CLEs You Actually Want to Hear

Kenny Ramirez of the Kenny Ramirez Law Firm will walk through how trial attorneys can adopt AI deliberately and responsibly, covering the key distinctions between public AI models like ChatGPT and Claude, closed-universe legal platforms like CoCounsel and Lexis AI, and all-in-one tools like Harvey and Eve. Drawing on his own firm's experience, Ramirez will break down a three-phase framework for AI adoption — from compliance and ethical guardrails (attorney-client privilege, data security, HIPAA considerations) to building on a strong case management foundation and finally deploying AI where it generates the most value. Attorneys will leave with a practical toolkit fo...

Judges Martin R. Barash (U.S. Bankruptcy Court, C.D. Cal.) and Lee R. Bagdanoff (Ret., JAMS), alongside Uzzi O. Raanan of Greenberg Glusker LLP and Jay Spillane of Spillane Trial Group PLC, will examine the intersection of state court litigation and bankruptcy proceedings, with a focus on enforcing judgments and debts in light of a bankruptcy filing. The panel will address the scope and operation of the automatic stay, key exceptions (including state court contempt proceedings and actions that merely maintain the status quo, such as status hearings), and strategies for seeking or opposing relief from the stay...

To object, or not to object? Join Tony Ross of Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker for a comprehensive overview of the use of objections in the courtroom. The program will review best practices on the various reasons attorneys can instruct their witness not to answer, examine ways to protect privilege, and provide practical instruction on techniques to strategically utilize objections. This program also addresses how to navigate difficult scenarios when opposing counsel won’t back down. Participants will walk away with an understanding of how judges handle disputes and ready-to-use language that protects the record.

The Litigation Se...

Valerie T. McGinty of the Law Office of Valerie T. McGinty breaks down six key approaches attorneys can use to challenge motions to compel arbitration, from jurisdictional issues and mutual assent to unconscionability and scope. Drawing on a wide range of recent California and federal case law, McGinty will illustrate how courts have denied these motions across consumer, employment, elder abuse, and sexual harassment cases. Attorneys will leave with practical strategies for defeating arbitration agreements, including how to argue waiver, leverage failure to pay arbitration fees, and determine when a writ may be the best path forward.

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Lawyers pride themselves on outworking everyone, but skimping on sleep may be quietly tanking your performance, mental health, and malpractice risk. The science is clear: sleep is as essential as diet and exercise, yet high achievers are often the worst at getting it.

Join sleep doctor, Dr. Audrey Wells and attorney well-being expert Kendra Brodin to learn why lawyers struggle with sleep. Sharpen your edge, protect your clients, and feel good doing it.

You'll leave knowing how to:

The program features Hon. Clifford L. Klein (Ret.) and Justice Judith Ashmann-Gerst (Ret.), both of Signature Resolution, in a discussion of the surprising and interesting legal issues that can arise from an otherwise simple social game of golf. Drawing from actual cases, the program explores golfer liability for wild shots or negligent course design, private club and event discrimination, disability accommodations, trans athletes, property tax for country clubs and intellectual property disputes involving golf equipment. The speakers will discuss how courts analyze these issues and offer practitioners insight into how a pleasant walk in a park can devolve into...

This program focuses on the core drafting strategies behind effective creator partnership and licensing agreements in today’s creator economy. April Paredes, founder of Ascent Legal, will break down the key provisions attorneys must get right, including ownership and IP rights, scope of licenses, compensation structures, brand approvals, termination provisions, and common negotiation pitfalls. Designed for attorneys advising creators, brands, and agencies, this program delivers concrete guidance for drafting clear, enforceable agreements that align expectations, reduce risk, and scale with creator-driven businesses.

The Entertainment Law Section is chaired by Keith Kelly.

This introductory webinar provides a practical overview of foundational health care law topics, including HIPAA compliance, medical staffing regulations, reimbursement processes, and related regulatory considerations. Designed for attorneys new to the field or those seeking a refresher, the program highlights key legal risks and compliance principles impacting today’s health care industry. Attendees will obtain a clearer understanding of how these laws apply in practice and the key compliance risks facing health care providers and organizations.

