of how to help your client and avoid pitfalls.

As the courts reopen and in-house counsel reevaluate their caseloads, we will take a look at what legal departments have been experiencing on the litigation front in terms of “old” as well as newly-brought cases.

During this discussion, a panel of experts will share their views on the difficult decisions that in-house, especially general counsel, face as they weigh the cons and pros of whether and when a dispute is better suited for public litigation or private arbitration. Additionally, they will provide tips on what factors, in their experience, tend to sway the decision-making process one way or another.