Washington (WA) Ethics CLE Course Catalog

In the latest installment of this popular series, Zach McGee discusses Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) and how this technology – particularly Generative AI that can generate content in the form of text, images, video, audio, etc. in response to prompts from a user – is poised to change how knowledge workers, including lawyers, do our jobs. But before you consider using ChatGPT or other Generative AI tools to assist in your law practice, you need to make sure you understand exactly how these tools work, what they can do and what they can’t, how reliable they are or aren’t, and most importantly, what legal ethics issues can arise. This program gives you the knowledge you need to perform that exercise for yourself as Generative AI tools continue to evolve.

What happens when a client sorta, kinda lies? Is it really even a lie? And what’s a lawyer to do about it? Well, it depends. ...is it in a tribunal or a negotiation? ...is it a statement of fact or law? In this program we’re going to try to help you keep your head afloat by explaining it all.

Is it okay to be zealous, or does that push the boundaries too much? The word has been used to used to cover up all manner of sins in the practice. Join "the CLE Performer" Stuart Teicher Esq., as he explains how professionalism concepts asks us to question whether “zealousness” is proper and explains how the practice is moving away from that approach.

From the data of Elon Musk to the texts of Alex Jones, e-discovery has become a big story in the news. With perspectives from the worlds of law and journalism, join us as we examine the e-discovery law issues and the cases that have become major media stories, including topics such as waiver of the attorney-client privilege, preservation of potential evidence, and the varied data sources making e-discovery challenging and, at times, newsworthy. In addition, we’ll examine how e-discovery matters can end up in the news and the potential pitfalls.

In the latest installment of this popular series, Zach McGee examines an important question: what are your legal and ethical obligations when your client turns out to be the devil incarnate, or at the very least, a very bad and unethical person? Using the criminal fraud and conspiracy convictions of “PharmaBro” Martin Shkreli and his lawyer, Evan Greebel, as the backdrop for the discussion, Zach provides practical guidance to lawyers should they ever find themselves representing a smart, arrogant, manipulative fraudster. Rules covered include: ABA Model Rules 1.2, 1.6, 1.13, 1.16, 4.1 & 8.4

In this third program in the series, Zach McGee explores the topic of business ethics versus legal ethics to help you answer two key questions: what are your business clients taught about ethics, and how can you, as their lawyer, help them make ethical business decisions? Zach uses notorious scandals at Theranos, Volkswagen and Turing Pharmaceuticals to illustrate how real-world institutional and competitive pressures can lead some business leaders to follow unethical business practices. Rules covered include: ABA Model Rule 2.1; ABA Model Rule 4.1; and Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code Section 6068.

In this installment of our Double Play series, our two, thirty-minute programs cover five ethical traps in defending class actions and ethical issues in multijurisdictional practice. Can your company offer customers a discount on future purchases in exchange for a waiver of claims after a class has been certified? Can you ethically obtain declarations from putative class members to help oppose class certification? This program considers these and other important ethical issues that often arise in class actions. How well do you know the rules that govern your ability to perform legal services in a state where you are not licensed or the sanctions for violating them? This program gives you the guidance you need to avoid engaging in the unauthorized practice of law.

They say that love is blind, but it is also unethical? Recently, many states have enacted legal ethics rules that expressly prohibit dating a client, while in others, lawyers remain free to date a client unless the romantic relationship adversely affects the lawyer’s representation of the client. In this topical and engaging program, Andrew Struve examines the legal, ethical and practical implications when lawyers choose to date clients and other lawyers.

Attorneys in film are constantly violating the ethics rules. Of course, the public probably doesn’t realize it, but us lawyers need to make sure that we don’t repeat these sometimes ridiculous gaffes. Join the CLE Performer, Stuart Teicher, Esq., as he explains the sometimes obvious and sometimes subtle ethics violations committed by lawyers in movies and on TV.