The Healthcare Law Section is chaired by Ruhee Singh

Matthew S. Kenefick of Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell LLP breaks down the evolving legal landscape of accessibility compliance, with a focus on both physical spaces and websites. This program will cover key provisions of the ADA and related California laws, including the Unruh Civil Rights Act and the Disabled Persons Act, and explain how these laws apply to businesses open to the public. It will also highlight how legal obligations intersect with practical considerations in real estate, web development, and customer-facing operations—offering insight into litigation trends, compliance strategies, and risk management techniques to help businesses avoid costly lawsuits.

Mediator Peter Thompson of Judicate West, plaintiff's attorney Joshua Furman of Joshua R. Furman Law Corp, and David Samani of Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP will address mediation preparation and the issues that arise in mediation — including consent clauses, conflicts among clients, properly preparing claims personnel and insureds, properly preparing plaintiffs, mediator's expectations and tools, and mediator's proposals. Drawing on their combined experience on both sides of the table and in the neutral seat, the panelists will address common sticking points that derail mediations — and how to avoid them. This program is moderated by Mike Douglass of Parker Shaffie LLP...

Get an inside look at the State Bar Court from someone who knows it best. Judge Dennis Saab has presided over State Bar Court cases since 2019, handling everything from professional misconduct and criminal convictions to reinstatement proceedings and the court's Alternative Discipline Program for attorneys navigating substance abuse or mental health challenges. As the current supervising judge of the trial department, he brings a frontline perspective on how these cases unfold and what attorneys need to know to stay out of trouble. This is a rare opportunity to hear directly from a sitting judge about the ethics pitfalls that...

Thanos Leontaris of Ratio Legal Services, Sarah Cundall of Lee & Thompson LLP, and Michael Peters of Ramo Law will examine how generative AI is reshaping intellectual property law across the film and television industries, covering questions of ownership in AI-generated scripts, images, and music, as well as how training data, moral rights, and copyright exceptions apply throughout production and distribution. Drawing on perspectives from Greece, the UK, and the US, the panel will explore how these legal frameworks intersect — and where they diverge — across jurisdictions that entertainment practitioners increasingly navigate together. Attorneys and industry professionals will leave with practical guid...

Ready to go beyond the basics? In this follow-up to Persuasive Legal Writing, Daniel U. Smith--Certified Appellate Specialist, former Federal District Court law clerk, and member of the California Academy of Appellate Lawyers--explains the advanced strategies that separate good briefs from great briefs. Drawing on 35 years of exclusively appellate practice, including 19 California Supreme Court appearances, Mr. Smith explains the subtle choices in language, structure, sequence, and tone that lead judges to respect your character and your arguments. This seminar answers Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg's call for " [l]ucid, well-ordered writing [that] can contribute immeasurably to a lawyer's success as...

Ann Brigid Clark of Greenberg Traurig, Jonathan Handel of Feig Finkel, David Shraga of Shraga Resolution Services, and Emma Smizer of Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz will join moderator Keith Cooper of Cooper & Iravani LLP for a panel review of the developments from 2025 that are reshaping transactional entertainment law. The panel will cover key shifts across digital contract formation, AI training and digital replica rights, interactive and transmedia licensing, and California privacy enforcement — exploring how courts, unions, and regulators have raised the bar for what deal terms need to say and how they need to say it.

The En...

Join attorney Azim Chowdhury of Keller and Heckman for a comprehensive overview of federal and state vaping laws. Drawing on his first-hand experience as an advisor to the FDA, Azim brings his insights to this program on legal issues relevant to e-vapor, e-liquid, and tobacco product manufacturers, distributors, and retailers.

This program covers essential compliance strategies for retail and online sales, licensing requirements, and provides safeguarding steps for clients that mitigate risk. From the regulatory requirements to the variations between federal and state different regulations, participants will gain a practical understanding on FDA rule making and enforcement...

Editors of the Elgar Concise Encyclopedia of Artificial Intelligence and the Law, Elizabeth Rothman and Ryan Abbott, examine how artificial intelligence is reshaping legal practice across a broad range of areas of law. Dr. Abbott is a mediator and arbitrator with JAMS, Inc., in Century City and Los Angeles and a prominent figure in law and AI including as the co-author of the JAMS AI Rules. He will cover the evolving integration of AI into mediation and arbitration, including by parties, counsel, and neutrals. Ms. Rothman, bringing her experience as an attorney and educator on AI and the law...

In this program, Jana Gardner, Senior Counsel with the California Association of REALTORS®, will discuss the most recent updates to C.A.R.'s Standard Forms, including the purchase agreement, disclosures, and property management forms. She will also discuss the most significant new 2026 laws affecting residential sales and leasing.

This program will be moderated by Howard Gould.

The Real Estate Law Section is chaired by Howard Gould and Elizabeth Dryden.

The decision on the Top Gun case reaffirms what is already known: copyright does not protect abstract ideas. Looking at Yonay v. Paramount Pictures Corp and Sedlik v. Von Drachenberg, et al, this program explores existing doctrine and analyzes the future of copyright cases. Attorney Scott Hervey provides an in-depth review of both cases, from the application of the intrinsic test in the Kat Von D case to the failure of the estoppel argument in the Yonay case.

The Intellectual Property Law Section is chaired by Adrian Cyhan.

This program, led by Law Professor Chris Chambers Goodman, will be conducted in three parts. The first part will provide some historical background and statistics on gender representation in the legal profession and particular manifestations of gender bias. The second part will address sources of biased data in machine learning systems and some illustrations of how biases can and do impact recruiting and employment opportunities for women and other marginalized groups. The final segment will highlight some specific manifestations of gender bias against attorneys IRL (in real life). Participants will walk away with identifiable strategies for interrupting bias in...

This program explores how common entertainment transactions can unravel into high-stakes litigation, drawing on real-world cases involving contracts, copyright ownership, influencer marketing, and implied agreements. Through an entertainment litigator’s lens, the program highlights nuanced, hard-to-spot risk areas and explains how courts analyze disputes when deals are incomplete, ambiguous, or never papered at all. Attendees gain practical guidance on drafting and deal practices that can help entertainment transactional attorneys minimize exposure before conflicts arise.

The Entertainment Law Section is chaired by Keith Kell

While probate legal guardianship matters are private custody disputes—typically involving a relative or family friend—they differ significantly from family law actions, and in practice often resemble quasi-dependency proceedings. Parents can face serious consequences, including suspension of their parental rights and the termination of all contact with their children.

Because of these high stakes, it is essential that parents have access to skilled and informed legal representation. This training will equip attorneys with the knowledge and tools needed to advocate effectively for parents, including how to assist with objections, petitions to terminate a guardianship, and...

Tyler Paetkau and Kathy Huynh of Paetkau Law Group will walk through the most common drafting mistakes that render employment arbitration agreements unenforceable — and how to avoid them. Drawing on California and federal case law including Armendariz v. Foundation Health Psychcare Services, Mendoza v. Trans Valley Transport, and Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis, they will cover critical issues such as delegation clauses, signature requirements, unconscionability, class action waivers, and the interplay between the FAA and California Arbitration Act. Attorneys will leave with a practical checklist for drafting agreements that are clear, fair, and built to hold up in court.

Jennifer Kennedy Park and Matthew M. Yelovich, partners at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, will walk through how AI-related white collar enforcement has evolved across administrations, covering both AI-enabled fraud schemes and "AI-washing" cases where companies misrepresent AI capabilities to investors. Drawing on DOJ and SEC actions including the first criminal AI-washing indictment under the Trump administration and DOJ's AI-powered healthcare fraud takedown, they will explain how enforcement is increasingly being shaped by executive policy rather than clear statutory frameworks. Attorneys will leave with a practical understanding of current criminal exposure risks and what strong AI compliance and governance...

In this webinar, David Hoffman will share practical tools that lawyers can use when negotiations are deadlocked, from his book “The Art of Impasse-Breaking in Mediation: A Handbook for Mediators, Lawyers, and Other Conflict Resolvers” (published by the American Bar Association in December 2025). David’s talk will focus on identifying settlement barriers, overcoming psychological obstacles to settlement, preventing impasses, range-bargaining, and a variety of interventions that mediators use, such as risk analysis, case evaluation, and mediator’s proposals. David will then take questions from attendees on any topic related to conflict resolution (from his 40 years as a Boston lawyer, 33 years of...

Mindfulness has been widely adopted in the legal profession as an empirically sound wellness intervention. Despite this, the needle has not really shifted: lawyers remain as stressed out as ever. Do these techniques really work? Are they not being taught and practiced in the “right” way?

This program asks lawyers to look at mindfulness as something that goes far beyond merely stress reduction, and as a practice to develop discernment, practical wisdom, and live your life and practice law in a way that honors your own humanity and the humanity of others. 

This program is presen...

The AI and the Law Section is chaired by Marc Hoag.

Join Sean M. Novak of The Novak Law Firm, P.C. as he breaks down how plaintiffs can strategically use Code of Civil Procedure §998 offers to compromise in employment discrimination cases. This program will explain why §998 offers remain a powerful tool in FEHA litigation, including how they can be used to counter defense tactics aimed at limiting attorneys’ fees, establish a baseline for prejudgment interest, and formally document settlement demands. Attendees will learn practical drafting and timing strategies, key pitfalls to avoid, and how courts evaluate §998 offers in light of recent case law.

The Employment Law Section is ch...

California’s SB 37 did not just change attorney advertising rules. It reset how responsibility and accountability work in modern legal marketing. This CLE program brings together Yosi Yahoudai, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of J&Y Law, Monica Washington Rothbaum, COO and Senior Attorney of J&Y Law, and Jonathan Sanchez, Marketing Director of J&Y Law, to explain what SB 37 means for firms using AI-driven content, third-party lead generation, automated intake, and co-branded advertising. The session moves beyond theory to show how SB 37 expands the definition of advertising, tightens disclosure requirements, and makes it clear that delegation does not sh...

Join Ed Oster of Judicate West as he explores how cognitive biases like confirmation bias, anchoring, and reactive devaluation subconsciously influence decision-making in mediation. Oster draws on decades of trial experience and recent psychological research to demonstrate practical techniques for recognizing these mental shortcuts in both your opponent and yourself, and provides tested strategies for counteracting their effects to achieve better settlement results.

The Alternative Dispute Resolution Section is chaired by Robert Cohen and Jeffrey Kravitz.

As the federal government moves toward rescheduling cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III, tax practitioners face a shifting landscape with major implications for § 280E. This session will outline what rescheduling changes—and what it leaves unresolved—while addressing key transition issues, IRS enforcement trends, and the practical tax considerations operators and advisors should prepare for. Attendees will leave with a clear, current understanding of federal cannabis tax developments and the challenges ahead.

The Taxation Law Section is chaired by Philipp Behrendt.

In today’s high-pressure legal environment, competence requires more than legal knowledge and technical skill. Sustained adversarial exposure, digital acceleration, client demands, and increasing complexity place unprecedented cognitive and emotional strain on attorneys. When chronic stress goes unrecognized or unmanaged, it can impair judgment, communication, decision-making, and ethical performance.

This program examines the intersection of resilience, neuroscience, and professional responsibility through the lens of competence prevention and detection. Drawing on emerging attorney well-being trends, performance science, and practical leadership strategies, participants will explore how cumulative stress exposure affects executive functioning and increases risk for professional er...

Join Martin I. Aarons of Aarons | Ward, APC as he breaks down California’s recently enacted peremptory challenge reform, applicable to criminal jury trials since 2022 and now applies to civil jury selection starting January 1, 2026. This program will explain how Code of Civil Procedure § 231.7 replaces traditional Batson/Wheeler procedures and imposes stricter standards for objecting to discriminatory use of peremptory strikes, including expanded grounds and presumptively invalid reasons. Attendees will learn practical strategies for navigating objections under the new law and how courts will evaluate stated reasons for challenges.

The Litigation Section is chaired by Rachael Kogen.

Step into the spotlight and master the choreography of high-stakes negotiations where medical records are the lead performers. This session will reveal what works best in the other room to move the needle and arrive at a mediated settlement.

The Personal Injury Law Section is chaired by Phillip Vondra.

This program provides a practical overview of international child abduction cases under the Hague Convention, focusing on the legal framework governing wrongful removal and retention of children across international borders, and walks through the mechanics of Hague return proceedings, including jurisdiction, defenses, evidentiary standards, and the roles of central authorities and courts. The program features Jeremy D. Morley of The International Family Law Firm of Jeremy D. Morley, a leading authority on Hague Convention litigation and author of The Hague Abduction Convention: Practical Issues and Procedures for Family Lawyers, and Hon. Scott Gordon (Ret.) of Signature Resolution, who brings...

An in-depth review of the evidentiary issues presented by perfect fakes, presented against the background of emerging A.I.-driven technologies. The program will discuss authentication and related rules of admissibility, and offer practical methods to evaluate potential fraudulent evidence.

The AI and the Law Section is chaired by Marc Hoag.

Familiarizing yourself with the law concerning evidence preservation will help you update your preservation demands, advise your clients of their own preservation obligations, and increase your access to critical evidence that can make or break your case. This session will help breakdown the current state of the law on evidence preservation and provide practical tips on drafting evidence preservation demands depending on your unique circumstances.

The Litigation Section is chaired by Rachael Kogen.

Brigitta S. Cymerint and Jonathan H. Davidi of Panish Shea Ravipudi LLP break down the key moments in personal injury litigation where settlement leverage naturally increases. The program highlights strategic opportunities at pre-litigation, immediately after filing, following crucial depositions, after IMEs, during expert discovery, and in the final lead-up to trial. Attendees will learn how to recognize these pressure points, use timing to their advantage, and drive meaningful settlement discussions throughout the life of a case.

The Personal Injury Law Section is chaired by Phillip Vondra.

Jurisdictional selection remains a critical—and often misunderstood—component of advanced estate planning. This presentation analyzes the “Nevada Advantage” in comparison with other top domestic trust jurisdictions, with a focus on dynasty trusts, asset protection trusts, directed trust regimes, taxation, and administration considerations. The discussion is tailored for a deeper understanding of how jurisdictional differences affect planning outcomes and how you can best serve your clients by considering a trust across state lines.

The Trust and Estates Law Section is chaired by Jennifer McNeil-Lozano and Teal Schoonover

In this presentation, David Mann provides a review of the brain chemistry of addiction and alcoholism, as well as a discussion of the behavioral and health consequences of the disease. Insights are offered into the personality traits of attorneys and the qualities of the legal profession that combine to make lawyers significantly more susceptible to addiction, and more difficult to treat, than the general population. The presentation includes a case study of an addict attorney, as well as a self-diagnosis exercise for attorneys to utilize if they are concerned that they may have a problem which needs to be...

Christine Rosskopf of Rosing Pott & Strohbehn breaks down ten critical facts every California attorney should understand about client trust accounting, focusing on the issues most likely to trigger State Bar scrutiny. The program covers IOLTA requirements, commingling and overdraft risks, handling of settlement funds, and the recordkeeping and reconciliation practices required for compliance. Attorneys will gain practical guidance to safeguard client funds, prevent inadvertent misappropriation, and minimize exposure to audits and disciplinary action.